Free server transfers off congested worlds? Help us manage our groups

[Eldelphia]

I'm a linkshell/free company leader for a mixed group of players from the US and Europe. Whilst we really like the game and appreciate that there are often problems launching MMOs we have a big problem.

A couple of months ago, we had to make a decision on server to facilitate getting the 35-40 players we have on to the same server. Some had phase 4 access, some early access and some are hoping to join today. Unfortunately, the server we chose happens to be one of the ones you have now stopped character creation on.

Players who wanted to recreate their characters were unable to do so, even though they had previously started on Gilgamesh. Friends and family were separated. In one case, husband and wife!

We made the decision late on Saturday to forego all progress made in phase4 and the first 2 days of early access to move from the Gilgamesh server and completely restart on Siren. This involved over 30 players already. Not everyone was willing to do this having played through phase 4 and almost two (problematic) days of early access.

As a result we have a split group. We have a small subsection on Gilgamesh and the main body of the group on Siren. In some cases family members have been forced to stay on Gilgamesh because other members of their family are unwilling to lose their progress.

I appreciate that we have no idea of the volume of traffic going through but this situation was badly managed.

25+ players are now on Siren and had to completely restart.

This has caused an inordinate amount of stress for the whole group. Whilst we recognise that there are inevitably issues with launching a new MMO, a consideration for the players on the ground who recognise the issues and are just trying to co-ordinate large groups of friends and family, would be appreciated.

Please can you offer free server transfers to players with characters on the restricted worlds so that we can bring the members of our group back together?

If we had been offered this option initially we would have jumped at the chance to get off our overcrowded server.

[00Seven]

Yeah they're handling the "MMO" aspect of this game all wrong with these servers. You'd think being 2013 they'd have the foresight to handle launches more effectively. The game itself is good but playing it with others is what makes it a greater experience.

[Eldelphia]

So, having moved a large group of players, had them completely restart I've just seen that character creation on our NEW server has now been shutdown. I have most people here but not everyone... what am I supposed to do now?

CAN WE PLEASE HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?!

I sent in a support ticket which was auto-processed and had no genuine response to my enquiry. Pretty much someone saw 'world transfer' and fed me a load of standard crap.

We have groups of players here who are unable to create characters on worlds together and I see NO information on how you are going to help players who have already tried to be accommodating. People play MMOs in groups... please throw your players some support here and acknowledge you vastly underestimated the interest by giving players the chance to move OFF busy servers to new ones without having to pay.

[Adamethius]

I understand what you mean. I am playing in a JP server at the moment. Forever Alone, most of the time, so I don't really mind it that much for the moment though I do understand what you are trying to say. I am not sure if it is free (whether just initially or not) but there are plans to have such a feature implemented in the future.

"Changing Worlds
An optional World transfer service is scheduled to be added.
To make use of the World transfer service once it's available, please proceed to the FINAL FANTASY XIV: Mog Station."

Le links, for your convenience:
Le Mogstation.
Le Source.

[Eldelphia]

We realised early on that Gilgamesh was way too popular. So we made a decision to restart on Siren. That was our decision but we felt we had little choice. It's inevitable groups of players will want to play together and I do understand that the game has been oversubscribed.

It was our choice to move to a new server, in fact we chose the newest one we could find... and now... the remaining members of my group can't get on to Siren.... To charge players to world transfer under these circumstances would be incredibly rude. I'm not talking about ongoing free transfers forever but to give everyone a chance to move together.

We didn't mess up the server management process, Square Enix has. They just need to do more than apologise. I already feel bad enough about asking friends and family to lose their progress but to now shut down creation on these servers makes it almost pointless.

I know it's hard to predict numbers, it happens. Queues happen. Errors happen. But don't then charge your players because you messed up by making them pay for World Transfers.

[Adamethius]

Well, you and your 'horde' of friends aren't alone. I have a similar issue in this but rather, it is more of a situation at the opposite end of the bridge. My situation was the same in that since I could not do anything in the Beta and Early Access phases that I decided to indefinitely start playing on a JP server. Lo to my behest, I grew fond of my character and enjoyed playing in the JP server. Although I was on the FOREVER ALONE state I carried on with the thought that heroes are lone wolves and started to please myself (not in that way). Today, this maintenance happened. And I couldnt log in due to the game being unable to retrieve an update. So I went to a friend and copied his 'boot' directory over to mine and it resolved my issue.

"I WAS REDEI!", I thought, as I hastily punched in my great password of 12389179082 characters.
I was able to log in, patched, and my game came up. What greeted me to my horror was a character I was able to create in Phase 2 of Beta... instead of my handsome Drow-ish character (that looks like me IRL by the way, minus the effeminacy that plagues all elf races in lore) that I created in Early Access. My JP server list disappeared! Now I feel empty.

I am now contemplating crafting a girlfriend made of wood. Maybe she will cheer me up.