Yoshida-san - GLOBAL Servers and Balancing Tweaks Instead of Regional Servers

[Kiara]

To: Yoshida-san and the Final Fantasy XIV Development Team,

In your latest update, you have explained that the new Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 will use Regional Data Centers (Servers) and you'll be labeling them per Region.

What's going to happen is a player will be shown a complete list of worlds. Within the list, players will see which worlds are tied to which data centers (i.e. this world and this world is tied to the data center in Japan, this world and this world is tied to the data center in North America or Europe). Players will have the freedom of selecting any world they prefer.

This means that they can select a world that’s in the data center in their own region or they can select a world that's based off of one in another region. For example, I would choose a world based in Japan because the data centers are physically closer to me. On the other hand, a North American or European player may choose a world based off of their data center centers to keep the lag to a minimum...

On a high level, even though you are stating this is only for the location of the server and not "language," by putting a label on each Server, you *are* inadvertently SEGREGATING the Final Fantasy XIV Population.

When you *label* something, you categorize it and you can say all you want that anyone can play on any server, but you are naturally causing separation and division within the community. Friends and Linkshells will be split and broken, and all of this in the name of the Almighty Gameplay (Lag-Free supposedly).

But a key point to consider is this:

One of the most appealing and unique aspects of Final Fantasy XIV (and XI) that made them stand out from the other MMOs *is* that these Online Final Fantasies are GLOBAL.

You encounter players from all over the world, and it's this cultural diversity that is one of THE most appealing things for me about this game (and for many others).

Having Global Servers (NOT segregated) means that you can find players to do stuff with, or just chat and hang out, at ANY TIME OF THE DAY.

Also, I thought you had said that 2.0 had completely rewritten Netcode and New Servers (not the regional part)?

If you've already been reducing Server Lag with brand-new Netcode, and New Servers, and reducing Animations (which we've seen) and removing Animation Lock, then why the need to try and segregate the Community with Regional Servers?

That should be MORE than enough to allow for a much more pleasurable and viable RPG Gameplay Experience.

But ultimately, if you're hellbent on going forward with spending Millions on Data Centers around the world and hiring staff to maintain them, and labeling servers, then I ask that you please consider adding a "GLOBAL" label to some servers, such as this:

• Server A [GLOBAL]
• Server B [GLOBAL]
• Server C [GLOBAL]
• Server D [Japan]
• Server E [Japan]
• Server F [North America]
• Server G [North America]
• Server H [Europe]
• Server I [Europe]

* (Global Servers are located in Japan)

It's a small change, but if you insist on labels, then at least a "GLOBAL" designation will help and try and promote players to try those servers (those looking for a global experience, even if the Data Center for Global Servers are in Japan).

I can guarantee you that many of the new batch of Sony PlayStation 3 Players and 2.0 PC Players will probably just see your list and NOT read the ideas behind your Data Center (that it's just the location and not Language).

In other words, they'd probably just see "Server F" and "North America" and just categorize it automatically in their mind as the choice.

By adding a "GLOBAL" designation, you're at least giving players a chance to try and join a server where they *want* to play with players from around the world and not think that everyone on the server would only speak English or Japanese or French, etc.

I also like Onizuka's idea of first transferring EVERYONE already on a server to a new server *TOGETHER*, and then open up Server Transfers later. To let everyone try out the server and see how it feels.

Please think about the Worldwide / Global / Multicultural aspect of what makes Final Fantasy XIV (and XI) so appealing.

It's amazing to be able to log in to Final Fantasy at ANY TIME OF THE DAY, and have players on, and be able to do stuff or chat.

Regional Servers will have super busy Prime Times and be completely dead during Off Peak Hours. Which will really alienate anyone not sharing the same "typical" schedule as the majority of the players in that region.

Thanks for your time! _(._.)_

[Starlord]

• Server A [GLOBAL]
• Server B [GLOBAL]
• Server C [GLOBAL]
• Server D [Japan]
• Server E [Japan]
• Server F [North America]
• Server G [North America]
• Server H [Europe]
• Server I [Europe]

* (Global Servers are located in Japan)

This is the only thing I wouldn't mind. that way, people can have there "International style" Servers and the rest can be Regional based for those that have major issues with latency.

( times that a regional server would be dead, I can take that time to craft/leves/explore/quests that are soloable etc)

[Rhomagus]

This is the only thing I wouldn't mind. that way, people can have there "International style" Servers and the rest can be Regional based for those that have major issues with latency.

( times that a regional server would be dead, I can take that time to craft/leves/explore/quests that are soloable etc)

This was the strongest point of the OP. They almost lost me when they noted:

Friends and Linkshells will be split and broken, and all of this in the name of the Almighty Gameplay (Lag-Free supposedly).

Sarcastically degrading gameplay, in any game, tells me that someone might have a better time just chatting while watching a movie. Never should you sacrifice gameplay for aesthetics or other satellite qualities of a game. Thankfully I read on and found a great deal with which I could agree. I certainly respect some of the solutions the OP provided.

I did agree with making Global specific servers (though they'll have the same issue as Ragnarok does today, which isn't that much of an issue according to most Ragnarok denizens it's just the lowest population server). The same issues of "community" will arise regardless of this particular feature.

I also agree that, as an RPG, the game shouldn't be as focused on fast twitch gameplay. As an MMO it should be more focused on team communication and strategy but if that's the way they're taking it then reducing lag to enhance gameplay, with any means necessary, is paramount. I would personally prefer if they could bring back the transitional animations as an option at the very least. So those with killer gaming rigs won't have to sacrifice aesthetic quality for gameplay or for those that don't really care for fast twitch activities can still maintain their personal sense of "immersion".

Which brings me to my final point. Giving people the option to choose a server is a good thing. It will always be a good thing. If it destroys a persons "sense" of community then so be it honestly. It is apparent to anyone that if someone's community collapses over a server transition, then that person's "community" wasn't strong enough.

Govern to the individual to make their own choices. If someone's forced to be your friend, I'd be questioning the support structure of said friendship. In that situation, at best, they are probably just an acquaintance. If a "friend" can't stay in contact with someone over a server transition then could they really be considered a friend? Even operating at the most base levels of a relationship's foundation, if a friend can't stay a friend after a server transition then they were just a fair whether friend, at best, in the first place. If that is so, then you should be able to find just as many of these kinds of "friends" on your new server. Even then, the content finder should still operate in a way that you could still play with them. So the complaint of this feature disabling a community is a wash.

The community is one of the few things that is actually put into our control as players, and rightfully so. We all have different ideas of what a community is and what a community should be. I'd wager that most of us have many different communities that we are a part of simultaneously, but it's up to us as individuals to fulfill our role to maintain that community. It's not up to the development team to designate communities for us, and they haven't in any way shape or form. At least not in XIV. We choose the communities we're a part of based on the information we are given. They've promoted avenues in order for us to build communities but they haven't forced us into any particular one.

They did force us into communities in XI for many years. You didn't have a choice of server. You were literally forced into a sub-community upon character creation.

The XIV development team, in this regard, is undoubtedly giving us more than taking away. It's up to us as individuals to maintain our own relationships. We need to learn to differentiate between "acquaintances" and "friends" and proceed accordingly.

[yukikaze_yanagi]

this isn't exacly what we getting ? <_<

[Seig345]

this isn't exacly what we getting ? <_<

As far as I've seen, no, we're getting that list minus the "Global" designation.

I actually like this idea. It seems like an extremely simple addition to their idea, and all it takes is slapping [Global] on the server's region designation. Like stated above, with the new netcode and such, even compensating for Ifrit's stuff even on the Global servers may not even be necessary even if the datacenter for the Global servers are in Japan.

[Gentaro]

Can't add a thing. Great post.

[Alhanelem]

To Kiara:

The servers are still global. Only the physical location differs. Anyone can join any server at any time. Anyone can in fact join every server technically, as you will be able to create a character on each of them.

We really don't need another thread for this debate.

[Starlord]

To Kiara:

The servers are still global. Only the physical location differs. Anyone can join any server at any time. Anyone can in fact join every server technically, as you will be able to create a character on each of them.

We really don't need another thread for this debate.

For those who want to play with players outside of their region

Implies: If you want to play with players outside your region, then you need to choose a Overseas data center.

[Kiara]

To Kiara:

The servers are still global. Only the physical location differs. Anyone can join any server at any time. Anyone can in fact join every server technically, as you will be able to create a character on each of them.

We really don't need another thread for this debate.

Hi Alhanelem,

Thanks. I know you've been adamant about the fact that the new servers aren't "Region Locked" and that is an important thing to make sure people understand.

However, by Square-Enix adding a label as to where each Server is going to be, they are inherently Categorizing / Labeling the Servers.

It will be displayed bright and bold along with each Server Name. So it *will* have an influence on where players are going.

There's also a potential misunderstanding by players who don't read the fine print: You can imagine many players just seeing:

"Server A - Japan"

And just assuming that "Oh, it's probably all Japanese Language," or seeing


"Server G - Europe"

And thinking "that's probably for European players only" etc.

I'm merely asking for them to add a "Global" label to try and encourage / foster an aspect of Final Fantasy XIV (and XI) that already exists now: The Global / International community on servers currently.

This label doesn't affect you (I know you'll be happy to choose whichever Server is closest to you for your Region, you've made that clear), so adding this one word of TEXT shouldn't affect you or anyone only caring about Regional Servers, right?

Thanks!

[Pwnagraphic]

To Kiara:

The servers are still global. Only the physical location differs. Anyone can join any server at any time. Anyone can in fact join every server technically, as you will be able to create a character on each of them.

We really don't need another thread for this debate.

28 pages later.. Guess what?

ANOTHER DISCUSSION!