Is it even possible...

[RoninaThorstone]

At this point and time for Swtor to switch to a one server set up?

Many mmo and mmoish games have given up on "servers" because of the high vs low pop problem.

GW2 for example will be using the one server with sharding method. Same with vindictus... And vindictus is like... 2 years old. Its not like this is new technology or something.

I mean, how great would it be if there weren't "ghost town" servers?

So my question is... Is it too late for them to fix it? Why did they not look ahead and avoid this pitfall like so many of its competitors are?

[OzoneAl]

We all hope that our server will not become a ghost town but calling this a "pitfall" is a bit extreme. Considering that they really want your experience in SWTOR to be based around a community. If I were to just go in everyday and not see the same people I got used to playing with (not necessarily friends and guildies) and fighting against I wouldn't really enjoy it.

The biggest "pitfall" SWTOR has with it's servers is that they released a lot early on and the spread was uneven (which is why 3-4 servers per zone are high pop and the rest standard & low).

[roflpot]

Problem with swtor is loads of people rushed in initially causing the servers to be rammed so they started loads more, now everybody has realised it isn't that great and we're leaving in droves so technically they don't need a lot of the new servers they started but there they are.

Happens in every MMO eventually once the numbers decline, it's been happening in WoW for some time just not as pronounced. There are several dead servers though and MANY dead factions where the server is 50:1 faction ratio.

[Forsedar]

Problem with swtor is loads of people rushed in initially causing the servers to be rammed so they started loads more, now everybody has realised it isn't that great and we're leaving in droves so technically they don't need a lot of the new servers they started but there they are.

Happens in every MMO eventually once the numbers decline, it's been happening in WoW for some time just not as pronounced. There are several dead servers though and MANY dead factions where the server is 50:1 faction ratio.

Correction: It happened to WoW when it first released, along with nearly every single MMO. TOR has had the best launch out of any MMO to date subscription wise. It has been said again and again in many interviews that were not done with Bioware and the numbers prove it.

[mystik]

too many people got scared by queues early on and just spread out. a queue ? big deal is what I said.

better than nobody. personally I made sure the servers I was going to play on would be populated. some people willingly made on low pop.

I do think they should give transfers soon, but people should have been patient with servers.

[Bonkbonk100]

Correction: It happened to WoW when it first released, along with nearly every single MMO. TOR has had the best launch out of any MMO to date subscription wise. It has been said again and again in many interviews that were not done with Bioware and the numbers prove it.

Anything else would've been sad, because:

1: It's a Star Wars MMO

2: MMO's are much more commen every since the release of WoW

If SWTOR didn't had the best launch to date ( subscription wise ), I would've raised an eyebrow.

[Svifnymr]

It's a shame really, that as soon as they merge servers it'll be splashed all over the internet as "TOR closes servers, failure imminent!". Same way WoW doesn't seem willing to close some of their near empty servers.

[Glorious Leader]

It's a shame really, that as soon as they merge servers it'll be splashed all over the internet as "TOR closes servers, failure imminent!". Same way WoW doesn't seem willing to close some of their near empty servers.

And that's what bugs the most about this situation. The seeming credulity that internet trolls are given. I would hope developers would ignore such nonsense. I am slowly being disabused of that notion.

[Svifnymr]

And that's what bugs the most about this situation. The seeming credulity that internet trolls are given. I would hope developers would ignore such nonsense. I am slowly being disabused of that notion.

Not even just forum guys though, it'd be on the "news" sites all over. And of course, such things can actually lead to people leaving because the internet told them the game was dying.

[inboundpaper]

IIRC they had a system that segmented high pop zones if it got to high of a pop, so maybe.

[Lathais]

And that's what bugs the most about this situation. The seeming credulity that internet trolls are given. I would hope developers would ignore such nonsense. I am slowly being disabused of that notion.

BW is ignoring them. They said in the PAX Q&A that transfers for the oceanic people are the first step in their plan. I read that as mergers are coming, but we don't want to publicly say it yet cause people will over react. I bet they just do it during a maintenance next month with a couple day notice that some people may have to change their names. Any trolling that does happen they will quietly close and delete threads and hold to some line about how it needed to be done and they can always re-open servers if needed.

As for the news sites, they can say what they want, but even bad PR is good PR. People will read about the game, possibly think it is dieing and say hey, maybe I should check it out before it completely dies. Sure, you'll get a lot of people that did play it saying things like I knew this was gonna happen, SWTOR sucks and all that stuff, but BW and commited players will just ignore them.

[Forsedar]

Not even just forum guys though, it'd be on the "news" sites all over. And of course, such things can actually lead to people leaving because the internet told them the game was dying.

People nowadays tend to not listen to their own thoughts (the newer generation). They do a few google searches and think they know everything about something. God forbid TOR mergers servers... but yeah there would be a noob outcry from people who don't even play the game. Its just terrible how things have turned out lately in the gaming community.

Its not just MMOs. Xbox Live is a cesspool of children cussing each other out. Its everywhere. Is it legal to do a worldwide purge of stupidity?

[RoninaThorstone]

Is it legal to do a worldwide purge of stupidity?

unfortunately no. The nazis took it in a bad direction and ruined it for the rest of us. : /

But yeah.

The gaming community is pretty much in the way of progress.

"merger" is a 4 letter word.

Oh well.

[salamala]

Whether it is possible or not isn't even important, it has become necessary. I have posted a few times now that swtor is already dying (dead) - and I listed as the main cause of this no LFD tool, endless people wanting to play (and i understand why - the game is fun) but not being able to or not wanting to wait an hour to build a group while doing nothing else. Now, a server merger might also correct this by offereing loads more people that want to do the FP with you. My server is normally standard pop. Even with 100+ people in the Imp fleet, it has become near impossible to make a group for even the face roll that is hm bt - no one needs columi comms for weekly if they are geared. And you cannot expect everyone to just jump back in the mix after rakata gearing their first 50 - maybe they don't want a second. So whatever this game was in the first month of release - it is no longer, and is quickly dying. The bad news is 1.2. I'm all about the new content can't wait - but i don't think it will bring back that many. Most will have memories of wanting to play but not being able to get the group together. If it really is coming by 1.3 well then it won't even be necessary anymore - because only 1 tank, 1 healer and 2 dps will still be playing.

[Heathy]

swtor could use a cross server dungeon tool, i dinged my first 50 yesterday and ive only done directive 7, getting a group seems impossible most of the time its a shame since it is actually fun.

[Glorious Leader]

Whether it is possible or not isn't even important, it has become necessary. I have posted a few times now that swtor is already dying (dead) - and I listed as the main cause of this no LFD tool, endless people wanting to play (and i understand why - the game is fun) but not being able to or not wanting to wait an hour to build a group while doing nothing else. Now, a server merger might also correct this by offereing loads more people that want to do the FP with you. My server is normally standard pop. Even with 100+ people in the Imp fleet, it has become near impossible to make a group for even the face roll that is hm bt - no one needs columi comms for weekly if they are geared. And you cannot expect everyone to just jump back in the mix after rakata gearing their first 50 - maybe they don't want a second. So whatever this game was in the first month of release - it is no longer, and is quickly dying. The bad news is 1.2. I'm all about the new content can't wait - but i don't think it will bring back that many. Most will have memories of wanting to play but not being able to get the group together. If it really is coming by 1.3 well then it won't even be necessary anymore - because only 1 tank, 1 healer and 2 dps will still be playing.

I had a 68 man que on fatman server last night. Slighty more than one 1 1 healer and 2 dps still playing. People and their framing give me a headache some days. Yes yes the game is dying thank you prophet and it's all because of lfd. Meanwhile I can't think of a single mmo that shipped with LFD. Plenty of successful mmos still out there making money. So much for that..

[Azhreia]

So my question is... Is it too late for them to fix it? Why did they not look ahead and avoid this pitfall like so many of its competitors are?

Well, obviously they could change it, but it would probably require a complete rewrite of the existing server code with only bits and pieces being reusable, so no for all practical purposes it's much too late to make such a drastic change.

Is it such a severe problem though ? Yes, some competitors have gone with the "one server" approach, but at the same time many have not. Look at AoC, Lotro, Rift or WoW to name just a few that still use the same approach of many servers. Granted some servers are probably almost dead by now, a common problem of any new MMO, but once they have server transfers (and maybe a few mergers) ready the problem will be solved easy enough.

[Forsedar]

Well, obviously they could change it, but it would probably require a complete rewrite of the existing server code with only bits and pieces being reusable, so no for all practical purposes it's much too late to make such a drastic change.

Is it such a severe problem though ? Yes, some competitors have gone with the "one server" approach, but at the same time many have not. Look at AoC, Lotro, Rift or WoW to name just a few that still use the same approach of many servers. Granted some servers are probably almost dead by now, a common problem of any new MMO, but once they have server transfers (and maybe a few mergers) ready the problem will be solved easy enough.

Correct. With server transfers and a possible merger or two PLUS a growing playerbase... the problem will soon solve itself. People just need to stop looking for 'fixes' for things that don't have a time based solution for.

[RoninaThorstone]

Look at AoC, Lotro, Rift or WoW to name just a few

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.

[Forsedar]

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.

Except with 1.7mill subscribers and growing (yes growing), I wouldn't consider this failure at all. I don't understand why people assumed that you needed 10mill subs just to be 'successful'.