Cross-Server Warzones Will End PvP for Me

[Jica]

Given the state of Bioware's QA team, I wouldn't be surprised if queuing for cross-server warzones deleted your character from their database after the patch went live.

 

Well.. now THAT would make me quit PvPing for good. Litterally

[Majspuffen]

WoW dropped from a peak of 12+ million subscribers to just over 10 according to Blizzards 2011 annual report, and they haven't had to merge one single server because of their x-server functionality (including dungeons too). Even people on "dead" servers can access all the content available.

 

I was playing on a dying server in Cataclysm (Ravenholdt EU) and it was when cross-server raiding was mentioned that I lost faith in the franchise. From the sounds of "true" raiders who raided since vanilla and TBC, the cross-server raiding tool is an embarrasment. Anything to please the masses? If the masses consists of those leet-speaking jerks who do not bother to read up on either strategies or class guides, well... then the gaming future doesn't look too bright.

 

I wanted to escape all that in SWTOR. When they mentioned that pvp queues would not be cross-server, I was very excited. The more I thought about it the more I liked it, since the only meaingful pvp in world of warcraft was world pvp. I've had so much fun pvping against familiar faces in swtor, and I love the fact that I am being recognized myself. Not through stats in some worthless e-peen window, but through actual gameplay.

 

The majority of people on my friend list I have met through warzones. That never happened in wow, the only people I cared about in wow was the people in my guild whereas in swtor I can team up with people outside my guild and I often do. Heck, a lot of times I team up with people and we end up in a group of 4, all from different guilds. It really feels like I am partaking in a community on my server, and cross-server will ruin that.

 

I'll end my post with a question; Which arena game was more exciting in wow? The one where you fought against strangers, or the ones where you fought against players that you recognized? To me, it is the latter.

[Mackiemesser]

I agree with the OP to some extent.

Cross realm anything kills community. Iv seen it happen in WoW and it made pvp a whole lot less enjoyable when bitter rivals where replaced by anonymous randoms who might as well have been bots.

 

On the other hand there are servers with such low population that pvp is virtually impossible and that just cannot be allowed to go on.

Server merges would be the best solution because it would fix not only the pvp queues but every other low pop issue, questing, trade network, guild availability etc. Xrealm is a poor bandaid, but if bioware refuse to merge servers xrealm pvp is better then no pvp at all.

[warultima]

Sorry about those who dont like the idea they have to face other pre-mades with their own pre-made instead of facerolling pugs all day.

 

However the fact is the MAJORITY of the US servers are under populated, and on many server its always the same 8 people on the reps side getting instant queue vs the same 30 imps doing random solo queue in order to cut down the already ridiculous queue wait time.

 

Sense of Community? LOL you are making it sound like its impossible to achieve with cross-server/pre-made matching queue. They can EASILY (well assuming BW's programmers are at least half as good as Trion's) code it so same server vs same server is prioritized, unless its premade A trying to faceroll zero skill win against pug A, in this case premade A will be matched against Premade B from other server. Only time premade vs pugs should happen is if theres no other premades queued up across the entire "battle cluster/battle server group".

 

Again sorry for those who running crappy premades that requires fighting pugs to win, and refuse/scared to get challenged by premades from other servers.

[Geglad]

Both.

 

Server merges may cause some bad press, but its better than bleeding subs over the longterm, and allowing the idea of falling pops to become any more viral. Using merges in conjuction with X-Server, especially for off-hour times, will help to insure than anybody can log in to any server at just about anytime of the day and have a reasonable chance to get both PvE and PvP content completed as desired. Of course this assumes the implementation of a server and X-Server LFG tool as well, not just X-Server WZ queues.

 

So both - merges and X-server WZ and FP Queues.

 

On this slope, the next thing is of course X-Server Ops Queues. I do not see a problem here either. Again with enhanced population because of merges, higher guild population will make server specific Ops more likely, but those that are more casual will be able to just queue and go.

 

It is all a matter of choice. And who thinks that maximizing choice is bad when it comes to selling a product?

 

 

 

-Lad

[Mrcha]

X-Server WZ are a must for any kind of sharded games. In fact "sharding" is bad idea ever. I'm comming from game where is only one big "shard". People are spread over the cluster of servers, but universe is only one. So everyone could meet everyone if they do want to.

 

I see why you are happy to compete over "name" with only few. I would like to be famous between of thousand people than only between few ones. May be your brain is too weak to memorize only couple of names instead of more.

 

It helps economics in game not to divide people into small groups. It helps guilds, because is more easy to get people. I have no idea how big population is per bigest server in SWTOR, but I doubt it is more than 10 000 active people. I do come from game where at any given time are on-line on one server at least 30 000 people. Jita have on-line on one system over 1000 people 24 hrs day.

 

I doubt that this game would simply crash with so many people on fleet.

[mechintel]

I'll also say this much. Server transfers aren't going to fix the game.

 

The only free transfers you can expect are those from high pop realms to low pop realms. Idiots will do it "For a change of scenery" and then pay to have their character moved back to their old realm after a month when they realize how absolutely terrible low pop servers are. Meanwhile, people on dead realms will be expected to pay additional money to have their character moved from their broken realm to one where they can actually experience what the game has to offer.

 

All this to the exclusion of the obvious solution which is to merge low pop servers into bigger servers. Is press that a game had to have servers merged somehow more negative than press that the company keeps 120+ servers online each with an average of 10 people on them at any given time? Instead of worrying how bad they will look for doing it, how about Bioware worries about retaining what subscribers they have.

[Majspuffen]

I'll also say this much. Server transfers aren't going to fix the game.

 

The only free transfers you can expect are those from high pop realms to low pop realms.

 

I can't find the post but I read that server transfers are, in fact, going to be free.

[mechintel]

X-Server WZ are a must for any kind of sharded games. In fact "sharding" is bad idea ever. I'm comming from game where is only one big "shard". People are spread over the cluster of servers, but universe is only one. So everyone could meet everyone if they do want to.

 

Having everyone on the same server able to interact with one another is a completely different thing than cross server warzones. If Bioware wanted to make it to where every aspect of the game was cross-server and you could ebb and flow between realms at will I would be in support of that. Then by all means, make cross-server warzones. But I do not want to play on a team with people who I will more than likely never see again. What's more, even if I liked grouping with them I have no means to even whisper them after the match, let alone requeue with them.

 

I see why you are happy to compete over "name" with only few. I would like to be famous between of thousand people than only between few ones. May be your brain is too weak to memorize only couple of names instead of more.

 

My point wasn't that it was "hard to remember names". It was that I have no reason to try to remember names of people I will never see again. As another poster said, they may as well as be bots spawned for me when I joined the queue who disappear forever after I leave the warzone.

 

It helps economics in game not to divide people into small groups. It helps guilds, because is more easy to get people. I have no idea how big population is per bigest server in SWTOR, but I doubt it is more than 10 000 active people. I do come from game where at any given time are on-line on one server at least 30 000 people. Jita have on-line on one system over 1000 people 24 hrs day.

 

Again what you are advocating for here is server merges, not cross-server warzones. Cross-server warzones will not help guilds find people. It will not suddenly make the fleet a fun place to hang out. It will not help you make friends. The only thing it will help you do is mindlessly grind valor/comms without really caring about the social aspects of the game.

 

I doubt that this game would simply crash with so many people on fleet.

 

You obviously never went to Ilum pre 1.2.

Edited May 7, 2012 by mechintel

[mechintel]

I can't find the post but I read that server transfers are, in fact, going to be free.

 

They will be. From high pop servers to low pop servers. The same way every other MMO has done server transfers. But only completely crazy people will actually do it, and they'll regret it.

[Overlord-]

Bioware segregated factional areas so they can do FP/Ops without harm, So if its split in a zone or instance already they can also do xserver PvE Flash points! rofl its already instanced up the hilt for it. haha im sure pve'rs would love that. Edited May 7, 2012 by Overlord-

[Occultsaga]

is this post serious?

op why are you so afraid of fighting diferent teams other tham the squishy ones from your server?

cross server will only bring good things, people will choose less populated server without the fear of never being able to do pvp.

[mechintel]

is this post serious?

op why are you so afraid of fighting diferent teams other tham the squishy ones from your server?

cross server will only bring good things, people will choose less populated server without the fear of never being able to do pvp.

 

It has nothing to do with fighting different teams, and everything to do with a desire to feel like I am apart of a community. There is nothing social about going up against complete randoms that you have never heard of before nor will ever hear from again. There is nothing thrilling about seeing a guild name you've never heard of. There is nothing fun about the no-accountability that will creep into warzones as soon as you give people the mask of anonymity.

 

We shouldn't be encouraging people to "choose less populated servers". We should be getting rid of less populated servers by combining them into big thriving servers. One of the best things SWTOR PvP has going for it is that you can actually create rivalries between guilds and between players. Once cross-server warzones go live, that WILL disappear, just like it did in WoW. You can say "Oh well I want to be the best in the entire game, not just my server" and that is admirable, but all recognition goes completely out the window when you zoom the lens so far out that you can no longer distinguish the little dots from one another.

[kitsinni]

I honeslty don't think people care that much about server reputation. There are people with so many 50's now that you could hate someone and then end up grouping with them again later and have no clue it was the person you despise. Also this is the internet people will always go out of their way to be jerks regardless of if they are on the same server or not.

[Malanoth]

He won't be alone. Right now, one of the things most enjoyable about PvP is the fact I *know* people from both sides. That will dissapear with cross-server pvp, just like it did in WoW. It will make the game boring, just like it did in WoW, and I will unsubscribe, just like I did in WoW.

 

Thats not my experience. When I quit WoW late last year I was doing nothing but PvP. Even with X-server Battlegrounds I was seeing the same regular players all the time and doing a /dance with players on the opposite faction I went up against regularly. So, okay you can't talk to guys on the other team on other realms unless you use Battlenet friends but how many guys did you speak to on opposition in PvP on your own realm? Hint there was no Battlenet friends then. Did you log on your other account on a PvP realm to say, "hey mate that was a good fight you did there! /salute"

 

Or where you on a PvE realm where you could (if I remember right) log onto your opposite faction alt, and then say "hi mate great fight that was /salute" I don't think so. Please elaborate on what you mean by *know* . You're blowing it completely out of proportion. If it disappears for you in SWTOR thats completely your own doing.

[Occultsaga]

i played wow for a long time, and the cross server pvp was amazing, in fact it was far better than the pvp we have now in this game. Community wont die because in order to do well in pvp you will still need to group with other people in your faction doing premades. The faction x faction aspect of the game will get stronger, instead of the top premade x top premeade we have now.

 

Now that being said, i think they SHOULD do server-merge, and allow people to change servers in order to let community stronger.

 

And just one question, how do you think they could implement more ambitous projects like 40x40 pvp without cross-server? if you played wow you remember the awesomeness of alterac valley.

[Razot]

Dudes right. Xserver is a bandaid to a bigger problem: Not enough players,

 

For the most part..

[kuthroat]

Originally I was on the side of saying no cross server wz because it will destroy the community. I have been here prior to release and only pvp. I have run one operation and I don't have a clue what it was. I run with a guild premade, which is almost every time. The only time we have a competitive game is verse TWO guilds with their premades, OR when our 4 pugs are so bad that it actually makes the game more competitive. Once rated starts I do not see any competitive games on Fatman except for 4 or 5 eight man premades from the top guilds. (also one could play their own guild) How is this going to be competitive? If you pvp all the time you know your top guilds and players anyhow. I now have converted and see only the benefits of not only making the rankings more meaningful, but also having more competition and fun.

[SneakyErvin]

Merge servers untill all servers are heavy or very heavy, only solution to the problems for this game IMO. If they run into issues with character slots, then just expand the freaking character slots per server to whatever is needed to fit someones characters in there.

 

X-server WZs will solve nothing, sure queues will be shorter, but its more fun to play with people I recognize and so on.

 

But in the end, who really gives a flying beep. They have a few months to solve things, then GW2 comes and every real pvper will be out the door.

 

Honest question. Who here loves to grind 80+ games for one piece of gear in the same 4 WZs over and over? I know I dont.

[mechintel]

Honest question. Who here loves to grind 80+ games for one piece of gear in the same 4 WZs over and over? I know I dont.

 

And if Bioware had it where you geared up to full War Hero in a weekend people would still be crying that gearing up in pvp is "too easy" and that it leaves nothing for pvpers to "shoot for". Then they would be crying about long they have to wait until the next tier comes out.

 

You can complain and whine about gear grinds all you want, but most people actually enjoy the thrill of working towards the next piece in their set. Having goals that you can slowly work towards is one of the cheapest forms of happiness you can find.

 

Anyway that is all off topic.

Edited May 7, 2012 by mechintel

[lijahrobinson]

I do hope they use PvP server "clusters" for cross-server competition. You pair servers with lower populations with those of higher populations in small groups. Maybe somewhere between 5 to 10 servers depending on the stats of the servers. That way, You can still keep your "rivalries" while infusing new players into your current system and reducing queues.

[DarthMaulUK]

Bioware wont merge servers because if they did, to EAs share holders - it will be a signal that demand for the game has died so quickly - which is very true. The only solutions are to bring in x-server or grind yet another toon losing everything you have worked so hard to mass.

 

Character transfers have been rumoured for summer 2012 but like the ranked warzones, will probably get pulled at the last minute.

[RJChief]

Bioware wont merge servers because if they did, to EAs share holders - it will be a signal that demand for the game has died so quickly - which is very true. The only solutions are to bring in x-server or grind yet another toon losing everything you have worked so hard to mass.

 

Character transfers have been rumoured for summer 2012 but like the ranked warzones, will probably get pulled at the last minute.

 

I think your wrong on two counts:

Shareholders don't care how many servers there are, they care about subscriptions. If servers merge and it stops and/or reverses the hemorrhaging of subscriptions this is a more positive future outlook and the stock price goes up. Feel free to learn basic finance.

 

Character transfers and Rated Warzones are two separate entities. If they had introduced rated warzones into patch 1.2 they would have lost more subscriptions then they were able to maintain. The main priorities before ranked warzones are class balance and server balance (populations across servers and population across factions).

Faction balance hasn't been addressed yet and I can already tell you, with my great foresight skills, that when Ilum 2 is released it will initially look like the most broken moment of Ilum 1 (unless they have set some serious controls on it)

Edited May 7, 2012 by RJChief

[mechintel]

I do hope they use PvP server "clusters" for cross-server competition. You pair servers with lower populations with those of higher populations in small groups. Maybe somewhere between 5 to 10 servers depending on the stats of the servers. That way, You can still keep your "rivalries" while infusing new players into your current system and reducing queues.

 

Or instead they could just merge those servers into one server. Has the same effect, but the benefits extend into pve and crafting as well.

[kevlarto]

I am going to increase my pvp when this happens, why, pop times for matches will be much faster gettng to see new faces in the zones, and I hope we can go back to Republic vs Imperial, outside of hut ball, or the coast with the training exercise.. the rest of the zones are just plain stupid with rep vs rep or imp vs imp, the WARS are a little out of sync.