Please be Careful about the Labels used during Server Transfer

[Kiara]

Hi, this is Producer/Director Yoshida here.

I understand your concern on the number of concurrent users.

Actually the world merge is currently in plan.

We will first analyze the number of players in the game after the billing service begins.
Based on that analysis, we will be running a simulation where the maximum concurrent access during the peak hours will become somewhere around 1500 to 2000 per World.
* The above number is provisional and not a finalized number.

And with the method on how the world merge will be done, it will not be done in a simple method where World A and World B will merge into a single new World.
In order for EU players to gather on the same server in a certain mass, we are planning to go with the method where the players from a World with a less population can designate the World they wish to transfer to.

With the details such as when and how it will be done, they will be announced once they are confirmed.
(I'm assuming that the next update should become available in mid-January.)

To Yoshida-san, FF XIV Team and Community Reps:

Thanks for the information. I'm glad to hear that you're allowing players to choose which server to transfer to, instead of force merging multiple servers into 1 with no choice.

One thing that worries me in your comment, though, was "In order for EU players to gather on the same server in a certain mass,..."

Please do *not* label or designate the remaining active Servers as ONLY 1 Language or not. That leads to SEGREGATION.

I understand you want to help EU players gather together, but if you end up with a Lodestone Post on the Final Fantasy Main Page that labels, for example:

• Besaid Server - ENGLISH
• Rabanastre Server - JAPANESE
• Mysidia Server - EUROPEAN
• Lindblum Server - JAPANESE
• etc.

You're going to end up indirectly (or directly) influencing and driving players into segregated Servers, where everyone on the server is mostly Japanese, or English-speaking, or European, etc.

One of the most unique and *enjoyable* facets about Square's MMOs (Final Fantasy XI and now XIV) is that you took the time to allow GLOBAL SERVERS. And gave us a solid Auto-Translator Tool to help us communicate (somewhat) with players of different languages.

I love the diversity, flexibility and colorfulness of Final Fantasy's MMO population! I love that I have plenty of Japanese, European and English-speaking friends from around the world and we can play at various times of the day.

I love that even at "odd hours" for me, there are players on and that there's activity going on.

If you end up labeling / categorizing the remaining active Servers in the manner above, players will be influenced to just go to servers that do speak "English" or "Japanese" or are "European" mainly.

If you have to keep Labels (to "help EU players gather" as you stated), one solution to encourage your current diversity is to then add a "GLOBAL" Label, so continuing with the example above:

• Bahamut Server - GLOBAL
• Odin Server - GLOBAL
  
• Besaid Server - ENGLISH
• Rabanastre Server - JAPANESE
• Mysidia Server - EUROPEAN
• Lindblum Server - JAPANESE
• etc.

So at least there's a chance that we'll have global like-minded players gathering.

Thanks for considering this.

[Alhanelem]

He didn't say anything about labeling the servers. He said only that they will allow people to pick the world they want so that similar people will have the chance to gather together.

[Kiara]

He didn't say anything about labeling the servers. He said only that they will allow people to pick the world they want so that similar people will have the chance to gather together.

Hi Alhanelem,

Yes, but what would the method be to notify "EU players to gather" on common servers? One real possibility is using a label or descriptor to let players know, right?

I hope they have a good method that doesn't involve using language / country as the method to convey this information, but if they were going with this method, I wanted to post my feedback regarding it.

Thanks.

[TheVedis]

When hes talking about EU players, think of it more as people who play during EU primetime

so you may see the serves which peak around midnight Pacific time merging, those at 8am pacific merging, and so on


the timeframe you play in is moreso a good basis for this then who plays from where

[viion]

The method is going to be servers with low population will get to choose a server with high population to join, nothing more, nothing less. (from his words). We the players will decide to compile a specific language server or not, just like we branded Besaid as the RP server, the players are the ones at fault for this and the players will be the ones at fault for making servers more specific tailored to one language than another.

[Kiara]

The method is going to be servers with low population will get to choose a server with high population to join, nothing more, nothing less. (from his words). We the players will decide to compile a specific language server or not, just like we branded Besaid as the RP server, the players are the ones at fault for this and the players will be the ones at fault for making servers more specific tailored to one language than another.

Hi viion,

That would be fine. But his statement doesn't explicitly state how he would convey this information. Of course the players can "police themselves" or distribute information themselves here on the forums, but I don't think SE is going to take the time to do Server Transfers, especially

"In order for EU players to gather on the same server in a certain mass, we are planning to go with the method where the players from a World with a less population can designate the World they wish to transfer to"

without some official method of conveying some information to help players choose?

The full details are coming in mid-January as he states, but by then, it will be Official language, posted on Lodestone for all to see. And if he chose the method of using Labels (Language / Country, etc.), then by then it will be too late.

Thanks.

[viion]

Hi viion,

That would be fine. But his statement doesn't explicitly state how he would convey this information. Of course the players can "police themselves" or distribute information themselves here on the forums, but I don't think SE is going to take the time to do Server Transfers, especially

"In order for EU players to gather on the same server in a certain mass, we are planning to go with the method where the players from a World with a less population can designate the World they wish to transfer to"

without some official method of conveying some information to help players choose?

The full details are coming in mid-January as he states, but by then, it will be Official language, posted on Lodestone for all to see. And if he chose the method of using Labels (Language / Country, etc.), then by then it will be too late.

Thanks.

I did not read it like this nore see it that way. The way I see it is exactly how it is stated.

"where the players from a world with less population can designate the world they wish to transfer to"

It will be like XI's current transfer, only the low populated servers will be given an option. Its all very key worded.

That is how I see it anyway. So if I go "Ok, I think Lindblum is more EU, so I will choose that server" and everyone will get a choice. The problem I see (or i could just be wrong) is what if no one chooses, they cant do a random selection. I just think it would be a bit foolish for him to label servers, but i also would not mind because I do prefer and only play with English speak players.

[Tenshi]

To Yoshida-san, FF XIV Team and Community Reps:

Thanks for the information. I'm glad to hear that you're allowing players to choose which server to transfer to, instead of force merging multiple servers into 1 with no choice.

One thing that worries me in your comment, though, was "In order for EU players to gather on the same server in a certain mass,..."

Please do *not* label or designate the remaining active Servers as ONLY 1 Language or not. That leads to SEGREGATION.

I understand you want to help EU players gather together, but if you end up with a Lodestone Post on the Final Fantasy Main Page that labels, for example:

• Besaid Server - ENGLISH
• Rabanastre Server - JAPANESE
• Mysidia Server - EUROPEAN
• Lindblum Server - JAPANESE
• etc.

You're going to end up indirectly (or directly) influencing and driving players into segregated Servers, where everyone on the server is mostly Japanese, or English-speaking, or European, etc.

One of the most unique and *enjoyable* facets about Square's MMOs (Final Fantasy XI and now XIV) is that you took the time to allow GLOBAL SERVERS. And gave us a solid Auto-Translator Tool to help us communicate (somewhat) with players of different languages.

I love the diversity, flexibility and colorfulness of Final Fantasy's MMO population! I love that I have plenty of Japanese, European and English-speaking friends from around the world and we can play at various times of the day.

I love that even at "odd hours" for me, there are players on and that there's activity going on.

If you end up labeling / categorizing the remaining active Servers in the manner above, players will be influenced to just go to servers that do speak "English" or "Japanese" or are "European" mainly.

If you have to keep Labels (to "help EU players gather" as you stated), one solution to encourage your current diversity is to then add a "GLOBAL" Label, so continuing with the example above:

• Bahamut Server - GLOBAL
• Odin Server - GLOBAL
  
• Besaid Server - ENGLISH
• Rabanastre Server - JAPANESE
• Mysidia Server - EUROPEAN
• Lindblum Server - JAPANESE
• etc.

So at least there's a chance that we'll have global like-minded players gathering.

Thanks for considering this.

Well put! You state your interpretation of the situation, your feelings about that, and give a possible solution, all the while being civil. Posts like this are awesome.

[Lakefingers]

What about people from high population servers who wish to transfer to a world with high pop of EU players, I understand if that cannot be implemented right away but I would like to see it within a few months of the merge, otherwise it would be leaving some players by the wayside.