Merge the servers, and kill the game in the gaming comunity.

[Mihana]

I've read a few entries and I can't believe people are still whining about it going pay-to-play now! I'm sorry but if you didn't want this you shouldn't have paid for your access to the game already. Just cancel your subscription and quit playing already, please. I'm sorry, I'm simply tired of seeing this stupid crap come up constantly. It's done and over with, let it be. But on topic of the server merges, I don't think it'd destroy the game or do any further harm than what's already done. But what I am concerned with is how naming might be handled for servers that are merged. It's true our names are far more unique these days seeing how we can set a first and last name, yet you see people who use names from video games, anime, moves, tv shows or even real life celebrities. Personally, it wouldn't bother me there... Yet there's still that rare off-chance that somebody else has an identical name to your own but on another server. If they do a server merge you risk losing that name to somebody else if they exist on your server they merge.

More than how the game might be perceived after a merger I'd be more concerned on just how SE intends on handling this issue. It reminds me of the problem that ZAM.com's own Pikko had to face. When her server had a merge in FFXI she logged in after it to discover there had already been a "Pikko" on a world she was merging to. The sad fate of it is she had to replace her name with a brand new one, all because either an inactive player or mule had her name.

EDIT: There's also the question about linkshells, upon merging servers will these be removed or will they still exist? In the event a linkshell exists with the same name as yours it could mean renaming your LS, or you might even have to repearl everybody should they all be destroyed.