Suggestion for A Realm Reborn to avoid the splitting of community (data centers)

[Onizuka]

Greetings.

After the post on data center of Yoshida-san (found here), many adventurers, including me, are concerned that the community will split, since one will supposedly choose the server nearer to him or her.

That causes some troubles to those like me, who play with adventurers from all over the World, and so we'll have to choose who to follow.

Since the decision seems by now made, can't we at least be brought together to the New World and then decide if trasferring or not?

This would be similar to the World Merge, and thanks to Yoshi-P change of mind the community of the previous Worlds remained together and actually grew stronger.


For some reason I took for granted that we'd all move on together from our current server to the new one, but it seems like we'll have to choose a new World (based on region, if we desire) after re-creating our character.

It's gonna be painful to track down on The Lodestone aaaall the adventurers we (I'm talking about us who play with folks from different regions) know, also considering not everyone uses The Lodestone.

Please, at least move us all together to the New World of the new server, and then let us decide if we want to move to a nearer data center or not.
I, for one, would stay on the Japanese server, and maybe if we're all already there, perhaps other foreign adventurers will decide to stay, to remain together.

Thanks if the community reps could provide a clarification on this matter or eventually forward the suggestion to Yoshida-san and the dev team.

[Weffrey]

I too play with players from NA/JP/EU. To now know I'll be losing friends is sad. However, Cloudio brings up a great suggestion and I hope the devs take a peek and send Yoshi-P this possible method to keep friends together.

[Khazar]

I cant see the problem with this. The community will split because they will choose their datacenter? and? they will be doing it voluntarily and they are choosing. What you say will do the community to choose equally, so it is the same history anyways.

[Seig345]

The people who'd rather choose to go to a server closer to them are still going to do that, even if you put one extra step in their way. I would advise just communicating with your friends, set up communication outside the game in case we aren't given a server list before hand, and pick a new server that way.

As for me, if I wind up being separated from friends because of the server deal, I'll accept that everyone made their choices for the best, and make new friends! That's why Friendship is Magic. :3

[Breladine]

I will choose a North American data center regardless of how many steps you put in the way of it, but if something like this makes people feel better who are otherwise experiencing trepidation and anxiety over the future server/data center alignment, then sure, why the hell not. No sweat off my back.

[Enma]

I agree with OP (Great Onizuka!). I think that an omogeneous server is a good thing, even if you play most with people from your country. It means players logged at every hours, markets full or rare stuffs, new possible friends to meet, and so on.
When Square Enix made an EU World (Ragnarok) many european players decided to not to move there, because there won't be any advantage. With Data Centers the situation is different, but what proposed by Onizuka could be a good test, so that people could really see "how much they lag", and then take a more reasonable decision (even if they have already decided to choose a close Data Center).

[Loony_BoB]

I too would be happy with this. It not only would allow us to test how much lag we will suffer from (since it's been said that it will be considerably improved), but it will also allow people to gather and agree on a new server by chatting amongst each other in-game.

[Onizuka]

As for me, if I wind up being separated from friends because of the server deal, I'll accept that everyone made their choices for the best, and make new friends! That's why Friendship is Magic. :3

Partly I agree, bonds and memories are forever, and new ones will be created. But if we're not moved together, then the World Merge lost some of its meaning.

Of course, it was made to increase server population, but consequently to meet new adventurers. For instance, Bodhum got merged with Karnak and Palamecia, forming Excalibur, and I met several new Great adventurers after the fusion and it would be difficult to choose who to follow.

At the same time, if we'll have a brand new server list, there's a higher risk we'll split up. While what I'm simply asking is to automatically move us all together like the original Server Merge, and then let us choose a different (closer, in case) server, or not. It seems quite a painless solution that would avoid any mess or stress (at reading the Lodestone's everyone's blogs to see where they'll go).

I know chances are low, but I would like to hear a community reps response on this. After all, it's not asking too much to move us together to the new servers.

Thanks.


P. S.: By the way, I'm quite confident that the real lag problem in the city-states (or in crowded areas like at Atomos) will be solved with the new server network, if the promises are kept, so I'd still be fine with the server being in Japan.