108233-sooo-server-merges-server-transfers

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So, with the thrills of PvP updates and changed attunement requirements set aside for the moment, I'd like to address a topic has showed up with a much larger incidence than I expected in discussions of both of those topics: 
 
"My server is empty, making this MMO content difficult to access at all".
 
Anyone who has been looking at the forums is aware that all servers have seen populations decline and some of them are very sparsely populated now. Some of that surely is just the expected decline that happens as people buy a game, play it, and move on to other things a few months later. Some of it is likely due to problems with the game's implementation that drove out people who would otherwise have stayed. The particulars of WHY it has happened are contentious, and I would prefer to not see the thread focus on them.
 
Here, what I'd like to focus on is the question of how to keep from losing people who would like to stay but are in servers with populations too low to reliably support group activities, guild recruitments, commodity trading, and so on.
 
If there's a timeline for merging servers, I don't know what it is personally. Perhaps it's out there and I just haven't seen it, in which case I expect someone will clue me in pretty quickly, probably with an admonition about my poor search-fu skills. They'll be right, too--my search-fu does suck.
 
But presuming that mergers aren't coming before the next round of subscription dues, people who are in dead servers will either have to tough it out, leave, or use existing mechanisms to change servers. There is currently a mechanism in place to change servers with your existing characters; it costs twenty bucks per character that you choose to transfer if I understand it right. Of course, one can always roll a new character on a new server as well, which is free. Whether those mechanisms will be enough to keep people who want to move is an open question; my own suspicion is that the answer is "no, not really."
 
Is this affecting you personally? Do you see it as a potential problem for many people spread out across the range of open servers? Is merging of servers any time soon a sensible thing to do? Are the available ways to move between servers enough? Is the price of server transfers appropriate for the game as it currently stands?
 
My own thoughts on those questions are: No, Yes, Yes, No, and No. But I'd like to see what the larger community thinks about this and get a feel for exactly how big (or small as the case may be) this issue really is.
 
Thanks for your contribution!	
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			Gief server transfers or merges. I want to be able to do low level group quests and zone bosses. I want to be able to find a guild that fits me, not chose between the 3-4 guilds available on my server.	
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I believe there's a timeline for the business side of transfers.  Lets take NCsoft GW2, few months free transfer, paid transfers (gold or RL$), 18months after release introduction of the mega server.
 
I don't think Carbine has much control over this, NCsoft runs the show when it comes to the money, Carbine the game side.
 
Forum moderators, CC, & dev twitch stars hardly have much play in this, anyone notice how quiet they're on this subject, pretty sure they're told keep a lid on this subject.	
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I believe there's a timeline for the business side of transfers.  Lets take NCsoft GW2, few months free transfer, paid transfers (gold or RL$), 18months after release introduction of the mega server.
 
I don't think Carbine has much control over this, NCsoft runs the show when it comes to the money, Carbine the game side.
 
Forum moderators, CC, & dev twitch stars hardly have much play in this, anyone notice how quiet they're on this subject, pretty sure they're told keep a lid on this subject.
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			If you want more wildstar players, start advertising for NCSoft and W* to get more players. Get your friends playing, get their friends playing.	
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I believe there's a timeline for the business side of transfers.  Lets take NCsoft GW2, few months free transfer, paid transfers (gold or RL$), 18months after release introduction of the mega server.
 
I don't think Carbine has much control over this, NCsoft runs the show when it comes to the money, Carbine the game side.
 
Forum moderators, CC, & dev twitch stars hardly have much play in this, anyone notice how quiet they're on this subject, pretty sure they're told keep a lid on this subject.
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If you want more wildstar players, start advertising for NCSoft and W* to get more players. Get your friends playing, get their friends playing.
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My posts may have come of wrong, I would love server merges or mega servers now! (Thunderfoot dominion), and I don't believe for one bit these things mean a game is dying, growing pains all mmo's go through....the unfortunate part in every mmo I've played (same ones probably you have too at one point or another) is the lengthy timeline of free transfers, paid transfers, faction change, locked servers....finally server merges/mega server a year plus later.
 
The only reasoning I can come up w/is the revenue from paid transfers, even though I think losing subs is worse the numbers may be different on their end....especially w/credd system in play w/previous plat exploits and 1800 carry.	
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Is this affecting you personally? 
 
Yes.  We re-rolled on Pergo (started on PvE so can't even transfer) so we could play with a healthier population.
 
Do you see it as a potential problem for many people spread out across the range of open servers?
 
Yes.
 
Is merging of servers any time soon a sensible thing to do? 
 
I think server mergers are too big of a headache to be the starting point of fixing the problem.  I would rather they open free transfers, and remove all transfer restrictions so that players and guilds can organize their own moves rather than trying to consolidate duplicate names and combine auction houses.
 
Are the available ways to move between servers enough?
 
No.
 
Is the price of server transfers appropriate for the game as it currently stands?
 
No it's $20 too expensive.	
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			this is disheartening to hear. more people need to hold out longer. dont quit, just log on less and play around with alts until they can fix end game issues and server issues. i believe once the bugs are sorted out and SS and warriors arent 2 shotting people, people would love to come back! its just no fun getting completely wasted in a bg in 7 minutes, or running a dungeon that gives absolutely no reward other than attunement progress. why put some jaggoff item in a dungeon that no one wants, or doesnt even replace anything because the itemization is so unbalanced and awkward? like...pvp weapons better than pve.. da fuq?	
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My posts may have come of wrong, I would love server merges or mega servers now! (Thunderfoot dominion), and I don't believe for one bit these things mean a game is dying, growing pains all mmo's go through....the unfortunate part in every mmo I've played (same ones probably you have too at one point or another) is the lengthy timeline of free transfers, paid transfers, faction change, locked servers....finally server merges/mega server a year plus later.
 
The only reasoning I can come up w/is the revenue from paid transfers, even though I think losing subs is worse the numbers may be different on their end....especially w/credd system in play w/previous plat exploits and 1800 carry.
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snip*
 
I would just like to see some ideas bounced around for how WS can retain paying customers that it already has, rather than lose them in the hopes that they'll shell out $20/character for a transfer or reroll and start over. My experiences from SWTOR suggest to me that far more of them would rather leave than begin again or shell out even more than the game + sub that they're already paying just to continue to have a viable experience.
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