To all you asking for server merges: READ THIS

[djjdiss]

There's still one major issue that will occur, and that's Linkshell chaos.

Will be interesting to see how it all works out

[Razor]

Although it was a well thought out post, couple issues right off the bat...

1. The press already slams the game no matter what kind of update is posted. Each update for the game gets turned into a "yay lets beat the ffxiv horse again for the amusement of the internet" despite all the good these patches contain.

2. Economy is already a smoldering pile of garbage at the bottom of the Uldahn sewers in most servers, so bad in fact, that a server merge would help it. More people to make gear and more people to buy gear = better money flow. Even if the ratio of buyers to sellers remained the same (as in, 10:50 vs 100:500), there would be more market competition and therefore generally more balanced prices.

3. I think you're over dramatizing a lot of the merger side effects personally. Yes there are rare cases of data being lost or corrupted but that can happen even without a server merge. SE has already done several merges to XI with very minimal damage to all related parts. Also, without working for SE as their database manager, it is impossible to make any kind of educated analysis on exactly how a server merger would impact the 2.0 porting. There are so many ways to store, copy, edit and transfer data from one place to another that one can't possibly judge the risk of damage without having detailed information.

[djjdiss]

I might be a bit theatrical about the topic, but that's because i've seen too many mmo's eat it from a failed merge or suffer heavily from performing one from then on out.

It's just that I don't wish to see this game so easily flushed because of a small problem.

Being a computer tech I can tell you that even with flash based memory, you can only read one way and write one way. So unless they were pulling from another set of clone servers, you're only able to do one task at time at a time. Same thing applies when you try to install and delete something at the same time.

That's just the limit of technology

[yukikaze_yanagi]

Lock your daugther.
Shoot your son.
The server merge is coming to town !
Seriusly, people blow this way out of proportion. I, for one, think server merge = game failing, but when a server it's 200 people at best it's necessary. Both for players and SE, since a running server have a lot of costs. It just isn't right keep running lot of empty server for reputation. And we all know the actual reputation this game have..

[Kafeen]

There is zero reason why most of those things would occur.

For example if merging a lower population server into a higher population server, or two lower population servers together, EVERYTHING and EVERYONE from one server will go to the other. There is no reason for linkshells to be split and members ending up on different servers.

Items shouldn't be lost as they should be tied to the player, not the server.

A temporary solution

As others below have pointed out, SE is planning to allow for a free server transfer to a much more heavily populated server at the players choice. This should make for enough of a band-aid fix to tide the few of you that are left over for the time being.

Allowing players to choose to move if they want WOULD result in players being separated over multiple servers. Linkshells are more likely to split because some move and others don't or some move to a different server to others.

And what for those that don't move? They end up being on an even sparser populated server, making the problem even worse to a point that the server merger is forced anyway because it doesn't hold a sufficient population.

[djjdiss]

There is zero reason why most of those things would occur.

For example if merging a lower population server into a higher population server, or two lower population servers together, EVERYTHING and EVERYONE from one server will go to the other. There is no reason for linkshells to be split and members ending up on different servers.


Items shouldn't be lost as they should be tied to the player, not the server.



Allowing players to choose to move if they want WOULD result in players being separated over multiple servers. Linkshells are more likely to split because some move and others don't or some move to a different server to others.

And what for those that don't move? They end up being on an even sparser populated server, making the problem even worse to a point that the server merger is forced anyway because it doesn't hold a sufficient population.

Ya I mentioned that above in my post after I wrote the OP. there really isn't any foreseeable way around Linkshell mayhem the more I think about it. This is exactly why these kinds of processes unnerve me, because they're so touchy.

Well all we can do is wait and see what pans out I guess. Linkshells really are the only thing that keep most of these players logging in, so if they get fragmented, it might have a very negative impact on the community.

[Chezen]

I agree with the OP's point about bad press, and I always have thought this since server merge was first brought up. SE doesn't need to give the press this sort of news. Officially announcing server merge would be very, very bad.

Allowing for server transfer is the only thing needed.

And what for those that don't move? They end up being on an even sparser populated server, making the problem even worse to a point that the server merger is forced anyway because it doesn't hold a sufficient population.

That would be the choice of those who chose to stay. I chose my server because I wanted to be here. I'll stay here until someone or something forces me to move.

[Alkoun]

That was a great OP. Felt like I was watching a Michael Moore documentary.

You, sir or madam, deserve 5 tin foil hats.

[TatlTael]

Linkshells break and reform and break again over much less than merging servers. Linkshell chaos is a daily part of the game anyway, though when you can fit literally every person on the server into 1 LS... I think it's time for transfers/mergers heh.

[darkstarpoet1]

people need to be able to leave a dead server. whether it's a merge or a forced transfer those people are going to leave. at least with a forced merge those people that enjoy playing together all go to the same new place together.

anything is better than playing on a server with less than 150 players and 30 english speaking players.