Dear players, dear responsibles,

 

I am finally ready to give up on my pride! For more than one year now I was resisting those people who told me to transfer my characters to a more populated server. That was when the last player of my Imp-PvP-Guild left the server. Since that moment I am alone in my Imp-Guild but I still have a small PvE-Rep-Guild left, unfortunately they are not interested in PvP. I still have my whole legacy ( 17 Chars, mostly 65er) on the german RP-Server Vanjervallis Chain.

 

I could stand the decreasing population because I only subscribe irregularly for once or twice a year for a two-months-period. During my preferred-player-time I only do random PvP about twice a day (PvP-Limit doesn't stop me, I have enough Chars and they all got all needed authorizations and stuff and there is no rated PvP at all anyway) and I am fine with long queue-times.

 

Now I felt like it is time to subscribe again and to hardcore-play for a few hours a day the next months! I subscribed, experienced the last chapters on three chars (I like them, but three times is clearly enough) and then ... nothing.

 

Since friday I am logged into swtor basically the whole day and I am doing nothing I couldn't have done without subscription. Since then, there were only two OP-Groups looking for random people on the republic fleet. I played three GSF-matches. I had maybe six PvP invites? Today, sunday, I was standing on the fleet from 9:00 am until now 5:30 pm. I was queued for PvP, GSF and HM FPs the whole time. No invite. I saw nobody looking for randoms on the fleet. Conclusion: Vanjervallis Chain is dead.

 

Since one year I am somehow hoping for a solution that is not single-transfering all my 17 Characters to another server.

I did transfer one char during the 90-CC-Event, but I hated to have my legacy split up, because I play all my characters, I am a Achievement-Completionist, my gear is mostly legacy gear and some Chars need to stay on a server together for crafting-reasons. Also I am really tied to my character names.

But after these frustrating days I lost all my hope that there will be a solution other than moving all my characters.

 

So please, if we do not talk about server merges, lets talk about another 90-CC-Event or cheaper character transfers in general. Or a discount for moving the whole legacy! Moving all my characters at the current price is just too expensive. I would like to subscribe again to get the story of KOTET. But I want to have group-content, too, and there is almost no group-content happening on some servers anymore. Thats just not worth subsribing.

 

I understand that the responsibles don't want to merge empty servers again because the haters would interpret it as a proof of failure. But players who love to play SWTOR are suffering now from this preventing-to-make-big-decisions-politics now.

 

There will either be a server merge, a cheaper character transfer or I will not subscribe another time.

 

I am asking all players who are having a similar problem, to not slowly leave the game in silence, but to complain like I do. I am asking the responsible to hear us and help us enjoy this game again.

I completely understand your frustration. I was similarly frustrated. I started a new legacy on a different server ( I've only had one ) after 4 yrs. I thought I'd hate it, honestly though I'm really enjoying it. No credits no legacy perks I'm starting with nothing but knowledge of the game of course. Start over, you may actually enjoy it.

I completely understand your frustration. I was similarly frustrated. I started a new legacy on a different server ( I've only had one ) after 4 yrs. I thought I'd hate it, honestly though I'm really enjoying it. No credits no legacy perks I'm starting with nothing but knowledge of the game of course. Start over, you may actually enjoy it.

 

Good advice : )

Believe me when I say you're not the only player in this situation. Pretty much any player on formerly PvP designated servers is in the same boat as you. BioWare has given zero indication that they have any plans to merge servers though. It seems character transfer is only option available. It's either that or rolling new toons on more populated servers.

I completely understand your frustration. I was similarly frustrated. I started a new legacy on a different server ( I've only had one ) after 4 yrs. I thought I'd hate it, honestly though I'm really enjoying it. No credits no legacy perks I'm starting with nothing but knowledge of the game of course. Start over, you may actually enjoy it.

 

Personally, I'd consider that option if there wasn't the little matter of items bound to a specific character. There is a lot of stuff in-game that cannot be transferred, or be unlocked for legacy, so rerolling your favourite character is not the solution. I'm happy for you that you are having fun, but what you are doing there is just ignoring the actual problem. And Bioware can't be arsed to address the problem, as always.

I am vehemently against server merges, however periodically putting character transfers on sale, I'm all for that.

Oh, no! I was here for the big server merge of 2012. For months before the actual merges, we players endured dead servers. My original server (Empress Teta) was one of the zombies; so I started characters on what was then the most active NA server: Candorous Ordo. That's how my legacy ended up being split, which is not how I'd prefer it. It *was* a lot better playing on a more populated server, though, that's for sure. Currently most of my characters are on Jedi Covenant, with a couple on The Harbinger. Before I do any server transfer/rolling new characters, what are the relative states of the servers? I can't go through the empty server thing again ...

I completely understand your frustration. I was similarly frustrated. I started a new legacy on a different server ( I've only had one ) after 4 yrs. I thought I'd hate it, honestly though I'm really enjoying it. No credits no legacy perks I'm starting with nothing but knowledge of the game of course. Start over, you may actually enjoy it.

 

Interesting advice for people who recently started to play I would say. But this is not an option for me anymore. I love almost all my characters (except my first one, I messed up that one). I invested a lot of time and credits in them. just recently almost 20 millions in tunings only. In their equipment (optically!). In their social and valor ranks. In their unlocks. In their companions influence. In many of those toys from the CM. They all have all avaible titles, no insta-60s. I also have some rare legacy titles I was fighting for for a long time. And as I said, I am a completionist, when it comes to achievements and I came quite far already. My CM-collection is quite big, too.

 

I am vehemently against server merges, however periodically putting character transfers on sale, I'm all for that.

 

I don't like the idea either. At least I used to unlike it. But now I see no other way. A long time I was hoping vor crossserver-queues but we know it will never happen. Cross-Faction PvP was a good idea but now there are still no pop-ups. It is 20:12 pm on sunday now, I'd call that primetime. There are exactly 30 people on the republic fleet on Vanjervallis Chain. At least one of them is a creditseller. Those creditsellers are completly dominating the chat. It is ridicolous. I ignore all of them immediatly, but every 15 mins there seems to be a new one online. 18 people on Coruscant. Within the last 60 min I had one PvP-Pop-up and that was a 4vs4. Betweeen my first post and this one, there was one OP-group looking for randoms. And I know already that tomorrow, on monday evening, it will look much worse. Monday has always been the day, were the whole server is empty.

 

If there was a 90-CC-Transfer-Event now, I would transfer my whole legacy immediatly without thinking about it.

My CM-collection is quite big, too.

 

Just an FYI, your Cartel Collections Unlock is account wide. Not legacy. You can start a brand new toon on say Jedi Convenant & go to your collections & pull out whatever you want that you've already unlocked. Or things that are in your collections you haven't unlocked, you can pay to unlock them there & use them. Hence account wide!

Just an FYI, your Cartel Collections Unlock is account wide. Not legacy. You can start a brand new toon on say Jedi Convenant & go to your collections & pull out whatever you want that you've already unlocked. Or things that are in your collections you haven't unlocked, you can pay to unlock them there & use them. Hence account wide!

 

Yeah, that's very much appreciated. You lose a lot of things starting on a new server, but keeping all your armor, mounts, toys makes it a lot easier.

Yeah, that's very much appreciated. You lose a lot of things starting on a new server, but keeping all your armor, mounts, toys makes it a lot easier.

 

I actually didn't know that though, it would indeed make it a little less of a loss. But thats still not enough to convience me to start all over^^ No, I still want to have my whole legacy transferred to another server. Either by server merge or by cheaper character transfer.

/Signed

 

Like the OP, I used to be completely opposed to server mergers, and around the time of the 90cc transfer chastised people asking for mergers. Feel free to check my posting history - it's only recently that I've begun to favour the idea of a merger.

 

However, even after the extra week of 90cc transfers, Jung Ma was still getting well over a dozen Lv65 wz pops in the evening, and you rarely had to wait more than a half hour for a tac FP to pop in GF. Now, you're lucky to get two warzone pops without guilds actively coordinating it, and maybe 1-2 FPs a day. This is all pubside, which is a lot less populated than imp side in general, but the drop off in server activity is startling.

 

I've been seriously considering testing the waters in Ebon Hawk or Harbinger - either rolling a new toon on one of those servers or paying the 1000cc to transfer a toon with some cash (with all my achievements intact). It'd make it a lot easier to make the move with another 90cc sale - and I might even be able to bring some friends along.

 

Really, at this point, I'd even go so far as to support a server merge. I understand Bastion is quite sparsely populated as well, along with Pot5 and Bergeron. If nothing else, they could roll up all the RP servers together - no need for PVE or PVP distinction anymore, of course. I believe conflicting names can be changed for free, and with spaces allowed now you don't necessarily need to use ascii codes and special characters to get a unique name.

 

There are still some things that keep me wary of making a move. I bought all my strongholds with credits, and I hate decorating them - it'd be a while before I could get back up to my 65ish percent Conquest bonus. I also do appreciate the friends I have on my server, even if many of them are playing less and less, or even leaving the game altogether.

 

My guild still maintains close to 1,000 characters in both factions - over 400 "active" accounts on both imp and pub side. I still say Jung Ma is in its death throes, and a 90cc transfer price would be more tempting than ever before...

Dear players, dear responsibles,

 

I am finally ready to give up on my pride! For more than one year now I was resisting those people who told me to transfer my characters to a more populated server. That was when the last player of my Imp-PvP-Guild left the server. Since that moment I am alone in my Imp-Guild but I still have a small PvE-Rep-Guild left, unfortunately they are not interested in PvP. I still have my whole legacy ( 17 Chars, mostly 65er) on the german RP-Server Vanjervallis Chain.

 

I could stand the decreasing population because I only subscribe irregularly for once or twice a year for a two-months-period. During my preferred-player-time I only do random PvP about twice a day (PvP-Limit doesn't stop me, I have enough Chars and they all got all needed authorizations and stuff and there is no rated PvP at all anyway) and I am fine with long queue-times.

 

Now I felt like it is time to subscribe again and to hardcore-play for a few hours a day the next months! I subscribed, experienced the last chapters on three chars (I like them, but three times is clearly enough) and then ... nothing.

 

Since friday I am logged into swtor basically the whole day and I am doing nothing I couldn't have done without subscription. Since then, there were only two OP-Groups looking for random people on the republic fleet. I played three GSF-matches. I had maybe six PvP invites? Today, sunday, I was standing on the fleet from 9:00 am until now 5:30 pm. I was queued for PvP, GSF and HM FPs the whole time. No invite. I saw nobody looking for randoms on the fleet. Conclusion: Vanjervallis Chain is dead.

 

Since one year I am somehow hoping for a solution that is not single-transfering all my 17 Characters to another server.

I did transfer one char during the 90-CC-Event, but I hated to have my legacy split up, because I play all my characters, I am a Achievement-Completionist, my gear is mostly legacy gear and some Chars need to stay on a server together for crafting-reasons. Also I am really tied to my character names.

But after these frustrating days I lost all my hope that there will be a solution other than moving all my characters.

 

So please, if we do not talk about server merges, lets talk about another 90-CC-Event or cheaper character transfers in general. Or a discount for moving the whole legacy! Moving all my characters at the current price is just too expensive. I would like to subscribe again to get the story of KOTET. But I want to have group-content, too, and there is almost no group-content happening on some servers anymore. Thats just not worth subsribing.

 

I understand that the responsibles don't want to merge empty servers again because the haters would interpret it as a proof of failure. But players who love to play SWTOR are suffering now from this preventing-to-make-big-decisions-politics now.

 

There will either be a server merge, a cheaper character transfer or I will not subscribe another time.

 

I am asking all players who are having a similar problem, to not slowly leave the game in silence, but to complain like I do. I am asking the responsible to hear us and help us enjoy this game again.

 

It should be free server transfers from depopulating or low to dead population servers for all subscribers. They should only be allow to transfer to designated populated servers, not to other dead ones.

THIS SHOULD BE FREE IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.

Discounts aren't enough, not is you have multiple toons. What if you have 45 toons like me that you have paid to open up extra slots. Even having discount transfers becomes expensive.

It's time Bioware, you have milked enough from people with paid transfers. It's time to let the subscribers transfer for free. We deserved it from all the money we already give you besides our subs.

You can still charge F2P to transfer.

It should be free server transfers from depopulating or low to dead population servers for all subscribers. They should only be allow to transfer to designated populated servers, not to other dead ones.

THIS SHOULD BE FREE IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.

Discounts aren't enough, not is you have multiple toons. What if you have 45 toons like me that you have paid to open up extra slots. Even having discount transfers becomes expensive.

It's time Bioware, you have milked enough from people with paid transfers. It's time to let the subscribers transfer for free. We deserved it from all the money we already give you besides our subs.

You can still charge F2P to transfer.

 

I play on two of the most populated servers, one of which if it becomes a ghost town, the game's dead for real. The problem with your suggestion is that it leaves the people who are trying to get back into the game on then, even more empty servers and decide whether or not they want to re-sub at a a disadvantage. While the idea of sub perks is good, it's not at the expense of having former subs come back to ghost town servers, look at having to pay a month's sub just to decide whether they want to play again.

 

We've gotten quite a few people recently who left the game in 2012/2013. Some of whom quit almost immediately without re-subbing because they logged on to a low pop server. Imagine them being able to get their characters across to a server with the population for gated group content and re-subbing because they can see what they're missing out on.

 

It's the same as people who want to open up a name purge on characters of inactive former subs/F2P who reached any level that was at one time endgame, 50-65. People log on and find out that name they picked is gone forever are that much closer to putting the game down forever. You make it easier for them to move on.

 

We've got a problem with player retention- and while we need a solution, it's not at the expense of hemorrhaging low-pop servers so that former players who log back on are greeted with a ghost town- which is already a problem with what's essentially a dead server. They won't just place down fifteen dollars down and re-sub to transfer so we'll shrink the returning player base further. The idea is cool, except when you gate it- low pop servers get that way because their playerbase wasn't there and they're the servers we are most likely to get people returning to the game with.

I play on two of the most populated servers, one of which if it becomes a ghost town, the game's dead for real. The problem with your suggestion is that it leaves the people who are trying to get back into the game on then, even more empty servers and decide whether or not they want to re-sub at a a disadvantage. While the idea of sub perks is good, it's not at the expense of having former subs come back to ghost town servers, look at having to pay a month's sub just to decide whether they want to play again.

 

We've gotten quite a few people recently who left the game in 2012/2013. Some of whom quit almost immediately without re-subbing because they logged on to a low pop server. Imagine them being able to get their characters across to a server with the population for gated group content and re-subbing because they can see what they're missing out on.

 

It's the same as people who want to open up a name purge on characters of inactive former subs/F2P who reached any level that was at one time endgame, 50-65. People log on and find out that name they picked is gone forever are that much closer to putting the game down forever. You make it easier for them to move on.

 

We've got a problem with player retention- and while we need a solution, it's not at the expense of hemorrhaging low-pop servers so that former players who log back on are greeted with a ghost town- which is already a problem with what's essentially a dead server. They won't just place down fifteen dollars down and re-sub to transfer so we'll shrink the returning player base further. The idea is cool, except when you gate it- low pop servers get that way because their playerbase wasn't there and they're the servers we are most likely to get people returning to the game with.

It's thoughts like this that make the idea of a megaserver more appealing to me. And the more I think about it, it wouldn't be the end of the world for separating things, with the right amount of cleverness. They already have an instance system in the game by planet. Why not make a megaserver system and implement server instances. The default would be PvE vanilla (no specified going off and doing your own thing). You could then opt to be placed in RP, PvP, or perhaps even by language. Players on a server flagged as PvP would default to PvP server instancing. Players on a server flagged as RP would default to RP server instancing. And so on. However, they could still opt into the default PvE if they desire.

 

It's not perfect, but I think it would counter the most prominent problem of merging everything together, which is different playstyles getting unceremoniously mashed together. At that point, transferring would be more a matter of aesthetics, since you'd be connected to the central hub at all times.

 

Am I forgetting any glaring issues? It seems like a pretty strong idea on the surface.

Oh please. I just started a new legacy on a populated server. It's not that difficult and easier than writing this long winded post. Seriously. Ok so I can't check my mail every 5 mins or access a repair droid every 30 but I do not need it. So much is unlocked acct wide so you still get certain bonuses. Join a guild. If you're desperate, use your complimentary cartel coins to unlock xp or companion bonuses. The companion bonuses are only 25 cc. It's definitely not world ending and you get new dvl stuffs so you'll get the armor if you complete it. I'm choosing different characters from what I've chosen before so instead of DS female sw I made a LS male sw. I'm finding it fun. I didn't think I'd like not having a fab legacy but it really does not matter. Really

To be honest...I don't want a server merge. Too many people on harbinger. My cut scenes in SOR on the fleet are interrupted by the constant sound of people summoning their mounts. Or running into the romantic scene. Then there are so many doing the same quests you have to wait around for objects or enemies to respawn. The bastion has about 1/3-1/2 of the pop of the harbinger. I imagine the other server is similar. Now imagine the harbinger being 2 or 3 times more populated! :eek:

 

My computer would crash on the fleet with 400 plus people! Holy crap

I play on two of the most populated servers, one of which if it becomes a ghost town, the game's dead for real. The problem with your suggestion is that it leaves the people who are trying to get back into the game on then, even more empty servers and decide whether or not they want to re-sub at a a disadvantage. While the idea of sub perks is good, it's not at the expense of having former subs come back to ghost town servers, look at having to pay a month's sub just to decide whether they want to play again.

 

We've gotten quite a few people recently who left the game in 2012/2013. Some of whom quit almost immediately without re-subbing because they logged on to a low pop server. Imagine them being able to get their characters across to a server with the population for gated group content and re-subbing because they can see what they're missing out on.

 

It's the same as people who want to open up a name purge on characters of inactive former subs/F2P who reached any level that was at one time endgame, 50-65. People log on and find out that name they picked is gone forever are that much closer to putting the game down forever. You make it easier for them to move on.

 

We've got a problem with player retention- and while we need a solution, it's not at the expense of hemorrhaging low-pop servers so that former players who log back on are greeted with a ghost town- which is already a problem with what's essentially a dead server. They won't just place down fifteen dollars down and re-sub to transfer so we'll shrink the returning player base further. The idea is cool, except when you gate it- low pop servers get that way because their playerbase wasn't there and they're the servers we are most likely to get people returning to the game with.

 

Yeah, my idea is just a band aid for people asking for paid transfers or discounts.

What really needs to happen is server merges

/signed as well

 

I'd at least like a discount for character transfers as well (transferring 7 chars would otherwise be way too expensive)

 

Server merges... hm... tricky but BW could at least do this:

1x European (english) Server

1x European (german) Server

1x European (french) Server

2 or 3 American Servers (West + East + ?)

 

just my 2 cents

I mean you literally admitted you were playing during the sale, knew about the sale, and chose not to take advantage of it, even when they extended it....sorry but that is on you.

I mean you literally admitted you were playing during the sale, knew about the sale, and chose not to take advantage of it, even when they extended it....sorry but that is on you.

 

How is that an answer to the underlying problem? Literally half of the NA servers are very low pop or dead and Harbinger is hardly close to full. Returning players and those just starting are playing server roulette. BW's current stance is costing them subs and presenting a "we don't give a crap" face to many players.

How is that an answer to the underlying problem? Literally half of the NA servers are very low pop or dead and Harbinger is hardly close to full. Returning players and those just starting are playing server roulette. BW's current stance is costing them subs and presenting a "we don't give a crap" face to many players.

 

That is your assumption it is causing them subs, unless you have either some crystal ball or access to some internal documention. Sounds more like bluster to legitimize your personal argument. And I know of at least 3 NA servers with healthy populations.

That is your assumption it is causing them subs, unless you have either some crystal ball or access to some internal documention. Sounds more like bluster to legitimize your personal argument. And I know of at least 3 NA servers with healthy populations.

 

People make mistakes in life, should they REALLY be forced to suffer from something as simple as not transferring in a video game. What about the people who came back from the game again to finish the rest of the chapters of KOTFE and do KOTET? Should they be forced to pay for equal services as well? Seems you have this little crusade against anyone who requests anything from Bioware that doesn't benefit you directly, or at least the only most loyal customers.

I will say as PvP-r, we need merges. We have less and less players who do PvP, more and more time to PoP from day to day. More toxic community, coz less players are playing - more players quit coz of this. Сonsolidate the remaining players and do not lose returned who stucked on dead server. Idk what a point to play in a game, when even devs don't care about community? Do u really think dat every player have "Stockholm syndrome" here and will stay? Lock players on dead servers who can't or don't want to transfer is terrible idea. And new player should start this game on a healthfull server tho, not on dead. Edited September 28, 2016 by helpmewin

People make mistakes in life, should they REALLY be forced to suffer from something as simple as not transferring in a video game. What about the people who came back from the game again to finish the rest of the chapters of KOTFE and do KOTET? Should they be forced to pay for equal services as well? Seems you have this little crusade against anyone who requests anything from Bioware that doesn't benefit you directly, or at least the only most loyal customers.

 

^^ exactly right

 

And I know of at least 3 NA servers with healthy populations.

 

I wish that were true. None of the servers could be said to be healthy. Even good old Harbinger has started its death spiral and Harby was the most healthy.

 

Before you say I'm making assumptions. I can back that up with publically accessible data.

http://www.torstatus.net

Even though Bio removed the server population info from the login and website, torstaus is still pulling live data.

I check it weekly and Harbinger only just reaches "normal" levels a couple of time a day/week. The other NA servers don't reach "normal" at all. All sit in the "low" category all the time and sometimes it looks like there aren't even any people logged in during at certain times of the day.

The websites old and hasn't been edited to remove old servers, so ignore those. But below is the current population scales.

Anything above one is is considered low-normal population. Anything below one is considered low-dead. Anything above two is considered low-medium population. Anything above three is considered medium-heavy. As you can see, there are none at two and the highest is only 1.31.

I should note that one is the base reading, there is no lower reading. So if it says one, it could in reality be 0.01 or even closed as you can see from the old servers still listed.

You could merge all the west coast into harbinger and it still wouldn't hit heavy, it probably wouldn't even go much above two.

It's the same with Ebon Hawk, but it would be even lower.

 

Top 20 Servers

ø 1.31English Online The Red Eclipse (PvE)

ø 1.30West Online The Harbinger (PvE)

ø 1.16German Online T3-M4 (PvE)

ø 1.11East Online The Ebon Hawk (RP PvE)

 

ø 1.00French Online Battle Meditation (RP PvE)

ø 1.00West Online Begeren Colony (RP PvE)

ø 1.00French Online Darth Nihilus (PvP)

ø 1.00German Online Jar'Kai Sword (PvP)

ø 1.00East Online Jedi Covenant (PvE)

ø 1.00East Online Jung Ma (RP PvP)

ø 1.00French Online Mantle of the Force (PvE)

ø 1.00East Online Prophecy of the Five (PvP)

ø 1.00West Online The Bastion (PvP)

ø 1.00English Online The Progenitor (RP PvE)

ø 1.00East Online The Shadowlands (PvE)

ø 1.00English Online Tomb of Freedon Nadd (PvP)

ø 1.00German Online Vanjervalis Chain (RP PvE)

 

Really the only way forward so that the game has enough population together in one place to play is to merge some servers.

So that APAC and West coast players don't suffer increased lag and the East Coast and European servers dont suffer lag. The only real solution is to merge all west coast into harbinger, all east coast into Ebon Hawk and have 2 Euro servers as well.