Treading Dangerous Ground

[Dragon]

OP is right, this is a dangerous precedent. Polling data is needed, period.

I agree 100% with OP. Yes, the problem is not the fact they're considering the change, it's how and why. A server merge is a big deal in any MMO, and affects a lot of people. But it seems they're trying to please the "vocal minority" this time around.

And before anyone says "everyone hated option 4", here's a little thing:

Why does Yoshida hate linkshells/communities? [25 likes to OP]

Thanks for ruining the only experience that keeps me playing. [37 likes to OP]

Petition to reveal Server names before transferring! [46 likes to OP]

Thread: A history in server merging - Why SE is creating an overcomplicated mess. [42 likes to OP]

So, in 4 different threads that basically are talking about the same thing, we get no more than 50 likes in the OP. Last time I checked on my server alone (Wutai), I can find at least 200-300 people at any given time.

Now, I know that the number of likes does not give a real indicator of how many people agree with the thread/idea, but it still shows that only a handful of people decided it was worth it's time to do a simple click on the OP.

Whatever SE does with the merges, I'll stay. But I am paying for a game developed by SE, not a community project.

I couldn't agree more.

[Sidious]

Blizzard listened to the whiners and look at WoW now. Stripped of depth and meaningful content. They tried to cover it up with some slightly harder dungeons, but in the QQers got that nerfed too within months.

Cataclysm hasn't posted a single positive quarter to date. Players are typically selfish and cannot relate to the larger picture. They only want the cheese without doing the maze. I know better, though. That's why I believe Yoshi should do what he thinks is best, because thats what good leaders do.

[indira]

MOST of the community were "OPEN TO MAJOR CHANGES" along time ago, which there still working on.

[Resheph]

Maybe SE should conduct another player poll about this issue, and send out emails about it to get non-forum using players to participate... Or post it to the log in page for the game, that might get people's attentions..

[zaviermhigo]

People are complaining that he listened to us? Most of us went back to our respective linkshells talked about the issue and came back with more opinions from them, most of my friends in the game felt negatively about this. If most linkshells on the most populated servers felt negatively about this, you would have to believe that's at least a significant portion of the population. Option 2 + option 4 is honestly the best of both worlds, giving people who wanted a new start the ability to have one, and people who want to merge with existing communites the ability to do that also.

[ChiefCurrahee]

Yoshi is reconcidering the server merge options because this is a community issue. Not a game play issue. There is nothing wrong with Yoshi stopping and listening to the community on this. Even if it's to vocal minority. It doesn't effect the state of the game from a fundamental aspect.

So by listening to the players on this matter isn't treading on dangerous ground.

If the dev team presented plans for new gameplay systems then retracted those plans because the vocal minority made a stink then yes, the dev team has lost thier backbone.

While the OP has a valid concern if this sets a new trend of Yoshi caving at every QQ that is made on the forums. But on the topic of server merege, You're making a big deal out of something that isn't that big of a deal.

aka much ado about nothing.

[Rhomagus]

In the end, a vocal minority will win over an indifferent majority.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Now "evil" in this sense is rhetorically inconsequential but the concept remains. Something occurred, people voiced their opinion, those who did not voice their opinion were not heard. No action was taken for those who did not voice their opinion.

I see nothing wrong with this.

In this particular case, you had people voicing the opinion of people who couldn't voice their opinion (sickness, military training, non subscribers, those holding off for 2.0 etc.). Yoshida hasn't actually done anything yet. He did apologize for not being more transparent. Then he fixed that issue by being transparent and showing the options that the development team was kicking around.

I see nothing wrong with this.

If the indifferent majority just wants to be like cattle then they'll be herded like cattle. If the vocal minority is making illogical claims then they should be dealt with accordingly. Transparency is one of Yoshida's strong suits and I felt it was in good form to see him take the reins and explain the situation, personally. He was also justified in asking for constructive feedback as I feel the rhetoric that was being spewed was repugnant and childishly over exaggerated.

I see nothing wrong with this.

In the end, he was responding to people (regardless of their tone) who cared enough to provide feedback. I can't fault him for that and I applaud it. I don't necessarily feel that what's right is always what's popular but I do feel that it's always the right time to do the right thing. Being more transparent in this particular case, was the right thing. Changing his opinion in a "six one way half a dozen the other" scenario to better fit the fanbase that's dedicated enough to voice their opinion would also be the right thing.

[Noir]

Greatings Forum readers and devs! While I am aware that there are more than SEVERAL posts right now that deal with the current World Merger, I would like to start by saying that, while I will site that as an example, the purpose of this post is to discuss the use of these forums as a means to change the game as a whole, and why I believe that to be a mistake.

After posting the direction Yoshi had chosen to do the world merger, the forums lit up with people flaming the way it was to be done. Every individual that plays this game and pays a fee is TOTALLY entitled to their opinion, and no one should be able to say otherwise. That being said, I was very dismayed to see that the very next day, Yoshi made a post that hinted at flip flopping on using option 4 because it "appeared" that most people liked option 2. I am more than willing to acknowledge that a majority really would like option 2, however, using these forums as the SOLE basis to make a decision like that sets a very dangerous precedent. These forums and the people on them represent a VERY small percentage of the actual player base. So essentially, according to the statements made in his post, Yoshi will be using 5% (a fictional number since I actually don't have any numbers to go off of) of the player base to make a decision that effects the OTHER 95% percent of us.

I feel that the fair way to make large decisions that effect the entire community as whole when asking for input is to use the player polls they have used in the past, and only those polls. These polls don't require you to be a member of any particular guild or forum, the only requirement is that you are a paying customer of their product. The polls have you check from a selection of options that COMPLETELY take emotion out of the equation. While I know that the dev team hopes to conduct a merge by march, and that, regardless of anything we say, they may be moving forward with that, I can only hope that in the future, when making decisions that affect the entire community, they use a fair and neutral tool to do so. It was my understanding that the direction the game is heading now is a direct reflection of the polls that have already been taken, and I can only hope that they will continue to shape the game in this method. While I certainly agree that these forums are a great tool to recieve and answer questions and concerns of the community, they should never be used to make large scale decisions that affect a much larger portion of the player base.

I would like to take the time to thank anyone that has read this lengthy post, and once again, I would like to thank the dev team for putting all of their heart and soul into making this the game we all want it to be. (Especially since it seems to be effecting some of their health in a very negative matter. That, more than anything, shows me how hard they must be working to turn this game around.)

Thanks again,
Biggs

Edit- The post I am citing by Yoshi P can be found on page 16 of this thread:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...004#post549004

If 5% care about the game as to check the forums, do be it. I'm sorry, but if you don't read and post here, you can't be considered as factor. More non factor. Probably could care less where you go. IMO more like 50% and not 5% are ative on the forums. Where did you get your % from?

[zaviermhigo]

I did not feel the need for a server merge, unless they can ensure some bonus to putting your retainer up in another city, at this rate I'm going to have to put my retainer up in Gridania or LL shout and tell people in Uldah, and offer them a tele to the city and hope they buy my stuff (/joke). But I do keep in contact with people on lower population servers, most of them were ready to reroll onto a different server, this saves them from it. I think we should just make the best of it, since it looks like they'll lean towards giving us some options.

[Riv]

I'd like to see more polls in general.