Despite the mod’s best efforts to consolidate the threads, there are a bunch of posts regarding server transfers / merges. Eventually, the Devs will get around to making some sort of formal announcement that will hopefully answer some of our questions and either relieve or destroy our fears of being able to experience the “ultimate Star Wars fantasy” they are so fond of saying they want to give us.

In order to make a best attempt that all of our concerns will be addressed, I decided to start this Server Transfer FAQ thread. This is not intended to be a discussion thread. This is a place to post your question in the hopes BioWare will address it with the upcoming announcement. Let’s please keep it direct and to the point so the thread isn’t closed or merged into one of the other super threads. Feel free to explain why the question is important to you. Players, please do not attempt to answer these questions on your own. Again, this thread is intended for BioWare to include answers for in their upcoming announcement. This thread is not for player speculation.

I will update the top post to encompass all of our questions rather than having the Devs sift through the entire thread (unless they are especially masochistic and choose to do so anyway).

I’ll start with the top 12 questions I have or have seen in the community forums:

1. Is it true we will only be allowed to move characters from specific servers into one other specific server for free?

This is important because not all of us at launch were whining about queue times. When presented with the option of waiting in a half an hour queue or playing on a fresh server, however, many of us opted to go ahead and play. It is not our fault BioWare opened these doomed servers and it hardly seems fair we should have to pay for any character transfers (after say the first month of transfers) to remedy a problem we did not create. I, for one, am not fond of the idea of paying extra money to solve an issue I did not create.

2. Similarly to the above, will we have to move all of our characters from one server to the same server or will we there be a pool of servers we can choose and separate our toons across more than one server?

This is important because some of us have many level 50s. As updates roll out (like Legacy) we are given the opportunity to use new options when creating other characters. If we are already capped with the way we want our characters (4 imps / 4 pubs or 8 imps, for instance) we may want to separate our stable so we can enjoy the benefits of the new systems (like Legacy) without having to delete one of our characters.

3. Will the transfer system be web-based or handled directly in the game client?

This is important because a large number of people will need to be or want to utilize the transfer service (at least if it is free). A web-based system may possibly take a long time considering crashes from excessive traffic and that sort of thing where it seems like a system built into the client may take care of things quickly. This is speculation concerning how each tactic might play out. The main difference is people want an idea of how long or difficult the transfer process will take.

4. Will I be able to / have to transfer all of my characters from various servers to one server?

This is important because some folks have characters on more than one dead server and would like to consolidate them on one server. Likewise, my son and I both play this game with the same account but play on different servers. Will we be forced to combine our characters on to the same server, even if that means we will have fewer characters to play?

5. Will I lose my character or Legacy identity (name)?

This is important because many of us care deeply about our character identity. Not only have we potentially been known by these names for months, but it is possible others on various servers have as well. Each of us has our own reputations among our own community and it appears many of us are concerned about these reputations and how they will mingle with server transfers. I’m sure no one wants to lose contact with their friends because we all have different names. Likewise, I’m sure no one wants to be known as a jerk because the last person who had our identity was.. well, a jerk.

6. Similarly to the above, how will it be decided who will keep their character / Legacy identity and who will lose their character / Legacy identity?

This is important because we want the system to resemble something along the lines of fairness. It isn’t fair for people on the destination server to lose a character identity they have spent a lot of time building community reputation with. Likewise, it isn’t fair for an incoming player to lose their character identity because someone, months ago, decided to “reserve” the identity and doesn’t really play it. Equally concerning is what will happen when you have six people with the same character or Legacy identity moving to the same server with someone who already has that character identity. It’s not the fault of the person on the destination server, nor is it the fault of the people transferring over from a dead server.

7. Will guilds be able to move to the same server and keep their guild intact or will they have to recreate from the ground up?

This is important because there are many guilds in this game. Many of the guilds who still survive on dead servers have worked very hard to hold their guild together under trying circumstances. Even if a guild is moved together, at the same time, with forced character / Legacy identity changes it could be hard for everyone to get back together on the destination server.

8. Will the Guildmaster take the guild with him/her (and all perks purchased for the guild) when transferring from one server to another?

This is important because many guilds have spent many credits on perks, like cargo hold bays. Guilds want to be sure they will not lose all of the time and effort that went into acquiring these perks when they move.

9. Will I lose my guild identity (name)?

This is important, similarly, just as character / Legacy identity is important. After all, guilds spend a large amount of time either building up or destroying their reputation. This may even be a larger issue than character / Legacy identity as far more people represent a guild reputation than a personal reputation. Also, many guilds use websites (and some have spent their own money registering Domain names, renting servers, etc.) that are directly tied into the guild identity.

10. Will there be “super-servers” in the near future and will the first round of server transfers have anything to do with “super-servers”?

This is important because we, as the paying customer, have to continuously gauge the impact these types of massive overhauls will have on our play experience. We are curious if we will go through this round of server transfers only to have to transfer again in a couple of months onto a “super-server.” One massive change, like moving servers, is understandable at this time given the state of the majority of servers. Continuously having us change server (and dealing with all the personal changes as detailed in above questions) is a strain on the community.

11. Will people who have unsubscribed be allowed to transfer their characters while remaining unsubscribed or will they have to resubscribe for the chance to move their characters or to even find out if the first round of transfers actually helps solve the problem or not?

This is important for a variety of reasons. Some people have unsubscribed because the game isn’t fun for them in its current state. Others don’t see a reason to pay while the problems are resolved but would be happy to return to paying status if the problems are solved. Others still may have unsubscribed for personal reasons and will not want to log back in after re-subscribing to find they are one of five people left on a dead server and then have to pay additional money to move their character at a later date in order to be able to play.

12. Once the first round of transfers are complete and the “dead” servers are officially in the morgue ready to be buried (or cremated, depending on your preference), what happens to the characters who are left (due to unsubbed accounts, people who just didn’t log in during the transfer period, etc)?

This is important for reasons similar to the above question. Leaving unsubbed people out of it for a moment, what about those who simply don’t log in during the free transfer period? Will their server and characters exist? Will they be able to move for free at a later time?

Additional Questions:

13. Will we receive a list of intended to and from servers for the “free” transfers ahead of time?

This is important because some of us are capped or just want to start a new character. We might prefer to start any future characters on the server will be transferring our characters to in order to establish ourselves in our new community or to simply make the transfer process easier by having one less character to transfer.

14. If we have Legacies on the destination server and the origin server, will our Legacies be merged or will we have to choose which Legacy we wish to keep and which we are willing to lose?

This is important because of Legacy identity, but is far from the only reason. Many of us have spent millions of credits unlocking aspects of our Legacy. If we have two Legacies that come into conflict with the transfer, how will it be determined which Legacy and which unlocks we will keep? Will we lose the millions of credits we have invested in our Legacies if there is a conflict within our own accounts?

15. If server transfers are going to be part of or before 1.3, why are the PTS transfers for testing 1.3 going to be done manually? Will the tests for an automated system be handled separately or in a later stage of testing 1.3?

This is important because of the accuracy involved. It was reported the previous, manual server transfers took awhile to complete and there may be a greater margin of error with manual transfers as opposed to an automated system.

16. If there are problems with the automated transfer system after all of the other 1.3 features have been tested, will the transfer system be postponed again or will a manual process be implemented while the automated system is perfected?

This is important because the longer we wait for server transfers to begin, the more dead the servers become. It may be best (from the customer’s perspective) to begin a manual transfer system just to get the ball rolling rather than put off server transfers until 1.4.

17. How long will it take for a character to be ready to play on the destination server after a transfer?

This is important, similarly to the previous question, because the length of time it takes to successfully transfer a character equals the amount of personal downtime the customer will endure. It is true many of us are already waiting to delve deeply into the game again, but a prolonged personal account downtime will only raise the level of anxiety the player feels. Also, there is no further room for surprises. If we can expect to be down for an hour or even a day, it is best we know beforehand.

18. In order to mitigate the impact of name collisions (both character and Legacy) will the naming convention be expanded to include numerals, special characters and more than one dash or apostrophe?

This is important because there will likely be more than three name collisions occurring fairly often. Consider the sheer number of customers who choose actual words for their names. Bubba, Bub-ba, and Bub’ba may only accommodate up to three customers while adding the additional characters could serve to accommodate far more.

19. Will you please release demographic information on the servers so that we can take faction/class balance/level balance into account when we start considering transfer options?

This is important because some people want to play on balanced servers. Some people relish the challenge of playing in the underdog faction. Others want the security of being in the favored faction. Every one of us has different wants and needs. If we understood faction-class-level balance in the servers, we could each go to an environment that suits us best. Even if you can't or don't choose to publish numbers of players, just letting us basic demographics like these is very useful:

• A server is at B% of the capacity

• P server has Q% of the population at level 50

• X server is Y % Rep and Z % Imp

Also, showing total demographics versus the demographics of characters played within the last month (or few weeks or quarter or whatever fairly recent period of time) would be very useful.

20. Will Pre-Launch servers be targeted for inbound transfers before newer servers?

This is important because you should consider rewarding the players that have supported the game from before launch who have worked to establish guilds they have maintained. Forcing these players to move after having suffered through the low activity periods seems unfair and could add to the backlash.

Please remember this is not a discussion thread. Simply respond with your question (and an optional “why it is important” comment) and I will update the top post. Hopefully BioWare will address our concerns and help us through this necessary transition with as little difficulty as possible.

Thank you.

Well thought out and it also makes a point (whether intended or not). That point is just one person taking a little time came up with all of these questions/concerns for the upcoming transfers. Imagine how many other issues/questions there are, especially when you add in the actual technical side of coding all this. Maybe that's why it's taking so long? Hmm?

That being said, I will agree with most that the terms "soon" and "working on it" or even "in internal testing" are starting to wear a little thin. Perhaps you might do a survey like the one just done for the 1.3 PTS and get volunteers who are willing to risk name or item loss to transfer or who have low level toons they wouldn't mind risking. I believe that there really does need to be some visible action on this.

Well thought out and it also makes a point (whether intended or not). That point is just one person taking a little time came up with all of these questions/concerns for the upcoming transfers. Imagine how many other issues/questions there are, especially when you add in the actual technical side of coding all this. Maybe that's why it's taking so long? Hmm?

Thank you! You're right. That is a fair point and was unintended, but I am glad you pointed it out. I don't expect this post to quell any of the unrest going on at the moment because it only consolidates the questions people are asking and doesn't answer any. I, too, was a nerd-rager for about a week. I don't like the idea of losing my character identity and such. At the end of the day, however, I'd rather be named "Bounty_Hunter_0283" and have a robust server full of people than retain a name I've held since December 20th and have no one to play with.

I tried to include as many questions as I could remember seeing posted 100 times over now, but I did not intend to be all-inclusive. I hope there are more questions that surface. Let's face it: It's better to challenge BioWare now while they are working on the system we are discussing rather than wait until it is "complete" and realize they forgot something (and that is possible... they are only human as well).

Thank you for the support. I realize this post will not encourage BioWare to do anything before they think it's "ready." I do hope, when the time comes, it will help encourage them to address our concerns in as thorough a manner as possible.

I’ll start with the top 12 questions I have or have seen in the community forums:

 

1. Is it true we will only be allowed to move characters from specific servers into one other specific server for free?

 

Yes, you will be able to move characters for free from selected servers to a pool of destination severs.

 

2. Similarly to the above, will we have to move all of our characters from one server to the same server or will we there be a pool of servers we can choose and separate our toons across more than one server?

Yes, there will be a pool of destination servers and yes you can separate your toons.

 

3. Will the transfer system be web-based or handled directly in the game client?

 

Unknown at this time.

 

4. Will I be able to / have to transfer all of my characters from various servers to one server?

 

Yes, up to a maximum of 8 characters per server.

 

5. Will I lose my character or Legacy identity (name)?

 

Possibly, if the name is already taken on your destination server.

 

6. Similarly to the above, how will it be decided who will keep their character / Legacy identity and who will lose their character / Legacy identity?

 

Names are given on a first come, first serve basis. If someone on your destination server already has your name you will not be able to use it.

 

7. Will guilds be able to move to the same server and keep their guild intact or will they have to recreate from the ground up?

 

Possibly. Still being worked on at this time.

 

8. Will the Guildmaster take the guild with him/her (and all perks purchased for the guild) when transferring from one server to another?

 

Yes, the Guildmaster will take the guild with him including all guild bank unlocks.

 

9. Will I lose my guild identity (name)?

 

Again possibly. Just like character names, guild names are given on a first come, first serve basis. If someone is already using your guild name on your destination server it will be unavailable to you.

 

10. Will there be “super-servers” in the near future and will the first round of server transfers have anything to do with “super-servers”?

 

Yes, server transfers are the first step in creating "super-servers".

 

11. Will people who have unsubscribed be allowed to transfer their characters while remaining unsubscribed or will they have to resubscribe for the chance to move their characters or to even find out if the first round of transfers actually helps solve the problem or not?

 

No, unsubscribers will not be allowed to transfer their characters without an active subscription.

 

12. Once the first round of transfers are complete and the “dead” servers are officially in the morgue ready to be buried (or cremated, depending on your preference), what happens to the characters who are left (due to unsubbed accounts, people who just didn’t log in during the transfer period, etc)?

 

Anyone left on a "dead" server will be prompted to choose a new server on login after all transfers have been completed.

 

Additional Questions:

 

13. Will we receive a list of intended to and from servers for the “free” transfers ahead of time?

 

Yes, there will be a list right before server transfers begin.

 

14. If we have Legacies on the destination server and the origin server, will our Legacies be merged or will we have to choose which Legacy we wish to keep and which we are willing to lose?

 

Highest level Legacy will always take precedence including name, rank and all perks unlocked. Legacies will not be merged.

This should provide you with most of the answers you're looking for.

Good list. Another question for you:

How long will it take for a character to be ready to play on the new server?

This should provide you with most of the answers you're looking for.

Speculation doesn't help much. Some of us would like BioWare to answer the questions.

Speculation doesn't help much. Some of us would like BioWare to answer the questions.

It's not speculation. Most of these questions have been answered already by BioWare. The rest is just common sense.

I don't know if you want to include this one but anyway:-

If server transfers are going to be part of or before 1.3, why are the PTS transfers for testing 1.3 going to be done manually?

Bla, bla bla...

In my case if i can't choose the server where i want to play, i won't renew and i'll delete my main character.

Maybe i'm a troller but it seems that BW is so slow in his reaction.

I don't like but community need to have the things very clear to active BIOWARE to take the best decision for everybody.

Else ...

When the people get fire it comes the crying... BAD WORK = BAD FUTURE

Bioware actually has put out a great deal of information on this and other topics, you just have to know where to look for it. They dont easy mode their information up front, but if you know what you are looking for and where to find it you can get plenty of information out of Bioware.

Well to be perfectly honest, you shouldn't have to dig for information from bioware.

It should be posted plain for everyone to see.

It's not speculation. Most of these questions have been answered already by BioWare. The rest is just common sense.

Sorry but not true, yes they have answered some of them ... sort of in a round about way. but they have not yet provided any kind of complete and clear answer for most of these questions. Also filling in the blanks with common sense does not work! This is Bioware they clearly have no common scene.

I know this is a stupidly obvious question but when will server transfers be available??

Will there be just server transfers or will there be mergers / server consolidation ??

Also BW should be providing this information it should not be up to players to try and piece the little bits of information dotted around together!!

Bioware actually has put out a great deal of information on this and other topics, you just have to know where to look for it. They dont easy mode their information up front, but if you know what you are looking for and where to find it you can get plenty of information out of Bioware.

Are you trying to infer that you have completed Nightmaremode Bioware information gathering and the rest of us are just storymode nubs?

-Sorry OP I know you did'nt want us responding to each other in here-

Simply respond with your question (and an optional “why it is important” comment) and I will update the top post.

Thanks, InnerPieces, this is one of the more sane threads out there on this subject.

Question: Will you please release demographic information on the servers so that we can take faction/class balance/level balance into account when we start considering transfer options?

Why it's important: Some people want to play on balanced servers. Some people relish the challenge of playing in the underdog faction. Others want the security of being in the favored faction. Every one of us has different wants and needs. If we understood faction-class-level balance in the servers, we could each go to an environment that suits us best. Even if you can't or don't choose to publish numbers of players, just letting us basic demographics like these is very useful:

• A server is at B% of the capacity
  
• P server has Q% of the population at level 50
  
• X server is Y % Rep and Z % Imp

Also, showing total demographics versus the demographics of characters played within the last month (or few weeks or quarter or whatever fairly recent period of time) would be very useful.

Thanks,

Paige

Wow! These are excellent additional questions and I have added them all up to this response. There was one I integrated into two other questions just for the sake of reducing repetition. I took a few creative liberties with a question or two and added an explanation of why the question is important to the community. I hope no one minds.

To those who are keeping with the spirit of the post: thank you very much. To the rest... well, at least it shows you care. Otherwise, why would you bother.

To Lurchy: It's okay. As long as we don't inadvertently cross the line and the thread get shut down, I don't mind. I'll just continue to edit the top post with additional questions and the rest really won't matter as much. Trust me, I know: It's not always easy to let things slide.

Of course, I couldn't have compiled such a thorough list of questions without this supportive and engaging community. Thank you all!

Good FAQ.. it's too bad Bioware doesn't do this themselves. Why are they even getting paid?

They're not. Most of them got fired.

Will Pre-Launch servers be targeted for inbound transfers before newer servers?

Important: Reward the players that have supported this game from early on and worked to establish guilds that they have maintained. Forcing these players to move after having suffered through the low activity periods could have major backlash.

It's not speculation. Most of these questions have been answered already by BioWare. The rest is just common sense.

Should post some links of where you got the answers from.

Most of the questions have been answered. If they came and answered them all over again for you here, we would just wait a week, let it scroll off the first page, and lo and behold, people would be asking why there's no info.

I imagine when it's time, there'll be a stickied or blogged BW posting explaining everything. Unless they just Tweet it LOL

The question I would ask, which is not on the list, is: "Why must I be kicked off my peaceful little server just because some other players think it's not crowded enough?"

Most of the questions have been answered.

I'm not intending to be rude even though it may be taken that way. You should read Darth Victus's response directly above yours. I'll save you the trouble and just quote it here:

Should post some links of where you got the answers from.

Because we would all love to have the answers as well. Thanks!

I've added all (non-sarcastic) questions up to this response.

It's not speculation. Most of these questions have been answered already by BioWare. The rest is just common sense.

Right common sense lol...It would be nice if bioware answered them not someone not employed by them. Most common sense answers doesn't mean bioware will do it that way other wise it would already be done as you stated most are common sense. Sorry to say NO COMMUNITY INTERACTION stance by bioware these will never get answered unless you want the round about way like someone has already said.