Is it even possible...

[Svifnymr]

In my book, this means they are not launching prepared. This means they launch their games at the pressure of investors, they launch unfinished games and expect to bring in the cash overnight. Not a good mentality for the consumers, but it works for the big companies. We have been playing a payed beta so far with SwTOR, not admitting that is silly. Maybe having one single server would have been better. The game is so instanced anyway that it probably could have been done. They should have done things differently. The game will do well imo and I hope it does as I am still playing it, but I will not give it praise when and where it does not deserve.

I think the simple matter is a priority system. There will be server transfers, but there were other things that were considered more important for launch. Why would you need server transfer at game-launch? Not that it'd be bad to have, but meh. The Legacy System would have been something that was promised and should have been included, but oh well. Again, we're 4 months in. Hard to judge when a feature is "due by".

Of more importance, when these features ARE introduced, will they cost money and if so, how much?

[Forsedar]

In my book, this means they are not launching prepared. This means they launch their games at the pressure of investors, they launch unfinished games and expect to bring in the cash overnight. Not a good mentality for the consumers, but it works for the big companies. We have been playing a payed beta so far with SwTOR, not admitting that is silly. Maybe having one single server would have been better. The game is so instanced anyway that it probably could have been done. They should have done things differently. The game will do well imo and I hope it does as I am still playing it, but I will not give it praise when and where it does not deserve.

So releasing content at a fast paced so people don't get bored is a flawed design? I'm sure you have posts somewhere on these forums complaining that 1.2 wasn't released fast enough, which contradicts your whole point. Honestly, I think you are just looking for something to complain about at this point. To the current generation of gamers- a game can NEVER be good enough. IF content is released fast, then it means 'the game should've released it at launch' but if content is withheld for a while then it means they're 'being lazy'. Yeahok.

[Jaronicity]

While there are certainly a lot of people on that server I am not among them. We have a good guild and do just fine and never have any problems finding people to do things if we need to. There is no doubt been a lot of people shift to that server and I feel its a bit silly but to each his own. What I find on my server is that while we have lost some population some of that is guilds testing the PTS. In addition, there is a large uptick in people in the lower lvl zones. It would seem that while some have moved on many others have either chose to not sit idle and bitch in trade chat like so many seem fond of doing and roll alts. We have also welcomed a number of new players into our guild from the free weekends. So it would seem that at least in part there is a new lvling group bringing up the rears. People can get all out of sorts and crowd one server but in the end its a new game and will sort itself out given time.

I'm with this guy. Can't be bothered re-rolling anyone at this point. I actually recently just left my Imp guild because I was the only one online in the last two weeks whenever I logged. Probably stay guildless since I'm taking the AP server transfer I get. Still haven't seen it below Heavy but here in Victoria, we are on school holidays so a lot of the kiddies are probably just playing non stop. That said, when holidays are done, I go back to school as well so it won't really affect me!

---------- Post added 2012-04-10 at 11:36 AM ----------

So releasing content at a fast paced so people don't get bored is a flawed design? I'm sure you have posts somewhere on these forums complaining that 1.2 wasn't released fast enough, which contradicts your whole point. Honestly, I think you are just looking for something to complain about at this point. To the current generation of gamers- a game can NEVER be good enough. IF content is released fast, then it means 'the game should've released it at launch' but if content is withheld for a while then it means they're 'being lazy'. Yeahok.

Don't forget that it's also probably buggy if it's released early which means people would rather wait than have buggy content released. But then complain that it's taking too long to make a quality product and therefore BW employees should be flogged!

[Kazushi453]

I tried out the weekend pass and was shocked at the server list. I hope it isnt a sign of things to come as I had a lot of fun and hope to have the game soon (lolworks).

[Repefe]

I say people just give Bioware a chance to do something. Its like people complain about it every other day because there are no major changes in that short period of time.

In the Q&A from last pax they say server transfers are coming and it's one of the features that can't come fast enough, but inbetween patches ppl have less to do, so they migrate on their own.

---------- Post added 2012-04-10 at 07:52 AM ----------

I tried out the weekend pass and was shocked at the server list. I hope it isnt a sign of things to come as I had a lot of fun and hope to have the game soon (lolworks).

There is nothing to be shocked about. The server list is simply way too long. Instead of 20 small servers they need to make 4 big ones. Even with .5-1 mill subscribers the game can do great and beat big names (wow) in quality updates as shown by Rift and others. And once BW polishes the rough edges and adds what community yearns for, it can start to pick up more momentum.

[Gigikent]

So releasing content at a fast paced so people don't get bored is a flawed design? I'm sure you have posts somewhere on these forums complaining that 1.2 wasn't released fast enough, which contradicts your whole point. Honestly, I think you are just looking for something to complain about at this point. To the current generation of gamers- a game can NEVER be good enough. IF content is released fast, then it means 'the game should've released it at launch' but if content is withheld for a while then it means they're 'being lazy'. Yeahok.

Maybe you should check my posting history before making assumptions, just saying. I started playing this game very excited about the promises made, many were a big let down yet I still defended it. But in a relative short time, the handling of population by the game devs amazed me: I woke up in a few weeks after clearing content, on a server almost dead (now it is absolutely dead: check Uthar Wynn EU pls). People left so fast in a very short time that it amazed me nobody took any action. I therefore was also foreced to re-roll (with what was left of my guild), and I am not the type of player that likes to abandon a fully geared 50 toon, yet I had to do it. Lost a lot of friends in the process that quit the game, also not something fun. Is it my fault this happened or what? Should I cheer and wave flags with the BW logo in the public square for this? They opened up far too many serves, and these servers do not have that big of a player capacity at the moment (weather this is desired or limited by their tech, I do not know), this is the biggest issue atm imo.

So yes: I do complain, it is my right, and I also can change my views and opinion about how a company develops a certain aspect of a game. After all, if we all shut up and keep our eyes in the ground, little to nothing will happen, no? There are things not fixed since beta, yet during beta those very things were reported again and again. Ok, not on the priority list etc, I can understand that... but if you add things up, you realize that things are not that good at the moment. I will wait to see how 1.2 unfolds, but my expectations are really low at the moment, this is for the better if you ask me, will be harder to be let down that way.

[VincentWolf]

I don't know what they gonna do, but the fact that they refuse server merges/transfers because it'll look bad for them makes them lose even more ppl. Sometimes it feels like I'm smarter than big companies like BW, I mean come on, I knew from the very start that population will drop in barely few weeks, yet they still added more servers soon after launch which are all now ghosttowns! I personally just rerolled to the most populated server, so did many others, but most ppl will just quit.
Heh, I still remember that shadow pvper from my currently dead server, scepter of ragnos. He's probably a warlord for sure by now on his dead "15 ppl at fleet peak time" server.

[Repefe]

I don't know what they gonna do, but the fact that they refuse server merges/transfers because it'll look bad for them makes them lose even more ppl. Sometimes it feels like I'm smarter than big companies like BW, I mean come on, I knew from the very start that population will drop in barely few weeks, yet they still added more servers soon after launch which are all now ghosttowns! I personally just rerolled to the most populated server, so did many others, but most ppl will just quit.
Heh, I still remember that shadow pvper from my currently dead server, scepter of ragnos. He's probably a warlord for sure by now on his dead "15 ppl at fleet peak time" server.

They should merge, but they do work on transfers. Lets wait and see if the transfers will be free (at least to some servers) or paid.

[Auguine]

AoC: for all intensive purposes died and went FTP.

Lotro: ^

Rift: Nearly died, most people consider it "dead" even though I disagree.

WoW: plenty of husks lying around. They just can afford to keep them rotting in a corner.

So essentially bioware has set themselves up for bad press and possibly having to go FTP by choosing the server model.

Your definition of "Plenty of husks" is "more players then all other paid for mmo's combined"? I think Blizzard is fine with that :P


I do not think they should make it one super server, I think merging SEVERAL of the low servers would be a good idea, damn the trolls, full speed ahead! IN both WoW and TOR.

[Redblade]

I don't know what they gonna do, but the fact that they refuse server merges/transfers because it'll look bad for them makes them lose even more ppl.

Can we get some evidence to back this fact up, no really, I'd love to see some.

[Gigikent]

Can we get some evidence to back this fact up, no really, I'd love to see some.

While you are very correct in asking for that, the total uncertainty and lack of communication on this subject is what gives birth to all the speculation and negativity. It could easely be avoided with a bit more open communication from BW.

Why are there so many servers? Why are there so many empty or near empty servers? What is the plan, when is it going to happen ? (roughly at least, not a precise date) etc. "Soon" / "at some point" is something another company said and people really hated that, BW loves these types of words also apparently ...

[Redblade]

While you are very correct in asking for that, the total uncertainty and lack of communication on this subject is what gives birth to all the speculation and negativity. It could easely be avoided with a bit more open communication from BW.

Why are there so many servers? Why are there so many empty or near empty servers? What is the plan, when is it going to happen ? (roughly at least, not a precise date) etc. "Soon" is something another company said and people really hate that, BW loves this word "soon" also apparently ...

I agree that the population issues is by far the most pressing matter at the moment but unless some one can show some actual proof of intentional delays I'll go with technical issues and wanting to get it right, like they have stated as reasons for it taking time, I mean look at Blizzards faction change, it to this day as far as I'm aware still doesn't work fully, resetting achievement and quest progression(matters a lot on rep grinds like AT).

As for why so many are low population at the moment I'd take a guess it's a combo of rerolling, inactive players waiting for 1.2 and just the normal quitting drop that all MMOs suffer, and while I know what you mean by "soon" it's hard to say that it's coming as soon as possible without promising a date and not end up in the "soon" zone.

[Repefe]

While you are very correct in asking for that, the total uncertainty and lack of communication on this subject is what gives birth to all the speculation and negativity. It could easely be avoided with a bit more open communication from BW.

Why are there so many servers? Why are there so many empty or near empty servers? What is the plan, when is it going to happen ? (roughly at least, not a precise date) etc. "Soon" / "at some point" is something another company said and people really hated that, BW loves these types of words also apparently ...

They said they are working on the transfers. I believe the wording they used was that they check with programmers every day eager to get the transfers up and running. That there is no eta, thats what programmers sometimes do ... they don't know when it will be ready.

The server merging would help more than transfers I imagine, but it won't happen before transfers are available.

[Arlee]

While you are very correct in asking for that, the total uncertainty and lack of communication on this subject is what gives birth to all the speculation and negativity. It could easely be avoided with a bit more open communication from BW.

There has been a bunch of communication about server transfers. It may not be the info you particularly want, but it's not like they are ignoring those concerns. It basically boils down to they want to implement it for people, but they want to do in the right way (ie avoid losing important progress on quests and stuff) so it is an issue they are working on. They haven't given exact dates or patches for when it will be implemented because they probably haven't worked out how to make it happen in a way they feel good about yet.

They aren't going to say x is going to be in y patch until they know for certain it will. It's just bad business to give people a specific expectation and then have to take it back.

[Deleted]

There has been a bunch of communication about server transfers. It may not be the info you particularly want, but it's not like they are ignoring those concerns. It basically boils down to they want to implement it for people, but they want to do in the right way (ie avoid losing important progress on quests and stuff) so it is an issue they are working on. They haven't given exact dates or patches for when it will be implemented because they probably haven't worked out how to make it happen in a way they feel good about yet.

They aren't going to say x is going to be in y patch until they know for certain it will. It's just bad business to give people a specific expectation and then have to take it back.

Yeah i dont know how much info people want, they've said it'll be coming soon after 1.2 and its top of their list.

they also said that the Oceanic transfers are the first step and that goes live right after 1.2 hits ,im sure they really cant say much until they see how the oceanic transfers go. they'll see how they go work, then sort out the kinks then roll out the full transfers.

[Jaronicity]

I'll let you guys know how the Oceanic transfer goes and if I encounter anything out of the ordinary .

[Lathais]

Yeah i dont know how much info people want, they've said it'll be coming soon after 1.2 and its top of their list.

they also said that the Oceanic transfers are the first step and that goes live right after 1.2 hits ,im sure they really cant say much until they see how the oceanic transfers go. they'll see how they go work, then sort out the kinks then roll out the full transfers.

It's not just see how they work, I am pretty sure they are going to have to have internally tested this and have it flawless before even attempting it as you do not what to start screwing up char data. I'm sure they'll have back-ups too, but better just to get it right.

The real thing is that this is going to kill some servers. There are "un-official" Aussie servers and whatnot, once those guys all leave how will the servers look. BW needs to wait for things to settle after Oceanic transfers so they know which servers to merge. Would make no sense to do it beforehand and then have to do it again.

I am still not saying that this should not have been available previously, they should have had it available right at Oceanic Launch. They should have designed the legacy system with transfers in mind knowing that eventually they would need transfers. Major oversight on their part, one of many.