PSA: Aether is open

[Shougun]

I'm not sure they'd be able to collapse the "walls" anytime soon with the way the player base has been growing. The partitioning probably helps server performance since it reduces the number of players receiving certain pieces of information (like party finder listings). A lot of the limitations we already have seem to be related to that server communication struggle.

To be honest, I'm not certain removing the walls it's a good way to go in the long run. Communities and friendships get formed because of repeat encounters with the same people. The more people you add to potential groupings, the fewer repeat encounters you will have. People tend to be more relaxed when they're in a community they feel they know.

Certainly you want there to be enough in a group so players don't have a problem finding others to do group content but you also shouldn't want it to be so large that players effectively turn into faceless NPCs of no consequence. That opens the door to toxicity. Many players have no problems being rude to others they know they'll never see again but will think twice when it's someone they're likely to see again in the future.

For the first part I agree it was probably delayed due to their unexpected third wind.

For the second part... Eh? Not a legendary response but I guess I don't feel those are problems greater than they will be already. Although maybe we are picturing a different end. I suppose if you were thinking one mega server where you can see someone once and never ever again, then I'd like to add I was thinking more like the DF walls are down (DF crosses all boundaries), and you could port yourself over to anywhichever server you wanted (no data center wall either, when you visit another world). Maybe allowing FC to cross the gap as well, just for smoothness sake. Like your concern for 'random npc" is exactly how DF already exists as, there is only benefit if we can smash more people together as the cost already cost us.