Quote Originally Posted by Eidolon View Post
SE won't upgrade just one server. And they probably won't upgrade any servers because it saves them money and lets them put more resources into the cash shop
Or their response would be "Why? You can just join another." They don't value roleplaying as part of their game development, which is the only reason Balmung is so popular. The fact they hardly use the cash shop also makes it unlikely that is their intent.

As for the OP. Transferring is really your only option nowadays. Balmung's popularity has reached a point Square actively blocks getting on it via character creation. The last two maintenances saw it open for less than two minutes. Personally, the way I look at transfer cost is whether the value of roleplay is worth it to you. If so, then $18 isn't a waste as you'll get plenty of value out of it.