Bioware Please Merge Servers

[Andryah]

I've now been queued for pvp for 3.42 hours on Harbinger.

 

I noted you gave no hour as to when you queued. Was it at prime time, or at dark-thirty, server time? And what day was it? It does make a difference.

 

^^ THIS is emblematic of those who are demanding server merges. It's not that they cannot transfer if they like, or that their server is dead, ..... it's that they are dependent on random queing and demand more people on their server as they think it will somehow lower queue wait times. It won't because it is based on the flawed logic that what Icykill plays, and how, is what everyone else on other servers wants to play as their main content and do so in random grouping. Also.. not all MMO players random PuG... in fact less and less are doing so over time primarily because of the terribad behaviors you can and will run across in random grouping in MMOs these days.

 

Get some like minded friends or a like minded and stable guild and your problem is largely resolved.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Andryah

[eriksarcasm]

They DID do something. It might not be what the "Merge servers NOW!!!! I NEED more LFG fodder!!!!!" crowd wants, but they DID do something.

 

They have lowered the cost of server transfers to 90 CC. The minimum 500 CC per month that a subscriber gets is enough to transfer at least 5 characters a month for FREE.

 

If a player CHOOSES not to avail themselves of the option to move to a server with a population more to their liking, then that is NOT on BW. That is on the PLAYER.

 

Ok, but she's on Harbinger, the highest population server and the one with the best queue times. Where's she supposed to transfer to to improve on that?

 

I'm not saying that merging every server will improve queue times on Harbinger, i'm asking where does one go to if the best isn't enough? Don't say another game...

[Ratajack]

Ok, but she's on Harbinger, the highest population server and the one with the best queue times. Where's she supposed to transfer to to improve on that?

 

I'm not saying that merging every server will improve queue times on Harbinger, i'm asking where does one go to if the best isn't enough? Don't say another game...

 

She may not have anywhere else to go, but many of those demanding server merges are not on Harbinger.

 

What happens if BW does decide to force people to suffer the headaches and nightmares a server merge would cause, but doesn't merge any servers into Harbinger. She would be no better off in that case, am I correct?

[Zhedzaban]

She may not have anywhere else to go, but many of those demanding server merges are not on Harbinger.

 

What happens if BW does decide to force people to suffer the headaches and nightmares a server merge would cause, but doesn't merge any servers into Harbinger. She would be no better off in that case, am I correct?

 

You are correct, and I suspect the queue times being referred to on Harb is ranked arena, the most poisonous toxic environment you are ever likely to see anywhere. If it ever popped more frequently than 3.5 hours I'd be surprised. It's amusing seeing 'elite' pvper's in fleet chat begging people to queue ranked, only to see in fleet chat a short time later: " XYZ healer is a total sh*tter! Don't ever queue ranked again you usless *******!"

 

And then they sit there on fleet wondering why no one plays ranked.

[eriksarcasm]

She may not have anywhere else to go, but many of those demanding server merges are not on Harbinger.

 

What happens if BW does decide to force people to suffer the headaches and nightmares a server merge would cause, but doesn't merge any servers into Harbinger. She would be no better off in that case, am I correct?

 

OK, so then what's your solution to the Harbinger queue issue?

 

To Icy: We seem to be in a bit of a lull. A lot of people aren't playing right now, they're waiting for 5.2 to drop to resub or play, so I wouldn't hit the panic button just yet. If there's still a queue issue come 5.2, then worry. Personally I'm shocked you had to wait so long on Harby, but like some other say there may be other factors at play here.

[Icykill_]

OK, so then what's your solution to the Harbinger queue issue?

 

To Icy: We seem to be in a bit of a lull. A lot of people aren't playing right now, they're waiting for 5.2 to drop to resub or play, so I wouldn't hit the panic button just yet. If there's still a queue issue come 5.2, then worry. Personally I'm shocked you had to wait so long on Harby, but like some other say there may be other factors at play here.

 

What annoys me is I just came back after a break. I was waiting for the Devs to tweak the 5.0 gearing grind (shouldn't have bothered as they did nothing substantial). So it's pretty disappointing to come back and see how bad the population and pop times have dropped in just 2 and a half months.

 

I noticed others questioning the time and brackets I was queued. Well it was a mix of brackets because my girl friend was also queued next to me and she was in mids and I was queued for 70s.

The time was Australian prime time. Sure that's not US prime time, but the world doesn't just revolve around the US prime time. Regardless, only 12 months ago in February/March I was playing with heaps of US players right up till 1am our time. Pops were no higher than 2-3 mins even at 12am and during Australian prime time it was less than a min.

What was even sadder was it was Friday in Australia, so all the gamers who usually game on a Friday evening were no where to be found, that's just not normal for Harbinger.

 

I also noticed the anti-merge troll couldn't help himself and had to continue his rage and be rude/abusive at anyone who has an issue with the populations and group pops. We all know you disagree, it's apparent you disagree, but do you have to be so rude and obnoxious to everyone. Even if you aren't trolling, it certainly makes you look like you are.

Anyway I've got you on ignore so I don't see anything you post unless someone else has quoted you and that's enough to see you still can't be civilised and have zero empathy for anyone else's blight but your own.

 

I would like to point out that I wasn't asking for anything originally except for Eric Musco to respond officially to this topic on lack of population for people to play in groups. My other post was to vent my frustration at having to wait so long on the most populated server.

I don't really care at this point if Eric says the answer will be they are going to merge or not merge, I just want an official response that I think the community as a whole deserves. Especially as the Bio guys acknowledged this topic before the expansion, so they obviously know people want some feed back. If they weren't going to acknowledge the topic they shouldn't have said anything about it in that stream and they certainly shouldn't have said they would revisit it in January. All that did was give the impression that we would get an answer or feed back on the topic early in the new year. People on both sides of the fence are waiting for an answer so they can decide what they want to do, depending on Biowares answer. Its this being in limbo that is killing the game even more.

 

What I don't understand is why you (the anti-merge rager) are so against an answer from Bioware. Yourself and a few others are always quick to derail that request by throwing server transfers back in people's faces.

It makes it look like you don't want Bio to respond with an answer because you are scared they may announce mergers. So if you are scared, I can only assume that deep down you know it's a problem and they will inevitably merged the servers. Otherwise why be so against an answer?

I would think that you of all people would like an answer so that the topic stops being discussed. You are always the first person to jump into a merge thread and call it another spam thread and "OMG not another merge thread, just stop". But you then go on to post in it more than anyone else.

If you want this topic muted or stopped, the only way that will happen is with an official response from Eric. You trolling everyone to try and shut people up by being the loudest and most obnoxious person in the thread won't make the topic go away. Any rational person would have realised that by now.

[CrazyCT]

What I don't understand is why you (the anti-merge rager) are so against an answer from Bioware.

 

They've answered several times, it's just not the answer you want.

[Daniellcarlson]

The problem won't go away if you hide it. They still need to merge servers or a massive part of the player base cant play.

 

whats stopping you/them from having Initiative?

 

i log in to a guild that has 30-60 people on nightly and nightly there is a pvp, wb, ops event. that guild leader has it figured out, why cant you?

 

feel your server doesnt have enough people?

then leave the server, if you arent going to then thats your problem.

[eriksarcasm]

They've answered several times, it's just not the answer you want.

 

And the answer was and when....?

[eriksarcasm]

What annoys me is I just came back after a break. I was waiting for the Devs to tweak the 5.0 gearing grind (shouldn't have bothered as they did nothing substantial). So it's pretty disappointing to come back and see how bad the population and pop times have dropped in just 2 and a half months.

 

I noticed others questioning the time and brackets I was queued. Well it was a mix of brackets because my girl friend was also queued next to me and she was in mids and I was queued for 70s.

The time was Australian prime time. Sure that's not US prime time, but the world doesn't just revolve around the US prime time. Regardless, only 12 months ago in February/March I was playing with heaps of US players right up till 1am our time. Pops were no higher than 2-3 mins even at 12am and during Australian prime time it was less than a min.

What was even sadder was it was Friday in Australia, so all the gamers who usually game on a Friday evening were no where to be found, that's just not normal for Harbinger.

 

I also noticed the anti-merge troll couldn't help himself and had to continue his rage and be rude/abusive at anyone who has an issue with the populations and group pops. We all know you disagree, it's apparent you disagree, but do you have to be so rude and obnoxious to everyone. Even if you aren't trolling, it certainly makes you look like you are.

Anyway I've got you on ignore so I don't see anything you post unless someone else has quoted you and that's enough to see you still can't be civilised and have zero empathy for anyone else's blight but your own.

 

I would like to point out that I wasn't asking for anything originally except for Eric Musco to respond officially to this topic on lack of population for people to play in groups. My other post was to vent my frustration at having to wait so long on the most populated server.

I don't really care at this point if Eric says the answer will be they are going to merge or not merge, I just want an official response that I think the community as a whole deserves. Especially as the Bio guys acknowledged this topic before the expansion, so they obviously know people want some feed back. If they weren't going to acknowledge the topic they shouldn't have said anything about it in that stream and they certainly shouldn't have said they would revisit it in January. All that did was give the impression that we would get an answer or feed back on the topic early in the new year. People on both sides of the fence are waiting for an answer so they can decide what they want to do, depending on Biowares answer. Its this being in limbo that is killing the game even more.

 

What I don't understand is why you (the anti-merge rager) are so against an answer from Bioware. Yourself and a few others are always quick to derail that request by throwing server transfers back in people's faces.

It makes it look like you don't want Bio to respond with an answer because you are scared they may announce mergers. So if you are scared, I can only assume that deep down you know it's a problem and they will inevitably merged the servers. Otherwise why be so against an answer?

I would think that you of all people would like an answer so that the topic stops being discussed. You are always the first person to jump into a merge thread and call it another spam thread and "OMG not another merge thread, just stop". But you then go on to post in it more than anyone else.

If you want this topic muted or stopped, the only way that will happen is with an official response from Eric. You trolling everyone to try and shut people up by being the loudest and most obnoxious person in the thread won't make the topic go away. Any rational person would have realised that by now.

 

You came back at a bad time, is all. Anyway some people like to appoint themselves as unofficial spokespeople for the devs, and speak as if their opinions carry more weight than anyone else's. You have your opinion, but what you're forgetting is ME! ME! ME!

 

For the record I think SOME servers should be merged but not all. There are at least 4, if not 5 that are perfectly viable in the US, and 1 or 2 in EU, that are still sustainable. But right now is not a great gauge of game health because it seems that alot of players are on a break. Can we all agree to suspend this discussion until after 5.2 drops?

[CrazyCT]

And the answer was and when....?

 

Answers were "No.", "No.", "No.", and "Not right now, but just to keep you hanging on, we'll tell you we'll review that decision at some vague point in the future."

 

I'll search for where the exact answers were posted if I get bored later.

Edited March 4, 2017 by CrazyCT

[eriksarcasm]

Answers were "No.", "No.", "No.", and "Not right now, but just to keep you hanging on, we'll tell you we'll review that decision at some vague point in the future."

 

I'll search for where the exact answers were posted if I get bored later.

 

No need, I believe you. But, are those answers cumulative over the life of the game, or since the last merge? And that last one... do you truly expect anyone, pro or con, to be satisfied with such a response? To any question, mind you, not just this one.

Edited March 4, 2017 by eriksarcasm

[CrazyCT]

No need, I believe you. But, are those answers cumulative over the life of the game, or since the last merge? And that last one... do you truly expect anyone, pro or con, to be satisfied with such a response? To any question, mind you, not just this one.

 

No, it's not satisfactory, but take from it what you will.

 

It makes me think of a tired parent, telling a child something just to get them to shut up. "If you're a good boy, we'll take you for ice-cream next week." Sounds to me like they have no intentions of implementing it, and they only said that to get people to stop harping on about it for at least a few weeks.

[DreadtechSavant]

I also noticed the anti-merge troll couldn't help himself and had to continue his rage and be rude/abusive at anyone who has an issue with the populations and group pops. We all know you disagree, it's apparent you disagree, but do you have to be so rude and obnoxious to everyone. Even if you aren't trolling, it certainly makes you look like you are.

Anyway I've got you on ignore so I don't see anything you post unless someone else has quoted you and that's enough to see you still can't be civilised and have zero empathy for anyone else's blight but your own. .

 

Being rude is a matter of perspective. While I won't speak for every Other player who does not won't server merges, I think it you who is being rude (well by you I mean all who are asking for mergers) You are asking BW to affect hundreds of other players account to personally benefit you. From my perspective that's you lot being rude. Again that's not directed at you personally but all of you. When there are lots of posts on any given subject most will pick a single post to reply to. There response is generally at all though, I can see why it does seem personal attack on the individual but believe me it's not.

 

I would like to point out that I wasn't asking for anything originally except for Eric Musco to respond officially to this topic on lack of population for people to play in groups. My other post was to vent my frustration at having to wait so long on the most populated server.

I don't really care at this point if Eric says the answer will be they are going to merge or not merge, I just want an official response that I think the community as a whole deserves. Especially as the Bio guys acknowledged this topic before the expansion, so they obviously know people want some feed back. If they weren't going to acknowledge the topic they shouldn't have said anything about it in that stream and they certainly shouldn't have said they would revisit it in January. All that did was give the impression that we would get an answer or feed back on the topic early in the new year. People on both sides of the fence are waiting for an answer so they can decide what they want to do, depending on Biowares answer. Its this being in limbo that is killing the game even more..

 

Population has not gone in the last two months. If waiting times for any group activity has it's more to do with players not wanting to group. GC maybe the reason as players are concentrating on that. While groups do get more CG points, the waiting time in-between groups may mean you end up getting less points in the long run. That is only an opinion and not based of accrual numbers. I do know on all the servers I go on regularly the number of players seem stationary.

What I don't understand is why you (the anti-merge rager) are so against an answer from Bioware. Yourself and a few others are always quick to derail that request by throwing server transfers back in people's faces.

It makes it look like you don't want Bio to respond with an answer because you are scared they may announce mergers. So if you are scared, I can only assume that deep down you know it's a problem and they will inevitably merged the servers. Otherwise why be so against an answer?

I would think that you of all people would like an answer so that the topic stops being discussed. You are always the first person to jump into a merge thread and call it another spam thread and "OMG not another merge thread, just stop". But you then go on to post in it more than anyone else.

If you want this topic muted or stopped, the only way that will happen is with an official response from Eric. You trolling everyone to try and shut people up by being the loudest and most obnoxious person in the thread won't make the topic go away. Any rational person would have realised that by now.

 

 

As for server transfers, Well it a reality you chose to ignore. Ok maybe in your case you happen to be on the server you want to be on. Yet you feel you have the right to tell others they cannot have the same right? So you claim we are throwing this in your face? Well that's far better than what you are doing to us. BTW What gives you the right to ask BW to change my account without my approval or consent? If I asked BW to close your server because of the toxic verbal rants on there, how would you feel?

 

Anyway moving on to the second point, no one is against BW giving an answer, I may remind you it was players who want mergers/ answers doing the demanding here. So rage? Again a matter of perspective. We have not raged against everything other than to point out BW don't have to give an answer. However I can not speck for BW, but I can only think of two reasons why they have not given an answer.

 

1. They said they would look at numbers and after doing so have decided to do nothing at present time. If so giving this response on the forums would not appease you as you claim. You would not except such an answer and doubt very much any other player who want mergers would either. or...

 

2. BW are still looking and are still in talks about it and as such nothing to say yet. OK BW could say we are still looking at numbers. However if they said that we all know far to many would take that as, "server are merging" despite the fact they only said it was been looked into. So personally I think saying nothing is the better response.

 

]You trolling everyone to try and shut people up by being the loudest and most obnoxious person in the thread won't make the topic go away. Any rational person would have realised that by now.

 

Again a matter of perspective. Ok you did not start this thread. But this is what the 30th or around that threads on this subject. That's trolling to me. As for telling you to shut up about this, you are doing the same telling any one who does not want mergers to shut up. I, same as any other player has the right to defend what happens to my/there account that I/they pay for. So back at you. So no we won't go away either. BTW 30 odd threads by the same 30-35 players does not quell the majority.

Edited March 4, 2017 by DreadtechSavant

[Ratajack]

No need, I believe you. But, are those answers cumulative over the life of the game, or since the last merge? And that last one... do you truly expect anyone, pro or con, to be satisfied with such a response? To any question, mind you, not just this one.

 

To the best of my knowledge, none of those answers predate the last merges.

[Ratajack]

No, it's not satisfactory, but take from it what you will.

 

It makes me think of a tired parent, telling a child something just to get them to shut up. "If you're a good boy, we'll take you for ice-cream next week." Sounds to me like they have no intentions of implementing it, and they only said that to get people to stop harping on about it for at least a few weeks.

 

When the "Merge servers NOW!!!! I NEED more LFG fodder!!!!!!" crowd cannot take "No" for an answer, but continues to pester for those server merges like a petulant child pestering his Mommy for that cookie he wants, do you blame BW for giving that vague parental-like answer in the hopes of gaining at least a little peace and quiet on the subject?

 

I think the fact that they extended the 90 CC sale (indefinitely, if I am correct) is very likely their "answer". It just doesn't happen to be the answer the "Merge servers NOW!!! I NEED more LFG fodder!!!!" crowd wants to hear.

[PaulBane]

If they merge servers, then i hope they dont merge the german and french servers.

I could not stand it.

[DreadtechSavant]

Do you need to argue with everyone?

 

We are just asking for Bioware to respond to this topic. Your analysis of what everyone writes isn't helpful

 

Yet you are doing the same. That and asking for BW to answer a question, that has been asked in 30 plus threads. All of which BW have already chosen to not answer in. You say I am arguing. I am answering your points, point for point. That's called a debate. It's your analysis that needs amending. If you really wanted an answer you would have sent Eric a direct PM, not come to the forums with baseless scare mongering tactics like you have. "Oh the games going to end" rubbish So really don't care that you don't like my posts.

 

You are not the only player to come here with the game is dying sentiments and doubt be the last. When you make statements like that and then claim you only want an official answer from BW. Sorry no you went far beyond doing or asking for that.

Edited March 4, 2017 by DreadtechSavant

[mmmbuddah]

Honestly at this point they should merge all english servers in the EU.

[Andryah]

For the record I think SOME servers should be merged but not all. There are at least 4, if not 5 that are perfectly viable in the US, and 1 or 2 in EU, that are still sustainable. But right now is not a great gauge of game health because it seems that alot of players are on a break. Can we all agree to suspend this discussion until after 5.2 drops?

 

^^ This is true... but it does not apply to Harbinger in any way... and it is NOT the narrative being offered here demanding merges. The demands are for more people to be merged to Harbinger... as guildless friendless players who are dependent on random queue pops do not want to wait for a queue to pop (some complain about pops in 5 minutes being too long).

 

There are several themes to server merge dicsussions... and some are valid (like ---> address PoT5, Bastion, and Jung Ma in NA), others are not (like merging EH, Shadowlands, JC, etc into Harbinger NOW!) Some are too cheap or too stubborn to use the 90cc transfer (now running indefinitely) and demand the studio merge servers, while completely ignoring the impact this would have on guilds in the current game, in the absence of a true guild move process being released.

[eriksarcasm]

^^ This is true... but it does not apply to Harbinger in any way... and it is NOT the narrative being offered here demanding merges. The demands are for more people to be merged to Harbinger... as guildless friendless players who are dependent on random queue pops do not want to wait for a queue to pop (some complain about pops in 5 minutes being too long).

 

There are several themes to server merge dicsussions... and some are valid (like ---> address PoT5, Bastion, and Jung Ma in NA), others are not (like merging EH, Shadowlands, JC, etc into Harbinger NOW!) Some are too cheap or too stubborn to use the 90cc transfer (now running indefinitely) and demand the studio merge servers, while completely ignoring the impact this would have on guilds in the current game, in the absence of a true guild move process being released.

 

I think we can mostly agree, at least, that they'd have to address the guild situation if and when they merge. Transferring servers doesn't solve all problems, present or future. One point the pro-merger crowd makes that is valid is that it's better to do it sooner rather than later, when it's too late. Further, the health of the largest server is generally a very good gauge of the overall health of the game.

[fushnchips]

I think the only thing holding back 1 US mega server is what will happen with guilds, character names, purchased items like guild ships and decos would they lose all those items if the servers were made into 1 ?.

 

Also the backlash if the merge went bad and people didn't get the character names they built up over the years or they lost something that an entire guild worked hard for this is what maybe holding things back and I tell you now the outcry about GC will be tiny compared to this and it could do damage that can't be undone as in the biggest decline in subscribers and not just subs but also pref,f2p dedicated players and it could push the game into an era that has never been seen before.

 

But one thing I would like to see is actually something from the team to as why this subject is not having much Bioware support even though it will behind closed doors but as a community I think it's nice to be included or have some input into the future of the game and dead servers like Jung Ma, Pot 5, Bastion in the US can't be good for the game no matter how you look at it.

 

But at the end of the day 1 mega server in the US realm will happen it's just a matter of when and how this will be done and also the EU servers are a little more tricky due to the language barriers this would be a real pain for bioware to do 1 EU server because of that barrier.

[HuaRya]

Around 90% of my play time is on Harbinger now but I do like to leave the city and visit the rural villages of Jedi Covenant with fleet so quiet you can only hear the beep beep of the droids (even on Imp side fleet) and the village of Shadowlands where the 25 minute waits for a pvp/gsf pop let's me get reacquainted with the farming premades of shadow/sinns or gunship wall of pubs who can't grasp why the Imps don't keep queuing when they beat them 50-4 in a death match.

 

When I see these multiple merge server threads pop up I realize it's so bizarrely polarized there is in making sense of the catharsis.

 

But for those who don't own a guild ship and don't mind re-decorating their stronghold consider moving a toon for around 1 dollar to the big city of Harbinger with frequent pops, bountiful GTN selections, and people LFG of all kinds on fleet. Remember to load up your cargo with all the things you haven't been able to sell locally cause you might be pleasantly surprised what people buy on Harbinger GTN.

 

Know that this game is still very much active and alive it may take a translocation to find out they are still SWTOR'ing like it's 3.0 ! Cheers!

[BlissDivine]

Dead servers are bad for the game. Any new player that unfortunately picks a dead server will not get pops for group content. They won't even be able to play half the game, just the single player stuff.

 

Bioware should have been doing more to bring new players into the game. 4.0 and 5.0 have been failures for the games population.

[eriksarcasm]

Around 90% of my play time is on Harbinger now but I do like to leave the city and visit the rural villages of Jedi Covenant with fleet so quiet you can only hear the beep beep of the droids (even on Imp side fleet) and the village of Shadowlands where the 25 minute waits for a pvp/gsf pop let's me get reacquainted with the farming premades of shadow/sinns or gunship wall of pubs who can't grasp why the Imps don't keep queuing when they beat them 50-4 in a death match.

 

When I see these multiple merge server threads pop up I realize it's so bizarrely polarized there is in making sense of the catharsis.

 

But for those who don't own a guild ship and don't mind re-decorating their stronghold consider moving a toon for around 1 dollar to the big city of Harbinger with frequent pops, bountiful GTN selections, and people LFG of all kinds on fleet. Remember to load up your cargo with all the things you haven't been able to sell locally cause you might be pleasantly surprised what people buy on Harbinger GTN.

 

Know that this game is still very much active and alive it may take a translocation to find out they are still SWTOR'ing like it's 3.0 ! Cheers!

 

Huh. I get frequent pops of everything except GSF when it's not bonus day in under 25 minutes on Shadowlands every day... I must be doing something wrong.

 

Still, Harbinger sounds great but you forgot to mention the hackers, cheaters, racist trolls, elitist and other deplorables.

 

And maybe, just maybe, the fleets are empty (dunno if 100+ people counts as empty but to each their own) because players are... i dunno.... DOING STUFF? PLAYING THE GAME instead of standing around on fleet being trolls. They all must be doing something wrong.

 

But no, Harby sounds great. Can't wait to be forced into that community. MERG SRVRS NAO!!!