Why no regional servers?

[chime85]

I'm sorry to be the one to ask, but why do we not have regional servers?

Problems with global servers:

• Limits the potential of combat pace and response-times due to latency/ping
• Half the player-base speaks another language and it becomes difficult to interact with them (therefore ends up being more exlusive than inclusive)

The issue with latency is probably the biggest one. It places a lot of restrictions on how involved they can make combat, unless they shift more of it server-side (but that just opens up room for exploits). Last night I was doing leves (and I hadn't played for a while and forgot how unresponsive things were) and only then did I realise just how terrible the delay was.

It's just not as fun as it should be when your character does not do what you're telling it to do.

While I think it's a novel idea to have global servers, the benefits are so minor as compared to the problems it causes.

pros to segrigated servers: Own language, higher response during peak hours. Less lag, I agree, But watch below

Cons to Segrigated servers Less diversity to play time,Peak times are rationed, unless you play on those times it would be hard to find other players (people who work long hours will suffer). Will split staff and game development would suffer due to cost of over seas employment.

Pros to global severs higher on peak ratio and more diverse gameplay. Less cost to company so more is spent on development of the game. less strain on server on "peak times" as this is evened out naturally through time-zones

Cons to Global servers less people per server. Peak times are rationed, unless you play on those times it would be hard to find other players. Altho some lag, not much compared to a "busy" localised server.

[zaviermhigo]

The average person I've met in FFXIV can't even nerd out properly, I can't talk to them about anything even mainstream nerdy. The couple people I've met from other countries who want to practice english can at least nerd out effectively. I can't honestly talk to someone and call them my friend if they have never seen star wars. And if you only saw Episode I-III, I couldn't even stomach that person. So I have to go elsewhere to find people with nerd interests since the general trend in America is towards "the masses of stupidity" proven by how many play WoW, or watch Glee.

[Jynx]

Most server "lag" is not because of location, it's how SE has the servers set up. Hell for the most part I hardly ever see any server latency anyways...and I live in Canada.

[Hiemdall]

Also not as many people play the game so that "helps". I would like to see an accurate number of how many people still actively play.

[Abriael]

And what a typical response. You want regional servers? You must be racist!

Nope. You represent the typical non-native english speaker as an ignorant that can express himself only with the autotranslator, then yes, you're making a pretty racist remark.

[Radaghast]

Nope. You represent the typical non-native english speaker as an ignorant that can express himself only with the autotranslator, then yes, you're making a pretty racist remark.

That made absolutely no sense, but ok!

[Cendres]

Nothing pisses me off more then not being able to play with a friend from EU just because I have the NA copy. Global FTW. My first language is also not English, I wonder if that gives me an other perspective. I know exactly what it's like to be among a whole group of people I barely or don't understand at all and I've learned to just deal with it and use 'sign' language. The auto translator is a lot like signaling meaning to people and making faces at them. Call me weird I think it's fantastic we get to interact with people from everywhere.

[gifthorse]

Nothing pisses me off more then not being able to play with a friend from EU just because I have the NA copy. Global FTW. My first language is also not English, I wonder if that gives me an other perspective. I know exactly what it's like to be among a whole group of people I barely or don't understand at all and I've learned to just deal with it and use 'sign' language. The auto translator is a lot like signaling meaning to people and making faces at them. Call me weird I think it's fantastic we get to interact with people from everywhere.

Just because they have regional servers doesn't mean they have to be region-locked.

In this day and age it is easy enough to out-source to servers in other countries.

And there should be servers around the globe to decrease latency issues. If you have 1000ms latency to servers in japan then everything you do will be delayed by minimum of one second. That's ridiculous.

[Abriael]

It's funny how you only ever fixate on the minor points of an argument.

If there are twice as many people on my server who can speak my language, that increases the change of meeting a kindred soul, right? If I can't talk to half the people on my server, that decreases my chance of meeting fun people, right? I don't see how this requires anything other than common sense to figure out, let alone statistical analysis.

First of all, you're not necessarily restricted to *your language* There's one lovely option named "learning languages"
The fact that you speak english doesn't mean that that lovely option is useless to you. That's one of the advantags of an international environment, instead of locking yourself up in your own little national ghetto.
Also, you're making up percentages, as you don't know how many non native english speakers actually speak english.

Just because they have regional servers doesn't mean they have to be region-locked.

You're missing the point. Even if the servers aren't region locked, people have to *chose* between their friends from a region, and those from other regions. It's obsolete, and in a globalized internet where people make friends *everywhere* it's an extremely dumb and counterproductive option.

[Cendres]

Just because they have regional servers doesn't mean they have to be region-locked.

This is true, however there's still the issue of segregation for me. I can understand some people are just fine with it, but FF was always a place where you could actually meet the entire community from everywhere. IF they could make a giant single server that would be best. But that's my own preference and I prefer if SE does not do region based servers EVEN if with the option of being able to play on a EU or Asian server if I wish it. Because then people stop trying to be careful how they speak to one another and just assume you speak their language and will ask the hell you are not on your own server and so forth. It's been done before and I prefer the way it is now.