New EU/NA worlds - Will you go?

[Jojoya]

Back in January, SE announced their plans to add new worlds and data centers in 2022 and 2023. For reference:

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...0a98a3986554a2

We're starting to get close to this summer's expansion phase for EU and NA. EU will be getting 4 new worlds split between the existing Light and Chaos data centers. NA will be getting 4 new worlds on an entirely new data center.

So what are you feelings? Do you plan to transfer a character to one of the new worlds or create a new character on them? What are the positives and negatives influencing your choice?

Keep in mind that data center travel should be starting before these worlds are added. That will allow you to travel to other data centers within your same region (SE still hasn't given us an estimate for when cross region data center travel will be enabled).

If you're someone who transferred to or created a character on one of the Materia worlds after they were added in January, feel free to share your experiences here both positive and negative as well.

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My personal feelings:

When first announced, I was intrigued by the idea of helping to get new worlds established and thought I might go.

Now, I'm really not interested.

What changed for me?

Social - I'd be cut off from my existing social circles in game while on a new world. Discord exists but not everyone uses it. For a company that prohibits the use of third party programs, why are they trying to encourage us to play on different worlds when that is going to require the use of a third party program for players to stay in contact with each other?

Market economies - the marketboards on the new worlds will be in bad shape for a considerable period of time. Listings will be limited due to the low number of players. Most players wanting to purchase items will find it to their benefit to either use World Visit (in the case of the new EU worlds) or Data Center Travel (in the case of the new NA worlds) to buy what they're looking for because the existing worlds will have far more listings at competitive prices. Trying to sell items on the new worlds will be difficult if the veteran players end up going to other worlds for their purchases out of habit and new players aren't buying much.

Group content - ordinarily I'm not too worried about Duty Finder queues since I don't have a problem going tank or heal if I'm not leveling a DPS job. But players who tend to play DPS jobs in Duty Finder may be encouraged to use data center travel if queue times on the new data center get too long, and that might end up impacting my own queue times even as AIN. I'm also big into hunts and enjoy the occasional group FATE farm along with the world boss FATEs. Lower populations mean more difficulty finding others to join you for open world group content. I could go to other worlds for these things but at the same time that just makes the situation worse for those trying to do content on the new worlds.

Housing - I have a house and enjoy it. It's an integrated part of my game play. I can make brief stops at my house to check my retainers and tend my garden while going from content to content. I'll adjust furnishing if not totally redecorate. Transferring means losing the house with no idea of when (or if) I'll be able to get another one since SE seems to feel it's better to leave plots empty for the sake of non-existent FCs than to allow players to enjoy the content. If I do get one, I'll be cut off from it if I'm using data center travel for access to other content.

Ultimately the core problem is there is no incentive for players on the existing worlds to visit the new worlds while there are plenty of incentives for players on the new worlds to visit the existing ones. And if players would be spending their bulk of their time on the existing worlds for access to what they, what's the point of transferring to a new world?

The new worlds may end up feeling like little more than log in portals.