Response to Congestion (as of Dec. 15)

[ArkenaeuxBelmont]

So, here's a couple ideas I've had on what could be done to alleviate congestion:

1). The playerbase: IMO, anybody who finished MSQ should take a week or two off, to let others who have yet to finish MSQ log on and get that done. But no, thousands of players are logging on and staying logged on and doing stuff like grinding tomestones and other stuff while a bunch of people who can't get on for trying who wanna do the MSQ making things worse for everybody. Have some consideration for your fellow player. Endgame dungeons and gil farming can wait.

2). To SE: One thing I think should be done, is sort the queue by /played time this week and time both. For example, if there's 5,000 people in the queue, you'd sort that queue by /played time this week (you'd have to keep track of this obviously). Those who have less /played time should be placed at the front of the queue, for example if I enter the queue and I have 2 hours of /played on a Friday, I jump ahead of someone who was already in the queue who has 20 hours of /played time this week even though they entered the queue an hour before I did (but yet if there's someone else who entered the queue 15 minutes ago who also has 2 hours /played, they get on before I do). They already had 20 hours this week, they can wait. Let somebody else on who hasn't been able to play yet.

EDIT: 3). Actually, SE could enforce #1; place all characters who have finished Shadowbringers MSQ but not Endwalker MSQ ahead of those who have finished Endwalker MSQ. That way, players who have yet to get caught up get a better chance of doing so.

One person's playtime is no more valuable than another person's playtime. Sorry, but no. Just because someone has finished EW MSQ, does not mean their playtime should be reduced. Their subscription is just as valid as yours. The money the paid for the game is just as valid as yours.

Whatever someone chooses to do in the game, as long as it doesn't violate the TOS, is entirely their right to decide. You, and no one else, has any right to demand they be penalized because they completed some content before you.

[Maeka]

One person's playtime is no more valuable than another person's playtime. Sorry, but no. Just because someone has finished EW MSQ, does not mean their playtime should be reduced. Their subscription is just as valid as yours. The money the paid for the game is just as valid as yours.

Whatever someone chooses to do in the game, as long as it doesn't violate the TOS, is entirely their right to decide. You, and no one else, has any right to demand they be penalized because they completed some content before you.

It's about taking turns.

You logging in for however much time, 10+ hours a week, vs that guy who wants to log in, but can't due to RL obligations and not being able to wait hours for queues who only gets 2 hours a week.

You got your money's worth, they didn't.

You should stand aside so that they can get their money's worth.

Why should one guy pay $14.95 to only be able to play a couple hours a week because of the nolifers who play 40+ hours a week who can log on wee morning and stay logged on all fricken day?

You're basically acting like that kid who goes to those game demo setups (back when stores still did that) and hogs it for hours and won't let anybody else play.

[ArkenaeuxBelmont]

It's about taking turns.

You logging in for however much time, 10+ hours a week, vs that guy who wants to log in, but can't due to RL obligations and not being able to wait hours for queues who only gets 2 hours a week.

You got your money's worth, they didn't.

You should stand aside so that they can get their money's worth.

Why should one guy pay $14.95 to only be able to play a couple hours a week because of the nolifers who play 40+ hours a week who can log on wee morning and stay logged on all fricken day?

Again, how is that the person who's logging more hours' fault? What are they doing that is wrong? If it's legit playtime and not breaking ToS by AFK botting or anything else, that is THEIR right.

You have absolutely 0 right to say 1 person's playtime is any more important than someone else's. If one has the time to play, then one has the time to play.

We all paid the same price for the game, we all pay the same subscription fee. Person A who can't log in during non-peak times and doesn't have the time to play is no more a different customer than Person B who can log in before the queues and has beaten MSQ.

I'm sorry that the situation for the people who do not have the time to play, sucks. It does. However, that does not mean OTHER players should be punished for that when they have not done anything wrong. They played the game. That's all. (Of course, again, considering there is no ToS breaking going on. AFK-botters and RMT'ers are exempt from this. They SHOULD be dealt with.)

[Maeka]

Again, how is that the person who's logging more hours' fault? What are they doing that is wrong? If it's legit playtime and not breaking ToS by AFK botting or anything else, that is THEIR right.

You have absolutely 0 right to say 1 person's playtime is any more important than someone else's. If one has the time to play, then one has the time to play.

We all paid the same price for the game, we all pay the same subscription fee. Person A who can't log in during non-peak times and doesn't have the time to play is no more a different customer than Person B who can log in before the queues and has beaten MSQ.

I'm sorry that the situation for the people who do not have the time to play, sucks. It does. However, that does not mean OTHER players should be punished for that when they have not done anything wrong. They played the game. That's all. (Of course, again, considering there is no ToS breaking going on. AFK-botters and RMT'ers are exempt from this. They SHOULD be dealt with.)

Is it so much to ask that you be considerate and voluntarily let other people get their turn online?

Is it so much to ask that you think for a second about someone other than yourself?

No, you're another one of those "mememememememememe" and "who cares about everybody else, I want what I want!" sentiment that you see everywhere.

Maybe you should start being a part of the solution instead of being a part of the problem. Maybe you should realize that people want to get MSQ done. Maybe if you, and everybody like you would voluntarily step away from the game for a few days to let others get on and finish their MSQs, things would be way better. It's hard to even go to Youtube anymore without seeing spoiler videos and I would LIKE to finish MSQ as little spoiled as possible, but yanno...

I can't fricken log on, like, at all except for one or two days a week. That's IF I don't get called in to work.

But I see all of these people hogging the queues that already have MSQ done, they don't have to worry about being spoiled, they don't have to basically stop talking to their friends and ignore their FC discords, etc to avoid spoilers.

[ArkenaeuxBelmont]

Is it so much to ask that you be considerate and voluntarily let other people get their turn online?

Is it so much to ask that you think for a second about someone other than yourself?

No, you're another one of those "mememememememememe" and "who cares about everybody else, I want what I want!" sentiment that you see everywhere.

Maybe you should start being a part of the solution instead of being a part of the problem. Maybe you should realize that people want to get MSQ done. Maybe if you, and everybody like you would voluntarily step away from the game for a few days to let others get on and finish their MSQs, things would be way better. It's hard to even go to Youtube anymore without seeing spoiler videos and I would LIKE to finish MSQ as little spoiled as possible, but yanno...

I can't fricken log on, like, at all except for one or two days a week. That's IF I don't get called in to work.

But I see all of these people hogging the queues that already have MSQ done, they don't have to worry about being spoiled, they don't have to basically stop talking to their friends and ignore their FC discords, etc to avoid spoilers.

Except *I* have been, because it's been MY choice.

I log off after I get my few hours and dailies done in the morning. I don't partake of the game during night hours unless for some reason I couldn't play during the morning.

But the important thing about that is IT IS MY CHOICE TO DO SO. No one forced me.

No one has any right to tell someone else their play time is capped because of some arbitary gate such as completing MSQ. That is up to each individual person who to spend their playtime.

One person's sub is no more valid than another person's sub. You have no right to tell someone else that they can or cannot play, if they are not violating the ToS. To suggest otherwise is childish. It is a paid product.

[Nothv13]

Is it so much to ask that you be considerate and voluntarily let other people get their turn online?

Is it so much to ask that you think for a second about someone other than yourself?

No, you're another one of those "mememememememememe" and "who cares about everybody else, I want what I want!" sentiment that you see everywhere.

Maybe you should start being a part of the solution instead of being a part of the problem. Maybe you should realize that people want to get MSQ done. Maybe if you, and everybody like you would voluntarily step away from the game for a few days to let others get on and finish their MSQs, things would be way better. It's hard to even go to Youtube anymore without seeing spoiler videos and I would LIKE to finish MSQ as little spoiled as possible, but yanno...

I can't fricken log on, like, at all except for one or two days a week. That's IF I don't get called in to work.

But I see all of these people hogging the queues that already have MSQ done, they don't have to worry about being spoiled, they don't have to basically stop talking to their friends and ignore their FC discords, etc to avoid spoilers.

What you want though is not voluntary, it is forced. If people decide to not play because they don't need to and allow others in then so be it. the moment you want to force it however, is the moment you get push back and you yourself look selfish.

[Maeka]

What you want though is not voluntary, it is forced. If people decide to not play because they don't need to and allow others in then so be it. the moment you want to force it however, is the moment you get push back and you yourself look selfish.

The only reason I suggested forcing it is because people won't willingly be considerate.

/shrug

If people would be considerate of their own volition, then it wouldn't be needed.

[Jybril]

The only reason I suggested forcing it is because people won't willingly be considerate.

/shrug

If people would be considerate of their own volition, then it wouldn't be needed.

In a perfect world, sure, but we don't live in that so you really shouldn't force people to do anything.
You just have to be patient really and the only advice I can give is try to get bits of play time before you work in the morning if you can.
Also try to wake up early in the mornings on weekends since the queue starts to get going at noon.

[Illmaeran]

If people would be considerate of their own volition, then it wouldn't be needed.

How do you know people aren't doing this of their own volition? A data center can handle 17,000 to 21,000 concurrent players in the login queue. Cactuar alone has an active population of 13,343 as of Dec 3, 2021. https://dotesports.com/mmo/news/all-...er-populations Cactuar's on the Aether data center which houses 13 different worlds. For simplicity's sake, let's say all of those have an active population of 13,000 players. That's a total of 169,000 active players on the Aether data center.

Let's say 25% of all active players have completed the MSQ and 100% of those players choose to stop playing so other people can have a chance. 169,000 x 0.75 = 126,750 active players who haven't completed the MSQ and are trying to get in. That's six times (600%) the login server's hypothetical max capacity of 21,000 or 9.94 times (994%) of the 17,000 max capacity.

Even if a full 50% of players on the Aether data center have finished the MSQ and stopped playing, there are still 300-500% more players than the login server can handle trying to get into the game.


Until a great majority of players on each *data center*, not just server, decide to take a break from playing, queues are going to continue being significant even if SE did the unthinkable and completely stopped people who finished the MSQ from even being able to log in.


I know quite a few, possibly up to 50%, of the people in my FC have finished the MSQ and have taken a break or are logging in much less frequently. We're a worldwide FC so I don't know how many people are playing while I'm asleep or at work, but many have commented on how participation has pretty much reduced to "the regulars" again. I also know that me, myself, and I have reduced my play time after marathon sessions to finish the MSQ. People ARE cutting back on play time. There are just far too many people still trying to get into the game for there to be a practical effect on queues on high population data centers.

[Theodric]

Thankfully it isn't up to members of the community to enforce how much or how little someone chooses to invest in the game on any given day. Nor is anyone obligated to give up their space in favour of somebody else.

It's not like it's feasible to even enforce such a thing, nor is anyone even privy to the individual circumstances of the players in question. For example, for all we know some of the players who are playing a lot could be doing so because they broke a leg in an accident and can't really do much else.