European servers

[Billie21]

Does the ocean part matter?
No, as we've already proven that's not the issue here, there's clearly an issue between specific players connections taking routes that either hit a bad node, or somewhere with heavy congestion or instability causing the jump or delay. If the entirety of EU/AU players were unable to play the game, THEN cause for an EU datacentre would be considered.

Let me first thank you for a thoughtfull, moderate and constructive reply to this topic (even though it's not mine).
I agree with many points you make (notably I hold no illusion about the way features/fix/etc work in a MMORPG, like everything else, it is a business, as you say, and cost and benefits are always balanced and dictate what gets done or not).


I wanted to add something to this specific point you bring (the one I cited):

The ocean indeed doesn't seem to be the issue for everybody as far as latency is concerned (my own ping from France is 45-ish until the last hop in Montreal, and most tracert posted on these forums showed that most spikes occurred in Canada or at least out of Europe).

While this may not be a problem with the general location of the servers (being in Europe or America doesn't seem to change that much), it looks to me like a problem with the specific location of the servers (being deserved by bad 3rd party).

Then again, I have seen the same discrepancy between client info and server decision as in my signature's videos with a ping under 200.
Don't tell me about the cast bar, I know about it, but you can get out before the cast bar ends and still get hit. Even if you didn't, the discrepancy between cast bar and ground markers itself isn't acceptable at all imho.
Oh, and the delay isn't just noticeable for dodging btw. Do people really consider this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3leMnErroL0 and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sND93HHDlQ8 normal?
I, too, find it strange so see such problems when the ping isn't very high, but I have no idea why it is like that.
Nervermind, moving on.


On another note, as many before me pointed out, the game's design itself is very far from optimal for handling lag/latency.
But of course, there's no hope *that* will be fixed, since it would mean a redesign of the game's battles and mechanics. Though one can hope future content will not rely on the same gimmicks. I personally doubt it.

Connexion issues might vary from player to player, independently from SE, SE *is* responsible for the design of their own game.


When people have no trouble playing any other MMO (even some FtP) but struggle with FFXIV, they have a choice between A) searching for an unlikely solution while paying their sub to not-play or B) go play something else that works fine without being a pro tech or having to harrass your ISP, bully indifferent support and struggle to convince people who don't care, phone calls after phone calls. Especially considering it is likely to have no effect in the end.

I understand why they made the game this way, it prevents any kind of hacking, but I feel like the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

I don't, considering the amount of hacking this game has seen.

[Mcshiggs]

[/B] go play something else that works fine without being a pro tech or having to harrass your ISP, bully indifferent support and struggle to convince people who don't care, phone calls after phone calls.

It makes no sense that you would come to the forums to complain but won't contact your ISP. SE never said they would put servers in Europe, but you expect them too, but you won't call your ISP and complain when they aren't providing the service you are paying for. It seems to me you have this bass ackwards, you expect one company to change because they provide you with the service you agree upon every time you pay, but you don't hold your ISP to giving you the reliable service you pay for. Do you call your cell phone provider to complain when your electricity goes out?

[Billie21]

It makes no sense that you would come to the forums to complain but won't contact your ISP. SE never said they would put servers in Europe, but you expect them too, but you won't call your ISP and complain when they aren't providing the service you are paying for. It seems to me you have this bass ackwards, you expect one company to change because they provide you with the service you agree upon every time you pay, but you don't hold your ISP to giving you the reliable service you pay for. Do you call your cell phone provider to complain when your electricity goes out?

I don't understand, did I say anything about myself in this quote?
I said when a player is confronted to this situation, these are the choices they have. Did I mention anything about complaining on the forums?

btw I was citing the example where (as many have said was their case) people don't have any trouble outside of FFXIV. Of course when their ISP doesn't provide the service expected, they go complain to it. However, when FFXIV is the only thing giving them trouble, it may seem less trouble to just give up on it, regardless of the causes.

As you said, your phone doesn't work, but you still have electricity running, you don't complain to your electricity company.
When your game doesn't work, but your Internet and other games do, you don't complain to your ISP, you complain to the game support. This is the logical conclusion anyone with no specific IT/network knowledge will reach.