So, no roleplay server?

[Alhanelem]

Implementing it later would be far from ideal, as a lot of people will already have their network of friends established on the new servers, and many would probably not move because of that.

Not having it at launch (which is pretty rare for an AAA MMORPG), brings the risk of having an underpopulated one afterwards.

It's actually more rare for games to have RP servers in the first place.

[Abriael]

It's actually more rare for games to have RP servers in the first place.

Within AAA MMORPGs (which is what I'm talking about, but it seems to be your habit to randomly ignore part of what someone says to fit your needs) it's very rare that an RP server isn't offered.

And as far as I know, this is an AAA MMORPG.

[Alhanelem]

Within AAA MMORPGs (which is what I'm talking about, but it seems to be your habit to randomly ignore part of what someone says to fit your needs) it's very rare that an RP server isn't offered.

And as far as I know, this is an AAA MMORPG.

'AAA Title" is a term i see getting thrown around way too much. Not saying that I disagree in this case in regards to this game, but there is not actually a standard I see among top end MMOs regarding roleplay servers. The presence or lack thereof of RP servers does not make or break "AAA" status.

Generally, it's nothing more than a label (though WoW's RP servers have stricter rules about out of character chat and character naming) to begin with, so I don't see what the big deal is. Do RPers need to feel validated or something?

(which is what I'm talking about, but it seems to be your habit to randomly ignore part of what someone says to fit your needs)

I'm not ignoring anything. "AAA" means nothing to me. Almost every studio calls their games "AAA." The most laughable is one i saw in a job ad recently: "Lead artist needed for AAA social facebook game." There's no such thing as an AAA facebook game in my book.

Why is it that you seem to pounce on every tiny little issue and blow it up out of porportion? I'm still searching for a post from you saying "hey, i like this thing they're doing, that's great!" or something to that effect.

My MMO career includes FFXI, FFXIV, WoW, Warhammer Online, Aion and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Out of these games, the only ones that didn't have RP servers were the Final Fantasy MMOs and Aion.

6 out of the dozens and dozens of MMOs out there doesn't paint a complete picture. Out of all the MMOs I've ever touched, only one (WoW) had RP servers. This doesn't mean they didn't have active RP communities- they just didn't need nor demand a special server for it.

[Abriael]

'AAA Title" is a term i see getting thrown around way too much. Not saying that I disagree in this case in regards to this game, but there is not actually a standard I see among top end MMOs regarding roleplay servers. The presence or lack thereof of RP servers does not make or break "AAA" status.

No. It's the opposite. Basically every AAA MMO has RP servers, because they have an high enough number of servers to afford different rulesets. And this game definitely has enough servers as well.

Generally, it's nothing more than a label (though WoW's RP servers have stricter rules about out of character chat and character naming) to begin with, so I don't see what the big deal is. Do RPers need to feel validated or something?

Having a labeled server is a great way to bring together players with similar mindsets.

Why is it that you seem to pounce on every tiny little issue and blow it up out of porportion? I'm still searching for a post from you saying "hey, i like this thing they're doing, that's great!" or something to that effect.

Selective reading. My attitude towards this game is and has always been extremely positive. I've been called a fanboy more times than I can remember. This doesn't mean I won't call SE out on something I don't see as kosher, or that could be done better in my opinion.

6 out of the dozens and dozens of MMOs out there doesn't paint a complete picture. Out of all the MMOs I've ever touched, only one (WoW) had RP servers. This doesn't mean they didn't have active RP communities- they just didn't need nor demand a special server for it.

Your MMORPG experience seems to be extremely limited.

[Rowyne]

It's actually more rare for games to have RP servers in the first place.

I feel I have to disagree.

My MMO career includes FFXI, FFXIV, WoW, Warhammer Online, Aion and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Out of these games, the only ones that didn't have RP servers were the Final Fantasy MMOs and Aion.

Not sure if this is a cultural difference? The eastern-based MMOs didn't have RP servers, but the western ones I played all did. If FFXIV wants to include many of the standard practices of other AAA MMOs, then a RP server will be expected.

World of Warcraft has 226 U.S. servers. 23 of those are officially designated RP servers (17 are RP-PvE servers and 6 are RP-PvP servers).

Source

[fuzz]

I feel I have to disagree.

My MMO career includes FFXI, FFXIV, WoW, Warhammer Online, Aion and Star Wars: The Old Republic. Out of these games, the only ones that didn't have RP servers were the Final Fantasy MMOs and Aion.

SWTOR had a RP server? Dont see how since they had to merge all their servers into a few because the population on every server dropped drastically.

Either way, with no guarantee that the game is going to have a massive client base, they should probably wait a few months before thinking about making a RP server.

-fuzz

[Rowyne]

SWTOR had a RP server? Dont see how since they had to merge all their servers into a few because the population on every server dropped drastically.

SWTOR originally had many RP servers. I started off on a RP server called Sanctum of the Exalted, and was auto-merged to another RP server called The Ebon Hawk. Even after the massive population drop, here are the numbers:

U.S. Servers - 7 total, 3 of which are RP
European Servers - 9 total, 3 of which are RP
Asian Servers - 3 total, 1 of which is RP

That's a very high percentage of RP to non-RP. Even in a game with such a dramatic population drop, there is demand for RP servers.

Source

Either way, with no guarantee that the game is going to have a massive client base, they should probably wait a few months before thinking about making a RP server.

I disagree. This is something that must be coordinated before launch. What if the RP community decides to keep Balmung as the unofficial RP server, then a few months later, SE slaps the label on a different server or creates a new one altogether? New players would go to the designated server and be separated from the majority of the already-established community. Some players wouldn't even know there was a RP community and an unofficial server. RPers would be scattered to the wind, and when they establish roots, they (understandably) won't want to move.