When will there be a "SERVER MERGE?"

They don't seem to "get" this. There is a reason Bioware isn't agreeing to it. Saying "yes there is a server merge incoming"="Yes, internally we have an end date for the game and we plan no more substantial updates expansions....enjoy your dying game-now with more people per server...for a short time anyway."

So, what happens when, 6 months from now, we need a merge again, and again? You do realize a merge = no new content and the pulling of development resources. It's a "circle the drain" attitude" when servers merge.

If the problem that has cause low populations isn't fixed, then merges are a waste of time. May as well shut the game down. Really the same thing.

What game has been "successful" after they did server merges. In all these replies, I've NEVER seen someone say "Matrix Online did it and look at how well they are doing now!" for example.

Give me a few "success stories" since you claim it's "false."

Most people, that I know, won't even try a game that has merged servers because they know it's not long for this world.

Now, they won't like playing on empty servers either but why isn't there a BIGGER push to fill up the empty servers than to just "merge them?"

It seems we are looking at this from the wrong perspective, imo.

BW went crazy with the number of servers they have. This isnt a case where they are merging 25 servers down to 5.
The concept that they wont merge servers because its bad pr, but they will allow the game play experience to suffer significantly instead, is idiotic.

I left WoW after six years with no desire to return, I love this game, but if I log on to my server and see twenty people on fleet again tonight I might pull my hair out.

I JUST WANT TO RAID.

Give me the playerbase to recruit and do that ffs.

Should I find another server? Why? Every other server listed is at "Light" population. Why waste time levelling another toon(s) just to have the same issues there and ultimately quit the game with a grudge against the developer.

I have a group of five guys together from WoW playing on Thana Vesh, we have been trying to recruit new people for months. We haven't gotten one, NOT ONE. We can't even fill one eight man Op in months and months... That's pathetic.

What's funny if I've maybe posted once on Blizzards forums in the six years I played their game, but couldn't make it six months in this one before it boiled over.

I LOVE THE GAME - I HATE THE SERVER SITUATION.
Don't let this crap ruin your game, for real.

rerolling 'is' an option but the game itself is very punitive for rerolling because of one thing... legacy.

I had a hard time rerolling the first time because I had legacy 8, a couple guys at 40 and multiple other characters in the 20-35 range, I had a couple craft skills at 400, decent amount of change in the bank, etc. Leaving all that behind was rough but I did it to play with some friends (who ditched me later cause they couldnt get a raid going due to low pop).

I'm past my previous server now, I've got a 50, a second that will be 50 this week or early next week, three crewskills at 400, legacy 13 and a ton of credits in the bank and materials banked up for my 1.2 alts to power level their crewskills as well as unlock the race I want and buy some other legacy unlocks. I've got plenty of 'gameplay' left with my alts because of legacy but I PVP and with no Q running most of the time half of what I 'want' to do is unavailable to me. I'm not re-rolling, I'm not starting from scratch RIGHT when the patch that gives me something for that legacy level and cash farming hits the servers, I'm just not doing it. When my fun dies I'll cancel, i'm not going to pay to fix a problem with a game I'm already paying for.

The issue is obvious, the fix is obvious, the PR excuse is weak. The game can die off because of the population issues or it can take the temporary PR hit from doing a merge.

The game is taking PR hits NOW, fast action that has a positive impact on the existing community will be a positive PR move. People will say "It's going down the drain, they merged!" but when all the current players are happier because they have groups again and WZ Q's and people who quit already because of the low population come back, that little PR hit will mean nothing.

Right now you have options.
Wait - patience runs out eventually you quit.
Reroll to one of the few 'good' servers - Potentially be happy and stay or.. get frustrated with all the 'catch up' you have to do and quit.

How many people will 'quit' because of server merges? how many people will come back?

yeah,, and try to have them to admit it,,, they just give a s-hit about players on low pop servers,, they just want our mony

Yep.

Rabble Rabble!

Yeah, I feel ya OP.

My server is dead now too and I wont be subscribing again until they is some sort of server transfer.

I think you're looking at it from the wrong perspective.
If Bioware is concerned more about the impression merging servers gives people *not* playing the game at the cost of punishing players who are playing ... good luck!

Yes, the dreaded "server merge" is usually the first public sign a game is dying but SWTOR is a bit of a special case. They launched with way more servers than necessary hoping to avoid frustrating players at launch. Good for them. But clearly they could have a contingency plan in place in case, gasp, the number of players actually decreases?

Lastly, I don't care what the solution is: Try to fill up servers (however that will work), server transfers, merging, whatever.

I logged in at 4pm ET today and there were 3 people in the Republic Fleet. WZ queues are long and usually end early due to lack of players. There is no market to sell or buy things (many categories are empty). There is no community. Barely anyone looking for groups. It's DEAD. So whatever the solution, I don't really care, just do SOMETHING!

There are 215 servers including euro and asia pac. They supposedly have 1.7m active subscriptions (no idea how many of those are chinese bots but whatever).

That leaves on a perfectly balanced system about 7900ish active subscriptions per server.

Assumign ~35% of the active subscriptions log in during prime time (this is actually a pretty fair number if you put some thought into it) you've got just around 2770 people, so 1380ish per side.

We're already seeing some servers mentioned as having close to 800 people online at prime time on the fleets if you combine both sides, it's safe to assume a lot more than that are 'everywhere else' which quickly puts servers like Fatman at 1.5-2 times higher population than would be expected if all servers had equal population. This means somewhere out there is a server that is completely unneeded because all it's people are accounted for elsewhere. The pain is spread out though and some servers are much higher than their 'fair share' others are just a bit higher, some are just a bit lower and a number of them are exceptionally low.

Those numbers also account for just 'active subscriptions' Assuming 35% of your active subscriptions are online at prime time is a pretty aggressive assumption, how many of you have had an 'active subscription' to a game you hadn't logged into for more than a month or two? I know I have.