FREE Character Transfers are Coming!

[Zolimox]

Sorry JeramieCrowe,

 

First day of summer is June 20th. Early summer, in best of scenarios, is a month after that. So we are looking at late August before they address this? Yah, top priority my ***.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Zolimox

[TaoAlchemist]

i must be an exception. Where everybody else is wanting a high population on their servers, I do not. I should clarify though that SWTOR is my first and only MMO beyond a brief experiment with Everquest and WoW many, many years ago. Those previous experiences, however brief, left me with a bitter taste for MMOs in general. So much so that I avoided MMOs like the plague. The bad experiences all had to do completely with the behavior of other players and the fact that the games allowed them to behave that way. Also, I loathe PVP; it's just not my cup of tea. (In my games, I like to explore the environment and solve puzzles, as well as have some fun combat and I like RPGs for the ability to craft my own story within the confines of the game. What I don't like is other players being able to interfere with that.) However, this was Star Wars and it was a Bioware RPG. So, I couldn't resist after my oldest son - also a Star Wars fan - begged me to get it for him for Christmas.

 

When we signed up our account, we looked for the lightest populated PVE servers we could for our characters so that we would experience less lag and minimize the chances of repeating my past bad experiences with other MMO players. We have had a blast playing the game, despite players coming in to take quest objectives while I am fighting the mobs protecting those objectives and forcing me to have to wait around for respawns of objectives or mobs I need to defeat myself. (This irritates me to no end. I find this type of behavior extremely rude.) Also, I don't like having to wait around for an objective to respawn when there are other players waiting around for the same thing. It forces us to compete and then somebody loses out and wastes all that time they spent waiting and have to do it again; probably with someone else waiting for the same objective to respawn that they are, thus repeating the vicious cycle. There is nothing quite so frustrating to me as fighting the tough elite that is guarding a chest of goodies and then having someone come in while I am in combat and take what I was fighting for. Consequently, having less players on my server these days has actually improved my game experience. Faster respawns would help with this, but I bet Bioware won't do it because of the people that would abuse such a thing.

 

Back in January I tried joining another player and went through a couple of instances with him, but I don't like how we can interfere wtih each other's story by making choices in those conversations. I am fine with that happening in Flashpoints and stuff as I know to expect that, but I want total control over my own story. So, I won't do that anymore. I will do the occasional Flashpoint and what not, but I don't like grouping with other players as I lose control over my story and the game play experience I am putting money down for every month. I know I get more XP when grouping, but it isn't worth losing even a little bit of control over my own character's story to me.

 

In short, I am fine with lightly populated servers. I love the game and am having a great time with it, but I am a casual gamer and I will never be the hardcore best game player. I don't have the time to waste on waiting for competitive objectives to respawn and I don't want to lose control of my character's story. So, I end up being labeled as somebody who does not play well with others. I know that makes me an exception and I am fine with that. I don't mind server transfers and mergers as I know they would only be done for the long term health of the game, but I don't look forward to competing against other players for objectives again.

[Woetoo]

The whole point is that the vast majority of the EU server are affected by the problems we're discussing here... Hence just pick any 'light' popuplated server in EU.

Aye. As I think I said earlier in my thread, I consider myself to be on one of the "not ghost town" servers. I'm also very sceptical when people throw numbers around like being 1 person on fleet at peak EU time on an EU server. I'm not saying it's impossible, but all things being equal - I want to see that sort of exaggerated claim backed up by my own eyes.

 

The fact is that when we picked our server at game release it was floating between normal to heavy, now its like a desert. Our guild is on Tyrus Academy.

 

We're on Frostclaw. RIght now, there are 114 people on Fleet about 1hour before what I would think of as "normal raid start time". I did a quick round up for our guild last week.

 

Mon 23/Apr : EV (8) + KP (24) + ECD (72) = 104

Tue 24/Apr : EV (70) + KP (46) + ECD (24) = 140

Wed 25/Apr : EV (36) + KP (8) + ECD (55) = 99

Thu 26/Apr : EV (76) + KP (24) + ECD (100+) = 200+

 

I screenshotted Friday up to last night too - but I've not had chance to work them into the same format I prepared for our guild, so I don't have the numbers in a format I can quickly reproduce here.

 

I just checked Tyrus Academy (it's about 30mins later than when I checked Frostclaw).

Empire Side: 35 people on fleet (including guilds like <Barabe>, <Bullsith> and <Shade>). There are 5 Barabe players in EV. Nobody in KP. And nobody in ECD.

Republic Side: 12 people on fleet (mainly just <Rogue Squadron>). There is nobody in EV. Nobody in KP. And nobody in ECD.

 

And I wholeheartedly agree that even the sort of numbers on Frostclaw are too low to sustain a viable community in the medium to long term. As for Tyrus Academy - I'm glad I don't have a Republic character there. (Check my signature - I've posted about server mergers a long while ago). Search for posts made by me, you'll see I've got more than my fair share of things BW could improve to make me happy. But they aren't out to make ME happy,

 

My point is people coming on saying "there's 1 person on fleet" don't help. Because nobody believes them. There IS a problem. Bioware ARE doing something. They ARE probably doing that something as quickly as possible. So I'll do my bit to defend them when they're being unfairly criticised (in my point of view). And I'll hammer my point home on the occasions where I think they're screwing the players over. I think server mergers are the answer. And if BW try to monetise a situation they helped create - I may take that as a sign that their aims doesn't lie in the same direction as my hopes - and act accordingly.

 

It seems you feel like we're all whiners here... Just tell us the truth, are you a EA/BW emplee undercover right ehehe

Nope. I'm a full paid up whiner too. Bioware put these forums here to (in part) listen to people opinions. And I'm still optimistic enough to hope that something I say will be related to someone who has enough clout and insight to do something that nudges this game in the direction I hope it will go.

 

I do not work for Bioware. I do not work for EA. Directly, indirectly or in any way that might tenuously link them and me. I could do with the work, I'd jump at a chance at anything with a paycheque if they thought they could use me .

Edited May 2, 2012 by Woetoo

[Griso]

@Woetoo

 

Just trust me, I took the following screenshot 3 minutes ago..

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/68593885/FleetTyrusAcademy.jpg

 

Server: Tyrus Academy

Imperial Fleet at 0800PM GMT+2, 34 players...

Edited May 2, 2012 by Griso

[Woetoo]

Come check out Ula Wii, 38 people on the empire side total online, at 7pm cet prime time playing time. Rep side is even worse.

Doing exactly that now.

 

20:05 CET.

 

• Empire
  
  • Fleet = 4. EV = none. KP = none. ECD = none. Ilum = 4.
    
  • Everywhere* = 37
    

  [*]Republic

  • Fleet = 6. EV = none. KP = none. ECD = none. Ilum = 4.
    
  • Everywhere* = 24 (including me)
    

 

I don't know if it works. But did a /who and then blanked out the search box. Got a lot of people all over the place. Can't be sure, but that might be everyone who's currently playing on the server.

 

If that's right. That's 59 people on the whole server (61 - 2x me).

 

Thanks for letting me have the server name so I could see that first hand. It really brings the issue home. What's worse, once you're below a certain number of players... others are just going to stop logging in ... because... well... what's the point?

 

Just trust me, I took the following screenshot 3 minutes ago..

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/68593885/FleetTyrusAcademy.jpg

Nature of the forums really. I trust nobody (and nor should you trust me).

 

But if you scroll back up to my post - you'll see I edited it to say I'd actually logged into your server and done a headcount myself. I guess you play Empire, may even be in <Barabe>. I too saw 35 people on Fleet.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Woetoo

[JeramieCrowe]

Sorry JeramieCrowe,

 

First day of summer is June 20th. Early summer, in best of scenarios, is a month after that. So we are looking at late August before they address this? Yah, top priority my ***.

 

I can't even begin to assume when, exactly, "early summer" is. No one can, actually.

[JeramieCrowe]

@Woetoo

 

Just trust me, I took the following screenshot 3 minutes ago..

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/68593885/FleetTyrusAcademy.jpg

 

Server: Tyrus Academy

Imperial Fleet at 0800PM GMT+2, 34 players...

 

Yeah, that stinks. Server transfers can't come too soon, that's for sure.

[SinisterZz]

Thank you Bioware, me my entire guild (biggest of the server) has just quit for Tera and or waiting for Diablo 3.

 

At the moment on my server EU Tassaa Bareesh are 44 people online on republic side.

 

Early summer is unacceptable and thus we will perhaps return in half a year when the game has improved. We had a good time but you screwed this one up.

 

Greetings

[Andryah]

Sorry JeramieCrowe,

 

First day of summer is June 20th. Early summer, in best of scenarios, is a month after that. So we are looking at late August before they address this? Yah, top priority my ***.

 

Setting aside the silliness of your nit pick....... using generally accepted forms of expression in the english language, early means in or during the first part of a time period. Since summer is rougly 90 days in length, early summer would fall into the first 30 days of the period. The second 30 days of the period would be middle, and the last 30 days of the period would be late.

 

Now, if you want to get worked up about if Bioware is accurate with it's statement about "early summer", that's a wide open point of valid discussion, though it really could only begin on day 31 of summer. However, this forum audience will likely feel free to back date the complaining and crying to January 1 of this year.

[caronome]

Yep.

 

I don't see how a server transfer ALONE is going to alleviate the problem. Allowing transfers TO a dead server won't help -- who'd want to go to a dead server? Allowing them FROM dead servers would be insane, as the remaining population would be even more screwed.

 

Close and merge the dead servers. Period.

 

You can make transfers to dead servers work since BW can make any server undead. If there were free server mergers to Realm#117 then it seems self-fulling. I expect the free mergers to work so I take the transfer so it works so others see and believe and transfer and ...

 

But ofc some servers need to go away.

[Zolimox]

Hey Andryah, perhaps you missed my point. Lets just for grins say in best case scenario they do transfers at the end of June. Do you really think it'll be any earlier? Do you think people are going to be OK with another 2 months of ghost town servers?

 

My prognostication is that they start hemorrhaging subscribers with D3, GW2 and post-free-month right around the corner. There's a small window to keep people interested. Point is, early summer is well past that point.

[Griso]

Hey Andryah, perhaps you missed my point. Lets just for grins say in best case scenario they do transfers at the end of June. Do you really think it'll be any earlier? Do you think people are going to be OK with another 2 months of ghost town servers?

 

My prognostication is that they start hemorrhaging subscribers with D3, GW2 and post-free-month right around the corner. There's a small window to keep people interested. Point is, early summer is well past that point.

 

Agree!

[Andryah]

Hey Andryah, perhaps you missed my point. Lets just for grins say in best case scenario they do transfers at the end of June. Do you really think it'll be any earlier? Do you think people are going to be OK with another 2 months of ghost town servers?

 

My prognostication is that they start hemorrhaging subscribers with D3, GW2 and post-free-month right around the corner. There's a small window to keep people interested. Point is, early summer is well past that point.

 

My prognostication is that:

 

1) Most people will wait, since they will get to within ~30 days of it just off of free time given to them. Many are finding things to do in game that they enjoy that is not materially impacted by a low pop on a server.

2) Some will not wait it out and will unsub and come back when transfers are active (which makes sense).

3) Some will quit, using the lateness of server transfers as their excuse when in reality they don't enjoy the game and would find some reason to unsub. Then again, the really angry and disappointed (who wanted something different the what the game is) have already left the game for the most part and likely will not return.

 

You are in fact exaggerting the magnitude of the problem. About 30% of servers are perpetually LIGHT. Probably about half of those are in fact actually ghost town status (ie: 15% of servers). Now, if they are already ghost towns that means there are almost no players playing on them (from what the ghost town advocates tell us). So that really does not represent many people that could even leave the game at this point.

 

Server transfer process needs to happen for sure to correct the low pop on some servers. But to suggest that the delay to early summer will cause many people to desert already deserted servers is kind of oxymoronic IMO.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Andryah

[JeramieCrowe]

Hey Andryah, perhaps you missed my point. Lets just for grins say in best case scenario they do transfers at the end of June. Do you really think it'll be any earlier? Do you think people are going to be OK with another 2 months of ghost town servers?

 

My prognostication is that they start hemorrhaging subscribers with D3, GW2 and post-free-month right around the corner. There's a small window to keep people interested. Point is, early summer is well past that point.

 

Who knows? Maybe BioWare is learning and gave "early summer" as a worst-case scenario.

[Nyteblades]

I actually agree 100% with this. the fact is, that there are actually more important things to a company that JUST its player base. there investors and always more people to answer to. so perhaps a perceived black eye might cause them some financial embarrassment, but certainly, like all things, when the market DOES improve (it ALWAYS improves - financially, of course) the company will be a stronger entity indeed. plus, it'd make us a happier community. Win-win i say!!

 

Exactly i would venture to say in reality they could have the system up an running in no more than 2 weeks. Its not a matter of development its a matter of fall out from the sever closings and condensing of the game. But like i said in my original post it would smooth out and actualy propel the game foward. As more people would have reason to log in an play. Would also have more reason to recommend the game to others..

 

Eventualy with the ideas bioware has (if they start producing results in a timely manner) the game would grow and become what it should be .But the fact that they are laxing and not producing the transfers and things that will stabalize the game is doing much more harm than any percieved black eye would do.

[MillionsKNives]

Exactly i would venture to say in reality they could have the system up an running in no more than 2 weeks. Its not a matter of development its a matter of fall out from the sever closings and condensing of the game. But like i said in my original post it would smooth out and actualy propel the game foward. As more people would have reason to log in an play. Would also have more reason to recommend the game to others..

 

Eventualy with the ideas bioware has (if they start producing results in a timely manner) the game would grow and become what it should be .But the fact that they are laxing and not producing the transfers and things that will stabalize the game is doing much more harm than any percieved black eye would do.

 

Hey, guys, we've got a professional developer here to tell BioWare what's up! Thank goodness you can give a better estimate on developing their systems than they can. We need to get you a trophy. Armchair Developer of the Year!

[Nyteblades]

Hey, guys, we've got a professional developer here to tell BioWare what's up! Thank goodness you can give a better estimate on developing their systems than they can. We need to get you a trophy. Armchair Developer of the Year!

 

No what you realy need to do ( and im not trying to be disrespectfull ) Is wake up and stop blindly defending them when they are in the wrong. But how you can beleive that the transfer system isnt being held back on pourpose is beyound me. They cant say they dont have the system as thousand have already used it for apac transfers.

 

So the base system is there and working. It may need scaled or moded to accomadate everyone. But with a working system base. A nasa training monkey could complete the mods and scaling rather quickly. I also understand they are working on other projects such as ranked WZ and more fluff for the legacy. None of wich will amount to a hill of beans if the game pop is to low to support those features.

 

But if you want to blindly defend them thats your right. I like the game i love starwars i would love to see it rise to great heights. But the poor choices of delaying transfers and not communicating more than vague soons and false statements of in developments on a system thats already working and been tried and used. Is slowly choking the life from what could be an incredible game. If they can get the MMO back into the game it would drasticly improve the overall populaces feelings towards the game...

[JeramieCrowe]

Exactly i would venture to say in reality they could have the system up an running in no more than 2 weeks. Its not a matter of development its a matter of fall out from the sever closings and condensing of the game. But like i said in my original post it would smooth out and actualy propel the game foward. As more people would have reason to log in an play. Would also have more reason to recommend the game to others..

 

Eventualy with the ideas bioware has (if they start producing results in a timely manner) the game would grow and become what it should be .But the fact that they are laxing and not producing the transfers and things that will stabalize the game is doing much more harm than any percieved black eye would do.

 

Not to be disrespectful, but you have no clue what is and what isn't possible with this engine that's pretty much BioWare proprietary coding. Successfully transferring people has less to do with networking and server mechanics than it does streamlining the code, which code NO ONE outside of BioWare has any clue about.

[Tristal]

I understand that these things take time, it's a large system to sort out, alot could go wrong and so on and so forth.

 

BUT... 6 Weeks +? Surely it can't take that long, can it? Surely thats just an over-estimation so they can give themselves more than enough time.

 

And I repeat, I know it's a large task but they must have a dedicated team of talented individuals working 5 days a week to get this operational right? Maybe working 5 hours a day...

Edited May 2, 2012 by Tristal

[Jederix]

We don't need transfers, we need merges.

 

No we do not. Transfers are fine. Mergers will never happen. But by all means, keep crying for them.

[JeramieCrowe]

BUT... 6 Weeks +? Surely it can't take that long, can it? Surely thats just an over-estimation so they can give themselves more than enough time.

 

That's what I'm suspecting, personally.

[Jederix]

The feeling that server mergers will signal decline is ridiculous and insane. It's clear to EVERYONE that server mergers are needed to stop people from leaving due to low server pop. It's a vicious circle that needs to end.

 

EA/BioWare need to man up and admit that the way the servers were handled in the first week was a mistake, and announce in a clear and confident way, that server transfers off those servers, then merging some and closing the dead ones will be a one time correct of that initial error.

 

The gaming community needs strong, healthy, populated servers and they need to start seeing some better communication and transparency from the dev team. All people want is the ability to play a game they like in an atmosphere that is clear and fair.

 

Incorrect. Mergers are a bad move business wise for a game with a decent subscriber base. You won't be convinced though, just don't be too disappointed when you don't get them.

[Krohnnic]

May I ask which server?

 

Simply put, I don't believe you. I wish my experience on forums liked these left me with a high opinion of people, but sadly it doesn't. I'm sorry if that seems offensive, but sadly some people seem to enjoy overstating things for very questionable reasons and that number seems so extreme that my doubts are raised.

 

Basically I would like to check it out myself.

 

 

 

 

Im with you, i didnt belive it either to be honest, 21.00 at evening and im alone on Reb Fleet.... Bioware should have the numbers im sure SOMEONE was online, maybe, on the server but not on the fleet.

I have no gain from overstating things I even created a ticket on the issue

The server is Kai-Kan hey its 22.40 ill log into it now and check: 3 people on Reb Fleet wich im one of them 3.

 

Just sad.

[AislingKerrigan]

Not soon enough.. AND limited transfers (you can bet they will pick & choose which servers they will allow transfers to/from) alone won't be NEARLY enough. There are too many servers - they need to do SERVER MERGES.

[Jederix]

What if I'm the last person on my server refusing to transfer, then they close the server? what then?

 

K, so think about what you're saying before you reply.

If we have entire merges as in two, three, even four servers being put together into one server, theres no chance for it backfiring.

 

See my logic?

 

Your logic is you don't want to have to do anything, you want Bioware to do it for you. That isn't going to happen. You can choose to transfer before a server is closed, or you can reroll to another server and start over. They aren't going to do it for you by merging servers, which is a very messy business and is very bad publicity for the game.