Resolving the Balmung Population Issue at Minimal Cost to the Benefit of All Players

[Oaken]

Balmung is currently impacted by larger queues than any other server, making the game virtually inaccessible for large segments of players who log in during NA primetime (after standard work day hours). The existing server transfer bonuses have proven ineffective to alleviate the congestion on Balmung. This is because the server hosts a large legacy player PVE population and the FFXIV roleplay community. MMORPGs are social games, and players are justified in desiring to retain their communities, especially when players form communities around specific interests (roleplaying) that depend on having a central hub.

Roleplayers have no incentive or desire to transfer when one of their primary aspects of gameplay (roleplay) depends entirely on having access to the roleplay community and like-minded individuals. The overwhelming majority of roleplayers will always want to play on the server populated with the most other roleplayers, as it sustains a vibrant and healthy RP community. It is unreasonable to expect like-minded players to split communities and friendships built over months and years. This is why current population control measures on Balmung have not worked and will not work.

There is only one viable solution to resolving the population issue on Balmung: the creation of an official roleplay server and offering existing transfer bonuses to that server. This would cost SE virtually nothing to implement and would benefit all players. Roleplayers are a heavily ostracized, small (but sizable) community that have specific needs in terms of how their community is structured. For roleplay to exist and prove sustainable over time, roleplayers need access to a centralized place where they can find other roleplayers. Because roleplay varies so much in terms of style and content, it is critical for roleplayers to have a centralized server. This allows them to find others who are interested in roleplay and protect themselves from individuals who mock or troll roleplay. A substantial number of roleplayers (if not most of the entire roleplay community) would likely transfer to the new RP server within days of its release, alleviating the population issue on Balmung. Non-roleplayers would benefit because the congestion on Balmung would be substantially reduced, and some non-roleplayers do not desire to be on the same server as roleplayers for personal (often unreasonable) reasons.

There are no valid arguments for why an official roleplay server should not be designated. It will cost virtually nothing to implement and meet the demands of the vast majority of the player base. SE's concern that a RP server would be a "toxic" environment is rooted in speculation, conjecture, and unfamiliarity with the western RP community. The overwhelming majority of the roleplay community (99%+) is generally mature and enjoys the same PVE content experienced by other players. As a community frequently trolled and harassed by others, roleplayers are empathetic and unlikely to treat other players in the very way they are often treated in many settings. Most roleplay is done in private settings between RPers who consent to roleplay. RPers do not force roleplay on others or look down upon players who are not interested in roleplay.

SE risks nothing to lose by designating an official RP server, and it would alleviate the population issue on Balmung at minimal cost to the benefit of all players.

[MistakeNot]

Roleplayers are a minority even on Balmung. Even if every single roleplayer on Balmung moved to some other server, Balmung would still be overpopulated and one of the largest servers.
RPers are not the only cause of Balmung's overpopulation - plenty of non-RPers have moved there precisely because it is the largest server, or because it has been the unofficial RP server.

[Oaken]

Roleplayers are a minority even on Balmung. Even if every single roleplayer on Balmung moved to some other server, Balmung would still be overpopulated and one of the largest servers.
RPers are not the only cause of Balmung's overpopulation - plenty of non-RPers have moved there precisely because it is the largest server, or because it has been the unofficial RP server.

I agree that roleplayers are a minority on Balmung, but they are a sizable minority (perhaps 20%-49% of the player base). Reducing the RP player base on Balmung may not eliminate queues completely, but it would substantially and dramatically reduce the congestion issue on the server. One thing is certain: it would certainly not increase or harm the congestion issue on the server.

[MistakeNot]

I agree that roleplayers are a minority on Balmung, but they are a sizable minority (perhaps 20%-49% of the player base). Reducing the RP player base on Balmung may not eliminate queues completely, but it would substantially and dramatically reduce the congestion issue on the server. One thing is certain: it would certainly not increase or harm the congestion issue on the server.

I think you are vastly overestimating the number of RPers. More like 5%-20% of the Balmung player base.

[Nebezial]

I think you are vastly overestimating the number of RPers. More like 5%-20% of the Balmung player base.

No, I think he was pretty much correct in his estimation, especially if you include the casual RPers as pointed out above.

[SinisterJoints]

they are offering FREE SERVER TRANSFER's -- take you and your friends and transfer. tired of these threads, you guys have been offered a solution. Dont like it? Deal with the que times. It's that simple

[Marluxia]

Everyone keeps pointing to "gil" and "chocobo feathers" as proper incentives, and they're not.

Square Enix needs to offer incentives for entire communities to transfer, not just individuals.

An RP designation is one such incentive that would encourage an entire community to transfer.

MMOs are social games. They are built and sustained around communities. The idea that gil and chocobo feathers and less queue times are enough incentive fails to acknowledge this fact. If you're an individual or solo player, then hell yeah, those incentives are great! But for anything more than an individual player or a player with a small group of friends, they're wholly inadequate.

[DPZ2]

Square Enix needs to offer incentives for entire communities to transfer, not just individuals..

It isn't as simple as designating World X as the "Role Player Paradise". Until you can do the following, large communities will never transfer.

1) Free transfer of FC and ALL MEMBERS of the FC to new world (with option to leave FC)

2) Free transfer of FC house to same house on another server, complete with furnishings

3) Free transfer of personal houses, apartments and FC rooms with furnishings.

4) Transfer of 'friends list' for those friends who also transfer to new world.

This is not something that can be accomplished in a month, or perhaps even in a year's time. The resources dedicated to this could not be used for anything else in game -- and the result might STILL be no change.

Would you be willing to sign a pledge for your community to the effect that you would take advantage of this if offered?

[Marluxia]

It isn't as simple as designating World X as the "Role Player Paradise". Until you can do the following, large communities will never transfer.

Would you be willing to sign a pledge for your community to the effect that you would take advantage of this if offered?

First off, I agree that all of the measures you suggested need to be implemented. They are absolutely essential to this solution being a solution.

In addition to what you proposed, I also believe that the Character Creation and Transfer restriction on Balmung should remain in place indefinitely, until Balmung's numbers have reached whatever number Square deems acceptable. This way, at least for RPers specifically, Balmung's RP scene is guaranteed to get smaller over time, not larger, thus removing Balmung's appeal as the "RP Hub".

Secondly, you better believe that not only will I move, I will bang the <New Server> drum for everyone to move. I administrate the FFXIV Roleplayers website, so that drum will be a (relatively) loud drum indeed.

The community needs to be given the adequate tools to initiate a smooth transition. Blaming the community is totally pointless (and more than a little bit flawed) as long as the tools aren't there, like FC transfers and guaranteed housing.

[Talraen]

It isn't as simple as designating World X as the "Role Player Paradise". Until you can do the following, large communities will never transfer.

1) Free transfer of FC and ALL MEMBERS of the FC to new world (with option to leave FC)

2) Free transfer of FC house to same house on another server, complete with furnishings

3) Free transfer of personal houses, apartments and FC rooms with furnishings.

4) Transfer of 'friends list' for those friends who also transfer to new world.

Moving a whole FC is tricky, but I don't know if moving it all together can really work. Wouldn't they need to clear that with every member? What if someone says no, or just doesn't log in? Presumably you'd need to leave them behind. Would there be a waiting period for confirmation? If you miss this window, are you just out of luck?

I would propose the FC leader should be able to, by him/herself, transfer, and keep housing and all the FC data. The roster would be reset, and everyone would need to be re-invited. At the same time, create a system where you can move your own FC room, complete with contents. Maybe if your FC transfers, the next time you join an FC the fee for creating a room is waived, and everything is already in it. Depending on how the servers work, that may even be feasible! (But who knows.)

Also I believe #4 is already in place. When I moved, the friends that moved with me were still on my friends list, and I even remained married to one without incident. Other friends were listed as missing, but I suspect if they transferred, they'd appear as well.