Can we have a server merger after fee take place ?

[Kiara]

Hi, this is Producer/Director Yoshida here.

I understand your concern on the number of concurrent users.

Actually the world merge is currently in plan.

We will first analyze the number of players in the game after the billing service begins.
Based on that analysis, we will be running a simulation where the maximum concurrent access during the peak hours will become somewhere around 1500 to 2000 per World.
* The above number is provisional and not a finalized number.

And with the method on how the world merge will be done, it will not be done in a simple method where World A and World B will merge into a single new World.
In order for EU players to gather on the same server in a certain mass, we are planning to go with the method where the players from a World with a less population can designate the World they wish to transfer to.

With the details such as when and how it will be done, they will be announced once they are confirmed.
(I'm assuming that the next update should become available in mid-January.)

To Yoshida-san, FF XIV Team and Community Reps:

Thanks for the information. I'm glad to hear that you're allowing players to choose which server to transfer to, instead of force merging multiple servers into 1 with no choice.

One thing that worries me in your comment, though, was "In order for EU players to gather on the same server in a certain mass,..."

Please do *not* label or designate the remaining active Servers as ONLY 1 Language or not. That leads to SEGREGATION.

I understand you want to help EU players gather together, but if you end up with a Lodestone Post on the Final Fantasy Main Page that labels, for example:

• Besaid Server - ENGLISH
• Rabanastre Server - JAPANESE
• Mysidia Server - EUROPEAN
• Lindblum Server - JAPANESE
• etc.

You're going to end up indirectly (or directly) influencing and driving players into segregated Servers, where everyone on the server is mostly Japanese, or English-speaking, or European, etc.

One of the most unique and *enjoyable* facets about Square's MMOs (Final Fantasy XI and now XIV) is that you took the time to allow GLOBAL SERVERS. And gave us a solid Auto-Translator Tool to help us communicate (somewhat) with players of different languages.

I love the diversity, flexibility and colorfulness of Final Fantasy's MMO population! I love that I have plenty of Japanese, European and English-speaking friends from around the world and we can play at various times of the day.

I love that even at "odd hours" for me, there are players on and that there's activity going on.

If you end up labeling / categorizing the remaining active Servers in the manner above, players will be influenced to just go to servers that do speak "English" or "Japanese" or are "European" mainly.

If you have to keep Labels (to "help EU players gather" as you stated), one solution to encourage your current diversity is to then add a "GLOBAL" Label, so continuing with the example above:

• Bahamut Server - GLOBAL
• Odin Server - GLOBAL
  
• Besaid Server - ENGLISH
• Rabanastre Server - JAPANESE
• Mysidia Server - EUROPEAN
• Lindblum Server - JAPANESE
• etc.

So at least there's a chance that we'll have global like-minded players gathering.

Thanks for considering this.

[SniperRifle]

Great news.

[Rentahamster]

If I am given a choice of either Lindblum or Besaid, I choose to quit the game. I hope Rabanastre or Trabia are choices.

What's wrong with Lindblum?

[Bowen]

What's wrong with Lindblum?

Yeah what is wrong with Lindlum? >_>;

[darkstarpoet1]

the only worry i have about the picking your server after fees take place is the people that aren't going to pay yet or are on long breaks. what will happen to those people? i know alot of my friends are taking breaks until 2.0 as soon as payment begins because their character info will be saved. would there be a way they could let everyone know which servers they would be merging to before the charges begin so everyone could decide where they will be coming back to at a later point?

if they are not going to be paying would they just be shoved into whatever server se sees fit once they return or would they have a choice when they returned on which server they go to?

that was why i was more of a server merge than the transfers. i know alot of people that have been on breaks doing tor, but plan to come back in a few months after jobs come in along next patch and then garuda fight the following patch. i'm just curious if those friends would be able to follow us once they return with the optional transfers or if they would just get shoved wherever.

[Estellios]

^^^ I'm curious about that too. I have a few friends that are waiting for jobs/2.0. Will everyone currently playing get a server-change "Flag" that will persist or is this an opt-in thing that will only be temporarily available?

[Griss]

I would imagine that the choice of server would still be there for those who return to the game after the transfers.

[Exander]

I would imagine that the choice of server would still be there for those who return to the game after the transfers.

This. This has happened in 11 as well and if SE removed the server you was on when you go to sign in you'd get an option where to go. Unless of course its one that was assigned moved like Fairy -> Sylph. Than you'd ofc would end up in Sylph. You wouldn't just end up in no server and be lost.

[AdvancedWind]

Yeah what is wrong with Lindlum? >_>;

/v/'s chosen server.

[Davorok]

I had a thought (dangerous, I know)...How about SE gives us veterans (after fees start) 1 free extra character.

We then have the option of rolling the free character on a new server and keeping our veteran on existing server...

or

We can have our veteran character transferred (or duped) on to a new server and roll a new character on the old server (or keep the original if they can be duped).

Just a thought anyway plus I'm always scammin' for somethin' for free. ;>P