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(by Chuey)I STILL believe the whole Euro server idea is a bad bad bad horribly awful bad idea.
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(all further quoted text by Sophie)
There is actually a strong case for European servers when you look at it from a purely techincal perspective: ping times. Transatlantic ping times can be fairly high at peak hours and if the rest of your gaming system (both PC hardware and internet connection) is top notch it can be frustrating to see the game being 'choppy' due to transatlantic network performance, and it can affect gameplay. A geographically closer server helps to combat this problem.
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I'm sure my ping to the US servers right now could be astronomically high. However, it hardly matters. CoH is not a twitch-based game like a firstperson shooter. Ping matters very little, as long as you're not delayed three seconds. The animation times actually help, I think, because you can line up your next attack at the start of an animation and by the time the animation is done, your laggy command will have made it to the server and back.
Even PvP in CoV will not be that ping-intensive. For MMORPGs, pings are pretty much a non issue.
And I haven't even mentioned the ever increasing bandwiths on broadband internet yet :P
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The other main benefits seem to be:
1. Language localisation. However, this could just as easily be done on a 'global' server. Plenty of French speakers in Canada, guys...
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And yet, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian servers will not be part of the starting serverset while THOSE countries have the lowest amount of English speakers.
I'm also still firmly convinced that internet users and gamers of any nationality have a basic grasp of the English language. People who only speak their native language and still hang out online, in MMORPGs specifically, have got to be a tiny minority.
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2. Better support for the physical servers during the European peak playing times, since the support staff will be working European hours.
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Agreed.
However, you could also just hire some graveyard shift service reps. Advantage: no costs for overseas offices or personnel or anything.
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3. Server events in peak European hours.
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Agreed and again, hire someone for late night work
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4. Possible minor gameplay differences that would require a different version of server code ("we have some ideas for 'goodies' similar to those in the US DVD Edition." - Bridger).
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Minor or not - I don't think it's that good an idea to run a different game in Germany than in France or the US. Is this about the US flag in Atlas Park?
If you're going to allow different powers, however weak or whimsical, on different servers, you might as well go ahead and open the gates of Hell directly. There's no telling how much jealous whining we players will begin
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So it's not like the whole idea is bad. I think the real question everybody is asking is, do the benefits really outweigh the disadvantages? Obviously Cryptic thinks "yes", or we wouldn't be having this discussion, but it is also obvious that some players disagree.
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Advantages vs disadvantages.
I don't know the financial situation of running a US based server for Euro customers. I know it's very hard for a US company to run a prize contest that includes Euro contestants because of different national rules and the European Union being a mess of regulations (or words to that effect that I've picked up on other boards). Perhaps it really is cheaper for Cryptic to set up a whole new company overseas, I just don't know.
The only tangible advantages to PLAYERS, however, are timezone related. And those advantage - service and events, could be covered by timezone-friendly employees in the same office. Why isn't that cheaper than a whole new company in Europe?
Speaking of timezones - how many of us play CoH at weird hours sometimes? How many of us have had an awful time finding teammates at those hours?
Not separating your global playerbase means that your players will have an easier time finding teammates when they're playing into the wee hours of the morning. Player segragation by country or timezone means your players will be lonely at off hours.
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Segregation is a word being thrown around a lot. Let's not forget that right now the entire player base is 'segregated' across 11 different servers, with no way to interact between them in game.
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Agreed
I don't quite know how this fits into the rest of the debate though, to be honest. The fact remains, however, that the current eleven servers have a wide variety of players. Which is what I would like to see Cryptic protect and encourage
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The real issue is that if we want, we can reroll on a different server (and hopefully one day transfer characters between them). Ignoring the technical feasibility of it, that option will simply not be available to us once the European servers exist - our choice of server will be largely determined at the time and place of purchase, with seemingly no way to reverse that decision without paying out again.
Simple answer (and I realise this is easier said than done):
give the players a choice, and give them the option to change their mind. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the current policy is like saying I have to buy the game again if I wanted to play on Protector instead of Victory.
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Asheron's Call 2, as I recall, gave players the option of playing on a Euro servercluster or US servercluster. No separate game packages or anything - everyone had that choice.
At least that's how I remember it....I remember starting on a Euro server and then moving to a US one for the larger population (and because there was no faction vs faction play for Europe).
I would like to see that - one game box that is the same for every country. Upon logging in, choose continent server cluster. Have a very clear and open way for Euro players to move to the US, and vice versa. That would be a compromise I could live with, I think :P
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One last point on server numbers. Bridger, you've said there will be 'at least' 1 server per language. Right now I have enough alts that I have to spread them across 2 servers. If I wanted, I could create 99 different characters; I don't want that many, but it's nice to know I'm never in danger of running out of slots. If we only get 1 English-speaking European server, a monolingual English-speaking European player would only realistically get 9 slots to use.
That would be an issue to me. Yes, just one server is unlikely, but my point is again about choice; another 9 English servers is unlikely, so our alt's numbers will be more restricted than players in the US. The disadvantage could well be marginal, but it will be perceived to be greater by some.
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That's a good point
Another disadvantage for Euro players
Personally I wouldn't be too worried about that as I really prefer to play on a single server with the people I've befriended
To me, the whole Euro server thing boils down to "quality of service" vs "servers with a healthy population".
I have so far been VERY happy with the customer service Cryptic have provided, and I think healthy populations should include all nationalities and timezones.
I honestly see no use for a Europe based servercluster. And the idea of one feels threatening to me because some of my friends might actually move. I'll have the honor of deciding which friends mean more to me.
I'd also like to point out the numerous European server consolidations already in progress - Asheron's Call 2 and Horizons coming to mind. They couldn't even fill their Euro servers so had to combine servers. People with identical names, living in the same houses on different servers and so on ending up paying the price. I won't play this card, though, because CoH is just so dang popular and could most likely actually fill several servers with large populations, even in Europe :P
Thank you for your post, SophieX, I think we've pretty much got all pros and cons listed now
Oh, and Writerguy, yes, fire good :P Unlike Euro servers
