We are one

Maybe an absurd Title for the issue, but it is part of my hope for the Game and community. It came to me as I pondered about the current situation of the Eu vs US server.
I know this threads main topic will have been talked about the last year(s), but it is still important I believe.

I wonder how to say this properly so i'll just say it (whops):
I feel that there is a difference in the quality of the game experience between the playerbase(s). I say playerbases cause we really are two playerbases, seperated not only by a big ocean, but becase we cannot really play together.
Why do I say difference in the quality? After all we play the same game, no different version etc. I say this due to the following reasons.

1. Amount of servers.
The US server list has 11 servers to play on. With 12 slots for chars on each and the possibility to buy new ones. In effect this gives the US playerbase alot of room to play with, to test new chars concepts.
The EU server list has 4 servers. 2 English, 1 French and one German. Thats a lot less to play with then the US (and more use of the option "buy new character slot")

2. The closing of the Brighton office.
Now I was not present in any of the convensions that the Brighton office was included in, BUT it did show up on conventions, it did have a presence. We had good communication to the european moderators and life was good. Then the Brighton office closed, but before that a few loved employees had to find new jobs. Those who did keep their jobs would have to move to the US. However Avatea can tell the story better then I.
However it left the german server without their beloved Kerensky and little support to the community (and specially the German one, if it is different do tell me). Thus everything seems to happen in the US (cause I cannot see much happening on this side of the ocean).

3. Webpage
We have the same forum, however we still have an EU and US page. When there are new updates the US gets updated first, then the Eu page... when time allows or the nagging gets to high enough level. My words may not be fair, but this is how it feels like.

4. Testserver and Betas.
There is no doubt that the US playerbase is the biggest and most of the Betas for various issues etc happens with the US playerbase in mind. Since there are two testservers the EU population has been included in a few (and one or two times we had the beta and not the US. But that was in the time when we had a Brighton office) and that has been good. What really irked me was a comment after alot of us had tested and participated on the EU test. That we where not that many and the following beta we where left out. (I cannot remember which it was)

5. Marketing.
With the closing of Brighton, marketing as I have seen it in the EU has been very low. The EU did not get an Architect edition and we are not going to get shelf presence as the Going Rogue box edition will be launched. We can download it so that is good.
However I have noticed that through some time the EU population seems to have dwindled. I would not know how many would return to the EU servers as people wonder "What is it like to play on the US?" Then they try it and stay there. A player did say truthfully (and that is good) that he would not lie to a new player, that the amount of players on the EU are lower then on the US. The thought behind this comment was a good one I believe. For it is better that the player plays the game, likes it and stay subbed, then leaving shortly. In that I agree, however if the player keeps subbing on the US community it really do not help the EU community at all.

These are a few differences between the EU and the US. Now the thoughs of what happened to the Korean server has hit a few of us. For we see our numbers dwindle, for there is not much marketing done to recruit new players (as I see) or benefits in staying on the EU side. So a few wonders, I would not have given it much thought, but time has made me wonder, when or if the EU gets the word aswell. And we will retire as the Korean did. I hope it will not happen.

If push comes to show and the company finds that the EU is no longer profitable, then I fear it will be a shut down of the servers. At best we get a chance to transport our accounts and characters to the US server.
At worst they would insist giving us a free month and transfer amount of pay time to the US, but we would have to create new characters.
I hope they do not consider the latter one, that this thought has come into my head is just... (shudder).
The above 2 "solutions" are in my opinion the worst that could happen and not really solutions at all.
I am rather attached to my characters and their achivements. I like my supergroup as it is and have put in considerable amount of time and effort to make both characters and group grow. I am a badgehunter and recently did get in my possession every badge as a 36 month vet could. (ok apart from Bug Hunter) Leaving such a character behind if the EU servers went busted and starting from scratch, without vet rewards, alot of the badges that I have collected (and cannot regain) is not even an option. (I'd rather fade)

The best solution, the only real solution as I see it is the following. That soon, hopefully as Going Rogue comes gold, we all get a change to the Updater and the exe file. A solution that has been asked for by many of the Eu community (and I side with them):

Yes please. The difference between Union and Virtue is ridiculous. For me the chief draw of the game is quick PuGs you can pop on and off of. This is really hard to do EU side nowadays. City of Soloing isn't much fun.

Keeping 6 DP Blasters alive with my Plant/Empath (a character I wouldn't even dream of trying EU side) is a heck of a lot of fun, even if I do feel like a newbie thanks to the fact I cannot use any of my Vet or Boosters. At this stage I feel my GR purchase is dependent on something being announced in terms of unification of the two server lists.

Yes please.

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=175451

what about merging accounts owned by the same person?
I'm considering four scenarios to match any case:

scenario #1: <----this is my case
ncsoft_global_account X
├city of heroes (europe)
└city of heroes

scenario #2:
ncsoft_global_account X
└city of heroes (europe)
ncsoft_global_account Y
└city of heroes

scenario #3:
ncsoft_global_account X
├city of heroes (europe)
├city of heroes (europe)
├city of heroes
├city of heroes

scenario #4:
ncsoft_global_account X
├city of heroes (europe)
├city of heroes (europe)
├city of heroes
├city of heroes
ncsoft_global_account Y
├city of heroes (europe)
├city of heroes (europe)
├city of heroes
├city of heroes

suggestion for each scenario (not possible to merge something already merged):

#1: direct merge: one account with all toons, all servers, choice of which global handle to use, veteran time is the sum and cannot exceed the current max

#2: user X and user Y have to be the same (credit card details?), if OK: direct merge

#3: user X is asked which EU and US game accounts to be merged: direct merge for the selected ones, repeat if necessary.

#4: same check as #2, if OK go with #3

As my italean friend who now plays on the US/NA stated (Vanex)... and we both stated ages ago it seems in the following post... (08-04-2008, almost an I-told-you-so)

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=175451

This split is breaking up friends. It breaks up community... and as such it breaks the game. We two started almost at the same time... on the same server. For reasons of altiris he restarted on the NA server. But I..? I had created and leading a huge SG. Including a base that has weeks maybe months of work. I cannot abandon that so easily.

This game has a repp on how good the community is. But at the same time it splits that selfsame community into two. Of which one slowly begans to feel the heat of neglectment.

Only a merge of all servers to one list with transfers possible between all as if they are one. What is it... two domains? Only this can solve our problems.

The speed of the internet is now so much faster that the localised server idea also is non-relevant. So you could even clone the EU servers in the US if that helps. You can give us an option to agree to data transfer if thats a legal issue. You can force upon us a global name change. All of this the EU community will accept. But a forced reboot of toons... with losing our SG and base.. and vet rewards.. and toon names... THIS would be unacceptable. And will cost the game an enourmously amound of subs..!

Gets my vote. Best and Fairest Solution for everyone all rounds I'd say.

I would like to have you guys come over, the more the merrier

Again another thread tht i cant add anything to it. you've hit it on the head

if a red name per say said...we're working on this...working on tht i think people would have a much relax state of mind.

I will always be /signed to a server list merge, especially how unfair EU players have it compared to US players. I'm from the EU who only plays on the US side because basically it has more focus and attention put on it.

Also the fact that merging into one source will half the workload of maintaining mirrors.

Dear devs: stop locking our EU brothers and sisters away from us. Merge the server lists. We've been good kids. Let us all share the same pool.

Wasn't there some whacky hardware or software reason that this isn't really possible?

Either way, the idea is great in theory. If the devs can manage to merge the server lists, then I'm all for it.

IIRC, before the last EU community rep left (sorry Avatea, I know you're still around ), Ghostraptor said something along the lines of "It's never going to happen, the technical difficulties would be too much."

However, how many times have we been told in the past that something is impossible and then NCSoft have impressed us with how they overcame it? I think it must be possible, it's just a question of whether the time and effort in overcoming the technical hurdles is worth it for them to merge the lists.

First postitive server-merge thread evar. MMOOOOOOOOODD?

Why not? Put 'em all together. I wouldn't mind playing on Union once in a while, and let all our international super-powered friends truly experience FreeDumb. We can have all the best drunks of the world together on Pinnacle, and some true international insanity on Justice.

/signed, /signed, and /signed again! Forge my mom's name and /sign that too!!

/signed

I'm always for the NA/EU server list merge when it comes up, and I'm in the States.

Very good post Lady A.

It's an idea that's been mooted by many (myself included.)

However NCSoft are obstinately refusing to listen to the players on this and I fear our pleas are falling on deaf ears.

WW has effectively ruled out a list merge with her cryptic [sic] statement about enabling us to play together "in design" so I don't think we'll see too much positives from it.

I also think any acknowledgement of the benefits of x-server teaming have come too late. By the time any such plan is implemented it'll probably too late for the EU servers.

For those who've cited "technical difficulties" as an excuse not to implement it, the Devs said that about wings and they said it about power customisation and side switching too. So we know it can be done.

The bugbear here isn't Paragon Studios. I'm convinced of that. It's the Faceless Ones at NCSoft who have such a low regard for the EU that our needs simply won't be met.

"You got to dig it to dig it, you dig?"
Thelonious Monk

Scarlet, come on...the doomcrying is really starting to grate now. It's getting as bad as blimmin' Golden Girl and her bleats about animated hair/OMG Bad guys!/Feminism/All of the above at once...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

I am ALL OVER playing with my EU brothers and sisters.

Server list merges = yes, please.

This is a suggestion which pops up with some frequency. I think it's a good, sound one.

However, there must be some reason why... hang on, i17 is in Closed Beta, Going Rogue will be as soon as i17 goes live... ah, maybe right now is not the time to expect an answer.

There have been 'quotes' from WW posted here on the subject re: playing together 'by design'. Not really good enough but not really her quote either and more one of those things that's passeed down from leader to leader of the City of Project.

Perhaps there are legal implications? Contracts with service providers that were taken out for x number of years? Who knows. Any speculation on our part would be wild speculation, leading to doom crying and everyone dead by teatime.

I'd certainly like a server list merge, as stated before. I'm very happy with the proposed list of changes on the website for i17, and the hubbub of Going Rogue too. New shinies tend to do that to me.

For those that need to find conspiracy in everything, or cry doom, or fight 'The Man': relax, take it easy, continue playing.

Theorising on these boards isn't going to change much and will certainly put off newcomers to the boards. Or at worst give them the 'everything is crappy, Devs hate us' attitude straight away.

If you can't sit on your hands any longer then look into asking NCSoft directly. And coming from the point of view of a valued customer and not an angry gamer is usually the best way of approaching a complaint/constructive suggestion.

I hope the "powers that be" hear the cries from you on this issue. I know that anything is possible, negativity is an ingredient of failure and as heroes we do not fail.