Time to merge the US servers... again. Primetime window getting smaller and smaller.

[AlrikFassbauer]

The lack of real expansions and sluggish content update cadences have really hurt this game in the long run. Satele Shan is dying. Primetime window gets smaller and smaller and ranked PvP won't pop generally until it's almost ET evening hours. Even SF is very quiet until ET evening hours.

 

This is also another Shadowlands vs. Jedi Covenent situation. Two same servers competing for the exact same demographic. There is no reason to have 2 separate servers keeping the vast majority who do the same things away from each other.

 

I think the reasoning that keeping 2 servers due to "technical limitations" is a cop out, too. This game has bled out so much of its population that it frankly only needs 1 server, and you guys certainly have the hardware and knowledge to maintain that for the rest who play this game on a regular basis. The server won't be overbloated, that's for sure.

 

Please merge the servers. You're doing what little players remain a disservice by not doing so.

 

Pure whinimg. Players' toxicity is responsible for that. As long as you are not changing your behaviour, you will suffer from the results.

[IoNonSoEVero]

All good points. With no easy answer because Bioware just can’t or won’t employ more people to make content making faster and better.

At some point there is a tipping scale and they need to decide how they want the game to continue on. Wether it’s merging servers and pissing of people or not merging and pissing off people.

It really is a bad situation of Biowares own making and could have been avoided many times.

 

That's very true, and it's a good point. We're in compete agreement that it's a bad situation that seems to be approaching critical mass faster and faster.

 

But in such a case, I, personally, would err on the side of not alienating the players who stand to lose something from a merger.

 

The stronghold issue, for instance. Yes, in the last merger, people kept all their strongholds. But those players are now barred from buying any new strongholds unless they deactivate enough SHs to get under the 10-SH cap. In some cases that means deleting 10 or 20 strongholds they spent money and time on, just to get ONE new one.

 

So that group of players is shut out of an activity they enjoy that profits the game, since many people buy the unlocks and decos with Cartel Coins. That would happen even more with another merge. If you are on Server A and you have all 8 strongholds, and you have the two basic apartments on Sever B (to give your characters of each faction a place to go to do their banking and cargo hold stuff), you've already reached the cap, and BW isn't going to refund your CC and millions of credits when you are forced to delete something to get a new SH.

 

Names. Names mean a lot to many players. They may have spent CCs changing their name to something they really love. Those CCs won't be refunded if there's a server merge and they lose that name.

 

So as much as I am sorry that the GF isn't hopping the way some players want, I don't think I should have to be inconvenienced and lose money to accommodate that, and I don't think it would be a positive thing for the player base.

Edited August 18, 2018 by IoNonSoEVero

[xordevoreaux]

Everquest II is still running since its debut in 2004 and two of its servers (Stormhold and Antonia Bayle) are merging on September 4th. That won't leave many.

 

Perhaps, with all the games consolidating their servers, we could merge all the MMOs onto one server and have this one big multi-verse where you can zoom through the forests and fields of Antonica on your land speeder while fighting orcs with your light saber.

 

Imagine a lightning duel between a sith inquisitor and a elemental-magic wielding wizard from EQ2! There we go.

Forget considerations of appropriating intellectual propery that no company would agree to or the fanboys who are popping an artery just reading this suggestion. This is doable. Yes. It's a thing. Let's do it!

[annabethchase]

PvP has been popping instantly all afternoon on Star Forge.

 

I don't see the point of this thread at all. I feel like PvP is the fastest it's been in many years.

Edited August 18, 2018 by annabethchase

[jimmorrisson]

Move Satele Shan to the West Coast then rename Harbinger

Then rename Star Forge to Ebon Hawk

 

That way everyone knows what kind of server they are on.

[xordevoreaux]

Move Satele Shan to the West Coast then rename Harbinger

Then rename Star Forge to Ebon Hawk

 

That way everyone knows what kind of server they are on.

 

They can't afford to pay high-end programmers and/or quality assurance people to make sure content is released on time and relatively bug-free and you want them to lease a brick-and-mortar building and then have them pay a moving company to move the server from Virginia to California and then pay people year-round who live in California to physically be able to put their hands on it when it's time to maintain it? Or maybe you want them to co-locate the server on RackSpace and have Bioware pay a month fee to them? Where's all that money coming from? Anthem?

Don't forget Bioware blamed SWTOR for a million dollar loss, it's on page 38 of one of their quarterly shareholder statements a few quarters ago.

 

You're richer than I am. How much cc are you buying every month to fund all that?

Not often that cost-cutting measures are reversed, and the bean counters at Bioware will cut bait and let this game die before moving servers again... or you can expect them to get to it right about the time they restore the servers they had in Australia...

[kodrac]

Or they could try reverting the worst of the conquest changes

 

This. Drop the once per legacy restrictions on conquest and you'll see queue pops more frequently. This happens every time they make a bad change. Queue pops drop because of some poor design choice and the, ern shall we say, less than observant among us proclaim the sky, I mean, population is falling. It's not just the smaller population, it's participation and the lack of incentive.

 

Now I can't deny we're facing a slow death at some point, but in this case at least, its because of the counterproductive design of one of the game's biggest features.

Edited August 19, 2018 by kodrac

[Stellarcrusade]

This. Drop the once per legacy restrictions on conquest and you'll see queue pops more frequently. This happens every time they make a bad change. Queue pops drop because of some poor design choice and the, ern shall we say, less than observant among us proclaim the sky, I mean, population is falling. It's not just the smaller population, it's participation and the lack of incentive.

 

Now I can't deny we're facing a slow death at some point, but in this case at least, its because of the counterproductive design of one of the game's biggest features.

 

You are exactly correct. They need to drop the once per legacy restrictions, and multiply all catagories but a large multiple to make it worth it to use conquest as a way to drive more people doing more things.

[TrixxieTriss]

That's very true, and it's a good point. We're in compete agreement that it's a bad situation that seems to be approaching critical mass faster and faster.

 

But in such a case, I, personally, would err on the side of not alienating the players who stand to lose something from a merger.

 

The stronghold issue, for instance. Yes, in the last merger, people kept all their strongholds. But those players are now barred from buying any new strongholds unless they deactivate enough SHs to get under the 10-SH cap. In some cases that means deleting 10 or 20 strongholds they spent money and time on, just to get ONE new one.

 

So that group of players is shut out of an activity they enjoy that profits the game, since many people buy the unlocks and decos with Cartel Coins. That would happen even more with another merge. If you are on Server A and you have all 8 strongholds, and you have the two basic apartments on Sever B (to give your characters of each faction a place to go to do their banking and cargo hold stuff), you've already reached the cap, and BW isn't going to refund your CC and millions of credits when you are forced to delete something to get a new SH.

 

Names. Names mean a lot to many players. They may have spent CCs changing their name to something they really love. Those CCs won't be refunded if there's a server merge and they lose that name.

 

So as much as I am sorry that the GF isn't hopping the way some players want, I don't think I should have to be inconvenienced and lose money to accommodate that, and I don't think it would be a positive thing for the player base.

 

The whole situation really is a s**t storm in a cup. There are so many things that affect how people play and what’s important to them. And there’s the problem.

Even when a massive amount of the population do come together with a consensus and tell Bioware they don’t like something and how to fix it, Bioware don’t listen or only half listen and don’t go far enough to make the game enjoyable.

All of your points are valid and I know we’ve had these discussions last year as well. If I remember correctly, there have been suggestions and ideas on how to alleviate a lot of those points.

I can’t remember all of them exactly and I don’t want to jump the gun and start down that debate. All I know is that what ever happens in the future, Bioware better take everyone’s play style into account and try and make it work because the game really can’t afford to lose any players.

[JattaGin]

Talon is back?! :rolleyes::mad:

[ldyalchemist]

Think past group-finder pops. Even with the population falling below the post-merger highs, there is still noticeable lag on the more popular planets (like Tatooine) and problems completing pve content because too many people are going for the same resources.

 

It's not a lack of players that makes the pops slow, it's the lack of any reason to do group content. The rewards are small, the content is old, and in some cases the community is unwelcoming to new players so of course new players won't become regular users of the queue's.

 

Merging will do nothing for the group finder pops, and will only inconvenience everyone else.

 

Don't ask for mergers - ask for more content

 

 

This has a lot to do with it. I never use group finder because I can't stand PUGs. Why? Because too many people are rude, want to rush the FP, or que as a tank/healer when they are DPS and then blame everyone else for the cluster that ensues... or all of the above. I can't remember the last time I qued up... if I ever did in this game... because I knew the drill from everyone else I knew who PUGed. Granted, I soured on PUGs long ago in another game - but this community is several times more toxic than that community that I left. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hear a guildie or see someone in general chat complaining about some aspect of the PUG he/she was just in.

 

So quite a few people I know have no interest in doing ANYTHING with people they don't know. The community is toxic in many/most places... and not just to newer players... but to veterans who might want to go out and do group content -- and I'm talking about the ones, like me, who don't normally do group (PUG) content... or avoid it like the plague it is, there is absolutely no reason for me to elect to do the equivalent of going and shoving a screwdriver in my eye. I would need to group with folks who could explain and not rush... but that is not what most want to do. Though it IS awesome when you actually run across folks who are cool, welcoming, and want to help new players (including players who might be new to certain content). There is content in this game that I have avoided since launch that I might be willing to try if it was a friendlier, more welcoming, situation. Help people who are like me, as well as new players, learn (and enjoy) the content and you will have more regular group-mates. Call out and hold those who make the community toxic accountable. I'd like a place that those of us who value that game ethic could gather and meet.

Edited August 20, 2018 by ldyalchemist

[jimmorrisson]

... and you want them to lease a brick-and-mortar building and then have them pay a moving company to move the server from Virginia to California and then pay people year-round who live in California to physically be able to put their hands on it when it's time to maintain it? ...

 

Yes I do.

The omitted parts of your post is hyperbole.

[ultimarb]

This has a lot to do with it. I never use group finder because I can't stand PUGs. Why? Because too many people are rude, want to rush the FP, or que as a tank/healer when they are DPS and then blame everyone else for the cluster that ensues... or all of the above. I can't remember the last time I qued up... if I ever did in this game... because I knew the drill from everyone else I knew who PUGed. Granted, I soured on PUGs long ago in another game - but this community is several times more toxic than that community that I left. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hear a guildie or see someone in general chat complaining about some aspect of the PUG he/she was just in.

 

So quite a few people I know have no interest in doing ANYTHING with people they don't know. The community is toxic in many/most places... and not just to newer players... but to veterans who might want to go out and do group content -- and I'm talking about the ones, like me, who don't normally do group (PUG) content... or avoid it like the plague it is, there is absolutely no reason for me to elect to do the equivalent of going and shoving a screwdriver in my eye. I would need to group with folks who could explain and not rush... but that is not what most want to do. Though it IS awesome when you actually run across folks who are cool, welcoming, and want to help new players (including players who might be new to certain content). There is content in this game that I have avoided since launch that I might be willing to try if it was a friendlier, more welcoming, situation. Help people who are like me, as well as new players, learn (and enjoy) the content and you will have more regular group-mates. Call out and hold those who make the community toxic accountable. I'd like a place that those of us who value that game ethic could gather and meet.

 

More welcoming... I know enough People who are doing runs with explanation. and people who are avoiding teamspeak or discord... claim always that the others are not welcoming enough. it's selfish to think 7 players are waiting for one guy , because he needs explanation in chat. i dont know if you are one of them and i dont blame you for your opinion, but for me this opinion is just wrong. you want have any fun either if you are not participating in a voip chat for group content. that's whats group content in a mmo is all about.

 

So maybe you should give something in return instead of just demanding.

[devilkat]

This has a lot to do with it. I never use group finder because I can't stand PUGs. Why? Because too many people are rude, want to rush the FP, or que as a tank/healer when they are DPS and then blame everyone else for the cluster that ensues... or all of the above. I can't remember the last time I qued up... if I ever did in this game... because I knew the drill from everyone else I knew who PUGed. Granted, I soured on PUGs long ago in another game - but this community is several times more toxic than that community that I left. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't hear a guildie or see someone in general chat complaining about some aspect of the PUG he/she was just in.

 

So quite a few people I know have no interest in doing ANYTHING with people they don't know. The community is toxic in many/most places... and not just to newer players... but to veterans who might want to go out and do group content -- and I'm talking about the ones, like me, who don't normally do group (PUG) content... or avoid it like the plague it is, there is absolutely no reason for me to elect to do the equivalent of going and shoving a screwdriver in my eye. I would need to group with folks who could explain and not rush... but that is not what most want to do. Though it IS awesome when you actually run across folks who are cool, welcoming, and want to help new players (including players who might be new to certain content). There is content in this game that I have avoided since launch that I might be willing to try if it was a friendlier, more welcoming, situation. Help people who are like me, as well as new players, learn (and enjoy) the content and you will have more regular group-mates. Call out and hold those who make the community toxic accountable. I'd like a place that those of us who value that game ethic could gather and meet.

 

^^^^This! A hundred times this!

[Rion_Starkiller]

It seems like the people that have a problem with PUGs are part of the problem themselves. Sometimes you get trash. Other times you meet amazing people.

 

Like RNG, sometimes you crit, sometimes you miss.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Rion_Starkiller

[AceMasterSoul]

Think past group-finder pops. Even with the population falling below the post-merger highs, there is still noticeable lag on the more popular planets (like Tatooine) and problems completing pve content because too many people are going for the same resources.

 

It's not a lack of players that makes the pops slow, it's the lack of any reason to do group content. The rewards are small, the content is old, and in some cases the community is unwelcoming to new players so of course new players won't become regular users of the queue's.

 

Merging will do nothing for the group finder pops, and will only inconvenience everyone else.

 

Don't ask for mergers - ask for more content

 

This^^

[LD_Little_Dragon]

More welcoming... I know enough People who are doing runs with explanation. and people who are avoiding teamspeak or discord... claim always that the others are not welcoming enough. it's selfish to think 7 players are waiting for one guy , because he needs explanation in chat. i dont know if you are one of them and i dont blame you for your opinion, but for me this opinion is just wrong. you want have any fun either if you are not participating in a voip chat for group content. that's whats group content in a mmo is all about.

 

So maybe you should give something in return instead of just demanding.

 

Stop making assumptions. The general population in SWTOR seems to think like you do - when someone says they CAN'T use chat it's assumed they're just selfish people who WON'T use chat. There is a difference between CAN"T and WON'T. I do understand voice is an advantage, that's why I've given up on doing OPs. Even with printed guides it's not worth the hassle of being the only player in the group who can't use voice.

 

That's OPs though, and so far people discussing group-finder are mostly talking about flashpoints and pvp. Before someone tries pugging OPs they will (or should) be trying out the vet flashpoints and master flasthpoings. There is no reason to expect someone to use voice chat in vet, or even master flashpoints. Most boss fights can be explained in one line of chat if needed.

 

I have been in Vet pugs where level 70's drop the first time a new player (who even said they were new to the fp) makes a mistake. This is the unwelcoming attitude that some people are complaining of. Vet mode is where new players are supposed to be learning, which means they will mistakes. Everyone was new once, but a large segment of the population seems to have forgotten that.

[Zerileth]

I have no problem with pugs. Sure there's some bad apples as there's plenty of bad apples in guilds, but I've learned the greatest ways of doing FPs, OPs, class skills, rotations etc from the pug folks. In fact, I had several bad experiences with guild runs. They act like cultist and refuse to learn anything new about things in the game. It's their way, or the highway. I've been kicked more from "guild" groups because I wound't do stupid ritual crap they thought was necessary to kill a boss. I've also met some of the nicest players through pugs.

 

They're not perfect. Sure there's azzhats, but lets end the pug drama shall we?

 

I do agree however that the rewards are ridiculous, especially for tanks. If you're gonna make that role torture, reward it accordingly.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Zerileth

[Letsjet]

You can transfer. You only need around 25-30 people in a guild to make the game your own.

Unless all you do is pvp

If so why are you playing an mmo w/o world pvp (and is not South Korean....)?

Do a little research

100

[TrixxieTriss]

You can transfer. You only need around 25-30 people in a guild to make the game your own.

Unless all you do is pvp

If so why are you playing an mmo w/o world pvp (and is not South Korean....)?

Do a little research

100

 

That’s not very constructive. Every heard of Star Wars before I’ve not seen a SW pvp only game anywhere. Players who play PvP in MMOs that have it as a feature (like swtor) are just as valid as people who do story or raids. Trying to tell someone their part of the game doesn’t matter as much another and they should find another game is not very helpful and small minded as to what makes an MMO.

[darthjody]

What the need to do is advertise this game again and get in on the sw hype that is going on right now. That could solve a few problems cause maybe new people will join Edited August 22, 2018 by darthjody

[Anzel]

Yeah, I'm tired of renaming my characters. I have characters that I still haven't renamed from the last one.

[xordevoreaux]

I have already said no to this idea once in this thread, but it's kind of like voting, do it often.

No.

[Syal]

release 6.0 asap !

[xordevoreaux]

release 6.0 asap !

 

Careful what you wish for. If you think these software releases are painfully buggy now you should see what happens when the player base jumps down Bioware's throat because a release is taking too long. Let them do it when they do it so they can do it as right as they can. Early never means good here.