Increase Server Capacity

[Ashren]

So since the launch of 2.4 I have managed to get six of my friends to buy the game and start playing, however every time one of them bought the game we have constantly run into road blocks with the server we are all on. I've been playing on Balmung since before it was Balmung (originally from Besaid), and over the years most of my friends have also joined this server. With it becoming the primary RP server, and the home of many large communities, it is easily the most popular (and populated) server in the game, at least based on the fact that the server is CONSTANTLY locked.

Occasionally you might get lucky at 4am to 6am PST and the server will open up briefly, and if you're fast enough you can get a new character in right after maintenance, but this is incredibly frustrating for me trying to get friends into the game, and I can only imagine how frustrating it is for people who paid to play a game they can't even technically access (I understand they could join a different server, but it kind of defeats the purpose).

Back in the early days of FFXI you used to be able to purchase something called a World Pass that would let your friends create a character on your server (because the game would otherwise pic a random server). I think that either SE needs to consider raising their server capacity, at least for these high pop servers, or including something similar to this, a code that will let players make a character on your server.

With the new expac coming out soon, I can only imagine that things will get worse with new players drawn in, returning players coming back, and the overall increased activity of current players.

[Enkidoh]

Except it's not so simple as 'increasing server capacity', as a server can still only handle a certain number of connections at once - I remember SE stating during the Beta that it was determined that around 5000 simultaneous connections was the 'limit' the servers were capable of (remember at launch all the 'code 1017' and 'server full' errors people were having?)

Also the World Pass system in FFXI was stupid and deservedly hated, not to mention it was redundant anyway as you could, with a little effort, 'grease the wheels' to choose a server manually anyway (because the server assignment in FFXI was random based on how populated the servers were, deleting your character and then recreating it would eventually land you on the server you were after, but it could take a while - some people took over an hour of trying before they were given their desired server).

And given the fact SE abolished the World Pass system years ago anyway, it's somewhat of a moot point - such a system wouldn't do anything to help the situation here on FFXIV (in fact, it would probably make things worse because it would give gilsellers yet another lucrative avenue to hawk their ill gotten gil).

Really, it's not that hard to get on Balmung - I was formely playing on Ridill and I managed to transfer to Balmung without any problems, and my bf and friends transferred to Balmung just fine as well. Just let go of this self-entitled attitude of expecting it to be an open door 24/7 and try to time character creation/transfers during the server's 'quiet time' and it will be a much more pleasant experience for you.

[Ashren]

snip

The World Pass as it was would have no place in FFXIV regardless of whether it was abolished or not, you completely misunderstood what I was saying (or simply didn't both to read it correctly). The key feature of the World Pass was that you gave a friend a code, it let them make a character on your server. That alone is the function I would like to see added into FFXIV in a worse case scenario, just a code that lets your friend make a character on the server you are on regardless of character creation restrictions.

As to it not being as simple as increasing server capacity? I'm afraid your wrong. When 2.0 first went live there was in fact a server capacity of 5,000 (this only meant how many players could be connected to the server at once), the server capacity was then increased to around 7,800 roughly a month after its release. However, again, you missed my point completely here. What I am referring to is not the capacity for concurrent connections, but essentially to relax on the character creation restrictions. We have server queues for a reason, I don't understand why in addition we also need to make it so players can't even make characters on that server just because there are x amount of people currently logged in.

[bideogames]

Really, it's not that hard to get on Balmung - I was formely playing on Ridill and I managed to transfer to Balmung without any problems, and my bf and friends transferred to Balmung just fine as well. Just let go of this self-entitled attitude of expecting it to be an open door 24/7 and try to time character creation/transfers during the server's 'quiet time' and it will be a much more pleasant experience for you.

wanting to play a multiplayer game with friends is considered "self-entitled" now? people should have to get up at 4am pst or pay 20 dollars to play on a specific server? what is up with mmo players and their "fuck you, got mine" attitude

[kyuven]

If this is such a huge problem, move to a less populated server. Every single complaint about this sort of thing I ever see on the forums comes from people on Balmung.

[Velox]

My suggestion to RPers would be to start creating RP communities on Zalera or another low pop server. Using Balmung as an unofficial RP server creates an artificial restriction. It's a legacy server and that alone means it carries one of the largest in the game. Since there is no official RP server (at this point it would behoove SE to create one, but that's a different argument), utilizing a legacy server in such a way is self-punishing because there is already a HUGE population of non-RPers there.

[Raist]

The World Pass as it was would have no place in FFXIV regardless of whether it was abolished or not, you completely misunderstood what I was saying (or simply didn't both to read it correctly). The key feature of the World Pass was that you gave a friend a code, it let them make a character on your server. That alone is the function I would like to see added into FFXIV in a worse case scenario, just a code that lets your friend make a character on the server you are on regardless of character creation restrictions.

As to it not being as simple as increasing server capacity? I'm afraid your wrong. When 2.0 first went live there was in fact a server capacity of 5,000 (this only meant how many players could be connected to the server at once), the server capacity was then increased to around 7,800 roughly a month after its release. However, again, you missed my point completely here. What I am referring to is not the capacity for concurrent connections, but essentially to relax on the character creation restrictions. We have server queues for a reason, I don't understand why in addition we also need to make it so players can't even make characters on that server just because there are x amount of people currently logged in.

And you're missing an important point Enkidoh was referring to. Balancing out the connection pool can be be a big challenge... the database servers themselves also have indexes for performance that have to be maintained as well, it isn't just about the network devices. As your potential userbase increases, you also have to adjust the pool size and garbage cleanup.

[Ashren]

If this is such a huge problem, move to a less populated server. Every single complaint about this sort of thing I ever see on the forums comes from people on Balmung.

This isn't even remotely an option. As I said in my original post, I've been on Balmung since Fabul and Besaid merged, originally coming from Besaid. I've been playing with most of the same people since 1.0 was around, I have connections, friends, and people I consider family in a way on Balmung and I can't just pack up and leave, or ask everyone else to come with me, so as I said this isn't remotely an option.

[kyuven]

words.

Then you need to keep in mind that either anyone new will have to jump through hoops to join you, or you and your friends need to cut ties and move.
This isn't something SE can solve with a magic wand or a new system. They've mentioned they're reworking the servers for 3.0, but we still have no idea how this will affect the server loads.
This is one of the trade-offs you have for being on one of the most populated servers the game offers.
Also there's the fun aspect that if SE DID increase the "server capacity" balmung would STILL fill up and the problem would STILL exist because it's as popular as it is.

[Ashren]

Also there's the fun aspect that if SE DID increase the "server capacity" balmung would STILL fill up and the problem would STILL exist because it's as popular as it is.

Maybe, but at least then there is a good chance that the window of opportunity to join the server would be larger than a wink of an eye at the crack of dawn.