Cross-region data center travel works, they just don't want to implement it.

[Edelgarde]

In the press interview, it's already confirmed by Yoshi P that there is a completed system for cross-region data center travel that works, they just want to wait a little while longer before choosing to implement it or not.

They're really hesitant to, and haven't gathered enough data with players yet (likely opinions that is favourable to the feature), so they need to wait longer.

I'm gonna guess that they're waiting until 6.5 before they make the big decision and then will implement it during 6.58 during the really long content lull, because it will definitely get players to resub and see how the experience is with cross-region data center travel.

However, their second plan is to create a system where it's cross-region matchmaking for instance content, but it seems it's difficult with making it work with the spaghetti code. But if they do make this work, then they're most likely scrapping cross-region data center travel, and will implement this instead to avoid a huge culture clash. It will definitely be a good feature to have for Dynamis and Materia data center.

So this can go either two ways (or maybe three):

1. They fail to make a system for cross-region matchmaking, and will have to implement cross-region data center travel, thus we will see the shitstorm of culture clash.
2. They successfully create a system for cross-region matchmaking, and will no longer implement cross-region data center travel, which is still good and the best case scenario for this game and its playerbase.
3. They fail to make cross-region matchmaking, choose to miqo'te out and NOT implement cross-region data center travel, and Materia and Dynamis are doomed in the future.

If they manage to do either option 1 or 2, I'm definitely going back to Materia which is my local region. I do think they should pick with either. But definitely not option 3. That would suck.

6.58 is the perfect time to do it. We're really bored. And the culture clash would probably give us amazing drama that FFXIV players just thirst for. It will be fun. And the drama probably won't even be bad. You guys are just amazing at losing your minds over the little things.

[DixieBellOCE]

I just want to see all the NA club spam work its way over to the JP servers, the drama that will unfold from that will be unforgettable.

Cross-Region Duty Finder is by far the best option, as it will not kill off player populations on OCE like Cross-region travel will.

If its not here by 7.0, then it's pretty obvious that they really do not care enough about the red headed stepchild called Materia to bother continue playing.

[Johners]

They should probably hold out and only add cross-region matchmaking for instanced content (on the assumption they get it to work). Having full access to all data centres with cross-region DC travel is a disaster waiting to happen and we all know it.

[Larirawiel]

I just want to see all the NA club spam work its way over to the JP servers, the drama that will unfold from that will be unforgettable.

It is VERY unlikely, that you will see NA club spam on JP servers.



Cheers

[LianaThorne]

Honestly, I think our options are only going to be 2 or 3, with 3 being the more probable outcome. 1 might be entertaining to watch but ultimately I don't think it will lead to healthy interactions and just cause more damage on all fronts. As soon as someone does a different strat for something, fists are gonna fly. I've seen it already happen on Materia during an alliance raid when someone did an NA strategy for a boss and got dragged through chat for it. Im sure there are also people who will gladly say they dislike the NA playerbase as well and how we do things. And I'm sure we all know by now that the JP playerbase is very against the idea of playing with anyone who isn't from JP.


There's no way to predict who you'll be running content with so are we just supposed to learn every strat then and shuffle them depending on who we're with? What if it's an NA member, an EU member, a JP member and an OCE member?

If it's not forced region queue but rather optional, that might be the best option.

[AnotherPerson]

Realistically #2 would happen, unless they really want #1.

On the off chance #3 happens, Materia might be doomed, but Dynamis should be perfectly fine because there's actually a fairly large population of players there that usually just hop to other Data centers. Once 7.0 comes out, the whole DC will be flooded again and content in Dynamis will start taking off as there will be consistent queues afterwards from being unable to hop to other DCs in a time-efficient manner. Of course, that's assuming 7.0 doesn't flop on release and pre-order sales stay high like in previous expansions. That's usually is a given since it's CBU3, but I have seen a lot more people saying they aren't sure whether to pre-order Dawntrail only because they are worried the lack of persistent content to keep them subbed as in the case for Endwalker. I'm not sure if that would actually have an impact this time around. A high pre-order sales will guarantee a large number of people will login simultaneously on expansion release, and this is what drives people to stay on their DC/world from 7.0 onwards. People can still make a purchase for Dawntrail even if they don't pre-order a couple months or a month after expansion release, but without a large population of players to flood the Data centers on 7.0 release, Dynamis won't be flooded with players to do content with.

[LianaThorne]

Realistically #2 would happen, unless they really want #1.

On the off chance #3 happens, Materia might be doomed, but Dynamis should be perfectly fine because there's actually a fairly large population of players there that usually just hop to other Data centers. Once 7.0 comes out, the whole DC will be flooded again and content in Dynamis will start taking off as there will be consistent queues afterwards from being unable to hop to other DCs in a time-efficient manner. Of course, that's assuming 7.0 doesn't flop on release and pre-order sales stay high like in previous expansions. That's usually is a given since it's CBU3, but I have seen a lot more people saying they aren't sure whether to pre-order Dawntrail only because they are worried the lack of persistent content to keep them subbed as in the case for Endwalker. I'm not sure if that would actually have an impact this time around. A high pre-order sales will guarantee a large number of people will login simultaneously on expansion release, and this is what drives people to stay on their DC/world from 7.0 onwards. People can still make a purchase for Dawntrail even if they don't pre-order a couple months or a month after expansion release, but without a large population of players to flood the Data centers on 7.0 release, Dynamis won't be flooded with players to do content with.

An issue is definitely low pop on Dyna but that's not the only issue we have. A big one that is affecting *all* DCs in NA is that it's now basically the norm to go to Aether for all forms of content. The other DCs PFs have taken a hit while Aether's skyrockets to 130-150+ at most hours of the day. Honestly unless that mentality changes in 7.0, I feel like we're just going to see everyone dogpiling on Aether and causing server problems just like Endwalker's launch and not actually trying to pop the DCs as a whole.

[Jeeqbit]

In the press interview, it's already confirmed by Yoshi P that there is a completed system for cross-region data center travel that works, they just want to wait a little while longer before choosing to implement it or not.

He told us this a long time ago as well, actually. That it wasn't an issue of if they could do it, but that it was an issue with cultures crossing into eachother and they weren't sure yet. Yet a lot of people seemed to continue to believe they couldn't do it yet.

However, their second plan is to create a system where it's cross-region matchmaking for instance content, but it seems it's difficult with making it work with the spaghetti code.

I think spaghetti code is not really going to be the primary issue with that. The primary issue is if you have 3 people from JP, 3 people from EU and 2 people from NA, how do you decide which region the content occurs in? Half of them will have high pings, and SE has to decide who gets that high ping. That is the issue.

So in cross-region matchmaking, someone will have high ping and it may not be possible to predict who. You may not even have a way to know which region you ended up in for the duty without checking your ping in resource monitor.

1. They fail to make a system for cross-region matchmaking, and will have to implement cross-region data center travel, thus we will see the shitstorm of culture clash.

There was a culture clash with World Visit and DC travel, but people got over it. We already clash because people do paid transfers to JP and between NA and EU as well.

But one thing for sure is I don't think NA and EU are going to care about clashing with eachother much. This concern of Yoshi-P's is overblown.

[Dzian]

They should open it up partially. like allow NA to visit EU data centres and vice versa.

but allowing JP / NA to mix would likely end up being devastating all you need to do is look at the attitudes to wards content and how the df / pf / rf are all used. there's just no compatibility there.

JP uses the df/rf/pf tools correctly and thats why players there can literally pug ultimates.. but on the NA side RF is a joke and avoided like the plague. hell at least 3/4 of PF groups are complete failures. You're lucky if you can clear an EX trial in a farm party on NA/EU

[Edelgarde]

I think spaghetti code is not really going to be the primary issue with that. The primary issue is if you have 3 people from JP, 3 people from EU and 2 people from NA, how do you decide which region the content occurs in? Half of them will have high pings, and SE has to decide who gets that high ping. That is the issue.

Actually it's quite easy. Just have the matchmaking be for a dedicated region you're going for. It will not effect the people who choose to queue up in their own data center.

Like, say I'm back in Materia, this cope dead data center, I'm from WA, so most of the Aussies are asleep except for me. I can queue up for JP and play with them but with JP ping. There may be an NA player in that party too who used the feature to cross-region matchmake, but they're the ones who need to adjust the ping.

So it won't affect the people who choose to queue in their own data center.