Data Centers/World Locations Info from the LIVE Letter

[Alhanelem]

It isn't an issue of latency/lag, it's left me torn that I have too choose between friends, and I personally think it's a disgrace that it's come too this.

You don't have to choose between friends. Tell all of your friends to play on the same server.

Unless you're trying to tell me that every JP and EU player is your friend.

A ray of hope is still out there to not implement segregated servers.

The servers themselves are NOT SEGREGATED. Everyone can still choose any server. Yes, it WILL have an effect of new players making a beeline towards the closest server, but friends across continents can still play together. The content finder can still match everyone from everywhere on every server.

[Colino]

A ray of hope is still out there to not implement segregated servers.
The Jp don't seem so impressed with the idea in general (with the same complaint as us), the segregation of the communities, odd hours people play and the language searches.
They are open to feedback though. So maybe it can change.

Our best bet is that the JP complain about it as strongly as we are.

They sure as hell won't listen to us.

You don't have to choose between friends. Tell all of your friends to play on the same server.

You can have friends from different regions. That is the main problem with all of this: how am I going to convince my EU friends to move to a server because I want to play with my NA friends (that they probably barely know or don't know at all?).

It's just not gonna happen.

[Elexia]

Our best bet is that the JP complain about it as strongly as we are.

They sure as hell won't listen to us.

Actually my friend, this because they listened to you. Majority of the JP were actually against segregation (as in they aren't wanting it because most actually do mingle with other region players), but NA were mostly all for it.

[Belisaire]

The sort of good news is the content finder matches across servers and can match you up with anyone. So even if you're an english player on a JP server, you can find people to do stuff with through that. It's not exactly ideal though...

Are they still doing the cross-server content finder? Yoshi-P's statement doesn't mention it. He mentions a content finder, but it sounds like its server inclusive so you find people on your server speaking your language for events.

[Alhanelem]

Are they still doing the cross-server content finder?

It was established to be cross server when it was first announced. Unless they've said something about changing that, yes its going to be cross server. You have the choice of setting a preferred language, but it can still check any of those servers, including NA players on JP servers.

[Dragonheart]

I am really hoping this is a mis-communication in translations. Because if this is true, I won't quite but I would not be surprised if I start to lose interest in the game.
1. I hate using a content finder to do everything, I prefer to either do it with friends (which btw are in Europe, Japan and the US) or shouts (which are also in Europe, Japan and the US). A content finder just segregates things more and shows that the game will be a collection of lonely instances with a hint of other stuff.
2. This (while not intended) will segregate the world communities, making this 3 games for 3 different regions. Just by the sheer fact that most people are impulse and join groups based on shouts or communications. It was even stated by Yoshi-P in the past that non-JP typically do not use the content search features. So now we are forced to use the feature (and select a language) or stick with the current system and cause a wider rift among the world servers.

While I know it is quite feasible, and I assumed (apparently incorrectly) that the Data Centers would act as hubs to mirror content (much like Final Fantasy XI)
Seems like the more we advance the more we go backwards.

If that happens while I don't plan to quite I would not be surprised due to all of the lost connections to other players across the world I know I would find myself playing less and less until I move on to other things. This is probably the biggest and most devastating announcement of the game, and has really caused me to rethink my future with this game. I will wait until final release to make a final judgement, but lets just hope this is a translation mistake.
2.

1. Don't use content finder.
(and even if you use it, you can still communicate once the group is made, and yes, the group can be international).
And again what comunication we will miss? The shouts spamm? C'mon...

2. Don't change server, and stay on jp/international ones (i'm sure that the old player base will select these ones, while new player and ppl like me that prefers perfomance on all will move on regionals).

Correction. Best news ever.

Yeah, me and expecially old friends that have quitted were waiting for this
(we are hardcore mmo players group, so we know how latency is important)

[Faiyez]

Do you really believe this change will improve upon the gameplay that much? I don't experience much lag at all, besides with the UI and menus. I'm used to playing competitive games with 180ms latency, and it isn't noticeable. They're not tournaments, nor am I a professional, but FFXIV also isn't an E-sport nor does it need lag free gameplay only a professional player would notice.

I personally think the benefit will be greatly outweighed by the separation of players.

Give it up.

People have been complaining about the lag since launch. Here we have a solution.

People are going to complain regardless of what they do with the game.

[Leoheart]

You don't have to choose between friends. Tell all of your friends to play on the same server.

Unless you're trying to tell me that every JP and EU player is your friend.

That's the thing though, most people are saying "If your friends don't come with you to your server then they're not true enough to you".
But do I want my friends to experience horrible lag at my expense? No.
I could go to an NA server if I wanted too, but that puts me back at Square one, I'm leaving my other friends behind, THAT is what is wrong with this.

[Tibian]

Greetings,

I know there has been some confusion about multiple data centers and world discussion that took place in the 25th Anniversary event, so Yoshida addressed it directly in the Letter from the Producer LIVE part III.



Hopefully this will clear up any questions you may have.

This is fantastic news! Thank you so much for allowing us to pick servers closest to our locations.

[Elexia]

They're separating the servers into regions, there's no international servers.