Server Options

Ok we've had it in blue and white (or whatever colour your forum theme is for these boards) from WW that there are no plans to merge the servers.

I figure it's about time to discuss the possible options available and maybe get a feel for player preferences - and maybe even turn up some unconsidered suggestions.

My own feeling is relatively simple: I would like to see more equality between the EU and NA servers, (ie only 2 English speaking servers available to me compared with plenty more on the other side of the pond.) I'd also like to see a LOT more traffic on my server.

Closing any server, whether dressed up as a merge, rationalization or for any other reason, is a bad thing politically. It would send entirely the wrong signals to the game players and the industry alike - not to mention hurt NCs share price I imagine. I also don't think it would actually address low population numbers - many of those playing casually on an affected server I'm sure would say "bugger it, I'm not playing this game any more" and cancelling their sub rather than moving. Many would stick with the game, I know - but the benefits of population wouldn't be widely noticed on remaining servers.

A "List Merge" - ie giving all players universal access to all servers - could also be problematic - but at least it would allow people to retain their home server. The down side is that the lower populated servers could end up entirely denuded of population as everyone flocks to a perceived more popular place. It could well be that one or two servers ended up lagging to hell and back while all the others languished, gathering dust.

There's also the possibility of a Guild Wars type system where you team across servers. I've not played GW in an age so I'm struggling to remember how it worked - but that could be a very popular solution: If I can play on Defiant and team with my buddies in Liberty, then it's all good - but I'm not going to pretend I know if it's achievable or not.

There's also a possible "server-less" environment. I guess that's doable if you just have a stack of slots and when you log in, you're in the same place as everyone else - and if that gets filled then a new instance opens up - like popular Hami raids and Mother Ship raids etc. Again, technically I'm not going to speculate if it's possible.

From my own perspective all I want is to team with my friends - many of whom play on servers I've got no access to, and to have a wider choice of people to play with. There's an American mechanics saying: "There's no substitute for cubes" - meaning that the size of an engine's cubic capacity is the most important thing when delivering performance. When it comes to this game, there's no substitute for bodies, that's what keeps everything alive. Good teams are what make the experience for me - and for most MMO players I imagine.

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

I also want to be able to team with others from different servers. Problem with server transfers is the name situation. My main toon (Quaver) plays on Defiant, but the other EU English-speaking server, Union, doesn't have this name available so I couldn't physically move over there without a forced name change. But I like the Defiant server! I just want to team with a wider variety of players.

Another option would be a mechanism for "Secret War" / "Crisis on Infinite Earth" style crossovers.

Nobody around to team with? Sign your character up for a crossover, and have him temporarily transported to a "special shard" server where he can join with characters from all over the serverspace and run new missions and task forces in a self-contained reality.

Think of it as a bit like portal corp except the portals going to mini-servers instead of instances.

Now, granted, this wouldn't help with servers looking empty, but it would make it easier to find people to team with.

Another factor to consider is character slots, both english speaking servers are full for me and I've bought extra slots in the past, where as NA players have 11 servers and therefore tons more potential alts. Yet I pay the same subscription rate, how is this fair in any shape or form? Yes I love my alts.

i think i'm one of the few who doesn't want a server merge. i never had trouble finding company, and i even prefer my little community, to thousands of people. that doesn't mean i oppose any of the above ideas, but i'm fine with the way the tings are right now, but i don't care much, what will happen, i'm sure i'll manage either way

what really bothers me is the state of the servers. at this point 1 out of 3 times i try to play, i'll have terrible lag. and the problem is not on my side, as everyone else gets it too. and it's making the game a struggle instead of fun.
about 100-150 people are at the same time on defiant, and the servers can't handle that. free mmos can do better at this point, and i'm paying for this game. and frankly that makes me a really unhappy customer, and feel like i don't get service for my money.
i rather have the devs/tech guys address this issue instead of the server merge thing...

(not really reading the forums, so if it's been explained before, just hit me on the nose, and point me in the way)

I do not want server merges (bad for customers, bad publicity for the company, wrong signals to those that do not play the game).

I am positive for a server list merge between NA and EU. That means that every player gets the chance of playing on a total of 15 servers. Different server communities and peak times, true, but everyone has the same amount of character slots. (Signature would explain most of my thoughts upon the subject)

As been said, I've never heard about a server list merge being done before. But I do believe it would be possible.
The danger could be as Scarlet have mentioned that players from one server joins the big server of their choice. I'll take myself as an example.
Lets say there is the server list merger, we have access to 15 servers. My home server is Union, cause I have friends I like to rp with and union is the unofficial rp server (or was, maybe Defiant has gotten more I do not know).
Virtue is one of the heaviest populated servers, specially for rp. It is the unofficial rp server on the US side. So would I make a few chars over there... definitly. Cause I would want to see how rp is done over there.
There could even be a chance that most of the rp community moves over to virtue (from union and also from defiant). Thus depleting the amount of players on union.

Yes, a global name change might have to happen or we would simply be known (me as example if there exists another of my name) @lady areteEU and @lady areteNA or something, it would be changable with name token (or maybe not, up to the Devs).

I think that we might see a drop of players with a server list merge, but I am optimistic that we would also see an influx of already existing players. Specially from EU that has US accounts (and this goes as I've hinted at both ways). Reason, peek times and time you can play or just checking out how it is on the .. well was on the other side of the pond.

I just hope they do not implement the CO name system, it destroyed some of the immersion for me. Globalname/currentonlinechar name -system.
Yuck, it did allow us to have identical names for chars we made, but I felt it was as said, bad for immersion.

I find it doubtful they will do any sort of server merge at this point or ever.

The specifics of the technicalities are not as relevant to me. All it really boils down to is cost. However it could be done it would be a huge undertaking that would cost a lot for only a tiny amount of people. And that cost would not translate into profit. That is why it will never happen in my opinion.

The devs wont admit to that. And I am sure the devs would love to implement a server list merge or such but I cant imagine how they could sell it to the money masters.

In fact if you think about it, that little extra they manage to squeeze out of us EU customers such as our limited slots vs US users abundance etc. It would actually work out that they would be losing money through a server merge.

Some very good points

I must admit I'd meant to address the inequalities of slots in my OP, but I was aware it was already turning into a novel. However the lack of slots compared to the US is a problem. I'm almost at max on Defiant and that's after I moved some retired toons to Union.

I do like the idea of a Temp Passport... but the danger is that it could become "the norm" that everyone logs in and moves to "Server X" for a while - which then becomes bloated at the expense of the others.

Herc's also made a good point about the connection. I understand that it's not the servers themselves but the networks to and from them that's the bugbear so very difficult to resolve. If the servers were physically transferred to the USA the Brits would be fine, but the French, German and other EU nationals would likely have problems. At least, that's my understanding - but if those issues could be addressed it may well entice former players to return.

I think one thing maybe we don't give enough attention to is "Server community" - it does seem that Defiant has a very cool community and several others do also but I can't comment on others - and yes we would need to be careful about not losing that IMO

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