A humble request to Square Enix: please unlock Gilgamesh.

[Rokke]

There really isn't a long-term solution. They block incoming new players. Population stagnates. Some decide to leave. Population drops. Server reopens. Population fills up again. Rinse repeat. It's a mess, but what else can really be done about it except what SE has tried so far, with the "preferred" thing, etc.

Maybe they can try to break new ground with the cross-server features. Like if it's a social thing, make cross-server FCs a thing, or create instanced virtual idling zones where it seems like they are in the same space.

As long as individual servers exist, there will always be some servers busier than others.

You've basically hit it on the head. Its not a long term solution, but imo its unfortunately needed. That smaller servers have grown as much as they have since the lock is proof enough. Theres always going to be an imbalance, but the difference between the biggest and smallest servers shouldn't be ridiculous.

And for what its worth: Yoshi has said he wanted to make cross server FCs a thing. I would happily use it the day it'd go live as I have a few friends who joined after Balmung was closed.