Regarding cross-region datacenter travel

[PangTong]

The recent news post on Lodestone gave some updates on the state of the datacenter travel system. Of interest to me was this line:

As I previously mentioned in a Live Letter, while the system has been designed to allow cross-region travel, we'll be limiting it to travel between logical data centers within a physical data center at first due in part to differences in game economy and values. We’ll be paying keen attention to the opinions of players as we consider whether or not to introduce cross-region travel in the future.

Most people I see discussing this seem to believe the reason cross-region travel is being held back is because of the JP datacenters. The belief is that JP players don't want foreign players to interfere with their community culture after hearing that JP datacenters get everything done easily, or otherwise just don't want to deal with players who don't speak the language.

Putting aside whether or not these reasons are true, I can at least understand wanting to be able to communicate with other players especially in a cooperative game which requires a high level of coordination in difficult content.

However as for my opinion on cross-region travel, I'd say that it would be a bit cruel to hold that feature back for everyone because of the opinions of one region. In particular, not allowing travel between the NA and OCE datacenters makes transferring to Materia a much harder decision for OCE players, which will be an important factor in deciding the viability of the OCE datacenter. Even if JP remains isolated, I feel that at least travel between the other regions should be allowed.

I invite other people to share their opinion on the matter of cross-region travel but I request that commenters refrain from making accusatory remarks on the disposition of Japanese players towards other regions. It's not productive and only hurts the case for allowing cross-region travel.

[Jeeqbit]

Cross-travel between NA and EU would help pings because people from EU are sometimes playing with friends in NA or people from NA are sometimes playing with EU friends. The same is going to be true for OCE and every other region because of OCE having not had servers for so long.

[Shibi]

As an OCE player I am torn, I was at first all for opening up, but each day now I am moving more and more towards no.

It would, of course, be nice to allow cross DC travel as I wouldn't need to do any work to build a new "life", but on the other hand it would overwhelm the new servers with a flood of products, gilcaps of inflation, and transient dungeon runners whilst having no permanent population at all, outside of these day-trippers. The new servers would be at the mercy of wanderers, and be without any local community, and without the region's own "values" being formed.

Maybe it is better to let the server grow slowly with transferred alts and new characters until they are all well established.

However, around housing and marketboard, there are times I've even wondered if it's best to head the other way and consider chopping transfers by NA and EU resident players for just a few months on top, leaving it to just people with oceanic addresses on file to settle in first. After all, playing active content with the lag is not a pleasant experience, so they won't be permanent players, but rather housing collectors and market speculators.

Once the housing is opened and local people have levelled up new characters a bit, then open it to transfers. Saying this, I welcome people from anywhere to start from level 1, just not bring over their omnicrafter (with single healer job) characters with gilcaps of gil on top to buy up all the LB11's.

[Myrany]

As an OCE player I am torn, I was at first all for opening up, but each day now I am moving more and more towards no.

It would, of course, be nice to allow cross DC travel as I wouldn't need to do any work to build a new "life", but on the other hand it would overwhelm the new servers with a flood of products, gilcaps of inflation, and transient dungeon runners whilst having no permanent population at all, outside of these day-trippers. The new servers would be at the mercy of wanderers, and be without any local community, and without the region's own "values" being formed.

Maybe it is better to let the server grow slowly with transferred alts and new characters until they are all well established.

However, around housing and marketboard, there are times I've even wondered if it's best to head the other way and consider chopping transfers by NA and EU resident players for just a few months on top, leaving it to just people with oceanic addresses on file to settle in first. After all, playing active content with the lag is not a pleasant experience, so they won't be permanent players, but rather housing collectors and market speculators.

Once the housing is opened and local people have levelled up new characters a bit, then open it to transfers. Saying this, I welcome people from anywhere to start from level 1, just not bring over their omnicrafter (with single healer job) characters with gilcaps of gil on top to buy up all the LB11's.

So you wouldn't want me to bring over my lvl 60 BLM that I rolled on Kujata to play with my Aussie friend? SO basically I can rot on Kujata when my friend moves until some arbitrary date when you deem its ok for a person with a NA address to come over thus missing the window for a free transfer and forcing a cash expenditure on my part. Not cool at all.

[Shibi]

So you wouldn't want me to bring over my lvl 60 BLM that I rolled on Kujata to play with my Aussie friend?

Is it hard to understand the phrase "there are times I've even wondered"?

[Myrany]

Is it hard to understand the phrase "there are times I've even wondered"?

Is it hard to understand that I gave you a reason what you have at times wondered might not be a good idea.

[Shibi]

Is it hard to understand that I gave you a reason what you have at times wondered might not be a good idea.

Such a temper. And I do thank you for that reason, however coming in so angry in your delivery wasn't great. I wasn't asking you to rot, I just don't know as I'd not thought much about it. My preface was making that clear, it didnt need you jumping down my throat to rip my intestines out.

Your reason is a valid one against the idle thought. It's not something I think of much and it's not I am sure of, and I am curious for other's rational ideas why it's a silly idea.

[Myrany]

Such a temper. And I do thank you for that reason, however coming in so angry in your delivery wasn't great. I wasn't asking you to rot, I just don't know as I'd not thought much about it. My preface was making that clear, it didnt need you jumping down my throat to rip my intestines out.

Your reason is a valid one against the idle thought. It's not something I think of much and it's not I am sure of, and I am curious for other's rational ideas why it's a silly idea.

You didnt exactly come at me politely either. TY for the clarification.

[Nafreyu]

Speaking only about OCE for a moment, I feel the above is a great example for why we should be Siloed for a good 6 months.

Allow our communities to form and new connections to be made by bringing the best behaviours from EU, NA, JP while setting new standards for what we do and don't expect.

I do not want to the everyday argumentative NA BS that half my region have been exposed to on NA and think is normal to filter through on the new servers. Especially when the other half come from JP and do not have this.

[Myrany]

Speaking only about OCE for a moment, I feel the above is a great example for why we should be Siloed for a good 6 months.

Allow our communities to form and new connections to be made by bringing the best behaviours from EU, NA, JP while setting new standards for what we do and don't expect.

I do not want to the everyday argumentative NA BS that half my region have been exposed to on NA and think is normal to filter through on the new servers. Especially when the other half come from JP and do not have this.

On a day to day basis I doubt you would even notice me. I do my thing and pretty much don't talk to anyone but my friend. I don't want or own a house. I also rarely engage in the MB at least on the selling side.

The exclusionary stuff does happen to tick me off to no end. Oh she's NA she shouldn't be allowed on our servers.