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The Think Tank: The MMO server merge stigma
Last week, Turbine announced that it plans to address Lord of the Rings Online's ongoing population problems. New executive producer Athena "Vyvyanne" Peters wrote, "We're taking measures to get everyone onto the more populous servers" and "working on [...] improved server transfer tools." And later, she clarified, "We are still working through the details, but part of our efforts here are to make the transition as seamless as possible for Kinship leaders to keep the players together. The idea is to bring you together, not spread further apart." In our post, we called this process "server merges of a sort," but some loyal LotRO fans went ballistic at the idea that mass server transfers to, you know, merge players onto populous servers might be called "server merges." The term has such negative connotations and implications for a game's health that neither studios nor fans will dare use it even when it's a reasonable term to use and when it heralds good things for an aging game. The stigma might even make some studios leery of doing merges at all. What do you think -- is there a better term for these sorts of faux-merges? Have you been through a merge and found it a worthwhile experience? Can we be done with the merge stigma already? We're talking server merges in today's Think Tank.
Age of Wushu previews new school abilities after server merge
The fifth inner skills for each of the eight schools are arriving in the next Age of Wushu update, and if you're a player, you'd probably like to know what they do, wouldn't you? I mean, one of them might instantly kill everything in a seven-meter radius, and the other might summon a moderate quantity of breadsticks and marinara sauce. That seems unlikely, though, as the preview of these new abilities mentions neither sort of talent. They do include attack buffs, HP drains, and major defensive buffs, though, so that's good. You'll be able to show these skills off to a wider range of players after the game's server merges from yesterday. The Golden Kirin and White Tiger servers have been merged into the Blue Dragon server; players whose names will need to change should receive name changing scrolls within the next few days. If you weren't able to log in yesterday and aren't sure about how the merge went down, you can double-check the quick guide to the process.
City of Steam is merging US servers on October 21st
City of Steam's US servers are coming back together. On October 21st, the US servers for the game will be merged into a single server for everyone in the US. Players on the US2 and US3 servers affected by the merges will be getting a bit of an extra benefit out of this change; not only will they get to play with a larger population, but a consolation package is being offered to players for the delay in starting the other servers in the first place. The packages consist of subscription time, Metal, Alloy, Revamp Gems, Vehicle Parts, and Lucky Scrolls; US3 characters get more of these things, but the core contents are identical. There's also an offer to European players to obtain a similar package by emailing the support department, as those servers are already merged. Read up on the details, and get ready for the world to become a bit smaller but more populated.
The Daily Grind: Do server merges make you more or less worried about an MMO?
Server merges, megaservers, connected realms, server consolidations -- call them whatever you want; a server merge is a merge, and it means a game's population has shrunk and servers need to be shed. Usually, MMO gamers take that as a herald of doom and race to the forums and blogs to argue over the technicalities of who's going where, what stuff will be lost in the transfer, and who predicted something patently inevitable a year ago. Onlookers pronounce the game a failure. But maybe that's the wrong atittude altogether. By the time most games merge servers, I'm usually heaving a sigh of relief. RIFT, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Star Wars Galaxies, EverQuest, even World of Warcraft -- all of these MMOs benefited enormously from their merges or faux-merges, in spite of the way merges look to people obsessed with schadenfreude. For players playing a game whose devs recognize a population problem and fix it while they still have the resources to do so, it's practically a game-saver, not a game-killer. When you're stuck on a dead server in a game that has just enough resources to keep going but not enough to merge, then the game is screwed. What do you think: Do server merges make you more or less worried about an MMO? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: What would you pay to leave a dying server?
One hundred and thirty-five bucks -- that's what Lord of the Rings Online charges for six character transfer tokens to move your fleet of alts from a dying server to one with a bright future. Nevermind that you weren't the one who turned the server into a ghost town and that it's entirely within a studio's power to make merges happen some way or another; you're the one who foots the bill to escape a dead server. And sometimes that bill is just not worth paying. I admit to shelling out a huge amount of money (a few hundred dollars) to consolidate and transfer my old Star Wars Galaxies accounts and characters, and it was worth every penny because it was my favorite MMO and I played it every single day and needed a vibrant server and economy to have a good time. But when it comes to an MMO I play as casually as Lord of the Rings Online, I have to draw the line. Especially as a crafter, I just won't pay that kind of money (or ask my guildies to do the same) to move my alts, which often means I don't go back at all and the game gets nothing from me. What about you -- what would you pay to leave a dying server? How much do you have to love the game before shelling out for transfers is worth it? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Allods Online transfers operations back to Mail.Ru, merges population
Allods Online is on the cusp of reverting operations from Webzen back to the original owners, Mail.ru. The firm has a couple of posts up to answer questions about the transfer. The transfer will happen sometime this month and it will involve both European and North American accounts. The creators will be merging these populations due to popular demand: "One of these [suggestions] was the desire to join the European servers: New Frontier and Goblin Republic. So we thought, why not use this great opportunity to finally unite all of our European and North American players on the same server? There are no more technical issues or other obstacles in our way, so right after we merge Webzen EU and US communities on March 18th, we will organize a migration of our players from Italy and Turkey to the same servers (it will happen two weeks later)." Allods Online will be synchronizing client versions across the board (except in Russia, which will remain ahead of the pack) due to this change and will not be supporting Polish localization going forward. The game will transfer regional accounts separately to avoid any conflicts.
Salem prepares for full wipe
The end of the world is nigh for Salem and it's rankling more than a few players' sensibilities. Earlier this month, the developers announced that they will be conducting a full wipe of Salem in an upcoming patch. This will reset the map and delete all characters in order to condense the population onto a single server. Currently the game is running on multiple servers, which the devs deem as "overestablished." Players are upset that the sandbox MMO is being wiped in light of the team previously promising that it wouldn't do such a thing. Seatribe is sympathetic but resolute: "We did not arrive at this decision lightly. We have considered all our options and for various reasons found them wanting." The good news is that the patch will add in plenty of new features and tweaks, including a rework of the gluttony system, improvements to character proficiencies, and the implementation of a new map generator. Every item that characters purchased from the store beforehand will be restored to them once the patch goes live. [Thanks to Nine for the tip!]
Prime World dishing out $38M of in-game currency to players today
Prime World might only be in "beta," but it's getting the star treatment from publisher Nival today in the form of a massive giveway. Over $38 million in cash shop currency will be distributed among beta testers today at 4:00 p.m. EDT. When the giveaway happens this afternoon, each registered tester will get 3,000 gold worth around $100 that can be spent in the cash shop as well as a free exclusive skin. We're giving you a heads-up because you can get in on this too as long as you register before 4:00 p.m. on the site or through Steam. Nival is hosting the giveaway to show off the game's progress, including a reduction in matchmaking queue times and the merging of the Russian and English populations of the game. [Source: Nival press release]
More connected realms on the way for WoW
Blizzard has plans to connect more World of Warcraft realms, according to a post on the Battle.net forums. Five pairs of servers are due to be linked, though the company doesn't yet "have a specific date on which these connections will occur." What's a realm connection? It's basically Blizzard-speak for cross-server tech wherein two or more standard realms have been permanently and seamlessly linked. "These linked realms will behave as if they were one cohesive realm, meaning you'll be able to join the same guilds, access a single auction house, run the same raids and dungeons, and join other adventurers to complete quests," the company explained previously.
RIFT frees up inactive character names
No one likes changing a character's name because of a server merge, but there are definitely ways to add insult to injury. If you wind up losing your original name to an active high-level character, it feels fair. If you lose your name to a naked bank alt someone made years ago and has almost forgotten, it feels like cheating. That's why RIFT is freeing up the names of inactive characters prior to the next major server merge. Any players with characters flagged as inactive will be sent a letter stating that the characters in question are in danger of losing their names. If it's a mistake, you can just log in on that character and you'll be fine. If you legitimately don't play the character, then someone who does use the name will be able to use it. Everyone wins -- assuming that there aren't two active characters with the exact same name, in which case we're back to the default situation where someone wins and someone loses.
Trion answers questions about RIFT's server merges
Next week's RIFT server merge is far from the first time that the game has compressed its servers, but it's still producing no shortage of anxiety and apprehension. The game's community managers took to the forums to answer some of the more pressing questions, starting with the (unwelcome) news that the merged EU servers will wind up without a server flagged for roleplaying. Name changes will be necessary; surnames are possible for the future, but they will not be in place for the merges. Players with more than the maximum number of characters after the merge will only have access to the first 12; players will need to delete existing characters to see the characters in overflow, but they will not be lost. Guild banks do not need to be emptied. Players are also reminded that characters can be transferred before the merger. The one bright point is the fact that the EU servers will have an auction house supporting French, English, and German clients at the same time, allowing all players in the region to interact successfully on the merged worlds.
Director's letter for Age of Conan talks loot, merges, and dungeons
If you've not been happy with loot rewards in Age of Conan, you can take some succor in the fact that the designers aren't happy with them either. The latest director's letter discusses the problem of rewards in the first Dragon's Spine dungeon and explains that the team is trying to create interesting loot without creating a huge power imbalance between new and veteran characters at the cap. While the next few dungeons will fill out the loot sets that have been established, the team is actively working on long-term solutions. Beyond that, the game remains on-track for server merges in the summer, with older unplayed characters moving into "archival" status to make database merges less onerous. The tradeskill revamp and further dungeons are also in the works; Coils of Ubah Khan is nearing launch as the next dungeon. For more details on the updates and discussion of achievements, take a look at the full letter.
BioWare granting one-time free transfer to SWTOR APAC refugees
BioWare community manager Eric Musco has updated Asia-Pacific Star Wars: The Old Republic players on their server transfer options. The company announced in late March that the game's APAC shards are being shuttered. "Starting on Tuesday, June 4th, you will all be allowed a free one-time transfer for each character you have on an APAC server, Musco wrote. "We are going to allow you a one-time transfer to any SWTOR server. To reiterate, starting on Tuesday, June 4th, you will be allowed a one-time transfer for each character you have on an APAC server to any other non-APAC server."
Matt Higby discusses PlanetSide 2's roadmap and server merges
It's unsettling for anyone to know that a game is undergoing server merges, even when it's a game that's received as much good press as PlanetSide 2. Fortunately for the game's gun-toting fans, creative director Matt Higby is on tap to provide players with a bit more clarification about exactly what the merges will involve. Ten total servers will be affected, bringing the game's total number to nine after the merges take place. Server transfer tokens will also be available afterwards for players who would prefer to move to a different server in the wake of the transfers. Higby also discusses the game's roadmap, a feature that the designers have been pleased with thus far. Going forward, the roadmap will provide more accurate dates regarding when players can expect to see the new content rather than the current system showing internal development targets. For more specific details, check out Higby's full address to the community.
Smedley announces PlanetSide 2 server merges
PlanetSide 2's servers are going to get a bit cozier in the not-too-distant future. SOE CEO John Smedley announced upcoming server merges on Twitter today. "Server merges soon. Info coming by Monday. No server transfers coming till after that's done. Wouldn't be right doing it the other way around." While we'll have to wait for more information, Smedley did say that "too many people went to some servers and not as many went to others" and that this should in not be seen as a sign that the game hasn't been as successful as might have been hoped.
Anarchy Online dev update talks new engine, server migrations, and more
There's a new monthly development update for Anarchy Online on the game's official forums. It's a fairly lengthy read, but then again there's a lot going on with Funcom's long-running sci-fi MMO. First of all, the devs are extending Halloween festivities through November 12th due to Hurricane Sandy. The team is also finalizing its scripts for the upcoming server migration, and work continues on the much-anticipated Dreamworld engine upgrade. New character models, animations, textures, and mesh armors are all on the table, and Funcom says it's "in the home stretch" on the project as a whole. Finally, this month's letter touches on AO's Steam presence as well as Funcom's plans for upgrading the new player experience. Read all about it on the game's official forums.
SWTOR locks servers in preparation for merges
If step one was giving some players the opportunity to transfer servers for free and step two was incentivizing those moves, then step three in BioWare's plan to consolidate the community is closing the door on the source servers in preparation for an inevitable merge. The studio announced that as of today, several of Star Wars: The Old Republic servers have been locked. Locked servers are still playable, and inhabitants can create new toons; however, no new players can roll a character there. These source servers will eventually be merged with destination servers this summer. BioWare's move to merge SWTOR's numerous servers follows a post-launch drop in subscriber numbers. Players on source servers are encouraged to manually transfer to destination servers before the game does it for them. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
The Daily Grind: When do you consider a game to be 'dying'?
If you listen to internet negativity, every game is dying. World of Warcraft is dying, some folks say, because it's lost a fraction of its population after seven years. RIFT is "obviously" pushing out tons of content only because it's desperate and dying. Two million players and queues in Star Wars: The Old Republic also mean the game is dying. A game goes free-to-play? Dying. Keeps a subscription? Dying. Box on sale? Dying. Moves to Steam? Dying. Merges servers? Dying. Doesn't merge servers? Dying! It's true that some games have gone under, but many more are hanging in there after a decade, even if they aren't blockbusters that impress people used to seeing populations in the millions. If World of Warcraft dwindled to as few players as, say, Asheron's Call, I still wouldn't call that dying. It might be small, but it's still alive and still getting updates, and that's more than I can say for some games. What about you -- when, exactly, in a game's timeline do you consider that game to be dying? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Aion lays out the details for the upcoming server changes
Before a storm, you secure your home. Before a job interview, you clean yourself up nicely. Before a conversion to free-to-play, you make sure your servers are ready to go. That last one is on the agenda for NCsoft, which is making some server changes and merges prior to Aion's transition to free-to-play starting on April 11th. Players affected by this can take a look at a new official FAQ to clarify any and all questions about what's going down on March 28th. The short version is that most individual character data will remain untouched, but players with conflicting names will be given a random string of letters and numbers and a free name-change ticket. Players who wind up with Asmodeans and Elyseans on the same server will also be given the option to change to an appropriate race or transfer the offending characters to another server to adhere to the one-faction-per-server rule. If you've got more detailed questions, of course, the FAQ has more detailed answers.
Final Fantasy XIV server merges reassessed; merges to take place in March
Only four days ago, Square-Enix announced that it would be reevaluating the previously announced Final Fantasy XIV server merges based on player feedback. Well, it looks like the reassessment is complete, and the server merge details have been solidified. In a post on FFXIV's Lodestone website, the studio announced that server merges will be taking place next month on Tuesday, March 27th. The stated reason for the server merge is "to improve the player experience during the period up to the launch of FFXIV version 2.0." The studio goes on to add that "new worlds may be added in the future, for example after the relaunch or when player numbers increase." Beginning on March 1st, players will be able to use the site's world transfer application page in order to declare their destination servers. It's worth noting that the early bird gets the worm, and by worm we mean server of choice, due to the fact that once a world reaches its population cap, it will (obviously) no longer be available as a destination. To get the full details on the upcoming server transfers, just click on through the link below to the official Lodestone announcement.
