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! _(._.)_