All we can do is to voice those opinions, let BW make the final decisions and decide how we will react to those decisions.

Again, I can only hope Bioware will not turn SWTOR into North Korea where one party (PvP/LFG) calls the shots and 'citizens' have no choice but to live in a hellhole with no way out.

And I will state again that players who want BW to FORCE other players to move so they can feed off those players as LFG fodder are parasites, imo. I just can't understand how one can be happy with another player being forced to do something he/she doesn't want. It's completely beyond me.

And then there's that completely and utterly stupid notion that 'MMO' equals PvP and/or group content. That's just as stupid as stating that RP is the only 'real' MMO content, because one needs other players to RP (mmoRPg right?). Massively Multiplayer Online means exactly what it says: many people playing a online game simultaneously.

SWTOR is a continuation of the KOTOR games and therefore more solo oriented than other MMORPG's:

"Forge YOUR OWN STAR WARS™ saga in a STORY-DRIVEN massively-multiplayer online game from BioWare and LucasArts."

There's added content that makes use of the multiplayer environment, but that's not the core of the game.

True, and I'm sure Bioware will take some of our opinions into account, but will base their decision mainly on metrics (to which only they have access) and their accountants' opinion.

 

Again, I can only hope Bioware will not turn SWTOR into North Korea where one party (PvP/LFG) calls the shots and 'citizens' have no choice but to live in a hellhole with no way out.

 

And I will state again that players who want BW to FORCE other players to move so they can feed off those players as LFG fodder are parasites, imo. I just can't understand how one can be happy with another player being forced to do something he/she doesn't want. It's completely beyond me.

 

And then there's that completely and utterly stupid notion that 'MMO' equals PvP and/or group content. That's just as stupid as stating that RP is the only 'real' MMO content, because one needs other players to RP (mmoRPg right?). Massively Multiplayer Online means exactly what it says: many people playing a online game simultaneously.

 

SWTOR is a continuation of the KOTOR games and therefore more solo oriented than other MMORPG's:

"Forge YOUR OWN STAR WARS™ saga in a STORY-DRIVEN massively-multiplayer online game from BioWare and LucasArts."

 

There's added content that makes use of the multiplayer environment, but that's not the core of the game.

The real controllers of the game - the accountants

You do realise that Bioware are trying to focus on the the LFG and PVP players because they want to move back towards a real MMO format. If those people Bioware are focusing, can't play the group content, then Bioware are wasting everyone's time and wasting money.

If they don't fix the lack population for people to do MMO content, they should stop making any more MMO content and just focus on solo story stuff because they will be the only players able to play any content in the game.

It's completely illogical to make content that no one has the ability to play. They need to work out the direction they want to take and make the decision. They can't have it both ways because there just aren't enough people left in the game to cater to everyone.

At least if they merge the servers, the MMO content they are concentrating on won't go to waste and the solo story guys can still play their remaining content, with the option of doing MMO content.

What ever direction Bioware decide to go, they need to make a decision urgently before people from both camps end up leaving. Story people will leave because they will be annoyed that MMO guys are getting all the content and the MMO guys will leave because they have no one to play it with.

The whole situation is completely backwards and it looks like the game is rudderless.

I just want them to man up and tell us instead of trying to milk everyone. If they say they are changing back to story, then the MMO people can make a decision on wether to stay or go, personally I'd leave. If they are staying the MMO path they need to merge, there is no other path to keep the game healthy and playable unless they get a massive injection of funds, which I'm sure we all know won't happen.

Who are you to tell those players that wish to remain on their current servers that they are wrong when you don't even play with them?

 

I have to ask if those servers are soooo dead, where are these "lots of players" that want BW to merge servers so they can "get off those dead servers" coming from?

 

Once again, do those "lots of players" that want BW to merge servers so they can "get off those dead servers" have the CHOICE now to move? Will server merges take the CHOICE of server away from those that wish to remain where they are?

 

And if BW were to resolve all the issues surrounding transfers, including guild transfers, could those "lots of players" that want BW to merge servers so they can "get off those dead servers" transfer with all of their stuff?

 

You're absolutely right. None of us get to vote on decisions before they are made--not me, not you, not even those "lots of players" that choose to remain where they are but want BW to merge servers so they can "get off those dead servers".

 

We all get to voice our opinions, however, even if those opinions are not the same.

 

All we can do is to voice those opinions, let BW make the final decisions and decide how we will react to those decisions.

Straw arguments when none of it affects you. If those people on the dead servers want to argue they want to stay, then they should, not you. You actually do them a disservice by saying they don't want to merge when a lot of "the remaining" people do. When I use the word a lot, I'm referencing it based on how many there are. Ie if there are 10 and 8 want to merge, then that's a lot of them 🙄

As for choice on where to move, they will have one, Harbinger or EH. With all other mergers, Bioware have allowed people to "choose" the designation server for those mergers. I can't see why that would be different this time.

Honestly if there are a handful of people who want to hold out on mergeing with EH or Harbinger, then they should be made to make a decision. Those few people are only playing solo content at that point and have no active guild and would be preventing others from merging. That is detrimental to the game and also to Biowares bottom line.

People have already explained all of this too you, but you fail to understand or just hate being wrong or are just looking to mess with people for no good reason.

I've a friend who has about 30 characters on Bastion, when she came back to the game and found out it would cost her to move all of characters, she swiftly left again. This is the experience of many returning players. Sure they could pay or use CM Comms, but why should they? It's not their fault those servers are dead and they are stuck on them. If Bioware want their business, they should allow them to transfer for free. The other problem is people see no one on the server and just assume the game is dead and leave. The last problem is when a new player starts playing and see no one on the servers and thinks the game is dead and leaves. There is no where on the login to tell them server activity. People who try out something don't always want to go searching for things. They just want to jump on and test it and that first impression counts towards them staying.

All the arguments that anyone has made for not having 1 server per region are illogical ones when looking at the big picture and the health of the game. Keeping a dead server open so a handful of people can play on it hurts the game and costs Bioware money to keep open. They should be shut off at the earliest convenience and I honestly don't know why the EA accountants havent stepped in to demand it. I'm guessing they don't know the real state of those servers or it would have been done 12 months ago. The money saved from closing them could go towards better quality content.

If they don't fix the lack population for people to do MMO content, they should stop making any more MMO content and just focus on solo story stuff because they will be the only players able to play any content in the game.

I just want them to man up and tell us instead of trying to milk everyone. If they say they are changing back to story, then the MMO people can make a decision on wether to stay or go, personally I'd leave. If they are staying the MMO path they need to merge, there is no other path to keep the game healthy and playable unless they get a massive injection of funds, which I'm sure we all know won't happen.

I do realize however that PvP and OPs are much cheaper to develop than story rich content. This may be a deciding factor for BW to go the route of what you call 'MMO content', unfortunately.

Well, IF the choice would come down to that, I would like to see them stop making any more 'MMO content' (although in my opinion MMO content does NOT mean just PvP/group content). Back in the day I would have preferred them releasing KOTOR 3 instead of an online game, but right now SWTOR is the closest to KOTOR 3 we got.

I agree to a certain extent and in such a scenario I would hope they'd go for story, because that's what sets SWTOR apart from other MMO's. There's plenty of MMO's that offer PvP and raids, but none of them have stories that even come close to the quality of the 8 class stories of SWTOR.

 

I do realize however that PvP and OPs are much cheaper to develop than story rich content. This may be a deciding factor for BW to go the route of what you call 'MMO content', unfortunately.

I'm not paying a sub for a story that's for sure any story based game should be a 1 off purchase with paid expansions but Bioware have said that they are going to refocus on Operations and other group content like they should have for the last 3 years but got stuck in some story mode delusional state that they learned a very hard lesson from.

I'm not paying a sub for a story that's for sure any story based game should be a 1 off purchase with paid expansions but Bioware have said that they are going to refocus on Operations and other group content like they should have for the last 3 years but got stuck in some story mode delusional state that they learned a very hard lesson from.

See I kinda agree with some of this, Mostly the part of just focusing on one part of the game for three years. Focusing on story exclusivly while it did bring people in it didn't keep them. I never understood why they didn't rotate their focus, Say one month story, The next FP's, Then PVP and then OP's. Surely that would have been better for retention?

Bioware have said that they are going to refocus on Operations and other group content

As I wrote before, creating story rich content is much more expensive than creating WZ's and OPs, especially if each class would get their own story. I don't see that happening ever again.

Let's face it, what's cheaper than giving players a map (makes me think of those old deathmatch mods my brother used to make) and have them beat each other's heads in?

I'm pretty sure the class story part of the game still has the most replay value (level 1-50), much more so than PvP or OPs. And (although I have no proof) I'm also pretty sure that (class) story is still the type of content players want to see added the most. Unfortunately, it's just way too expensive to create.

I personally don't think Merges are the answer. Merges, way back, caused quite a few problems and lost us players in the process. I for one still feel an entire community was destroyed when a lot of roleplayers were forced to leave an already populated Lord Adraas Server to The Ebon Hawk. We never got most of those players back.

I realize logistics of doing it is likely a nightmare-- but one must weigh carefully the worst case scenario versus the best case scenario when going with server merges.

*Forced is bad (no options/choices You're going where we send you)

*Planned is good (window/little leeway given to the players to 1 of 2 destinations)

*Flexible is best (1 time moves to any remaining server)

I still think with seeing how the previous cross faction warzone worked... we should've seen more cross faction implementation to group finder for run of the mill content (cutting out cut scenes if needed) and we'd already be solving this problem.

Of course, this is exactly why so many of us back during Beta pleaded and begged from x-server queues as well.

IE... I'm not a fan of merges. I'd rather see you all working on alternative means of fixing the problem.

At least if they merge the servers, the MMO content they are concentrating on won't go to waste and the solo story guys can still play their remaining content, with the option of doing MMO content.

It's about choice, I don't want servers shutting because once they are gone, they are gone and players who don't care about group finder or a large population have nowhere they can move to.

If Bioware fix the guild transfer, by all means offer guilds a deal to transfer to their preferred server but don't force people who don't want to move to merge, as mostly you will not gain very much from these players at all other than to annoy them as these player won't be using group finder anyway the only thing you manage is to make them want to quit the game.

I'm pretty sure the class story part of the game still has the most replay value (level 1-50), much more so than PvP or OPs. And (although I have no proof) I'm also pretty sure that (class) story is still the type of content players want to see added the most. Unfortunately, it's just way too expensive to create.

I have 11 characters so I have done the 8 class stories a total of 11 times.

I have probably run each operation, across multiple difficulties, a couple hundred times each.

The major problem with continued "class" story is that it would be one time like Rishi. I have done each of those quests once. That is not very good development bang for the buck in my opinion.

We're the outlander. They will never go back to 8 class stories. The best we'll get is a brief reference to our original identity like in KOTET 9 (I think). But I agree they do need a compelling story arc in an expansion to bring back that group, and significant group content to keep an active community between the story expansions.

And some server merges. On JC last night < 80 folks one instance, only chatter was gold sellers, and only 7 operation instances between both factions. On Harb there were two fleet instances, many operations going on, and chatter (albeit juvenile). JC is dead and needs to be merged somewhere.

Im sorry if this has been discussed, but swtor gods please do something about the dying servers (shadowlands is this example) with respect to pvp.

Cant we have a queue that is multi-server and just tag players with their server name for points and just make rankings and rewards cover the entire playerbase?

shadowlands early this morning 830am est to 930am est on the imperial side, only one instance, and we had less than 15 logged in and zero warzone pops for the entire hour. i know its early, but this time in years past used to always get warzones to pop fast with people getting in a few games before work or school.

been like this for months...

Bioware i love this game please do something!

Heh.. well I don't see his posts unless he is quoted, but I do not ever recall seeing any post from TUX that is RP oriented. So TUXs is not an RPer.. so he has little or no sympathy. He will throw out some lip service when he is in a good mood, but that is about it as far as I can tell. He is however a PvP transplant to Harbinger, and he can and will "white knight" for Harbinger social behaviors.. no matter what, while often (not always) patting other forum members on the back who take the time to bash the game or the studio or it's staff. Clearly he moves within his own little PvP social channels on Harbinger.. and it is actually PvPers who are often the people attacking RPers.... attacks probably trying to provoke a fight with the RPers in hopes of some PvP/Duels.

I have NEVER attacked an RPer and I don't give a flip if someone wants to RP...I don't RP, but I don't see anything wrong with it, I'm just too busy doing other stuff to have any time to RP. I support them, I talk very rationally with them and I ask for their input on things because I don't know what their concerns are, but because they are a part of our playerbase, their opinions do matter, and unlike you with PvPers, I recognize the value of EVERY player, despite what they like to do in-game. Like crafting, RP is just something I don't do any of in an MMO because I enjoy other aspects of MMOS more.

You're making up lies for the sake of creating drama, the one thing I despise more than anything else. You throw around the word "toxic" quite frequently...there is nothing more toxic imo than drama.

You need to do a better job of ignoring me...

If you mainly play on either EH or Harbinger, what is your problem if other servers were being merged into both of those if you aren't going to lose everything.

First, I think it is prudent to remember that there are a number of narratives being pressed in this, and earlier, thread about server merges. So let's identify a few of them so I can comment in context as to my views on each.

1) Give us Megaservers NAO! - yeah... this request makes little sense. Why? A) The studio has already stated clearly that they will not go this route. B) it IS an approach that requires implementation early in design, not 5 or 6 years later. Those MMOs that do deploy a form of mega server... did so from the outset... not after the fact.

2) Merge all the other servers into Harbinger NAO! - yeah.. this request has actually lost some favor in the discussion as we discuss the issues around actual health by server, and which servers might actually warrant being folded into another server.

3) 1 Server for each region, NA-W, NA-E, EU - yeah.. while I in principle have no objection to this line of thinking, it is short sighted as it assumes that populations will never go up again in this MMO and that extra "head room" needs to be planned for.

4) All Servers except Harb and Tre are already dead and need to be folded into either Harb or Tre, depending on region - yeah.. this is based on a number of false premises about what = dead server and very much has been used as a strawman for why to go with option 3. It's false because while all servers are down in population from almost 2 years when 4.0 dropped... where there was a population surge large enough (and pre-90cc transfers) that a number of the servers had to actually be reconfigured in the weeks after 4.0 dropped to increase capacity..... many of the servers are still active and have healthy communities (the old PvP servers do not, and I am NOT referring to them.

5) Close and fold the old PvP server NAO! They are Dead - While I agree that these servers would meet most peoples definition of "dead server", there are still players playing on them and some have even commented here to that fact and explained why they do so. So at the end of the day... this is really a studio assessment and decision NOT players. As long as there are players that do play on them, and are happy where they are... it makes no sense to move them just to please players on other servers somehow. I'm sure the studio will shutter the old PvP servers when they feel the need has arrived... and not likely prior to fixing the issue with how to move guilds intact.

There are other narratives too.. this being a very long thread and about the 5th one in the last year or so... but the above represent some of the main aggressive narratives in discussion. I say "aggressive" because these narratives tend to be pushed hard by PvPers or Radiers who rely on random grouping for said content. Of course these players will feel that way as they are guildless or in a small useless guild for end game grouping and hence must rely on LFG and random grouping. They deliberately refuse to admit that theirs is NOT the only preference in play style and type of server in a game being played by many thousands of players each day. Note: these players can freely move to any server they like for almost no CC cost. Some refuse to and insist the studio merge servers instead.

Im sorry if this has been discussed, but swtor gods please do something about the dying servers (shadowlands is this example) with respect to pvp.

 

Cant we have a queue that is multi-server and just tag players with their server name for points and just make rankings and rewards cover the entire playerbase?

 

shadowlands early this morning 830am est to 930am est on the imperial side, only one instance, and we had less than 15 logged in and zero warzone pops for the entire hour. i know its early, but this time in years past used to always get warzones to pop fast with people getting in a few games before work or school.

 

been like this for months...

 

Bioware i love this game please do something!

1) Not exactly prime time you are referring to here. 8:30 AM... most people are either getting ready for work, school, or helping other family members do so. Which is not to say there may not be enough random WZ pops for your needs.

2) If the server you play on no longer meets your requirements.. then transfer. Costs you only 90cc per character, and your free CCs from sub will cover quite a few characters, particularly if you have kept some and not spent them every month on CM goodie bags. Take action to get your needs met. And there is no real need to move all your characters, just the main ones you play daily along with any assets and credits you want to take with you.

First, I think it is prudent to remember that there are a number of narratives being pressed in this, and earlier, thread about server merges. So let's identify a few of them so I can comment in context as to my views on each.

 

 

1) Give us Megaservers NAO! - yeah... this request makes little sense. Why? A) The studio has already stated clearly that they will not go this route. B) it IS an approach that requires implementation early in design, not 5 or 6 years later. Those MMOs that do deploy a form of mega server... did so from the outset... not after the fact.

 

2) Merge all the other servers into Harbinger NAO! - yeah.. this request has actually lost some favor in the discussion as we discuss the issues around actual health by server, and which servers might actually warrant being folded into another server.

 

3) 1 Server for each region, NA-W, NA-E, EU - yeah.. while I in principle have no objection to this line of thinking, it is short sighted as it assumes that populations will never go up again in this MMO and that extra "head room" needs to be planned for.

 

4) All Servers except Harb and Tre are already dead and need to be folded into either Harb or Tre, depending on region - yeah.. this is based on a number of false premises about what = dead server and very much has been used as a strawman for why to go with option 3. It's false because while all servers are down in population from almost 2 years when 4.0 dropped... where there was a population surge large enough (and pre-90cc transfers) that a number of the servers had to actually be reconfigured in the weeks after 4.0 dropped to increase capacity..... many of the servers are still active and have healthy communities (the old PvP servers do not, and I am NOT referring to them.

 

5) Close and fold the old PvP server NAO! They are Dead - While I agree that these servers would meet most peoples definition of "dead server", there are still players playing on them and some have even commented here to that fact and explained why they do so. So at the end of the day... this is really a studio assessment and decision NOT players. As long as there are players that do play on them, and are happy where they are... it makes no sense to move them just to please players on other servers somehow. I'm sure the studio will shutter the old PvP servers when they feel the need has arrived... and not likely prior to fixing the issue with how to move guilds intact.

 

There are other narratives too.. this being a very long thread and about the 5th one in the last year or so... but the above represent some of the main aggressive narratives in discussion. I say "aggressive" because these narratives tend to be pushed hard by PvPers or Radiers who rely on random grouping for said content. Of course these players will feel that way as they are guildless or in a small useless guild for end game grouping and hence must rely on LFG and random grouping. They deliberately refuse to admit that theirs is NOT the only preference in play style and type of server in a game being played by many thousands of players each day. Note: these players can freely move to any server they like for almost no CC cost. Some refuse to and insist the studio merge servers instead.

 

 

 

Well put, Andryah.

 

I realize logistics of doing it is likely a nightmare-- but one must weigh carefully the worst case scenario versus the best case scenario when going with server merges.

 

*Forced is bad (no options/choices You're going where we send you)

*Planned is good (window/little leeway given to the players to 1 of 2 destinations)

*Flexible is best (1 time moves to any remaining server)

 

 

IE... I'm not a fan of merges. I'd rather see you all working on alternative means of fixing the problem.

Great point and hearkens back to what Keith said in the 'bad feeling podcast' the notion of a new mega server that everyone will have a free one way transfer to will as the proposed solution. But that wasn't good enough for some so they reverted the argument back to throw all 17 servers into a blender and pour them into a single size smoothie merger-server.

As others have stated there are some dead servers and those should be folded into the new mega server as it would be silly to bolster the current half dead servers with inactive players. ...Or would it?

Also lets look back at the track record of Bioware and what they say do they turn around on there word ? YES

So as much as we all have our own ideas and want them implemented who knows what big brother will do it's a waiting game for us all some of us will lose out and some of us won't but what ever they decide to do who are we to argue it's a business decision good or bad in some peoples eyes you will be like me and say we are going to unsub and quit the game but look i'm still here almost 6 years on.

Also lets look back at the track record of Bioware and what they say do they turn around on there word ? YES

 

So as much as we all have our own ideas and want them implemented who knows what big brother will do it's a waiting game for us all some of us will lose out and some of us won't but what ever they decide to do who are we to argue it's a business decision good or bad in some peoples eyes you will be like me and say we are going to unsub and quit the game but look i'm still here almost 6 years on.

First accurate post by you in this thread in my observation. Kudos.

First, I think it is prudent to remember that there are a number of narratives being pressed in this, and earlier, thread about server merges. So let's identify a few of them so I can comment in context as to my views on each.

 

1) Give us Megaservers NAO! - yeah... this request makes little sense. Why? A) The studio has already stated clearly that they will not go this route. B) it IS an approach that requires implementation early in design, not 5 or 6 years later. Those MMOs that do deploy a form of mega server... did so from the outset... not after the fact.

 

2) Merge all the other servers into Harbinger NAO! - yeah.. this request has actually lost some favor in the discussion as we discuss the issues around actual health by server, and which servers might actually warrant being folded into another server.

 

3) 1 Server for each region, NA-W, NA-E, EU - yeah.. while I in principle have no objection to this line of thinking, it is short sighted as it assumes that populations will never go up again in this MMO and that extra "head room" needs to be planned for.

 

4) All Servers except Harb and Tre are already dead and need to be folded into either Harb or Tre, depending on region - yeah.. this is based on a number of false premises about what = dead server and very much has been used as a strawman for why to go with option 3. It's false because while all servers are down in population from almost 2 years when 4.0 dropped... where there was a population surge large enough (and pre-90cc transfers) that a number of the servers had to actually be reconfigured in the weeks after 4.0 dropped to increase capacity..... many of the servers are still active and have healthy communities (the old PvP servers do not, and I am NOT referring to them.

 

5) Close and fold the old PvP server NAO! They are Dead - While I agree that these servers would meet most peoples definition of "dead server", there are still players playing on them and some have even commented here to that fact and explained why they do so. So at the end of the day... this is really a studio assessment and decision NOT players. As long as there are players that do play on them, and are happy where they are... it makes no sense to move them just to please players on other servers somehow. I'm sure the studio will shutter the old PvP servers when they feel the need has arrived... and not likely prior to fixing the issue with how to move guilds intact.

 

There are other narratives too.. this being a very long thread and about the 5th one in the last year or so... but the above represent some of the main aggressive narratives in discussion. I say "aggressive" because these narratives tend to be pushed hard by PvPers or Radiers who rely on random grouping for said content. Of course these players will feel that way as they are guildless or in a small useless guild for end game grouping and hence must rely on LFG and random grouping. They deliberately refuse to admit that theirs is NOT the only preference in play style and type of server in a game being played by many thousands of players each day. Note: these players can freely move to any server they like for almost no CC cost. Some refuse to and insist the studio merge servers instead.

LoL, and not one of those things affects you. Why do you even bother saying no to everything when you've got no vested interest in it. It is selfish. would you rather people stranded on dead servers have to pay to get off, would you rather the game die because there isn't enough people consolidated on a server to do group content, do you even care about the health of the game to continue on for longer than it will under the current conditions?

I've already shot holes in you intentions and it's obvious you are only here to only stir up trouble.

*Forced is bad (no options/choices You're going where we send you)

*Planned is good (window/little leeway given to the players to 1 of 2 destinations)

*Flexible is best (1 time moves to any remaining server)

 

I still think with seeing how the previous cross faction warzone worked... we should've seen more cross faction implementation to group finder for run of the mill content (cutting out cut scenes if needed) and we'd already be solving this problem.

All good points and I agree. Forced is bad, planned is better and flexible is great.

Every merger I've been involved in so far has been the flexible one, so I don't see any reason why Bioware wouldn't offer this option first. Only those who refuse to choose when given the option or those who aren't currently playing, would fall into the forced cataegory.

I too would like to see more cross faction pvp. Not sure about flash points or OPs though. But I do think cross faction would help queue times.

There have been lots of great ideas thrown around this thread and previous ones on how to start to solve this problem without mergers. Not one of them has been implimeted by Bioware. If they had actually started to impliment some of them, it would have slowed the decline of the populations and would have helped consolidate parts of the population.

Most people on both sides of the discussion agreed with those ideas too. They would have had the lowest impact on players and everyone would still have had choices.

The bad thing is I don't think they would work now because there aren't enough people left for them to make any impact other than a small speed bump.

I really wish Bioware hadn't stuck their collective heads in the sand over this problem, if they'd actually been active in this thread and discussed some of the other ideas to solve this problem, then maybe we wouldn't have it.

The way I see it, is they were never going to offer free transfers off dead servers because they thought they could milk people dry. That was very short term thinking because its helped lead us to the situation we are in now. Even now they aren't offering free transfers off those servers, even though I'd guess they aren't really making much money off paid transfers anymore. It gives the impression they'd rather kill the game through greed and short sightedness, they try and fix it. But even if they did offer it now, it wouldn't be the silver bullet for this problem, it's way to late for that now.

Great point and hearkens back to what Keith said in the 'bad feeling podcast' the notion of a new mega server that everyone will have a free one way transfer to will as the proposed solution. But that wasn't good enough for some so they reverted the argument back to throw all 17 servers into a blender and pour them into a single size smoothie merger-server.

 

As others have stated there are some dead servers and those should be folded into the new mega server as it would be silly to bolster the current half dead servers with inactive players. ...Or would it?

I believe one mega server would hasten the death of the the game and would be more detrimental than leaving things as they are.

But they do need to merge servers or the game will die too.

Having 1 server per region has the least amount of impact on the player base, while also addressing the population problems.

Eventually they may have to look at one server if those regional servers declined too. It would be either that or shut the game. If I was to hazard a guess, I would say if it reached that point where even one server per region couldn't support the MMO part of the game, Bioware would just close the game.

LoL, and not one of those things affects you. Why do you even bother saying no to everything when you've got no vested interest in it. It is selfish. would you rather people stranded on dead server have to pay to get off, would you rather the game die because there isn't enough people consolidated on a server to do group contact, do you even care about the health of the game to continue on for longer than it will under the current conditions?

I've already shot holes in you intentions and it's obvious you are only here to only stir up trouble.

It's your way or the highway?

If someone doesn't blindly agree with your desires, they are only here to stir up trouble?

You've now accused at least two people who oppose forced merges as being here "only to stir up trouble". I see a common denominator.

All good points and I agree. Forced is bad, planned is better and flexible is great.

Every merger I've been involved in so far has been the flexible one, so I don't see any reason why Bioware wouldn't offer this option first. Only those who refuse to choose when given the option or those who aren't currently playing, would fall into the forced cataegory.

Maybe we went through different merges, because I do not remember either of the previous merges as having been "flexible" regarding destinations. The only "flexibility" I remember was the option to transfer to the BW determined destination server before the "merge" took place, and that was only in the case of the first merge, if I remember correctly. The second "merge" was to entirely new servers, not existing servers.

I too would like to see more cross faction pvp. Not sure about flash points or OPs though. But I do think cross faction would help queue times.

BW has already stated that cross server will not be happening.

There have been lots of great ideas thrown around this thread and previous ones on how to start to solve this problem without mergers. Not one of them has been implimeted by Bioware. If they had actually started to impliment some of them, it would have slowed the decline of the populations and would have helped consolidate parts of the population.

Most people on both sides of the discussion agreed with those ideas too. They would have had the lowest impact on players and everyone would still have had choices.

The bad thing is I don't think they would work now because there aren't enough people left for them to make any impact other than a small speed bump.

I really wish Bioware hadn't stuck their collective heads in the sand over this problem, if they'd actually been active in this thread and discussed some of the other ideas to solve this problem, then maybe we wouldn't have it.

The way I see it, is they were never going to offer free transfers off dead servers because they thought they could milk people dry. That was very short term thinking because its helped lead us to the situation we are in now. Even now they aren't offering free transfers off those servers, even though I'd guess they aren't really making much money off paid transfers anymore. It gives the impression they'd rather kill the game through greed and short sightedness, they try and fix it. But even if they did offer it now, it wouldn't be the silver bullet for this problem, it's way to late for that now.

It may be that if BW resolves all the issue surrounding individual and guild transfers that they may offer one time free transfers, possibly to a new larger capacity server, at that time.

Offering free one time transfers would give those who have thus far CHOSEN to remain on "dead servers" the opportunity to move to a server with a population more to their liking, while still leaving those who prefer to remain where they are the option to do so.

We will just have to wait and see what decision BW ultimately makes.

We will have to wait and see.

This entire thread has gotten silly. Frankly, I entered only because I was being accused of being a minor RP-er which some equated me to being a sexual predator.

Totem, I'm certain you will put me on ignore for this -- but you know perfectly well that several of your pro-merge pals accused me of being a sexual predator. I draw a line there. I almost never play the real life card, but being accused of being a NAMBLA / pedophile. I draw the line. You should too.

With that said, on substance, I agree with everything Totem said. There are jerks and creeps on every server. I've been harassed on Ebon Hawk (as a female agent thought being a gay male in real life) and, well, on Harbinger - no harassment, just overheard guilds whipping it out to see who was bigger.

Dasty

Also lets look back at the track record of Bioware and what they say do they turn around on there word ? YES

 

So as much as we all have our own ideas and want them implemented who knows what big brother will do it's a waiting game for us all some of us will lose out and some of us won't but what ever they decide to do who are we to argue it's a business decision good or bad in some peoples eyes you will be like me and say we are going to unsub and quit the game but look i'm still here almost 6 years on.

Yep, they are synonymous with going back on their word and you are right, they will also base this decision on a business one. But the decision is not always the correct one and by not to making a decision, it is actually a bad business decision, unless their plan is to just shut the game. In that case, then doing nothing and stringing us along while they milk us, is the best business decision they could make.