Today, June 25th, Balmung was the ONLY world on the Aether Data Center with greater than double-digit login queues based on my scoping out other worlds to migrate to.

Even Gilgamesh. Yep. Just tried it at 9:04PM Pacific. Gilgamesh players in queue : 21. And then I got onto the server before I could get a chance to hit the cancel button.

Balmung at 9:07PM Pacific. Players in queue : 1164.

Mateus at 9:08PM Pacific. Players in queue : 1.

So, if the Aether data center's lobby server was the target of the DDoS attack then all worlds would have similar queues. This being not the case, either a) the DDoS attack is targeted specifically at the Balmung hardware or b) far too many people are circumventing the auto AFK kick via various means (which are all over this forum) which artificially inflates the active user count resulting in a massive login queue.

If the situation is a) then all that can be done is to wait for SE to implement appropriate countermeasures - and then curb stomp some script kiddies. If the situation is b) then this problem is a short term one entirely of our own making which can be resolved by taking the server down for 'emergency maintenance' to force everyone utilizing the afk workaround offline. Maybe even patch that loophole in the process so everyone doesn't just do the same thing when they get back on.

Since the other worlds aren't having login issues (at least at my observation tonight) then it could very well be that Balmung isn't having issues either - we just can't see it because of everyone holding their place on the server out of a perceived fear of not being able to get back in.

tl:dr - Aether Data Center worlds are fine, AFK placeholders artificially inflating Balmung's login queue - thoughts?