Removal of loading screens

[Jeeqbit]

Back in the 1.X Version(s) of the game, the world was 1 huge area, without "real" loading screens. In later 1.X versions, the game's major cities were divided into separate areas via loading-screens. This was mainly because of the PS3.

I doubt PS3 is the reason because there is already a render limit and anything beyond that limit doesn't get rendered, even if it's there. Most things only render from a certain distance too.

The problem with everything being one uninterrupted area is that one server program would have to process all of the events and battles. At the moment each area has its own server program and several areas are bunched together onto a single machine. Perhaps you have seen how slow the server gets at a hunt or fate, taking a few seconds to knock you back as it cycles through each person one at a time.

There already are not really loading screens if you use an SSD so it's not a problem, but we have been told there will be a multi-million dollar upgrade of the server equipment sometime after 6.0.