I spent a bit of time browsing through the 3 APAC server forums this morning to see what the community thinks about the recent server merge announcement. It is clearly evident that most of the APAC player base is extremely annoyed about the decision and it is our time to voice a strong opinion.

 

Since the format of the forums makes it difficult to collect statistics on everyone's preference, I created a FB page with polls that we can use to collectively voice our opinion.

 

It is going to take bioware a while to finalise the tech plan to make the merges work, so I see that we have time to yell out and try and get this stopped.

 

http://www.facebook.com/SwtorOceanicServers

 

If you have any other poll suggestions. please post here

 

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POLL Results current

 

Will the news about a forced move to the US servers make you unsub from the game

 

Yes 63%

No 37%

 

What would your solution to the server population issues be?

 

Merge all the APAC servers into one server - 91%

Allow a one time character transfer option for a server of your choice - 6%

Do Nothing, population is fine as it is - 2%

Merge APAC servers to US servers of the same type - 0%

 

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Edited March 26, 2013 by XEEVA
Update

this server merge is ******** thanks bioware for the big middle finger to the aus players

worst news for aus players yet. I just made a char on the server there trying to move us too and i have a min of 180ms on adsl2. they dont realise that 90% of aus doesnt have cable yet.

 

heres a better solution, merge us all into a super server with the option to transfer, that will make everyone happy cause the RPers that are scared of the big bad pvpers can go away and /emote eachother somewhere else

this f@#$%& sucks ****!!! apac arnt important enough to listen to eh?

this server merge is ******** thanks bioware for the big middle finger to the aus players

 

This is typical of Bioware and EA. They don't have Australia and the Pacific region under their thumb so they move us to a place where they do. I really hope we can string in the rally's to get them to migrate all the APAC servers into one APAC server but at the end of the day, its not about the numbers. The reason why i play on GD is because the PvE server was full. Now, GD is getting a regular "heavy" status. So if numbers were indeed the problem, the solution would have first been to migrate instead of move the servers.

 

Another hint i gathered from Bioware hating the APAC region is the fact that they removed APAC time zones from maintenance notices. I'm not sure if its BW and EA being afraid to continue being branched out as far as APAC but to me it all seems like a "Quick fix". By "quick fix" i mean;

1. They obviously have a problem with us somehow

2. They have made a quick example of executing this idea in hopes that the community won't have enough time to re-coop and have a proper say.

 

I've dabbled enough in politics for one day. If they want my subscription they can force it out my ***.

To me this stinks of COST CUTTING under the guise of giving the consumers what they want.

 

I am disgusted and disappointed.

 

basically you have just gone and sabered us all in the rear end!

Are EA and Bioware a joke?

This is just, well, *********** stupid

let us be clear Bioware, your subscribers DO NOT approve or support your proposed solution to asia oceanic population issue. We want our Oceanic servers merged in to PVE server with one off free transfer for the idiots (eg Aillie) who think they cant RP on a PVE server.

 

NO, NO, NO, NO .........oh yeah one more thing NO!

What the holy hell on Earth. This is a joke of a decision, and to put it nicely, you can punch your merge, you "Way of life updates", your expansions, and pretty much every damn decision you have come up with, to "Solve our population issue" so far up your ***, you'll be tasting it for the rest of SWTOR's very short life.

 

People dont want to be moved to a server that they can't enjoy or even PLAY the game on.

 

"Conflict of interest" No matter WHAT server you're on, there will be RPers, PvE'ers and PvP'ers REGARDLESS OF WHAT SERVER YOU ARE ON!, as Kaja said, let them go /emote in a corner somewhere, while the PvE'ers are off killing a boss, and the PvP'ers are in warzones, no one will be interrupting anyone elses game play, BUT YOU!

 

And to release this so close to the new expansion is a way of making no one notice it... do you think that little of the APAC players that you think this will cover it over... On fleet, in one day I have seen more people /quit your game, unsub and burn the disk then I have seen since the RedZoning way back...You guys cant seriously think that putting APAC into one server is any more expensive then running 3... You are gonna lose more subscribers from this then the cost of maintaing one super server.

 

Think about that one..

 

Sinafay Ravenor

another bad business decision, the money they save from server maintenance will not cover the money they lose from people unsubscribing to the game.

The high end content will be unplayable for oceanic people due to latency, so I shall have to call it as well, good luck to anyone who wants to keep going, I hope you find some enjoyment on the american servers.

 

It was good while it lasted

 

Plasmamortar, Honeymoon, and Avina bid you farewell

Come on Bioware/EA, this is complete ********.

 

Whatever problem you have with APAC, tell us now. If it is population, then it would be easier to merge the servers together. WE DONT GIVE A **** ABOUT THE TYPE OF GAMEPLAY! there will still be the RPers capturing the imperial agent, using the /emote. PVEers will be the same, PVPers as well. In fact, making a super server would be a great solution to all this, and offering character transfers for those people who havent heard of ping before.

 

...

do the maths, u guys obviously are terrible at it but nonetheless it is pretty simple to see all the hate you get from this nonsense.

 

Chickenman, chickenpig, chickenpoop, goodchicken

Edited March 26, 2013 by bob_like_chicken

Having looked through the original thread when they were asking for opinions, it certainly does seem as if they went against the majority of people's wishes. So to say they are doing this as the best way to placate the APAC lot (in that I include myself) does sound a little disingenuous....

 

Although not new to gaming, I am a relatively fresh on the MMORPG scene. Bearing that in mind, could someone tell me exactly what the result of moving us to the US servers will do. I've read posts about it making the game unplayable due to the increased latency/ping - do we know how big a difference it will be and what effect it will actually have? At what ping level does this game become unplayable exactly? Are there other problems that I've missed?

 

I'm not condoning Bioware or EA's move, don't get me wrong, I'm just wondering what evidence we've got to support the end-of-the-world scenarios that seem to be cropping up. As a sub who is actually really enjoying this game I'm sort of hoping there isn't any, so I can carry on enjoying it on another server:)

Merging to NA servers is not the solution to the problem. I don't see a problem of having all the different types of players (RP, PvE, PvP) in one server. I've been playing long enough on Gav to see that RP and PvP-ers have no issues co-existing on the same server. Please reconsider your decision to merge. Coming from a guild that have RP-ers, I don't think 'many' are complaining much to begin with.

 

How the hell are we going to run end game content when the lag is unbearable not to mention PvP players who will also be affected. Why can't you just offer the option to those players who are ************ about population issues to transfer over instead of killing off the APAC servers.

 

Just my 2cents on things. Consider it a HUGE lost in subscribers if it does happen.

 

Nagato, Shisui

Edited March 26, 2013 by nigellooi

I really dislike this proposed "solution" to server population for APAC servers for a number of reasons.

 

First reason being what many others have stated with the ping/latency. I pretty much pvp about 95% of my time spent in game and am grateful to have an APAC server to enjoy activities such as the warzones to their full potential as I am lucky enough to average 25ms latency. My average latency on a west coast NA server is 180-220ms, east coast 250-350ms. It doesn't take very much imagination to picture the frustration will experience in games such as huttball when you try to pass the ball not knowing you've been smashed to bits by a team of kids in the US with 25ms latency for a couple of seconds already and your connection hasn't given you the info yet.

 

Sure, it's playable...but is it an enjoyable experience? Can pretty much rule out straight away doing any ranked warzones as you'll just be like the kid always picked last for the team...the one who can't throw, catch or keep up with the rest

 

Other issues i have are names and gear disparity.

 

I've checked already and the names of my two characters are already in use over on Begeren Colony, and what if there's someone i don't like I can just rush over now and reserve their name if it hasn't been taken yet? For some that RP, choice of name can be a pretty delicate subject.

 

With gear disparity my concern is that, as a low population server, those of us here have perhaps not covered or farmed enough high level operations etc for the uber items that a server of higher population would've been able to on a regular basis. This, coupled with our latency issues, essentially turns us into second class citizens.

 

Lastly, it feels like it will essentially doom any other game in the future from ever providing oceanic servers as they'll look back on this and say "oh remember that star wars game? they tried APAC servers and it failed, don't worry about them...serves 'em right for not being Murikan anyway"

 

- Kai-Lyn, 50 Juggernaut

- Felice, 50 Operative

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-apac-servers-for-swtor-available-and-merge-them-into-1/signatures.html

 

sign it guys, merge the servers

 

230+ so far

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-apac-servers-for-swtor-available-and-merge-them-into-1/signatures.html

 

sign it guys, merge the servers

 

230+ so far

 

i signed it...but what will it do? lol I've never signed an online petition before...

thought i had my 2 cents worth, but thinking more on this issue...

 

the new expansion i wish i never pre-ordered now as i feel completely cheated. I had bought with the full expectation i would be playing on the APAC servers and to quote Eric from the SWTOR team -

 

When we discussed the options internally we looked to address everyone’s primary issues with APAC, low populations were creating a less than optimal game experience.

 

At risk of sounding like a broken record, for me, large latency creates more of a less than optimal experience than a low population. Sure, the queues are somewhat long for wz etc but once folks get into the swing of things can have a few good nights of back to back games. Group finder queue? Never had it pop sub 50, but a few shouts in general chat on fleet usually can get a group together, for 50? pops a lot more than wz does!

 

Why has the decision been we need to move there, why can't they move here? There's 3 APAC servers and how many north american servers? Oh wait, because no-one in their right mind would want to play with increased latency and murikans kick up more of a stink? we're a minority group and no-one on the SWTOR team really gives a toss how we feel and want to experience the game? Our "optimal gameplay experience", as dictated by you, is setting all graphic details to the lowest possible setting in the hope we can reduce latency from average 300 down to 295ms, cutting us off essentially from experiencing any end game content to the fullest? That's our "optimal gameplay experience"?!?

 

Again, to quote Eric -

 

We did previously ask what folks on the forums would like to do as an APAC solution...(snip)

 

You asked on the forums? How nice...maybe 10% of the actual population that play had input? Maybe a better idea would be to e-mail the folks who would be affected, with a poll or a link to the forum in question, anything!!! Instead no, a few minority speak out about "I don't wanna RP with folks that don't know what it even stands for!!!" and this is the decision that's reached?

 

bah, so disgusted

Edited March 27, 2013 by radiatedhades

It's probably the single most terrible decision Bioware has ever made, I am appauled and we need to put a stop to this.

I can see a lot of people rage-quiting over this rather terrible decision from Bioware. The annoying thing for me is that I can see the argument for both dropping the APAC servers and not dropping the APAC servers. In the end, Bioware is a business that needs to have an income if the game is to continue.

 

That being said, I think they have shot themselves in the foot big-time as the number of players in this corner of the world will drop significantly if the latency makes the game unenjoyable for them. Not all of us experienced the appalling latency issues of version 1.0, so a latency of 200->300ms is going to feel really appaling to them if they are trying to play content that relies on split-second reactions (i.e. PvP, Flashpoints, Operations.... gee, just about *everything* end-game related)

 

Bioware really should pay attention to what we're all saying here here, and all APAC people concerned over this issue should sign the petition mentioned above, especially if you pay Bioware money to play this game.

 

The best, all-round solution, Bioware, would be to consolidate the 3 APAC servers into a generic PVE server, and allow those wanting to play on an RP or a PVP server to transfer to an american RP or PVP server.

 

Yogi - subscriber since the game was first released

this is complete ********* if it merges i wont be back to play the game come to think of it who do i see about getting my money back for the expansion i PAID to play on an aussie server one that i can play on so go ahead bioware and ea games but then use the same stick you tarred us with to go **** yourself and take your ****en stupid game with you

this is complete ********* if it merges i wont be back to play the game come to think of it who do i see about getting my money back for the expansion i PAID to play on an aussie server one that i can play on so go ahead bioware and ea games but then use the same stick you tarred us with to go **** yourself and take your ****en stupid game with you

 

Yousa point is well said..

 

Because I doubt I'll keep playing if not enough guild members move & continue. That's the least they could do is refund the $9 or what ever it was for the expansion. That was clearly timed so that we'd all buy it then not actually use it.

To the bean counters at BW and EA, Sirs it is obvious that you have no idea as to the wants and needs of your APAC gaming community.

 

We do enjoy playing SW.TOR and we do PAY to play, that will change very quickly if you persist with this insane decision to take the servers to the US. If you want to see why we would cancel subs and ask for refunds try playing end game at 250 -300ms and see how far you get.

 

The correct course of action would be to merge the current 3 servers into 1. A vast majority of gamers are mature enough to get along happily together, well atleast those in Aus are.

 

The timing for the expansion and this merge smells of an underhanded attempt to sneak it through with no-one noticing, guess what ? WE NOTICED.

 

Answer me this . How long would your game base last if you moved the US servers to Aus?.( less time than it took to write this ).

 

So I erge you to seriously rethink this inane decision . We PAY to PLAY that is how we support you, so how about returning the favor?

 

Thank you in advance for hopefully making the right decision.