What the hell SE

[Kiote]

DAMN IT SQUARE-ENIX WHY CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME EVERYTHING I WANT ALL THE TIME WITHOUT QUESTION!?!?!?

[Delsus]

Actually..now that I think about it, if they did lose the current playerbase, even a fraction it wouldn't matter, it would just make ARR that much better, especially if they got rid of the "MUST STACK BLMS!" people.

I just hit the "like" button it turned into really like.

[Keres]

As a programmer, I understand the complexity of hte task. However character files are merely that, files. No one in their right mind would store character information in a database. What, a new table for every character? Or one table, with a billion columns with an x for every flag/item/etc?

I, uhhhhhh...don't take this the wrong way, but if you can't figure out how to sketch out a simplistic diagram of how an MMO's player data could theoretically be structured in a database, you're probably not a very experienced programmer. The two "issues" that you mentioned are easily avoided via simple normalization (which most database books teach you about in chapter 2), and flat files offer no useful advantages over a relational database for this sort of task (and a significant number of disadvantages).

MMO player data is not inherently any different than a large datastore of customer data, marketing data, or other such things. Relational databases are more than able to easily handle the amount of information FFXIV would need to store and then some, and do so every day all over the world.

Claiming no specific knowledge of how SE structures their data here, obviously, but to suggest that flat files are somehow more likely than a database structure is, I think, a little absurd. Migrating all of that data from 1.0 to 2.0 will be no easy task, and the team wants to give themselves as much leeway as possible to migrate, test, verify, and -- if necessary -- fix any issues that come up during the migration. I can't blame them for it; we'd all (understandably) be extremely upset if our character data got messed up in any way due to a rushed migration, and they want to make sure that they have enough time to make sure it gets done right. I'm all for that.

[Starlord]

I wish I could Comprehend Programming.. I'm just a wittle Computer tech =( teehee!

[stanleyyoung]

Actually..now that I think about it, if they did lose the current playerbase, even a fraction it wouldn't matter, it would just make ARR that much better, especially if they got rid of the "MUST STACK BLMS!" people.

True. There are what? About 1k on each server just to guess. Could be more or less then that and I wouldn't be surprised either. If all of the current players left because of this character data save issue just like u say it would be better to have 2.0 non bashed by 1.0 veterans bad mouthing the game causing all the new comers to think twice about the game. Which by the is the last thing SE needs when 2.0 is released.

[Griss]

I wish I could Comprehend Programming.. I'm just a wittle Computer tech =( teehee!

they need extra time to jimmy with the fiddly metal bits.

[Starlord]

they need extra time to jimmy with the fiddly metal bits.

Hildibrand is on the case! :P

[Volsung]

Its going to be a free playtime. Gives us a chance to keep in touch with friends (some of us have some). Gives them time to get everything perfect with the upcoming game. If they really wanted to they could shut it down, save the electric/hosting costs and focus on 2.0. But they're saying hey, while we transfer everything, would you guys still like to log on and talk to eachother? Thats the whole reason they're asking, because they're not going to make profit for the downtime

They just wanna get the switch right, and are offering something to appease at the side

[JasonMarkle]

Pointless thread, players who actually read have known about this since 2.0 was announced. In fact I'm pretty sure it's either in one of the LftP's, or one of the 2.0 PDF's that we got around the official announcement last year.

[Elexia]

Its going to be a free playtime. Gives us a chance to keep in touch with friends (some of us have some).

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