[Suggestion] Dungeon/Duty Finder Queueing Room

[LunarNocturne]

I have friends who are on multiple servers, some in my data centre, and some who are not. This was due to the early problems on server capacity, but with careful timing, we've found ways to play together with some effort and timing using the Duty Finder.

Would it be possible to create an area where people looking to run a dungeon could gather from the entire data centre and party up to run dungeons? You'd, of course, set it up so trading would be impossible inside the area, but you could change your job as needed and then activate the duty finder which would fill in any empty spaces in your group as it currently does.

I believe this could improve the game play experience for friends who share a data centre, but not a server. It could be either an area/zone accessible from each server, but you can only return to your own, or it could be a place you can choose to log into from the character selection screen instead of your server if your intention is to run duties with friends.

[LunarNocturne]

As a side thought, allowing the Party Finder list to include the full data center as opposed to just your own server, would equally work out for this purpose.

[Sunah]

I kind of like this idea but didnt they make the data centers for a reason? Like split servers or something?

[LunarNocturne]

They maintain a connection between servers in each data centre grouping as the Duty Finder still connects different server players within that same data centre. It would just give people the option to meet up and form their own party for mission and dungeon instances. It would be helpful for both friends and for people who dislike the forced tank, healer, dd, dd party setup.

[Raale]

Uh....My question to the OP, why did you and your friends not take the free transfer back then when it was available? That would have solved all this issue. Now the only suggestion is to do a paid server transfer. Why should SE do more work just to accommodate those that don't want to or didn't take the server transfer?

[LunarNocturne]

To Raale,

Firstly, my friend whom this discussion was brought up because of, only just recently joined two days past, and was unable to connect to my server, aka, Ragnarok, the only server really still locked out. I've made a rather solid place for myself amongst a linkshell of friends who came over from 11, and I've known for years. I'm still saddened I can't play with my friends who began on other servers, which now can no longer play with me due to the reshuffle of data centres into the current layout. As for "Why should SE do more work to accommodate" the players who want to play with their friends who can't be together without three dozen people all agreeing to jump servers to a server where everyone can get on to: The simple answer is, because it would encourage people who only want to play a game like this because they want to play with their friends, to actually play the game as opposed to powering through the story and quitting shortly after completion and shelving the game.

I already miss FFXI, which is why I go back to play it as often as I do, and as I can only play with my linkshell mates during certain hours of the week when they're all on as many of us are in different time zones, giving us only a handful of hours a week, where we all are together.

This isn't a rant. It's a suggestion for a feature that would make the game more enjoyable for many people who might be in the lucky position of having friends who share a data centre with them, even if not a server. The implementation of my first suggestion would be easy as the basis for them is quite simply a dungeon style zone that people can enter from any server, as the normal Duty Finder drags you into this situation already. As a programmer, it would be a fairly simple adjustment.

If they were to allow cross data centre, it would be more complex and each dungeon area would be a separate server to slide into (ie: one for Copperbell Mines, one for Aurum Vale, etc). The benefit to this process, of course, would mean you could see the odds of finding a party relatively quickly and with the pooling of the entirety of people seeking the dungeon, cutting down an hour and a half wait time trying to assemble a Duty Finder created party for, oh let's say Cape Westwind as the last one I sat waiting on, to a matter of minutes thanks to an increased pool of players attempting to access that fight.

Raale, I'm not quite sure if that was an honest question, or you feel some need to rush to the defence of SE who is trying to create a game that makes as many of its player base at least reasonably satisfied with the state of the game. If you argue their goal is make money, it's all about customer satisfaction that keeps people playing and paying.

[mero-ix]

I don't have friends on other servers, but I still think that's a great idea.