Server Merge Discussion Thread

[Alssaran]

Again. Because they have one server for Europe and one for NA. Something you seem to be against for SWTOR. This kind of hypocrisy is fascinating by Spock standards.

 

Funnily enough, I am not against the concept of mega servers if it was actually implemented at the beginning. Game styles can also vary from game to game. What I enjoy for ESO and it's specific community, which have build up on a mega server over the years, it doesn't mean I like the same for SWTOR. SWTOR's server communities have way different mentalities than ESO's, which has build itself and worked with the mega server mentality from the start.

 

What I have made clear in the past, and also in this 200 page thread several times, is the idea that everyone should be forced onto a mega server after being with their smaller communities for years, and often by choice. And the idea that, for some strange reason, people believe that everyone always wants to get onto mega servers and should be willing to pay with their character names for it.

 

I am not against the concept of a mega server, although I prefer my smaller community in SWTOR. I tried TRE and Harbinger, and these communities were just too..."toxic" for my taste. An issue I never had in ESO. I am against the concept of having a game that has set communities, and some even for specifics such as RP, all thrown together against their will six years in, and then bringing suggestions like "just give the name away because they are paying for benefits" coming from quite a few corners. You should stop assuming I am against the concept of "mega servers". I am against how people seem to want to implement it into a game that has formed around servers for six years. What worked for ESO at release doesn't necessarily work for a game six years into it's lifespan. Just because I like breasts on a woman doesn't mean I'd enjoy them just as much on a guy. It's not the concept. It's the entire package.

 

Mega servers = Not the issue.

 

Mega servers without clear strategies, a way for everyone to keep their names and guild names six years in = Tremendous problem.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Alssaran

[kodrac]

I've been playing ESO for the past month and I am rather pleased. I had a duel (light armoured DPS sorcerer vs. templar) that lasted over two minutes without any breaks in action. I'm rather pleased with the length of PvP duels and balance I've seen in the past month.

 

No, I don't think the 5.3 nerfs are bad. I think some were a little bit too much, but all of them were necessary. That might give you a rough idea of how severe I think nerfs must get so I consider them "bad."

 

I played for 3 years. Come back to me after the next update when they've completely changed another facet of combat or removed any uniqueness of the next class to get butchered. They like to throw **** on the wall to see what sticks over there. There's no vision. They say there is but the gameplay says otherwise.

 

Or wait till you realize RNG is buried into every facet of the game. The GC RNG gearing we have here (which I"ve personally railed against) is miniscule compared to there where every activity is gated by it. Praying to RNGesus is a real thing over there. So is quick burnout due to never getting the gear you need and having to grind the farm daily unsuccessfully. Or try out a second class after you've mastered your first and then realize every class plays the same due to the constant nerfs homogenizing them. There is zero uniqueness to gear and builds.

 

The expansion was brutal on all classes, even the one they just released with the expansion. It was overpowered in the beta and nerfed to useless on release day. The nerfs and combat changes together has killed the raiding scene. Not to mention they have just about as many raids as we do here, so don't expect a massive amount of end game activities. You've just started after the hot mess called Morrowind and have yet to experience the (mis)management and randomness of the combat/class/game development. What do you think of our Cartel Market? Not a fan?

Well, look out, they're just getting into third gear ****** and pillaging of the playerbase. And don't get me started on bots and exploits. Everything in All the Best Spuds' post is 100% accurate and I very rarely agree with him on either forum. You'll see. Give it time. It seems active and busy in comparison but that's because a couple updates ago they put all factions in the same zones together (without PvP). There's no more segregation. Imagine if we had no pub or iimp fleet.

 

I'm far from a SWtoR white knight and it has it's issues, still, but between 5.2 and Morrowind these two games are going in opposite directions.

Edited August 4, 2017 by kodrac

[Alssaran]

I played for 3 years. Come back to me after the next update when they've completely changed another facet of combat or removed any uniqueness of the next class to get butchered.

 

We can agree to disagree then. Because, no offense, but what I read in your post is what I read everywhere about every MMORPG out there. "Classes feel the same." "Balance is butchered." "RNG is too much." "The grind is too real." "The in-game store is unrelenting." "The developers are sh*t and don't know their job."

 

People have been saying some of these things about WoW for years and prophecised the downfall of WoW within two years ever since 2007. Yet it kept on giving.

 

If you don't like the game, then that's fine by me. This is getting slightly off-topic, so you can PM me if you have something else to say. For now, I'd advise to go back to topic.

[kodrac]

This is getting slightly off-topic,

 

Maybe it's a sign this circle jerk is tiring out.

[Jedi_riches]

This is one of the most condescending, unreflective and self-serving suggestions I have read in a long time.

 

Let me quickly describe why:

 

 

 

Basically, no. There have been countless arguments for time constraints, who had the name longer, name purges and everything inbetween, and all are "somewhat" reasonable. I can get behind the idea. I don't agree, but I get the idea. But there is no way to outright prioritize big servers over small servers just for the heck of it.

 

I should lose the name I had for six years because you decided to roll a character of the same name on a more populated server a month ago?

 

If that goes through, I'm out. And so will be many others.

 

 

 

Let me give you a brief status update here:

 

Some people do not want the so called "benefits" of playing on high-density servers.

 

Some people are on low-population servers because they tremendously enjoy a smaller community.

 

Some people were not asking for the "benefits", so they won't be willing to "pay the small price for these tremendous benefits."

 

It's always amazing that people make it out as if everyone on small servers is clamoring at the walls to get off, and everyone would just love to be on Harbinger because it's the best thing since sliced bread. You already have all the tools to move servers if you want. The people who do not want are, thus, either terribly broke or they like where they are. So don't go around assuming you can put a "character name price" on merging them together because "they can be glad to receive the benefits of full servers, so they can pay with their names."

 

I'm one of these people who choose to play on a medium to small server because I like the community. I do not care about the benefits of Harbinger, whatever these may be. If you want me to pay with my character names so Bioware can force these "benefits" onto me, then bye. I would not be putting up with that mentality, and I think many others wouldn't either.

 

I have to agree here it's like a tax for inconvenience, as you say some players don't want to move so they have no benefit by moving (in many cases it's worse).

 

The only 'fair' way (well as fair as loosing names can be) is the player who has held the name the longer assuming it is not a dormant account and has been used recently. I think that's how it worked during the last merges.

[Andryah]

For accounts lacking subscription status over a year, there is absolutely no reason for those people who have walked away from the game to keep their names and prevent the rest of us from being able to use them.

 

No disagreement. People who have abandoned an MMO for more than a year certainly have no standing to not have non-items, like gear, purged from their account if they represent assets to a character that could benefit freeing them for an active player.

 

However, no such action in any way insures that any given player would have access to a name they want by such a purge. See.. this is the fallacy with the name purge desire by some players. It will strip names from the names_used logs, but that does not mean Jimmy-Joe Bob is suddenly available for the next player that wants it.

 

But again.... with the addition of <space> to naming conventions, it is pretty easy if forced to rename to simply move to a <firstname><space><surname> approach. Many players, myself included, wished they had done this at launch.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Andryah

[kodrac]

You know what I don't like about the <space> convention? And this is probably very nit-picky, but in the chatbox it doesn't capitalize the surname. So instead of Legolas Skywalker you see Legolas skywalker. Drives me nuts.

[Jedi_riches]

You know what I don't like about the <space> convention? And this is probably very nit-picky, but in the chatbox it doesn't capitalize the surname. So instead of Legolas Skywalker you see Legolas skywalker. Drives me nuts.

 

Actually your not the only one it bugs me too.

[Transcendent]

The only 'fair' way (well as fair as loosing names can be) is the player who has held the name the longer assuming it is not a dormant account and has been used recently. I think that's how it worked during the last merges.

 

There isn't a "fair" way of a player losing a name due to server merges, which is why I suggested (as other have) that they simply adopt the Blizzard way of character names having a #number that is only visible to devs / players on login screens. That way no player loses a name.

 

Heck if BioWare chose to be sensible about things, when introducing that, they could also remove the ability for players to have random lettering and force renames on those characters that do have that type of naming convention (except for the obvious where language differences require it).

 

As to forcing players off of servers where there is a low population, let them stay there if they choose to (give them a free transfer x amount of characters on the server in question in the account management pages). Then exclude new players being able to create characters on them (so they don't wander in to a "dead" server and think the game is "dead"). That way it is then a "choice" to move off of the server, at no cost to those players who wish to move.

[MissilyMilcasia]

No disagreement. People who have abandoned an MMO for more than a year certainly have no standing to not have non-items, like gear, purged from their account if they represent assets to a character that could benefit freeing them for an active player.

 

However, no such action in any way insures that any given player would have access to a name they want by such a purge. See.. this is the fallacy with the name purge desire by some players. It will strip names from the names_used logs, but that does not mean Jimmy-Joe Bob is suddenly available for the next player that wants it.

 

But again.... with the addition of <space> to naming conventions, it is pretty easy if forced to rename to simply move to a <firstname><space><surname> approach. Many players, myself included, wished they had done this at launch.

 

The whole naming system was designed rather poorly. GW2's approach would've been a better design.

 

No fixing it now though. I don't know if I'd go that far on the purge. People are off and on with content cycles, but certainly if they havent played a chapter or KOTFE or KOTET or bought either why are they holding names? If they haven't logged in during the last two years, why are they holding names?

 

thats why megaservers are a good idea. first come, first serve.

Edited August 4, 2017 by MissilyMilcasia

[HuaRya]

For accounts lacking subscription status over a year, there is absolutely no reason for those people who have walked away from the game to keep their names and prevent the rest of us from being able to use them.

 

Why that long? If an actual subscriber wants a name that a non-subscriber has they should be able to have it instantly.

[Mubrak]

Oh, well that's good. I only said what I said because when I was researching other viable games to move to, some of the stuff I read said ESO was on the decline.

 

I guess any game seems active these days compared to swtor 😢

 

I've given ESO a try in the past 2-3 months for the nostalgia of Morrowind, and I've had a blast, just like with every new game, I like. But well, what I played was a solo RPG where I noticed other players mainly when they parked their mounts and pets right over the NPCs that were about to play the conclusion-"cutscene" of a quest line (in an open non-instanced area while being visible only to me.)

 

Since you don't need to actually be in a group for your participation to count when doing stuff like world bosses or public dungeons, and since you can't group with 2/3 of the players around you anyway because they're in the wrong faction (or can you?), even group content that can't be soloed is a rather lonely experience, where you're unlikely to make any friends.

 

Guilds seem to mainly exist to sell your loot and crafting produce, so not much socialising there either. Even chat is rather shallow, I've never seen any random conversations (at least not in the languages where I can tell.) only WTS, LFG and guild ads praising their premium location guild vendor in an endless loop.

 

 

So now that I'm at the "endgame" (cp160) grind where my options to gear up are farming repeatable (daily) quests over and over until I get the piece I need, or crafting the gear myself after farming 100+ gathering nodes or killing and skinning 200+ animals just to be able to craft one piece of gear, GC doesn't look bad at all.

 

Also, not sure if it is a symptom of the megaserver population, or just the servers/engine but I have a better ping to the Shadowlands from the EU, than to ESO's EU megaserver which is located little more than a stone's throw away from where I live.

 

The B2P vs. ESO plus concept is interesting, along with giving you "free" access to the DLCs as a member, ESO mainly keeps your inventory space hostage. If you are a hoarder or have any plans to craft, like, at all, you better subscribe.

 

Anyway, here I am, no regrets spending the money for Morrowind and a sub (or wasting 90 days of SWTOR sub by playing something else), but also not too interested in continuing playing. ESO was a nice break, but not more.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Mubrak

[IoNonSoEVero]

No disagreement. People who have abandoned an MMO for more than a year certainly have no standing to not have non-items, like gear, purged from their account if they represent assets to a character that could benefit freeing them for an active player.

.

 

The thing is, though, there are actually a ton of legit reasons someone could be away from a game for a year. Being deployed, for instance. Running into financial difficulties. Being sick or being a caregiver to someone who is sick. Having some other legit issues. How awful would it be for someone to finally be able to log into their game after a year or two of stress in their personal lives, and discover that they'd lost their name?

 

I think the options some others have mentioned here, like numbering and last names, are far better.

Edited August 4, 2017 by IoNonSoEVero

[DarthSpuds]

You and me seem to be playing a very different game then. I've been playing the game for the past month, and I had, at no point or time whatsoever, issues finding a good amount of groups to do content or people to PvP against. Surprisingly enough, I found groups for PvE content at 3:00 AM GMT on the European megaserver. That's something that's, sadly, not possible on SWTOR. At no point in the past two years did I ever find enough people to start something meaningful at 3:00 AM server time on the Progenitor.

 

That's the nature of a megaserver - there's nearly always some other people around.

 

Yesterday I logged in to ESO for the first time since the last round of Morrowind Beta.

Prime time early evening European time. I'd normally expect to see 50+ guildies on - there were 5, and 3 of those were AFK. I'd normally expect chat to be full of LFG chat, the majority of which used to be "Full now thanks". I actually saw LFG requests for DPSers. And people were begging for and offering to pay Tanks and Healers.

 

You've been playing for the last month, I had been playing for over a year - player population is a joke now compared to how it was pre-Morrowind.

 

All The Best

[DarthSpuds]

For accounts lacking subscription status over a year, there is absolutely no reason for those people who have walked away from the game to keep their names

 

It is possible to be active in the game without a subscription.

 

Priority for keeping names should go to the player with the longest use of a name.

 

All The Best

[DarthSpuds]

Everything in All the Best Spuds' post is 100% accurate and I very rarely agree with him on either forum.

 

Well, heck, we agreed on something?

 

Perhaps there is hope for humanity after all.

 

All The Best

[Pietrastor]

Adding semi-hidden numbers to ALL names is the best and fairiest solution IMO. Cap the limit on any name at 999 so that it doesn't become too long and have the numbers used in chats, mail, whispers etc - Stacy-007, Dorthvudder-996. Names displayed in story content, group frames and in the nameplates would remain number-less.

 

Heck, do the numbers in Aurabesh font to make it more lore-friendly and visually appealing.

 

There's no better solution to the core mistakes made when designing the naming system before the game launched other than forced renames and catfights who should get to keep the name.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Pietrastor

[BoySaber]

Or would you prefer being forced by a server merge to have random integers attached to the end of your name, as some are suggesting???? I personally do not. I'll take Jan Smith (or any other surname of my choosing) rather then Jan2145.

 

Nobody is suggesting that a hidden code is displayed in your name. This is only in database, behind the eyes of players. You would still be seen as Jan Smith as some other player would be Jan Smith too. The code is only needed when mailing, whispering, inviting. But not during chat, not during targeting, portraits, or anything major. Plus they still did not handle capital after space for name. It still displays as lower case in chat which is annoying.

[CrazyCT]

Nobody is suggesting that a hidden code is displayed in your name. This is only in database, behind the eyes of players. You would still be seen as Jan Smith as some other player would be Jan Smith too. The code is only needed when mailing, whispering, inviting. But not during chat, not during targeting, portraits, or anything major. Plus they still did not handle capital after space for name. It still displays as lower case in chat which is annoying.

 

How would you send a tell to Ahsoka Tano, if you can't see which of the 15,493 of them it is you're addressing?

[BoySaber]

How would you send a tell to Ahsoka Tano, if you can't see which of the 15,493 of them it is you're addressing?

 

You hit /r to reply to her, you right click her body/portrait, or you add her to friend list where code shows. If you have more than one Ahsoka Tano in friend list, its your responsibility to organize comments, feature that exists in game. Inspecting player character screen would also show it. Guild roster shows legacy names, if they match use member notes. Right clicking names, portraits and characters and going to whisper would automatically type code after name. But the code itself does not display when you send or receive message (unless you enable that option like you can enable clock), you can only see which one it is if you right clcik and read from drop down menu. Its hidden from active gameplay, it is behind the scene. Allows everyone to be called how they want. Hopefully they blocked Ahsoka Tano name like they did with other known characters.

Edited August 5, 2017 by BoySaber

[CrazyCT]

You hit /r to reply to her, you right click her body/portrait, or you add her to friend list where code shows. If you have more than one Ahsoka Tano in friend list, its your responsibility to organize comments, feature that exists in game. Inspecting player character screen would also show it. Guild roster shows legacy names, if they match use member notes. Right clicking names, portraits and characters and going to whisper would automatically type code after name. But the code itself does not display when you send or receive message (unless you enable that option like you can enable clock), you can only see which one it is if you right clcik and read from drop down menu. Its hidden from active gameplay, it is behind the scene. Allows everyone to be called how they want. Hopefully they blocked Ahsoka Tano name like they did with other known characters.

 

/crayon

 

How will you add a new friend to your list if they share the same name as someone else, if you can't see their reference number? If you try to add "Jan Smith", and there's more than one, it won't work, unless you can specify WHICH Jan Smith you want to add. You won't be able to send tells to anyone unless you can actually see them, or they've already spoken to you.

Same the opposite way - How do you put someone on ignore, unless you can do the same, and actually see them?

 

Not to mention what could happen if you have more than one Jan Smith in your guild. How would you work that?

 

And they probably HAVE blocked Ahsoka Tano, but what about Ahsøka, Ahsokâ, or Åhsoka?

[BoySaber]

/crayon

 

How will you add a new friend to your list if they share the same name as someone else, if you can't see their reference number? If you try to add "Jan Smith", and there's more than one, it won't work, unless you can specify WHICH Jan Smith you want to add. You won't be able to send tells to anyone unless you can actually see them, or they've already spoken to you.

Same the opposite way - How do you put someone on ignore, unless you can do the same, and actually see them?

 

Not to mention what could happen if you have more than one Jan Smith in your guild. How would you work that?

 

And they probably HAVE blocked Ahsoka Tano, but what about Ahsøka, Ahsokâ, or Åhsoka?

 

For Friends: All my friends can tell me their code on discord/steam/origin etc.

For new in game Friends: They are people I met and interact with, either chat or pve and pvp activity, which means they can be right clicked in chat box or right clicked their character. Chat box can have option to display code like it has to display time in chat options.

Players I never see or interact with have no reason to be added or ignored. Either way just like now you must know all characters to add or ignore, including the hidden ones. They are hidden from active game, they are not inaccessible. They can be accessible just as they are now, just involves a right click.

For guild roster use drop down menu that allows you to display conquest points, last played, and name code.

Some games have feature to show who you played with recently (like warframe) which could help to track them down people you forgot to add. Swtor can learn from it.

Mission complete screen also pops you with option to add people you play with.

For duplicates of Ahsøka, Ahsokâ, or Åhsoka same rules applies just as for any duplicate.

 

The goal is that player have option to see them or not see them in general gameplay, and can alter those options in chat options and name templates, tooltip options etc. But at same time it prevents name stealing. Everyone gets to keep the name they want.

Edited August 5, 2017 by BoySaber

[CrazyCT]

For Friends: All my friends can tell me their code on discord/steam/origin etc.

For new in game Friends: They are people I met and interact with, either chat or pve and pvp activity, which means they can be right clicked in chat box or right clicked their character. Chat box can have option to display code like it has to display time in chat options.

Players I never see or interact with have no reason to be added or ignored. Either way just like now you must know all characters to add or ignore, including the hidden ones. They are hidden from active game, they are not inaccessible. They can be accessible just as they are now, just involves a right click.

For guild roster use drop down menu that allows you to display conquest points, last played, and name code.

Some games have feature to show who you played with recently (like warframe) which could help to track them down people you forgot to add. Swtor can learn from it.

Mission complete screen also pops you with option to add people you play with.

For duplicates of Ahsøka, Ahsokâ, or Åhsoka same rules applies just as for any duplicate.

 

Apart from all the extra effort involved in your suggestions, what about the trolls that I want to ignore on my alts? Do I have to wait till they start trolling for me to see them and ignore them, or would it be better to have them ignored BEFORE I have to put up with them?

On the subject of trolling, if the chat channel just shows the name, you could have people intentionally picking the same name as someone else to use the chat - all they'd need to do is wait till the person is active in chat and throw in some extra lines. Or to troll in RP using emotes - get a stealth char and stand near the person whose name you are using and spam emotes, getting the person put on numerous ignore lists.

 

Or....come up with a better solution that doesn't involve so much work or cause any confusion.

[BoySaber]

Apart from all the extra effort involved in your suggestions, what about the trolls that I want to ignore on my alts? Do I have to wait till they start trolling for me to see them and ignore them, or would it be better to have them ignored BEFORE I have to put up with them?

On the subject of trolling, if the chat channel just shows the name, you could have people intentionally picking the same name as someone else to use the chat - all they'd need to do is wait till the person is active in chat and throw in some extra lines. Or to troll in RP using emotes - get a stealth char and stand near the person whose name you are using and spam emotes, getting the person put on numerous ignore lists.

 

Or....come up with a better solution that doesn't involve so much work or cause any confusion.

 

It would be good if you could ignore trolls before they troll, but you cannot ignore a troll unless you know its a troll, and you know when they troll. Either way you spend equal amount of time to ignore them be that before or after. It would be nice if bioware actually adds account ignore as option, not just character name ignore. And if they allow emote to be clickable as well so that troll can be detected from the original and end up on ignore list instead.

BioWare will not deal with trolls as they do not deal with them now. There cannot be another solution that allows everyone to have character's display name that they want without a secret code secret name, something in database that makes them different, and at same time to allow fluent communication in game. All other outcomes lead towards renaming and purging names which is not solution.

 

This probably involve much work, but is not confusing, nor new, such systems have been used in other games and applications, I first time discovered it in 2012, I think that Guild Wars 2 uses similar system for creating accounts. Discord application also has the code attached to display name and did not create any complication in communication. There are also Nick Names features.

[MissilyMilcasia]

You should keep this simple. When a name collides just make them choose a new name when they log in. So if you are merging a small-population server with a bigger server name priority goes to the big server character. Because most of the benefit goes to the players being imported anyhow, so they wont mind if a character needs a rename. If similar sized servers are merged then whoever logs in first after the merge gets the original name, the second person has to choose a new name at login.

 

And to handle purging of old names, instead of purging old names why not just identify which names are in conflict and then if the name is old purge it. Or you could do the checks at login time so that the name doesn't actually get purged until the conflicting name tries to login, thus giving the old player a little more time to come back to re-activate his player name.

 

Its best for these things to keep it simple.

 

The solution is the megaservers idea. That way it's first come first serve, and people can move characters as they please.

 

I also think they should still name purge any non-70s who havent played anytime in KOTFE or KOTET.

Edited August 5, 2017 by MissilyMilcasia