When will there be a SERVER MERGE?

[Maxiim]

Even with the 30 day free game time that we received recently, I haven't logged into the game in almost 3-4 weeks. I'm canceling my subscription until the game is finished and the population ratio is fixed.

 

I have the exact same problem with this game as I did with WoW before I quit. I log on, and have nothing to do. Only this time, it's because there's no one to do it with. Three level 50 characters, and I've STILL yet to complete all of the FLASHPOINTS, let alone Operations. Because I can't get a group for them.

 

Finding people to group with, and keeping them in a group is probably the hardest thing about this game. Until this is fixed, I'll spend my time and money else where. Nothing personal towards BioWare, I'm just bored sitting around at the fleet with no one to play with.

[Torcer]

Public service announcement: They will offer transfers, NOT merge servers. Read the BLOG.

 

Then they are fools.

[Uchylszybe]

Hello everyone. I'll start from something else than asking for merge. I love swtor. Game has great world, many quests, which are interesting, unique class quests, operations and flashpoints which are really nice, Lost Island is great, didn't try out new ops yet. Bioware keeps working on the game and I like it. But there is other thing.

 

I love pvp and pve. But my server is dead. 20-40 people at fleet, during hours when on The Red Eclipse I have seen 150-200 people at fleet. I feel lonely in the game. Only times I can enjoy it are raids, that we organise on our website. Otherwise, it's pain to get an flashpoint group. Wz pop up 1-2 times for an hour. Can't pvp anymore like I used to. Im stuck with my weekly pvp 5/9 for last 2 weeks. Ques just don't pop up during times I'm playing.

 

I'm former player, got my subscription since early access. And I will keep playing if few things change:

- server merges - honestly, you can merge 4-5 servers into one in some cases; people feel lonely, some doesn't want to reroll and start everything from 0, I'm one of them, I tried, made new toon, but had to come back to my friends on my server and my main character; fix it, low population servers are dying, you loose people subscribing, other things like updates can wait, work on this as priority or you will loose players, and it's serious thing. Many people I know quit the game because of servers being empty. They had nothing to do.

 

- cross realm pvp - not to fix the low pop servers, but for everyone to have some challange. It is boring on low pop servers to know everyone and their playstyle when you just join wz. I know when I'm going to loose when I join warzone games, its not me being selfish or anything, still there is many players clicking etc. I was pvping in many other mmo's and I love it, and I can call myself real pvper. Give us rated asap and some challange. But for rated, we need server merges. My server would have 2 teams on Empire side and maybe 1 team on Republic. It's sad.

 

- another thing that can also fix the game... but it should be considered after server merges - cross realm pve. I know it's a lot of work, you would need to create servers for those, connect other servers by some solid LFG tool. But it would be cool to group up with other guys.

 

I will say it again. Game is fine. It's just server population pushing people away. I love the game and I want to keep playing it. It's an mmo, and I feel lonely there. It's another post of lonely player who want's to play, but can't play MMO solo. Thank you guys if you read over everything I posted here. Enjoy your game.

 

Eivyn from Kellian Jarro, the dying server with few lonely players left seeking adventures in the empty world.

 

Small edit: no, transfers won't fix it. They would have to offer transfers from low to med and high pop servers, for free ofcourse, to fix the population on different servers. Otherwise, people will have to pay approx 20 euro for each transfer, some of us have 4-5 50 lvl toons. So, rather than paying 100 euro just to transfer, people can try out few new mmo's. Guild Wars is coming out, some people might like TERA, some will wait for Diablo, others will go back to WoW, Aion, anything, you name it. Server merges are necessary.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Uchylszybe

[Ushae]

Server merges are NECESSARY. I have a niggling feeling Bioware will be lazy and simply offer free transfers, this will not solve the issue, it will only leave the servers even more sparse and create an even bigger gap between server population as everyone will end up choosing the most populated places to migrate to.

 

Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3 are coming out soon anyway. Really have the upmost respect for Bioware, but they've really dropped the ball on this one.

[Ferrety]

Not bashing here, I am a subscriber and it will stay that way for the foreseeable future as I'm still having a blast. But having around 200 servers is not suitable for a game with under 2 million players. WoW has over 10 million players and runs on 236 realms in total (and that's counting Asia, South America, etc which TOR doesn't currently support).

 

Just seem's silly to have that many open for now, it's going to bleed subs on lower pop realms as playing with 5 people on the fleet just isn't fun.

 

EDIT: Just wanted to add that if you force people to pay for transfers off of the lower pop realms onto higher pop. I think I will completely lose faith in you guys. I truly hope that this doesn't happen, and this is coming from someone who plays on a decent pop server atm.

Edited May 3, 2012 by Ferrety

[JeramieCrowe]

Server merges are NECESSARY. I have a niggling feeling Bioware will be lazy and simply offer free transfers, this will not solve the issue, it will only leave the servers even more sparse and create an even bigger gap between server population as everyone will end up choosing the most populated places to migrate to.

 

Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3 are coming out soon anyway. Really have the upmost respect for Bioware, but they've really dropped the ball on this one.

 

BioWare is going to transfer people off of low-pops and shut them down. That is a transfer, not a merge.

[setablaze]

Just unsubbed, about 2 months too late. I gave them until the end of April to address the low pop issue. Hasn't happened, I'm gone... still have 50 days playable time too. Oh well, I'd rather pay not to play at this point.

 

Byeeeeeee

[Sanxxx]

BioWare is going to transfer people off of low-pops and shut them down. That is a transfer, not a merge.

 

What people are looking for in general is a more 'MM'orpg experience, The proposed transfers are the best and easiest way to acheive this, you will likely get a choice of server to move to. That wouldn't happen in a merge.

 

Mass transfer followed a bit later by a shut down is best option all round. the only sucky bit is the wait.

[JeramieCrowe]

What people are looking for in general is a more 'MM'orpg experience, The proposed transfers are the best and easiest way to acheive this, you will likely get a choice of server to move to. That wouldn't happen in a merge.

 

Mass transfer followed a bit later by a shut down is best option all round. the only sucky bit is the wait.

 

Agreed.

[Soullessone]

you guys have not read the blog apparently with the weekly questions. Someone asked about transfers and such for low pop servers. They said they are going to offer free transfers to servers they pick, but you would have to pay if that server is different from what they choose. They are doing that i think so that everyone doesn't go to the fatman which is already full half the time with queues up to 30+ minutes.

[Uchylszybe]

Even as I read about those free transfers, it doesn't sound nice at all. If people from low pop move to other low pop, other servers will be even more empty. Why not just transfer characters from few serwers into one? Without asking us, just fix the population! Why not? To earn money on us players who want to play on populated servers? Thats how I feel. I love this game but today after waiting 40 minutes for warzone and no pop up, I'm really annoyed and sometimes feels like I want to quit. I don't want to just sit and look at the screen so I can play for 10 mins in wz every 2 hours. 20 people at fleet? Half of them low levels, some pve people and how can we pvp? This gets even more annoying, and there is even more people quitting the game. Keep up the slow work, f2p model comming out next year if Bioware won't change anything, otherwise game will be dead.

[Kalevryn]

I don't understand how they can possibly look at the "Server Status" page, and not make this a higher priority.

 

I'd like to use my 30 days of free time when it's actually fixed, because right now they may as well have kept it. I've tried logging in each day but my drive to do anything has been completely crippled. I want to game when I log into a game, not do the same work (see daily quests) and stand around wasting an hour just to find 3 people interested in running something (much less 7 others).

[discosoc]

Even as I read about those free transfers, it doesn't sound nice at all. If people from low pop move to other low pop, other servers will be even more empty. Why not just transfer characters from few serwers into one? Without asking us, just fix the population! Why not? To earn money on us players who want to play on populated servers? Thats how I feel. I love this game but today after waiting 40 minutes for warzone and no pop up, I'm really annoyed and sometimes feels like I want to quit. I don't want to just sit and look at the screen so I can play for 10 mins in wz every 2 hours. 20 people at fleet? Half of them low levels, some pve people and how can we pvp? This gets even more annoying, and there is even more people quitting the game. Keep up the slow work, f2p model comming out next year if Bioware won't change anything, otherwise game will be dead.

 

Because server mergers and server transfers are two different tools used for two different situations. Server mergers are like trying to open a door with a hammer; you can do it, but it's not pretty. Server transfers are like using lockpicks; not ideal, but works with minimal interference.

 

What Bioware will be doing is the following:

 

1. They will start free server transfers after identifying, say, the bottom 10% based upon population and activity. These will be the servers involved with transfers.

2. From that pool of servers, they will choose one to be a target server, and the rest will be source servers.

3. When the option to transfer goes live, everyone on a source server will be given a period of time to move their legacy over to the target server. This will probably last anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, and will result in the target server becoming much more populated.

4. Once that batch of free transfers have completed, they will probably start back at step one using a different batch of low pop servers.

 

Server mergers will only happen when they want to actually remove servers, which is usually when they know for sure they won't be seeing much more subscription growth. In server mergers, they take all of the characters from source servers, and move them to the target server, then shutdown the source servers. When the game goes back live, you would choose your new server and possibly be prompted to rename your legacy or characters. Regardless, you had no choice in where or if you wanted to move, which is why actual mergers are a last resort.

[discosoc]

Even as I read about those free transfers, it doesn't sound nice at all. If people from low pop move to other low pop, other servers will be even more empty. Why not just transfer characters from few serwers into one? Without asking us, just fix the population! Why not? To earn money on us players who want to play on populated servers? Thats how I feel. I love this game but today after waiting 40 minutes for warzone and no pop up, I'm really annoyed and sometimes feels like I want to quit. I don't want to just sit and look at the screen so I can play for 10 mins in wz every 2 hours. 20 people at fleet? Half of them low levels, some pve people and how can we pvp? This gets even more annoying, and there is even more people quitting the game. Keep up the slow work, f2p model comming out next year if Bioware won't change anything, otherwise game will be dead.

 

Also, based on experience with server transfers in other games (WoW and LotRO), people that choose not to take the free transfers when offered do so because their guild decides to stay. These very low pop servers are interesting because they are made of of mostly everyone part of the same few guilds, and the communities are very close. As such, they feel more like private servers for your friends than anything else.

[JeramieCrowe]

Even as I read about those free transfers, it doesn't sound nice at all. If people from low pop move to other low pop, other servers will be even more empty. Why not just transfer characters from few serwers into one? Without asking us, just fix the population! Why not? To earn money on us players who want to play on populated servers? Thats how I feel. I love this game but today after waiting 40 minutes for warzone and no pop up, I'm really annoyed and sometimes feels like I want to quit. I don't want to just sit and look at the screen so I can play for 10 mins in wz every 2 hours. 20 people at fleet? Half of them low levels, some pve people and how can we pvp? This gets even more annoying, and there is even more people quitting the game. Keep up the slow work, f2p model comming out next year if Bioware won't change anything, otherwise game will be dead.

 

RIFT did server transfers last year. Worked really well. They put a server message up that said "move it or lose, we're shutting 'er down", let the players move where they wanted (within reason, obviously not to heavy servers or there'd be queues) and culled some servers. Worked very well with the added benefit that no one really complained because it was their own choices where to go.

 

I'm willing to bet BioWare does the same thing.

 

Another unfounded worry I see pop up here is that guilds will disband. No need for that to happen. If BioWare can move entire guilds onto servers during launch, server transfers are a cinch.

Edited May 3, 2012 by JeramieCrowe

[greviouz]

question is : When will BioWare get the finger out and allow server transfers i love the game but logging on to the server i play(hex droid) it hardly reaches 50 ppl on imp fleet and last month it havent even managed to reach standard in server population even once getting FP's done without having somone boosting is like getting a snowball trough hell without it melting ...IMPOSSIBLE

most planets are pretty much ghosttowns(hardly reaching 10 players planetwide)

 

tbh i would speculate BW loosing alot of subs if they dont act quick and start with free transfers so at least a few more servers reach at least heavy

[WarSiren]

You know I wonder how many people here crying for Merges were the same ones crying for new servers at launch?

 

I mean I'm with you, servers have to be consolidated either by transfers or merges, but had the whiners not QQed for new servers at launch we'd not really be in this mess atm. So you can thank them for that.

 

Any Veteran MMO player can tell you that once the MMO Hoppers are gone, this crap always happens.

Edited May 4, 2012 by WarSiren

[Raansu]

Mergers need to happen soon. Only 2 servers atm are even listed as heavy and one is listed as very heavy. The rest are standard/light. Granted I'm fortunate with being on Jedi Covenant which is listed heavy atm and is fairly populated (120 ppl on the fleet atm) but then my cousin sends me a message as he rerolled an alt on the fatman out of curiosity. Two instances of the republic fleet with a total of 500 players on the fleet...Damn, really? And then I have friends that came from dead servers to my server and they would tell me how their server only have on average 20 people on the fleet at prime time...

 

Bioware, you guys seriously need to merge servers.

[ShockkWave]

You have no clue how it will be rolled out.. You have no clue how the populations will be controlled. You have no clue how the transfer system will be structured. You have no clue if they will even charge for the service. Trion didn't, Bioware could very well make it a free service as well.

 

You are complaining just to complain. Transfers allow the player to make the choice. Forced mergers take control away. But my guess is that you'd find a way to complain if your ice cream was to cold.

 

I say you are full of BS. Did you even play WOW? The one game all MMO's are fighting to beat. When wow did free server transfers it was to entice players to go to low populated servers. Wow could do that because they have heavily populated servers. 98% of SW servers are light to standerd. I am on every freakin night and I see it with my own eyes. So if you do free server transfers you are giving people the chance to move from lite populated realms, there for those realms will be decimated. A server merge is the only way to fix the problem. But they don't want to do that right now. So one thing they must do is a cross server looking for game

[Leggomy]

Right now stats:

 

71 servers standard or better

4 heavy

1 very heavy

 

North american servers only. I dont see the problem.

[Raansu]

Right now stats:

 

71 servers standard or better

4 heavy

1 very heavy

 

North american servers only. I dont see the problem.

 

I really hope you are being sarcastic.

[Leggomy]

I really hope you are being sarcastic.

 

What is the problem? with 75% of the servers (give or take 1 or 2 %) being standard or better what more do you want? On a weekday night? At 10pm eastern (when I looked).

Edited May 4, 2012 by Leggomy

[PathosRah]

I'm not happy with the population and this is why:

 

1. I paid $150 for the Collectors Edition
   
2. I paid $140 for e gaming keyboard
   
3. I paid $400 for a new video card
   
4. Paid 2 three month subs...
   

 

 

This is an AMAZING GAME...The best I've experienced, however on a pvp server one should have pvp. Waiting 15 minutes in a solo cue for a 6 man unbalanced pvp experience is horrible. So with 3 level 50 toons, unable to get enough warzones to make a dent into getting even one piece of War Hero gear, what's the point? This is frustrating. We need transfers or something.

[Raansu]

What is the problem? with 75% of the servers (give or take 1 or 2 %) being standard or better what more do you want? On a weekday night? At 10pm eastern (when I looked).

 

Those "standard" servers are extremely empty, you know that right? I had friends on darth malek which was a "standard" server and it averaged 30 people at prime time on the fleet...30...Now imagine how dead the light servers are. If only 3 servers can even manage heavy at prime time then there is something wrong. Server mergers need to happen, simple as that.

[wgregory]

I cosign this thread. I broke down and rerolled on high pop server though, leaving my other 6 toons to languish in the deserted regions of the internets.