FREE Character Transfers are Coming!

[JeramieCrowe]

According to the PC Gamer interview with Daniel Erickson, BW is preparing a "huge move" on the servers, which means increasing the population caps to accommodate even more players. So, I'm actually hopeing that they create 2 or 3 massive servers for everyone of the same type (3 pvp server, 3 pve server, etc).

 

Source:

 

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/05/23/the-old-republics-daniel-erickson-talks-legacy-system-update-group-finder-and-adaptive-gear/

 

Well, this is interesting:

 

PCG: If I purchase all of the XP perks, will I be able to avoid all of the shared quests on planets? Would it take an absurd number of Flashpoints, WarZones, or Space Combat missions to make up the difference?

 

DE: If you’re high enough legacy and want to drop enough credits to fully max out your XP perks, you absolutely could skip the side quests. There are also perks for Bonus Series quests, though, so if you want to go heroic and hit some planets you skipped before that’s also an option.

[MadBlue]

According to the PC Gamer interview with Daniel Erickson, BW is preparing a "huge move" on the servers, which means increasing the population caps to accommodate even more players. So, I'm actually hopeing that they create 2 or 3 massive servers for everyone of the same type (3 pvp server, 3 pve server, etc).

 

Source:

 

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/05/23/the-old-republics-daniel-erickson-talks-legacy-system-update-group-finder-and-adaptive-gear/

 

They've already said step one is going to be free transfers from low population servers to higher population servers and step two is going to be paid server transfers and free promotional transfers (like WoW). Now they're letting us know that they're going to be raising the population caps on the destination servers.

 

This is being misinterpreted as an announcement that servers are going to be merged into super-servers (like DCUO) but it really doesn't follow from what we know. Could you imagine all the legitimate complaints that would come from players on The Fatman or Jedi Covenant if their servers got folded into generic PVP and PVE servers and everyone were prompted for renames on their characters/legacies?

[dscount]

We all need more details around what is possible on these migrations.

1. Can I move and keep Legacy (I've heard "No" so far)
   
2. What about my Guild Moving? (Can we migrate it completely intact w/Bay's)?
   
3. Can we move ALL Characters at once?
   

[Yoshiblade]

There is new information about this subject on the latest Q&A, which further implies that they are aiming for big servers.

 

Daniel Erickson:

Although we’re certainly willing to entertain the idea of cross-server LFG tools if the need arises, it’s a last resort for us. We firmly believe for cooperative play it is important to have a community and social responsibility that you simply can’t have with players appearing and disappearing from your reality. Instead we are pushing hard on servers that are massive compared to the ones we launched with. Early tests show we’ll be able to raise the peak concurrent user cap above what it was at launch. Combining that with server transfers to enable players to move to these new servers and fill them to the brim, we should see some fantastic, vibrant communities develop where Group Finder will always be able to find someone for your content.

[Styxx]

PCG: If I purchase all of the XP perks, will I be able to avoid all of the shared quests on planets? Would it take an absurd number of Flashpoints, WarZones, or Space Combat missions to make up the difference?

 

DE: If you’re high enough legacy and want to drop enough credits to fully max out your XP perks, you absolutely could skip the side quests. There are also perks for Bonus Series quests, though, so if you want to go heroic and hit some planets you skipped before that’s also an option.

 

Irrelevant and "politically correct" answer that says nothing.

 

I can "absolutely skip the side quests" - he does not say how and for how many flashpoints, warzones and space combat missions.

 

Also, it is funny how some perks that would benefit ALL future alts are sold on a "per character" basis - "we wanted to let the player choose which ones to buy, that is why they are so cheap", they said. (adding 4, let`s say, for 400k a rank V chain = 1.6 mils for only ONE perk per each 4 of the alts - for an undocumented nor named time gain - 5 days earlier is still not worth that amount of money. )

 

I would really not get my hopes up, unless I am seeing hard numbers, like how much the gain % amounts to and how it compares with normal planet questing, or the gain versus the "time target". Those numbers would surely look funny if the gain would be 5% per time unit . And how many flashpoints would I need to run to get to it, too.

 

Except for PvP, this surely looks like grinding

Edited May 26, 2012 by Styxx

[InnerPieces]

There is new information about this subject on the latest Q&A, which further implies that they are aiming for big servers.

 

Daniel Erickson:

 

Yes, it's more ambiguous, non-committal, 3rd party comments. We're past that. I, for one, am looking for details so I can plan out how the changes will affect my characters, legacy, guild, and account. I'm now officially 6 days into having little to no motivation to play since I don't know how any of these changes will affect my characters, legacy, guild, and account. This lack of motivation is keeping me from playing and that is leaving me wondering why I am paying to not feel like playing. I don't want to cancel. I want to know what, specifically, is going to happen to my characters, legacy, guild, and account.

 

Thanks, though.

Edited May 27, 2012 by InnerPieces

[adamqd]

The Problem is the Server transfers will require a subscription, so your gonna have to re-sub before 1.3, to qualify/be alerted to the transfers.

 

they should offer another free time period with the transfers.

[InnerPieces]

The Problem is the Server transfers will require a subscription, so your gonna have to re-sub before 1.3, to qualify/be alerted to the transfers.

 

they should offer another free time period with the transfers.

 

I haven't canceled yet, but no... if I cancel I will not be returning. That's what I'm trying to avoid and it's why I keep posting. It's in the hopes they'll bump things up a bit. Honestly, the only thing 1.3 should be about is putting every ounce of resources into solving the server issue. It just doesn't seem to be a high a priority as I'd prefer.

Edited May 27, 2012 by InnerPieces

[Theninjafuzz]

For the sake of this game, literally, I hope that they get this right. I truly like this game, but if this transfer thing goes south, I'm out.

[Sporin]

We all need more details around what is possible on these migrations.

1. Can I move and keep Legacy (I've heard "No" so far)
   
2. What about my Guild Moving? (Can we migrate it completely intact w/Bay's)?
   
3. Can we move ALL Characters at once?
   

 

1/ Probably, I'd like to think so.

2/ Hope so.

3/ The same day would be good, depends whats in place & how fast they get through it all.

 

My biggest fear is for my character(s) names & Leg name being taken. We may end up with a extra line of title or a abv. version "<name> <title> <old server>" etc.

[InnerPieces]

After some more thought, it occurs to me if the Legacy unlocks were account-wide instead of server-specific a lot of these issues wouldn't even be an issue right now. I've spent so much time and credits on my legacy, there is no way I'll completely restart one at this point. It would be far easier to go and start on a new server if our legacy unlocks were available. Of course, if we knew which servers were going to be targeted for transfer, we'd know where to go start new toons knowing all of our 50s would (or could) be joining them on the new server.

[ironlungs]

I have a 50 Juggy with great gear (Rakata / Black Hole). I also have a 20 something Sentinal that I play with my wife since I convinced her to start playing about a month ago. I am totally bored with my juggy. He's fun to play, but there is no1 to play with and they only ways I can progress I can only do once a week.

 

When I play swtor now I only ever play my 1 alt, and me and my wife only ever play together because there is never anyone else on Kinrath Spider. The economy is sooo bad, we can't even craft! (let alone buy gear crafted by anyone else). I fear I have given my wife a terrible introduction to this game by having her roll on this server because it is so dead, but she would never play without me. She starts to get bored and there is nothing more I can do to save this game for her which is sad because I really enjoy playing with her.

 

Server mergers > transfers because I started playing this game with all my real life friends. Them (and espcially my wife) are most deffinately a package deal! That is absolutely non-negotiable. In my opinion these population issues should have been easily forseen and planned for. I refuse to pay the price for biowares oversight! Paid transfers are an insult to loyal customers like me who stuck it out through these last 2 rough months.

 

Bioware I promise you the following: I will not pay for another month until transfers are available. I will not pay for transfers once they are available out of princapal. If the transfer does not take me to a high population server with my main and alt together and with my legacy in tact (including legacy name) it is not useful to me. Even if you pull that off, if my wife with her 1 low level character is not able to follow me you will not only lose my subscription but hers as well. I have 2 Real life friends who have quit already but when I go I know the rest will leave too because I hold the group together.

 

We don't want to leave, please don't force us.

[Jawstheshark]

Need transfer ability NOW, not later.

 

You are bleeding players....

[CrunkShizzle]

Need transfer ability NOW, not later.

 

You are bleeding players....

 

alot of players already left though

 

like the pvpers who actually care.this games pvp ranks one of the worst pvp ive seen in a mmo

 

regadless,the only reason i still play is because of gw2 not being out.the day guild wars 2 comes out,im out of this overhyped garbagefest they call an mmo

 

oh its funny to,there already drumming up the hype train to another star wars game.el oh el

[JeramieCrowe]

alot of players already left though

 

like the pvpers who actually care.this games pvp ranks one of the worst pvp ive seen in a mmo

 

regadless,the only reason i still play is because of gw2 not being out.the day guild wars 2 comes out,im out of this overhyped garbagefest they call an mmo

 

oh its funny to,there already drumming up the hype train to another star wars game.el oh el

 

A lot of players will come back, too. Not to mention that there are over 25 million players in the MMO genre.

[CrunkShizzle]

A lot of players will come back, too. Not to mention that there are over 25 million players in the MMO genre.

 

i doubt any of the pvpers will come back

 

even if they did improve the pvp,the pvp dev team are obviously to incompetant to ever be considered good

[Leggomy]

i doubt any of the pvpers will come back

 

even if they did improve the pvp,the pvp dev team are obviously to incompetant to ever be considered good

 

I agree once people leave and start playing another game they normally get addicted to that one. Delays are just making more people leave and look for other games.

[JeramieCrowe]

i doubt any of the pvpers will come back

 

even if they did improve the pvp,the pvp dev team are obviously to incompetant to ever be considered good

 

I hear you there. I'm upset that we haven't heard two words about at least what they're planning and working on with the open-world PvP revamp. If we at least knew what was coming, it'd help out immensely.

 

There are so many PvErs, though, they'll keep TOR floating. GW2 will be free with decent PvP. Plausible to do TOR for PvE (since GW2 will have very little), and GW2 for PvP.

Edited May 28, 2012 by JeramieCrowe

[wudufxup]

I would like to know if we will be able to merge characters from seperate servers onto one server. I have two lvl 50's I played before switching servers and lvled one up to 50 on my new server. Will I be able to combine these three characters onto one server? I am holding out on making any new alts until I know.

[moonshoter]

By the way, one of the fastest turn-around times from launch to server transfers/close was in RIFT last year. TOR still has 35 days to keep up with that.

 

 

Don't Forget that have addons , Macros , CROSS SERVER LFG , FREE TRANSFER and as far as i know they are still free and can be done once a week. I Don't play Rift any more its a good Game just doesn't hit the Spot .

 

I'm supizrd no one has yet to point out how much rift has done over months of going live . SW IMO should have more done then rift by now htey have more of everything .The DEV of SW can learn from the DEV of rift . they have less and do more .

[Elmillia]

I don't want transfers or merges >.< I want cross server zones, warzones and flashpoints.

[JeramieCrowe]

Don't Forget that have addons , Macros , CROSS SERVER LFG , FREE TRANSFER and as far as i know they are still free and can be done once a week. I Don't play Rift any more its a good Game just doesn't hit the Spot .

 

I'm supizrd no one has yet to point out how much rift has done over months of going live . SW IMO should have more done then rift by now htey have more of everything .The DEV of SW can learn from the DEV of rift . they have less and do more .

 

I have pointed it out:

 

Let's see, RIFT launched:

 

Without an LFG tool

Without open-world PvP (PvP rifts were almost 8 months later)

Without server transfers

Without an endgame, only one raid (Tor launched with 2)

With only one storyline for all classes

With 6 hour queues

Without appearance (wardrobe) customization (TOR launched with one, although limited)

...

 

The first major patch in RIFT had only one raid that became available April 16th, 47 days after launch. It had a plethora of attempted class balance nerfs that broke more than it balanced, and was only about half the size of TOR's first major patch. 47 days after launch to get 2 raids, the number of raids TOR launched with. And they were easy, cleared by guilds in no time.

 

In contrast, TOR's first major patch was January 17th, 28 days after launch, almost half the time of RIFT, and included a new Flashpoint, doubled the size of an Op (effectively a new raid zone), and fixed more bugs right the first time than Rift ever wish they did.

 

The next major patch in RIFT brought the LFG tool and wardrobe slots on May 10th. It offered NO NEW CONTENT. The next patch to offer new content wasn't until Hammerknell on July 27th, 149 days after launch.

 

In contrast, TOR's next major patch brought another Warzone, another Operation, Legacy, new dailies and gear on Corellia, balance passes that fixed more than it broke on April 12th, 114 days after launch. TOR had more endgame content faster than RIFT did.

 

TOR will have a LFG in 6 months, while it took TERA 8 months to get one. Still in the average. Rift didn't get free transfers until almost 5 months after launch. We're currently sitting right at 5 months for TOR, and TOR's is going to be free. Then, after a while, they will allow paid to servers that really shouldn't accept any more subs than a few to keep from queues. The only reason Rift didn't also do this is because they had substantially less subs than TOR has now, and server queues weren't going to be an issue.

[kriegheld]

I have pointed it out:

 

Let's see, RIFT launched:

 

Without an LFG tool

Without open-world PvP (PvP rifts were almost 8 months later)

Without server transfers

Without an endgame, only one raid (Tor launched with 2)

With only one storyline for all classes

With 6 hour queues

Without appearance (wardrobe) customization (TOR launched with one, although limited)

...

 

The first major patch in RIFT had only one raid that became available April 16th, 47 days after launch. It had a plethora of attempted class balance nerfs that broke more than it balanced, and was only about half the size of TOR's first major patch. 47 days after launch to get 2 raids, the number of raids TOR launched with. And they were easy, cleared by guilds in no time.

 

In contrast, TOR's first major patch was January 17th, 28 days after launch, almost half the time of RIFT, and included a new Flashpoint, doubled the size of an Op (effectively a new raid zone), and fixed more bugs right the first time than Rift ever wish they did.

 

The next major patch in RIFT brought the LFG tool and wardrobe slots on May 10th. It offered NO NEW CONTENT. The next patch to offer new content wasn't until Hammerknell on July 27th, 149 days after launch.

 

In contrast, TOR's next major patch brought another Warzone, another Operation, Legacy, new dailies and gear on Corellia, balance passes that fixed more than it broke on April 12th, 114 days after launch. TOR had more endgame content faster than RIFT did.

 

TOR will have a LFG in 6 months, while it took TERA 8 months to get one. Still in the average. Rift didn't get free transfers until almost 5 months after launch. We're currently sitting right at 5 months for TOR, and TOR's is going to be free. Then, after a while, they will allow paid to servers that really shouldn't accept any more subs than a few to keep from queues. The only reason Rift didn't also do this is because they had substantially less subs than TOR has now, and server queues weren't going to be an issue.

 

SWTOR has the Star Wars IP and hundreds of millions in startup capital.

 

Billions in merchandise.

6 movies.

Cartoon series.

Prime Time Holiday Specials.

Books.

Millions of Fans across the entire planet for over 30 years.

 

Rift started out with.....

 

On a side note, did you dig up those creepy facts at work or during play time?

[JeramieCrowe]

On a side note, did you dig up those creepy facts at work or during play time?

 

I don't work, I'm disabled. Thanks.

 

And I'm sorry facts are so creepy to you. It certainly explains a lot, though.

[kriegheld]

I don't work, I'm disabled. Thanks.

 

And I'm sorry facts are so creepy to you. It certainly explains a lot, though.

 

No need to be rude. I was curious and your post was pretty darn detailed with numbers and dates.

 

Care to address what I said that wasn't a side note? I noticed you skipped right past that part.