FREE Character Transfers are Coming!

[Ensquire]

But they cant force 100% of people to depart a server so they can shut it down. If they do so, that is, in effect a server Merge. Even if its one server merging into numerous others.

They, as far as I know have not stated the specifics of which servers are entitled to a free server transfer. Im basing speculation off Current practices in other MMO's.

 

I doubt they'll keep them all open, if i was in the business, I select the 30% lowest populated servers determined for each server a default refugee server (so if you haven't played by the time of transfer you go to a predetermined server) but prior to that i make it known to everyone that, this is what where doing. In closing each selected server would have a designated refugee server, so not all dead servers would be merged into one. To further reiterate, you would have a selection of servers to go to, not necessarily the default server they choice, because choice is everything and i could see that offending many people

Edited May 1, 2012 by Ensquire

[Fraeblood]

http://tera.enmasse.com/news/posts/tera-server-transfers-available-at-launch

 

Not that it means anything really, but I thought it was funny. It is something that would save a lot of people from unsubbing, but it will prob be too little too late. While other companies realize how vital it is for an MMO to survive.

[Aarlardin]

I have a question for all of you who are so vehemently dissatisfied with this game. No need to reply in the thread, just ask it to yourself. How much time per day, on an average day, did you spend playing this game before you lost your faith? Half an hour? An hour? Three hours? Myself, I average less than an hour a day; MUCH less on some weeks, when I just can't invest the time. I have a bunch of things going on in my life, and SWTOR sometimes factors in when I want to unwind, but sometimes I choose other things instead. Reading, spending time with my girlfriend and/or friends, going out on the town, watching a movie, etc.

 

I consider myself slightly more than a casual gamer, and this game has tonne of interesting and enjoyable conent, which I'd say I've only experienced maybe 25% of. This is after being subscribed since not long after launch. My level 50 character is on one of the dead servers, and I'll admit it is a bummer to play in a ghost galaxy, but I don't find it all that terrible. In fact, I continue to level an alt on that same server just because I've really enjoyed the storyline. I recently started an inquisitor on a more heavily populated server, and use him to get my teamwork fix. I still have a grand old time. The dev teams says they are working on getting the character transfer system viable, and I believe them when they say it will be out this summer. With such an overwhelming community backlash, why wouldn't they? Early summer is not very far off, and meanwhile the game still has a lot of great things to offer.

 

The way I see it, there are two ways in which a person can become unhappy with this game. The first is if it is failing to be the MMO you had hoped and dreamed for, and you simply cannot get enough enjoyment from the story content until they address the issues to make your $15 a month worthwhile. If this is the case, to each his own, and I'm sorry things didn't work out (I mean no sarcasm, honestly). The second way is if you've devoted a staggering amount of time to the short life this game has had thus far, burned your way through damn near all the content, and are going mad with boredom. In this case, I'd recommend you diversify your activities a bit more. Find a hobby, spend more time out and about, get a job with more hours, or what have you. Because this is, afterall, a GAME. It was designed to be enjoyed in moderation. More content has come, and is coming, but it does take time.

 

Anyway, I know this is a tl;dr for a lot of you, but I hope some gave it a look through.

[HeavensAgent]

While other companies realize how vital it is for an MMO to survive.

As did Bioware. Educate yourself before making statements about the situation.

[JeramieCrowe]

But they cant force 100% of people to depart a server so they can shut it down. If they do so, that is, in effect a server Merge. Even if its one server merging into numerous others.

They, as far as I know have not stated the specifics of which servers are entitled to a free server transfer. Im basing speculation off Current practices in other MMO's.

 

It's not even "in effect" a server merge. This is important, because when JO mentioned they are not going to do merges, you're misunderstanding him because you're using the word "merge" incorrectly, thus skewing his context.

 

A server merge is combining two server clusters together, the software, the economies, the loot tables, everything. It is buggy, convoluted, and results in more unhappy players because of the near-unplayable condition for a while. THIS is what James Ohlen is saying they are not going to do, and thank gawd!

 

What they are going to do is probably the MMO standard: move everyone off of a low-pop server and shut it down. RIFT did it very successfully not even a year ago.

[Mallorik]

http://tera.enmasse.com/news/posts/tera-server-transfers-available-at-launch

 

Not that it means anything really, but I thought it was funny. It is something that would save a lot of people from unsubbing, but it will prob be too little too late. While other companies realize how vital it is for an MMO to survive.

 

It is a stupid idea these days that server transfers = fail, all mmos shrink at launch, swtor's shrinkage would probably be barely noticable if they had released 50 less servers at launch.

[Andryah]

But they cant force 100% of people to depart a server so they can shut it down. If they do so, that is, in effect a server Merge. Even if its one server merging into numerous others.

 

Interesting. Because that is exactly what Rift has been doing for about 9 months now, and it works quite well.

 

AND NO IT'S NOT a server merge. A server merge is where the MMO producer decides to merge two servers, and takes all the characters from one server and moves them to the other server, whether the player wants to move or not. In a server transfer process, the MMO producer issues a notice to vacate a server in X days and people are free to move their characters to any eligible server that is open for transfers. There is a difference, even though it acieves the same end result (ie: removing a struggling server from the farm and encouraging people to play on fewer and more densely populated servers.

 

They, as far as I know have not stated the specifics of which servers are entitled to a free server transfer. Im basing speculation off Current practices in other MMO's.

 

Correct, which is why anything you say is speculation, just like everyone else. That said, if you apply logic to the problem that needs to be addressed....... then you want to increase the population densities on servers, and that means characters transfer and some servers with already very low populations are better closed then left open. The obvious target servers for transfering to are going to be the still healthy STANDARD servers which have a good amount of headroom left before they are full. It isn't going to be depopulating healthy servers to try and boost the population on unhealthy servers. They may indeed allow transfers off of full servers like Fatman, but once again it will be to healthy STANDARD servers, not unhealthy light servers. So, while we do not know the specifics of their plan yet, they do have a track record of doing things logically (regardless of the lunatics that claim otherwise), so it makes sense that they will follow a model already proven in the industry (Trions model for Rift).

[Fraeblood]

As did Bioware. Educate yourself before making statements about the situation.

 

It should be public enemy #1. In the 1-2 months when they do start it, there is a good chance it will be too little too late. So many raiders already left, and the lack of recruit pools on just about every server is pushing the rest of us to quit too. Not to lack of content but due to lack of players. ure the casual people who still can't kill NiM SOA don't care, but he was dead months ago for us, and now we can't do HM Denova cause we can't find 8 people who can handle it.

So IMO they don't have it as a top priority right now.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Fraeblood
Added more to my point.

[Emrill]

Yay, my work day is done so I can go see if my server is dead still.

 

Damn there are a lot of really whiny posts since I last looked. People complaining that the transfers are going to happen a certain way and they aren't happy about it. That's damn funny when we don't have any specifics besides a target time frame of early summer.

[Emrill]

So IMO they don't have it as a top priority right now.

 

You know what they say about opinions and a certain body part everyone has.

[Andryah]

It should be public enemy #1. In the 1-2 months when they do start it, there is a good chance it will be too little too late. So many raiders already left, and the lack of recruit pools on just about every server is pushing the rest of us to quit too. Not to lack of content but due to lack of players. ure the casual people who still can't kill NiM SOA don't care, but he was dead months ago for us, and now we can't do HM Denova cause we can't find 8 people who can handle it.

So IMO they don't have it as a top priority right now.

 

Nonsense. Actually, more like a specious argument voiced out of some form of personal frustration.

 

You make it sound like once you unsub that you cannot resub. People who like the game but disliked being on a low pop server can, and very likely will, resub and move their characters to other servers so they can continue playing a game they like in a server population level that is comfortable for them.

[JeramieCrowe]

http://tera.enmasse.com/news/posts/tera-server-transfers-available-at-launch

 

Not that it means anything really, but I thought it was funny. It is something that would save a lot of people from unsubbing, but it will prob be too little too late. While other companies realize how vital it is for an MMO to survive.

 

I saw that. First time in MMO history. So you really can't fault BioWare, or you'll have to fault every other MMO but TERA.

[Andryah]

You know what they say about opinions and a certain body part everyone has.

 

Here's a scary thought..... what if he has multiple opinions?

[JeramieCrowe]

Yay, my work day is done so I can go see if my server is dead still.

 

Damn there are a lot of really whiny posts since I last looked. People complaining that the transfers are going to happen a certain way and they aren't happy about it. That's damn funny when we don't have any specifics besides a target time frame of early summer.

 

Haha, no kidding.

[carnac_fett]

A short time ago, a couple of MMOs (one being DC Universe Online, don't remember the other) tried a cute little tactic when it came time to do something about server population.

 

Instead of making people transfer off a server and then closing it, or merging two servers into a new one, they introduced a bunch of new servers that were hosted on better hardware and could handle more players with less lag. DCUO called them 'Megaservers'.

 

I think Bioware could do the same thing. Create a dozen brand new 'super' servers, and transfer people from 10 or 11 of the game's current servers onto each 'super' server. This would also give Bioware a second chance at naming their servers. Hopefully they would come up with some good names, and prevent people the agony of having to tell their friends they play on 'Helm of Graush' , "Empress Teta', or 'Rwookrrorro'.

 

It's not a complete PR victory - 123 servers reduced to 12 is going to sound bad to some folks, regardless of the fact that the 12 new servers are 'super' servers - but it would probably come off as less of a dire move than merges or closing. It certainly would have less of a 'moving people off sinking ships' feel to it.

[JeramieCrowe]

A short time ago, a couple of MMOs (one being DC Universe Online, don't remember the other) tried a cute little tactic when it came time to do something about server population.

 

Instead of making people transfer off a server and then closing it, or merging two servers into a new one, they introduced a bunch of new servers that were hosted on better hardware and could handle more players with less lag. DCUO called them 'Megaservers'.

 

I think Bioware could do the same thing. Create a dozen brand new 'super' servers, and transfer people from 10 or 11 of the game's current servers onto each 'super' server. This would also give Bioware a second chance at naming their servers. Hopefully they would come up with some good names, and prevent people the agony of having to tell their friends they play on 'Helm of Graush' , "Empress Teta', or 'Rwookrrorro'.

 

It's not a complete PR victory - 123 servers reduced to 12 is going to sound bad to some folks, regardless of the fact that the 12 new servers are 'super' servers - but it would probably come off as less of a dire move than merges or closing. It certainly would have less of a 'moving people off sinking ships' feel to it.

 

According to the server list, TORstatus.net, and current subs, it'll be more like 123 servers reduced to 90. My server is a STANDARD, about 20th on the most populated server list, and really can't take many more people without pushing it to queues.

Edited May 1, 2012 by JeramieCrowe

[carnac_fett]

According to the server list, TORstatus.net, and current subs, it'll be more like 123 servers reduced to 90. My server is a STANDARD, about 20th on the most populated server list, and really can't take many more people without pushing it to queues.

 

Yeah, 12 might be a bit too low a number, but I think Bioware could definitely fit everyone who plays the game into 60 servers or fewer. There are some real desolate servers right now. There have been occasions where I've logged in and found that the only two servers at Standard were Fatman and Harbinger. That's why I rerolled on Harbinger.

 

People's expectations of what a healthy and comfortable server population is are colored by their past MMO experience. It also seems to me that TOR's population ceiling for servers is quite a bit lower compared to those of other contemporary MMOs like World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, and Everquest 2. 'Heavy' in TOR feels like 'Medium' for other games. That's why I'm having a blast on Harbinger, the game finally feels like an MMO now.

[JeramieCrowe]

Yeah, 12 might be a bit too low a number, but I think Bioware could definitely fit everyone who plays the game into 60 servers or fewer. There are some real desolate servers right now. There have been occasions where I've logged in and found that the only two servers at Standard were Fatman and Harbinger. That's why I rerolled on Harbinger.

 

People's expectations of what a healthy and comfortable server population is are colored by their past MMO experience. It also seems to me that TOR's population ceiling for servers is quite a bit lower compared to those of other contemporary MMOs like World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, and Everquest 2. 'Heavy' in TOR feels like 'Medium' for other games. That's why I'm having a blast on Harbinger, the game finally feels like an MMO now.

 

Here's the problem with that:

 

BioWare said last week that subs have not declined, but concurrent playtimes have. That means that if you group people up on too few servers, then just about every one of them will have queues during World Events and expansions.

 

I'd really rather not. If all servers were made Standard like mine (150 on Fleet every day at peak, getting 24-mans together within 20 minutes spamming only planet General and LFG, PvP queues short) then people can't complain.

[evildestroyer]

http://tera.enmasse.com/news/posts/tera-server-transfers-available-at-launch

 

Not that it means anything really, but I thought it was funny. It is something that would save a lot of people from unsubbing, but it will prob be too little too late. While other companies realize how vital it is for an MMO to survive.

 

Its even funnier that in GW2 you also have transfers, heck we had server transfers in BETA.

 

If GW2 can have transfers already in beta why couldnt SWTOR have them? Bioware knew server pops will drop ( i hope they did) so if they had transfers i am sure MANY people wouldnt have left.

 

I already unsubbed 2 weeks ago, i uninstalled the game few days ago even with free 30 days i will not play anymore. I am sick of a empty server with pvp queues up to a hour, where its impossible to get a FP going let along Ops. And why should i reroll and invest more time when Bioware is at fault?

 

All i can say, if we had transfers or at least merges i would still be playing and i am sure many people are in the same situation as me.

[Timesjoke]

 

If you're not happy with your server population, why don't you re-roll? Are you so attached to a pixel character that you have separation anxiety?

 

I would dare to guess that only a very tiny segment of those who have purchased the game are kids or out of work people with nothing better to do then level toons on several servers till they find one that is active.

 

I am not so attached to the pixels as I am attached to the very limited time I have to play video games being flushed down the toilet through no fault of my own. I did not create twice as many servers as is needed for a healthy population.

 

 

 

Gamers aren't gamers these days ... they're mostly over opinionated wind-bags with a keyboard. You should be ashamed of yourselves. It's a game ... play it to have fun or move on to the next entertainment venue.

 

Just like you should be ashamed of yourself for attacking those who do not confrom to your idea of the perfect player. You are happy, fine, this discussion is about those in the majority who are on servers without enough people to party with. How do we "play it to have fun" when there is nobody to play with? This game was marketed as a MMO right?

 

Do you know what a MMO is?

 

We are concerned because this MMO is missing the MM part. Other than a small window of 2 to 4 hours a day, most servers are completely barren.

[JeramieCrowe]

Just like you should be ashamed of yourself for attacking those who do not confrom to your idea of the perfect player. You are happy, fine, this discussion is about those in the majority who are on servers without enough people to party with. How do we "play it to have fun" when there is nobody to play with? This game was marketed as a MMO right?

 

Do you know what a MMO is?

 

We are concerned because this MMO is missing the MM part. Other than a small window of 2 to 4 hours a day, most servers are completely barren.

 

Hokay, look, there are a lot of LIGHT servers. I know it's frustrating to be on one. Keeping tabs on it, and even looking at TORstatus.net, it's about 30% of servers.

 

That's not "majority"....

 

Your hyperbole is NOT helping your case. Let the LIGHT servers speak for themselves.

Edited May 1, 2012 by JeramieCrowe

[Leggomy]

Its even funnier that in GW2 you also have transfers, heck we had server transfers in BETA.

 

If GW2 can have transfers already in beta why couldnt SWTOR have them? Bioware knew server pops will drop ( i hope they did) so if they had transfers i am sure MANY people wouldnt have left.

 

I already unsubbed 2 weeks ago, i uninstalled the game few days ago even with free 30 days i will not play anymore. I am sick of a empty server with pvp queues up to a hour, where its impossible to get a FP going let along Ops. And why should i reroll and invest more time when Bioware is at fault?

 

All i can say, if we had transfers or at least merges i would still be playing and i am sure many people are in the same situation as me.

 

GW2 isnt out yet #1 and #2 it takes 1600 "gems" to transfer. Gems cost rl money.

[Timesjoke]

Hokay, look, there are a lot of LIGHT servers. I know it's frustrating to be on one. Keeping tabs on it, and even looking at TORstatus.net, it's about 30% of servers.

 

That's not "majority"....

 

Your hyperbole is NOT helping your case. Let the LIGHT servers speak for themselves.

 

Look, I see you here, spending the entire day pouncing on any post you can to try and be the main source for trying to smash opinions that you do not like but honestly, if there was no problem, why are you here 12 hours a day spamming the forum instead of playing the game?

 

My server says "standard" almost every time I log on but when I go to the spacestation and spam for a group there is maybe 2 other people at best who want to try a run. The server saying average or light is not the issue, having enough of a population to put together a run "IS" the problem.

 

I look at the server listing all the time and if "standard" means for them what it means for my server then yes, they have way, way too many servers open.

[Mallorik]

Nonsense. Actually, more like a specious argument voiced out of some form of personal frustration.

 

You make it sound like once you unsub that you cannot resub. People who like the game but disliked being on a low pop server can, and very likely will, resub and move their characters to other servers so they can continue playing a game they like in a server population level that is comfortable for them.

 

And your argument sounds like it comes from someone with none to very little mmo experience, sure people can resub who have unsubbed, but generaly players do not do that. Mmos that fail in the first year, stay failed. actualy once an mmo starts to really lose alot of subs any time in its life they never recover.

[Leggomy]

And your argument sounds like it comes from someone with none to very little mmo experience, sure people can resub who have unsubbed, but generaly players do not do that. Mmos that fail in the first year, stay failed. actualy once an mmo starts to really lose alot of subs any time in its life they never recover.

 

I think you are judging everyone by people you see on the forums. Not everyone is so militant.