When will there be a "SERVER MERGE?"

[Kubernetic]

Sure, let's ignore anyone with a criticism. That's how things get done.

 

Long ago, in a small settlement of some 13 colonies, some people opposed a tax on certain goods by a far away kingdom trying to legitimize every single squeeze of money out of the colonists. Good thing they, as a small minority, were ignored.

 

I do like your sig, though:

 

"March 9, 2012 — The day I stopped waiting, took control of my gaming experience, and switched servers."

 

Here's what I propose to improve your game experience. Don't reroll. Don't make an alt. Stop paying your monthly tax to the BW kingdom until things are improved. We as consumers are the only ones with the power of choice. If enough choose to boycott new systems until the old ones are up to spec, maybe something will get done.

 

Or continue to pay your tax and sleep well. You're only legitimizing another developer to do the same.

 

Comparing real life and having your livelihood taxed by an autocratic king to a video game is filled with failure. But the laugh was worth it.

 

As to your proposition, it is soundly rejected. I have no need to "stop paying", as I'm getting more than my money's worth on my new server. I'm not going to just intentionally allow my experience to flounder just so I can have some sort of solidarity with those of you who refuse to take the initiative.

 

I'm enjoying my play time, can find plenty of groups to team up with, and am not at all unhappy about the current state of the game.

 

I'll say it again... the game has been out already for about 3 months. When I came here to play, I planned on playing for multiple years. To "lose" 3 months worth of playing time (which is a lie, because I also enjoyed that three months, even if I have to start over) so that I may enjoy the next few years, even if they NEVER ADDED SERVER TRANSFERS, then it's a bargain.

 

This has to be a generational thing. Video games when I grew up were not dynamic changing situations every single time. Every time you played Donkey Kong, the levels were all the same. But that didn't stop you from playing Donkey Kong again the next time you went to the arcade.

 

When I had a favorite game on a 286 computer and had Ultima VII games stored, and the computer went kaputz and I bought a new 386 computer and had to reload the game, I had to play through the parts I'd already played through, but it was still fun, and still entertaining, and still worth it to do so.

 

When I played through GTA4 and beat the game, but lost the computer again several months back, when the system was reloaded, I stuck GTA4 in again and played it over to get back to where I was.

 

I just don't understand this "I already played through it once, I'm not going to do it again" attitude. It's completely alien to me.

 

I could swear I heard Stephen Reid say at the Guild Summit (during the opening 20 minute segment) or at some other time in the afternoon that the Australian transfers would be FIRST, and this would be available to other players after that.

 

But you know what? Even if I didn't, I'm willing to accept the things that are happening because this is what early adopters go through. When you're first in line through the door, often times you get an experience that isn't quite up to snuff as those who come in 2 years later.

 

When it's an automobile, you may end up dealing with some design flaws that would be fixed in the Gen 2 model or beyond.

 

When it's technology, like the iPhone, you wind up paying an exorbitant amount of money. Instead of waiting in line all day for several days and then paying $600 for an iPhone, I waited a year or two and got a refurb model for $19.

 

When it's an operating system, especially like Windows, you wind up with bugs and other issues that don't get resolved until several Service Packs later.

 

When it's a video game, and you're first in line, you get the same sort of issues, sometimes bugs, sometimes it isn't properly compatible with your video card until a patch comes out.

 

And when it's an MMORPG, you wind up in some of the same issues. I was there for STO right out of the gate, and I figured the game was going to be a phenomenal success and doubled down on a lifetime subscription. Whoops.

 

When it's a game like SWTOR, and it's built on the shard model (which I'm not opposed to, as I can see its advantages over STO's unified server with instances model), if you start off right away, you may end up picking the wrong server, as games always puff up with the first in crowd, and then slow down over time until it starts getting going again as some of the players who wanted to play invariably decide it wasn't what they thought it would be.

 

With a game with so much emotion and energy invested in it as Star Wars, this is even more so the case.

 

You all can really do what you wish. You're free to choose.

 

I made my choice. I re-rolled on a new server and I love it. Sorry you don't, but them's the breaks. You could fix it if you wanted to, but you don't, so I suppose you're happiest right where you are.

 

Enjoy!

[cipher_nemo]

Long ago, in a small settlement of some 13 colonies, some people opposed a tax on certain goods by a far away kingdom trying to legitimize every single squeeze of money out of the colonists. Good thing they, as a small minority, were ignored.

 

Oh my. You're comparing playing a game and responding to a developer by referencing the American Revolution? Please, time for a reality check. I agree with your annoyance over the current situation, but there's really no need for those sort of delusions of grandeur.

 

It would be nice to have Bioware implement free server transfers (at least free for one or two moves) right after 1.2. And they said they're going to allow it sometime in the future, just no clue when?

Edited April 3, 2012 by cipher_nemo

[PlagaNerezza]

It's all bluff an bluster some of these people have been quitting for three months....yet they never seem to actually leave. The biggest effect you can give BioWare if you are that unhappy with them is you silence and lack of monthly payment instead of variations of derp th3i5 g@m3 SuXxorz herp.

 

I know it sounds stupid but I cancelled and unsubbed m 6 month sub and with so much time remaining I play cause I paid for the stupid thing and played since beta in november before weekend testing started was when i got official invite.

 

I just think it was the launch where they way over limited the servers capacity and forced you and guilds to pick something other than choice 1. Now everyone is feeling the pinch and all I want to do is get a move. It sucks to move and surrender everything I earned.

 

Let me create a 50 of my class someplace else. Something. Cause this system is freaking obnixous. You try doing the planetary quests again, because you need the xp and sadly the quickiest way to level is doing those god awful run to a, kill, return quests.

 

I hate leveling my alts. Let alone same class alts. I was willing to do that but legacy is server based?

 

What idiot did that by the way? Lets build server specific things to make consolidation of servers harder. That guy should be made to get on this forum and applogize before you fire him. That was a huge mistake and should never have been allowed in a game where you homogenized the hell out of the database objects to make it easier to consolidate servers.

 

Someone didn't learn from SWG's resource spawn differences.

 

They could never consolidate dying servers fast enough either. That got you the NGE.

 

Populations are like water. Everything dies without water. If you learned nothing from SWG other than consolidation is the key then you are in trouble.

 

you start making rash decisions. You start doing things like 1.2. Lets work on legacy stuff. Yea cause making me buy access to my in-game email is some smart move.

 

Its the space age where you travel at lightspeed and use holo transmitters across planets to instantly communite with another being light years away, but your ship doesn't get email.

 

Lets gut all the level 60's gear progression. That won't piss anyone off that only has champion armor and now you get that for 50 cents and 2 seconds at a vendor.

 

I know lets nerf sage the highest played profession and fix smuggler whose main complaint is that cover effectively self roots a toon to further self root. Or anyone of the other countless stupid things 1.2 is bringing to the game none of which seem to make the experience better.

 

Yea its the "quitters" who never leave that are the problem.....

[andrelle]

Oh my. You're comparing playing a game and responding to a developer by referencing the American Revolution? Please, time for a reality check. I agree with your annoyance over the current situation, but there's really no need for those sort of delusions of grandeur.

 

It would be nice to have Bioware implement free server transfers (at least free for one or two moves) right after 1.2. And they said they're going to allow it sometime in the future, just no clue when?

 

Of course its an extreme analogy. The point being players who complain about the low server pop and lack of server transfer are considered to be a vocal minority.

 

It means don't say silent even when people think you're wrong and shout you down. Sometimes the majority can't hear their own thoughts over the roar of the crowd.

[andrelle]

 

This has to be a generational thing. Video games when I grew up were not dynamic changing situations every single time. Every time you played Donkey Kong, the levels were all the same. But that didn't stop you from playing Donkey Kong again the next time you went to the arcade.

 

 

Donkey Kong was a quarter. I also didn't play it again after I beat it.

 

And just because I reread a book doesn't mean I purchased it twice.

 

So I'm a little picky when it comes to entertainment. I don't repeat the same action over and over for the hell of it. Some do. There's a word for that.

[cipher_nemo]

Of course its an extreme analogy. The point being players who complain about the low server pop and lack of server transfer are considered to be a vocal minority.

 

It means don't say silent even when people think you're wrong and shout you down. Sometimes the majority can't hear their own thoughts over the roar of the crowd.

 

That's much more reasonable. I agree.

[Oofpez]

Donkey Kong was a quarter. I also didn't play it again after I beat it.

 

And just because I reread a book doesn't mean I purchased it twice.

 

So I'm a little picky when it comes to entertainment. I don't repeat the same action over and over for the hell of it. Some do. There's a word for that.

 

I think I've spent more money shoving quarters into the Time Crisis 3 and 4 at the local arcade than I've spent on TOR so far, but I digress.

 

However, if repeating the same quests over and over again isn't what you think of entertainment, then, unfortunately, MMOs are not for you.

 

Question: Isn't repeating the same action over and over how you play EVERY game (and how you go through life? i.e. breathing)?

Edited April 4, 2012 by Oofpez

[andrelle]

I think I've spent more money shoving quarters into the Time Crisis 3 and 4 at the local arcade than I've spent on TOR so far, but I digress.

 

However, if repeating the same quests over and over again isn't what you think of entertainment, then, unfortunately, MMOs are not for you.

 

Question: Isn't repeating the same action over and over how you play EVERY game (and how you go through life? i.e. breathing)?

 

I don't want to level up the same class multiple times because I have to switch servers. I think that kind of repetition isn't worth it, especially when its unnecessary.

 

And I don't like breathing for the same reason. j/k

 

I'm also a hypocrite. Tonight I rerolled on The Fatman, just to see. Yeah, its nice. There are people. 110+ in Tython. I never saw that before. The other reason I did it is to save a slot, in case they close that one from new character creation. I can see that coming.

 

I find it extremely disappointing that we are forced to do this. And if we're told that Legacy makes it too complex to allow transfers...what recourse is there. Would you guys honestly reroll a main plus 5 or 6 alts on a new server, to start your Legacy over? Do you really find that acceptable? More power to you if you do. You have far better patience than I ever will. I won't stand for what I consider to be extreme lack of customer service on BW's part, and will protest in my own way.

[Kiphere]

I'm sorry but the "We'll see" answer doesn't cut it... merging servers is not a difficult process, I've merged extremely complex databases before, given the environments are almost exactly the same the migration would be very simple.

 

Whether they want to admit it or not, there are a number of servers that have rediculously low populations of active players, I dunno how they pull their statistics but I'm pulling mine by logging in and seeing no one freaking on, no one able to run ops, listening to my guild complain that they can't even get the right combination of people needed to run an ops. I know when I try to pvp I sit in Q for half an hour during prime time most of the time only to end up in a game with 4-5 people on my side and an auto loss cause it times out. It's not every night but it's most nights and it's getting old.

 

I love this game, I get why people are leaving but now even the people who love the game are leaving cause they can't play it. You need groups, you need people in PVP Qs and you need people populating the GTN and driving the economy, many of our servers don't have the population to support this.

 

Merge servers and stop wasting time hoping 1.2 will bring back the numbers to balance things out. That's a gamble you can't afford to make.

[Marak]

Transfers and/or merges are obviously on the horizon. That debate is over.

 

What I'm more concerned over is how they will go about doing this and who it will effect.

 

I'm personally on a server that when the server selection list is sorted by population is always roughly 10th. I'm of the opinion it is still too poorly populated. It can average between 70-125 on the imp fleet and the majority of the people on the fleet seem to be beyond the gear curve of doing even HMs and there simply aren't enough alts in any organized fashion to run anything except for BT/Esseles.

 

I leveled an alt up to 37 on the Fatman server, which is the most populated server we have available to us at the moment and the difference was massive. At any given time it's reasonably feasible to find someone to do heroics and/or FPs with and WZs are always bumping. This, to me, is how a server should be. There is a community available to do the content. Mission accomplished.

 

Now is my server Juyo going to be given the opportunity to become a server like Fatman? Or are we going to fall through the crack because we simply don't have it bad enough?

 

Furthermore, on the subject of paid character transfers if they are to arise, given how important legacy is and alts are we to expect to have to pay for each character or can we assume that EA, for once in its existence, cut us a break and allow us to transfer off in bulk?

 

These are the important questions we should be discussing and making known.

[Kthx]

Transfers and/or merges are obviously on the horizon. That debate is over.

 

Character transfers are on the horizon in the sense that they have been announced, with a target date for Asian servers. Server mergers have not.

[Marak]

Character transfers are on the horizon in the sense that they have been announced, with a target date for Asian servers. Server mergers have not.

 

It might not have been announced but it's been heard. I'm sure they'll try transfers first and then move on to mergers down the line. Or do what WoW did and allow free transfers to bulk up ghost town servers and then expect the server that just offloaded a bunch of people to pay cash to transfer later if they missed the gravy train. Either way, a system is coming. We should be discussing the parameters of that system at this point.

[ArmageddonX]

My server has 90-100 or so on-fleet at HIGH PEAK times. I am a day-time player though so I never see anything higher than 40 or 50. I have not been able to successfully group for a Hardmode Flashpoint for nearly a month. As dire as I feel my situation is, as much of a single-player game this feels like at times, there are people with servers who have 5 or 10 people on-fleet who have it much worse.

 

Bioware, respectably, please merge the servers. Merge servers with as many others as it takes to at least get them to 150-250 in-fleet at peak times. Nobody likes playing a MMO alone. Please just merge all the servers so they feel like high pop servers like The Fatman. Places where you never have to look far for a group to play with.

 

I'm begging you Bioware, please. I want the game I was playing back in January back.

[Touchbass]

For a solid date ...

[vinceng]

I am in the same situation as most of the people here, from what i can see, there is only 3 to 6 people on fleet when i'm on in the morning. I and in the afternoons there are like less than 20 level 50s in my server, and i have been begging, literally begging for a server transfer or merger, but... BW just sits there and merge my topics that i started and says :" there you go, Merger done!"

 

I seriously kinda tired of this, this is not the game we were promised, and before anyone tells me to reroll, i think you should look at the situation, i'm a working guy, i have a day job, i spent almost a month to level up my character, and a painful month to gear up my character, i don't want to have to do it again, most importantly for what? Why should i have to bare the consequences of server being dead? i was not told when i choose the server that the server is going to be dead, when i chose the server it is listed as standard, so to me, it is what BW intended the server to be like, but now its almost always constantly light. Is that my problem?

 

it takes years to build a company's image to the public, and to the people that supports the company, but i think it take only 1 game to destroy it, and this is the game that is going to do it, you say that legacy system is so hard to swap, i just dont see the problem, let them start with level 0 legacy, i 'm sure people would not mind it, i know i would rather play the game then worry about some legacy system that does not really work in the first place. I want to play an MMO RPG that is star wars themed, not a Single Player RPG that in my honest opinion is worst than KOTOR.

[tegororn]

Don't worry. Server merge = bad publicity, much more bad publicity than can be conjured up by a few very vocal forum posters about dead/dying servers (claims that, to this day, are still made in WoW despite its 10 million playerbase). For that reason alone, they won't merge the servers (if they are smart).

 

Paid transfer services will come soon (though I'm sure many of the same people complaining in this thread now will then complain that transfers aren't free), however. I'm certain of it.

 

Why dont u open up another char in Trayus Academy, you might support the current population 20+1 and have more fun, i promise you that.

Edited April 4, 2012 by tegororn

[Kubernetic]

Donkey Kong was a quarter. I also didn't play it again after I beat it.

 

And just because I reread a book doesn't mean I purchased it twice.

 

So I'm a little picky when it comes to entertainment. I don't repeat the same action over and over for the hell of it. Some do. There's a word for that.

 

Yeah, there's a word for it... "gamers".

 

But congrats on re-rolling. And it won't just be Tython.

 

Tonight...

 

Fleet: 160+

Coruscant: 130+

Tatooine: 80+

 

Welcome back.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Kubernetic

[Solo_Han]

Question: Isn't repeating the same action over and over how you play EVERY game (and how you go through life? i.e. breathing)?

 

Not really a fair analogy. I don't breathe for entertainment. It also doesn't cost anything. This I play for entertainment, and it isn't free.

 

Just sayin'...

[NinjaApacHe]

Doesn't change the fact that they are a miniscule minority. However, they are very loud.

 

I really know what u have miniscule, but I can't say that.

[NevesNET]

Hex Droid is a ghost town, 20 people in fleet prime time, can't even get a warzone on... guess we are some of those "minority" people don't care about. Have fun playing with your lightsabers, I'm done with this.

[PlagaNerezza]

Yeah, there's a word for it... "gamers".

 

But congrats on re-rolling. And it won't just be Tython.

 

Tonight...

 

Fleet: 160+

Coruscant: 130+

Tatooine: 80+

 

Welcome back.

 

Rolled fatman this morning. Um. Yea. Population is not stunning. However, it is significant. My other server was all republic so I am rollling populated server and populated faction.

 

Never dropped below 20 on Korriban and I logged on at 3am.

 

That is stable.

 

My server at peak on entry level planets is hovering near 5.

 

I am now really on the server merge bandwagon. I got to fleet for giggles I queued my lowbie at 6am ish and got 3 warzones in a row.

 

I am sorry but something has to be done.

[DarthKhaos]

You are... 5 years old? What a stupid post... You should be a rocket scientist!

Actually his post isn't that far off. One of the servers I play on during the week the numbers are not that high yet when Saturday hits BOOM! Lotsa people on. So these people are active subscribers, they have characters on the server but they just don't play them as often. Then again last weekend was the start of Easter holiday over in my neck of the woods.

[dprijadi]

I love SWTOR and i play on heavily populated servers ( Canderous Ordo and Harbringer ) ..

 

yet i can understand the pain of having less population on some servers..

 

i propose bioware analyze the data and redress the population imbalance on certain servers, not by merges but by tiered transfer from certain servers to certain servers..

[cipher_nemo]

This could be solved by giving 1.) free transfers, with a limit, and 2.) cross-server LFG tool that will bring people from multiple servers back and forth to join in instances like flashpoints and operations.

[Kiphere]

at launch I started on gardens of talla as empire. It never seemed that bad, never seemed that busy but wasn't so bad.

 

I rolled a republic toon on that server and was amazed at how empty things felt... we had 30-40 on the fleet at prime time on republic side, emps had 80-100.

 

Got a few toons up to 40ish and some WoW friends message me tellin me they all play on Giradda the hutt... yay. So I roll over on giradda, not payin much attention just talkin to friends and tryin to level as fast as I can.

 

I Q up for PVP on my commando and go quest, I never noticed it was taking an hour or more for my Q to pop, My first 15 warzones ended because of too few players on the republic side.

 

I get up to around 30ish and I start to really notice theres no one here... theres no one on the planets I'm on Nar Shadaa, Tatooine, Alderaan, theres 3-4 people on these planets... Ok, I re-rolled so probably most people are still working on their 50s and stuff and ust not playing alts...

 

Couple weeks later I'm 50, can't get a group for anything, PVP Q takes an hour and it 'might' have enough people to go through a full game, I level up another character nothing else to do.

 

I'm running out of options, the game is going to die if the server populations don't get some love and 1.2 is not a fix, it's a bandaid, sure the populations will swell for a little bit but not to the launch numbers.

 

There are just too many servers.