Server Merge

[Mychael]

I realize someone else started another thread, but the instructions were to discuss. In this thread, I want to QQ. If you're going to complain about QQing, make sure you're QQing yourself. I want to make sure that this thread is all QQ.

Not really, but it's going to happen that way~


[Link to the lodestone article]

[...]


[World Merge Summary]

Key Dates
March 1 (Thursday) to March 19 (Monday), 2012: Character transfer selection period. *
March 27 (Tuesday), 2012: World merge maintenance to be carried out.

Information regarding the time required for the merge maintenance process and other details will be released at a later date.
* The character transfer selection period will consist of two stages. For details, see Selecting a Transfer Destination below.


Details of the Merge
The current eighteen Worlds will be reorganized into ten, and existing characters will be transferred into the ten new Worlds.



New World 10 is recommended for German and French-speaking players. German and French-speakers form a minority within the total player population, and this should improve their playing experience and make it easier for them to get together and form parties. However, it is a recommendation only. The World will not be restricted to German and French speakers, and players from other regions are free to transfer to the World.

* The new Worlds shall inherit the names of the ten most popular current Worlds. Name assignments will be announced after the transfer selection period has ended.

[...]

About Linkshells
Linkshells will not be carried over to the new World. They will be deleted automatically during the merge
* Linkshell community pages on the Lodestone will no longer be accessible after the merge.

Because linkshells will be deleted, you may lose contact with linkshell members. However, your Lodestone follow list will survive the World merge unchanged, so we recommend that players who want to stay in touch follow each other before the merge takes place.
* The "follow" will persist even if the character's name is changed.
* You can follow characters through the linkshell list or via each character's own page.
　Players will be able to follow characters through the linkshell list starting today, February 9.

[...]

I'd just like to know what other people think of this free-for-all method, as opposed to the XI style of Server A -> Server B, or Server A + Server B = New Server 01?

Personally, I think that, as much as this game seems to support and encourage having multiple linkshells, this was a heavy blow to anyone with 2+.

In fact, even having a friend that you enjoy being friends with outside of your linkshell (presuming your linkshell elects to move as a whole) will be problematic. Either you lose your friend, or linkshells start losing members who want to move with their friends.

The very least they could have done, in my opinion, would be to name the servers ahead of time, rather than after we can no longer choose. This way, there would be a good chance, for those ten servers (note, more than half of the servers), that everyone would choose the server of the same name. While that would not serve any purpose for the lesser-populated worlds, I don't understand the "if they can't have it, no one can." Because after all, these are the top ten worlds of eighteen. More than likely, the majority of the players would be spared, if only slightly.

Just wish someone would explain it to me....