1st impressions for account creation are kind of embarassing SE

[wereotter]

I agree, getting onto specific servers in NA is terrible. Doesn't help too that our servers are already overpopulated compared to the JP servers (and EU has it even worse)

They absolutely need to invest in more servers to house more players and maybe give an incentive for people to move to them (like maybe people with houses can get their same plot if it's available for free if they transfer to that new server since that's one thing that tends to anchor people where they are)

Though also yes, the process of setting up an account in the first place really does feel like an antiquated relic left over from the FFXI days (never played the game so don't know if it actually is or not) and really could use an update to make it easier for people to set up an account.

[Puremallace]

Hi,


seriously i don't get it. Every time i log in i get a queue. It can be also at 4am and i have still to wait. I guess this queue is a kind of placebo. And SE is not a poor company that has no money to upgrade their hardware or buy more cloud instances.


Cheers

I never ran a test to see if logging out in some place with low pop vs logging out in Limsa affects that.

[wereotter]

I never ran a test to see if logging out in some place with low pop vs logging out in Limsa affects that.

It doesn't. I tend to avoid high population places like Limsa or Eulemore and still get a queue every time I log in no matter what.

[TeraRamis]

Their technological limitations are - across the board - getting more and more difficult to excuse. Ul'dah is mobbed at all hours - way busier than anything I see in WoW these days - but Square can't reinvest some bucks in hardware? Suspect to say the least. I feel like I'm being farmed.

[Vahlnir]

Their technological limitations are - across the board - getting more and more difficult to excuse. Ul'dah is mobbed at all hours - way busier than anything I see in WoW these days - but Square can't reinvest some bucks in hardware? Suspect to say the least. I feel like I'm being farmed.

They may not have a choice now but to upgrade a few things to keep the cash flowing. This game is getting some very heavy traffic, and it is sold out digitally on the SE store. I've never seen that before.

[Fawkes]

I agree, getting onto specific servers in NA is terrible. Doesn't help too that our servers are already overpopulated compared to the JP servers (and EU has it even worse)

Originally in FFXI you were placed randomly on a server. The only way to get on a server with your friends was for them to buy a World Pass and give it to you before you made your character.

Though also yes, the process of setting up an account in the first place really does feel like an antiquated relic left over from the FFXI days (never played the game so don't know if it actually is or not) and really could use an update to make it easier for people to set up an account.

The mog station is kinda like a skin for the previous account system that FFXI and 1.0 used. But it's way easier to use and the language is a lot clearer for what buttons even do. In the old system there was a prominently displayed button labeled "cancel service" that would actually close your whole account instead of cancelling your subscription, so you'd hear about people trying to come back to the game only to find out they don't have an account anymore.

Before that FFXI used PlayOnline for subscriptions. I think they changed it because they were sued by someone who uninstalled the game and then couldn't cancel because you could only do it in PlayOnline.

[Dzian]

I sure hope SE plans on adding like 5+ additional servers per data center soon, plus all the secondary servers for instances\housing that entails. Can't imagine that extra budget will come easily though.

The population isnt big enough to justify new servers.. Every server they have added or data centre has been for reasons of latency more than population growth.

All told there plenty of space for new players to come and play many existing servers are proverbial ghost towns. with plenty of room for populatin growth.. theres' only what 2 or 3 servers that are rammed because for some dumb reason everyone wants to be on balmung or whatever.

but they're unlikely to add more servers when 75% of the servers that already exist are virtually empty.

in an ideal world the data centre visit feature should come with free transferrs to empty worlds to entice people to migrate. those that have friends can still visit and play with them..

be quite a usefull feature for me. being british. i stay on sarg as thats where i was in 1.0 and where all my friends are. but the ability to visit the eu data centre on my days off could help reduce queue times in the na off hours

[TaleraRistain]

I'm laughing a bit at this because Asmongold commented on that in his one first impressions video and he mentioned exactly this. It's not funny funny, but it's definitely something we could all commiserate on. SE really does make it confusing to just buy the game and get set up. It's like they don't want to be given money.

[Jojoya]

You title thread account creation but it only about full worlds? Nice clickbait i guess.

Account creation is pretty messy if you're buying a digital download from the SE store instead of a box from a retailer. I remember when I was first getting into the game just before HW's launch and trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing.

Evidently it's not any better 6 years later. I still have to walk friends through all the steps. Some had problems with EW pre-order and I had to explain how that works as well to a few. Can't wait until EW release and we have to remind everyone they need to revisit the SE store to get their actual expansion key (which is different from the key they used to activate their pre-order bonuses).

"Why is it so complicated to buy and register the game?" "Only SE knows."

[Feronar]

Yes, there really should be an overhaul and redesign of how the game is purchased and activated. Here's what I would do:

For the Steam version:
On purchasing the base game, you are given a product key to enter. This key's sole purpose is to connect your FFXIV account to your Steam account. When you purchase any expansion or collector's edition on Steam, it will automatically be added to your FFXIV account the next time you log in. No need for more keys. Subscriptions would also be handled through Steam, and Crysta would also be purchasable through Steam, similar to how the Steam version of Elder Scrolls Online handles subscriptions and Crown purchases.

For the PS4/PS5 versions:
It could work similar to the Steam version. On purchasing the base game, you are given a product key to enter. This key's sole purpose is to connect your FFXIV account to your PlayStation account. When you purchase any expansion or collector's edition on the PlayStation store, it will automatically be added to your FFXIV account the next time you log in. No need for more keys. I personally don't have a PS4 or PS5 so I don't know if the PS Store supports it, but if it does, subscriptions and Crysta purchases would also be handled through the PS Store.

For the PC and Mac non-Steam versions:
Make it so the game and any expansions would be purchased through the FFXIV Online Store, the same place where you buy fantasias, mounts, and cosmetic items. Implement safety checks so you can not buy the wrong version, i.e. you can't buy the EU version if you have an NA account, you can't buy the complete edition if you already have the base game, it will redirect you to the Steam page if you have the Steam version, etc. On buying the game or any expansion, it will be immediately and automatically added to your account. No entering any keys into the Mog Station.

For all versions:
Phase out the Mog Station completely, and merge any account service and management functionality into the FFXIV Online Store, including subscriptions, name changes, home world transfers, retainers, additional platform licenses, etc. Why have separate sites? After all that is moved over, the Mog Station will stay open for 6 months to give players with unused product keys from before the changes time to enter them in. Notice will be given in a Live Letter, as well as announcements on the game launcher and the Lodestone front page.