Why won't SE merge the servers due to few people playing the game?

[Elaguila]

With 19 XIV servers running (i.e. when they have electricity) and, what, 35k people playing, why are we not seeing servers merging?

Here are a few reasons for it that I can think of off the top of my head:

1) Once XIV goes PS3, there will be a large gap between PS3 and PC players - by merging you can have the PS3 users start fresh with their own peers while we continue on with our own peers

2) Keep current XIV players happy - we'd be playing in well populated worlds
As a result of (2), we'd be able to:
A) Find groups
B) Establish [friendly] rivalries between guilds for NMs, items, etc
C) Find a LS that fits us well (social vs core vs German vs Japanese, etc)
D) Feel like we're playing an MMO and not a single person RPG
E) RP, for those who are into that

3) RL gil - it'd be cheaper to run fewer servers

Mostly though, it's point no. 3 that I feel is the most important (to SE). Frankly, I'm surprised why it hasn't happened already.

I also think that the fact that all these servers are running is a sign of SE's misplaced optimism. It's like they're waiting for the servers to fill up, even though it might take a while (if ever?).

Finally, I realize that there are many inactive accounts, but 19 servers still seem like too many.

[Kilta_Firelotus]

so pretty much seperate ps3 and pc right? not gonna happen

SE is pretty smart about stuff and know more aout how many ppl are actually playing then we do. If a server merge was a 100% needed they woulda. And don't use the false number....

[Epo]

I just started FFXIV recently, but it seemed pretty populated, at least in Trabia. I also noticed when selecting my server, it had little chocobos on the right to show server population. I saw quite a few with 3/3 chocobos, showing very populated, and the majority with 2/3, showing mid-population. With 3/3 being close to peak, I don't see much reason why they'd need to merge, other than maybe the few 1/3 together.

[Elaguila]

@Kilta: What number are you referring to? And what is the correct number?
And yes, I realize that seperating PC and PS3 players won't happen in reality. But a girl can dream.

@Epi: Yeah, I know what you're talking about, but I call bullshit on those "numbers..." Also, we don't know how much one chocobo equals, if they're taking inactive accounts into account (lol, and probably not), and if the limit is currently set lower for some reason (to get people spread out between servers, perhaps).

[Sparker]

I believe the chocobos display population relative to other servers, not population relative to server capacity. Servers are not very full, but no merger should happen until long after PS3 comes out. I have several friends irl waiting for it so they can join my server/LS.

[Gun_Anam]

I'd much rather not have more people on Besaid. Everywhere is always busy and there's always stuff going, plenty of chat, and always groups forming for something. We definitely don't need a server merge. If anyone is finding it's quiet on their server then I'd recommend joining some more linkshells.

[Evangela]

merging will destroy the image of the game, that's why

and I don't know why people choose the lowest populate server when every game start launching?

I alway choose the most populate because I learned from previous MMO... every game will lose amount of player after they charge the monthly fee, choosing the lowest populate to avoid lagging is not what I did

[Verecund]

As of now they really need to merge the servers, but there are a few things (I'm guessing) that might be keeping them from doing so... one being that a server merge this early in the game's history would look very bad for the game to outsiders. Another reason is that the PS3 launch may bring in alot of new players to fill the servers (at least on the Japanese side).

Edit - What I think would help alot in the short term is trying to control where the population congregates by using dynamic behest-like content (but with less party limitations and better difficulty mechanics, as well as maybe some faction rewards). Ghost-towns/camps still exist even on the most populated servers currently, and new players getting locked out of behests due to caps is not a good thing.

[Gezeru]

Coming from one of the smaller populated servers, I don't see it as a bad thing that some servers have low population. It has helped with linkshells sharing NM's, there are rarely fights over areas to party in and our community is quite tight knitted in knowing each other.

The only bad aspects of a small population server are the same issues higher populated servers get but we have the drama in lesser amounts.

This game still has the potential to grow quite a bit whenever the PS3 version comes out and SE aren't going to gimp the servers beforehand and then cause segregation between servers of PC players and PS3 players. Pretty sure they have everything covered business sense wise with their servers.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Wait, there's no people on the servers? you coulda fooled me....