@Devs: Please allow us to travel at will between servers.

[Starlord]

Do you really think Yoshida will settle for a short beta after all he said about wanting to polish the game like a diamond before release?

I find it highly unlikely.

Then again, I believe I already mentioned that this really doesn't in any way need to happen before release.

I don't think it "will" be a short beta.. but I do feel it will be "Shorter" than 1.0 beta. Alpha was smooth nearly from the start it has been smooth... so "if" beta is smooth then Release won't be too far off. It all depends how things go. Beta's Range from Short to long, depending on how smooth the beta went.

We really don't know "if" it will be short or not, but if the beta is going smoothly, there's no need to waist unnecessary time on something that's already in working order. I want them to spend as much as possible on this beta.. but if it's going smoothly.. I don't want them to waist to much time on it.

[Thebard]

1.0 beta took how long? Don't even... it was nearly 3 years.....

[Abriael]

You'll be able to change servers, you'll just have to buy a server transfer to do so.

Not necessarily.

Logistically moving from one server to another is not an instant and easy task.

It's already been done. Yes, it's an instant and easy task (relatively instant I guess, as it takes a whole 8 seconds of loading). It works like a charm, and none of the objections you bring is a problem where it has been implemented.

Seperate servers exist because for most games it isn't practical to have the entire populace on a single server cluster.

No. Separate servers exist because of limitations in server technology that don't exist anymore, making server segregation obsolete.

Games are moving away from it more and more. And it'd be a good thing for ARR not to miss the train and remain anchored to an obsolete limitation that players won't accept anymore in a few years.

There are ways to do it but the server software and client have to be engineered that way from the beginning, as it is a completely different architecture/design.

Server architecture and design is not set in stone. Other games change theirs on the run.

[fusional]

no no no no no no no

great idea if you want a trash community of disjointed transients.

[Abriael]

no no no no no no no

great idea if you want a trash community of disjointed transients.

The rather lovely community on The Secret World says this is a quite irrational and unfounded fear.

This system doesn't "disjoint" the community. It unites it. As a matter of fact, segregated servers are what "disjoints" the community.

There isn't anything more "disjointing" in a game than not being able to play together.

[fusional]

The rather lovely community on The Secret World says this is a quite irrational and unfounded fear.

This system doesn't "disjoint" the community. It unites it. As a matter of fact, segregated servers are what "disjoints" the community.

one example or exception = the rule? your opinion = fact?

ololol

you can't possibly expect to be taken seriously.

[Abriael]

one example or exception = the rule? your opinion = fact?

The game is accessible to anyone to form one's own opinion.

When that example is the only example, yes, it's the rule, until a contrary example appears. And so far it didn't.

There's absolutely no reason to believe that the same community structure would bring different results here (neither us nor them are aliens), so yes, yours is a rather irrational and unfounded fear, because it's based on no examples at all.

you can't possibly expect to be taken seriously.

I have non particular interest in being taken seriously by someone that thinks that "ololol" or "no no no no no no no" are valid substitutes for solid arguments, to be brutally honest.

[Dannythm]

I'd only like this if we have different server rules in addition to that "today I'm feeling hardcore, I'll go play with XXX", or "I'm too tired today, I'll relax and so some easy content in server XXX".

[moriandrio]

Like discussed in another thread, transfer would be impossible if you have servers with different rules. It would totally break the balance.

[Alhanelem]

Not necessarily.

Yes necessarily. There will be paid server transfers. Current players will also be able to transfer once.

No. Separate servers exist because of limitations in server technology that don't exist anymore, making server segregation obsolete.

No. Seperate servers exist because different games are designed in different ways, not because of 'limitations' that 'don't exist'. Limitations do exist- while those limits are higher than in the past and will continue to get higher, they will always exist. You are kidding yourself and don't understand technology if you think that the limits dont exist anymore. The potential capacity of a game server network depends drastically on the game's needs. The more data intensive the game is, the harder it is to keep everything under one roof. While you can keep adding more machines and network hardware to increase capacity, the more stuff you add the more complex and difficult it is for the NOC to manage it. Also one network means when technical difficulties occur, they always affect everybody (whereas if Gungnir is having technical difficulties and Hyperion isn't, my gameplay isn't interrupted)

Server architecture and design is not set in stone. Other games change theirs on the run.

I don't know of any game in history that has rebuilt their server systems "on the run." FFXIV is rebuilding its server software from the ground up and that has taken over a year. it's not something you can do overnight.