Is one mega server for the whole game possible? I would love that

great idea! the PvP/PvE Server argument is pure bollox.... thers kinda no PvP outside of WZs and ppl who like to gank or get ganked can flag themself

Sorry no, like 90%+ of the population would never flag themselves and I love seeing the tears of raging carebears. Mega PvP server or bust pls.

I don't think language is an issue at all.

I'm on an EU English server and foreign languages have their own guilds, their own custom language channels and their own voice comms. While it could be an issue when typing tactics or instructions, I've played long enough to know that even in a group who all speak the same language, there are going to be people who flat out ignore, don't notice or just don't understand.

The issue I'd have is latency. I can drive around fleet on my server and get about 34-50ms. I drive about on a US East Coast server 95-200ms. I remember being on the Aussie servers for a laugh at one point when the my servers went offline and I think it was around 300-500ms. No telling how those fraction of a seconds could impact heals and attacks in PvP and raids. Then you've got timezones, is it really worth making a mega server when two thirds of the world are going to be sleeping or at work when the final third is raiding.

Aside from the already mentioned naming conflict and language issues; could you imagine what this would do to the economy? It would stabilize eventually, but man that would be a rude awakening for me because I'm on an RP server and have invested millions in various cartel items which don't seem to sell for nearly as much on non-RP servers. Not to mention the sudden glut of crafters and their associated items...

I really think this could work, it would certainly be easier and cheaper than X-Server. For X-Server they have to invest in developing the software so that servers can talk to each other and work together AND invest in new infrastructure between the servers to carry the massive increase in traffic X-Server would create. With Mega-server they just need to build a new mega server.

Also a mega server would improve more than X-Server would. X-Server will decrease waits for regular WZs (although they are not exactly slow in popping right now) provide a bigger pool of teams for Ranked and if a bigger pool of PvE players for the GF queues. A mega server would do all this PLUS increase the number of players for world PvP, increase the number of players for non GF operation groups, heroics or datacron hunts and increase the number of things being crafted and sold on GTN.

I only see 2 issues, 1 which servers do you merge and where do you put the new mega servers. Ideally 1 server for the entire game would be best so US, EU and APAC players can all play (this would also help out those who play at odd hours). The problem with this is lag, Place this 1 mega server in the US and EU players will suffer, put it in the EU and US players will moan, heck put it on the West Coast and East Coast players will complain and vice versa if you located it in the east instead. Therefore I think you would have to have at least 3 mega servers, EU, West Coast and East Coast.

The 2nd issue is about combining play types (PvE, PvP ect) if you had 3 regional mega servers (see above) and you would have PvP, PvE and RP players all on the same server. If you had 3 mega server separated not my region but my playtype then you're back to the "where to site them" problem, and if you have servers divided both my region and playtype then you have exactly what we have now. I can't see the issues with lag between regions being solved so if you want a mega server setup you would have to combine the playtypes.
In that case you need to find a way to accommodate all players needs and wants. I don't think it is impossible, you could for example have it so when you first create a character (or log in for the 1st time after the merge) you are asked to choose a playstyle, this choice is per toon and is fixed, it can only be changed of you pay a large sum of CC per toon (same as paid for server moves). PvP players would be permanently flagged and PvE players could toggle the flag off an on. I would also introduce more PvP areas where you got flagged for entering and introduce rewards for killing enemies of a similare level (say +/- 3 lvls) in open world.

yeah, i still think that by default, the mega server will always default you to instances located on your local server, always, the only time you would conceivalbe be shunted to another server located cross atlantic was if you joined a group that was hosted by someone on those servers. THe AI could alwyas put warzones or Group finder flashpoints in the location of the area the amjority of participatns are. in fact, it would group warzones /instances to a physical location priority, then only pull players from another physical location when it was short of players.

Finally, you could and should have an option you can tick which will tell the system not to put you in warzones hosted in cross continent servers, just like you would be able to tell it to put you in a pvp/pve or rp instance or french/german or english instance. this is for the random match ups. Becasue the other match-ups are by choice. Another cool feature would be to be ablle to determine the region your group is in. Now for most of us, the latency difference cross region causes isn't an issue for group finder flashpoints, - more so perhaps for warzones and progression raids, but that would be based on the guild we're in or the group we end up joining.

so it's not really an issue at all. you'd be prioritized with match-ups in your region, and only be shunted when one cannot be found. Another feature that could be added is an lert that will tell you if you're being moved cross region when the queue pops. and the option to wait longer for a local instance.. The idea is the choice is yours, if you can wait or want to wait for the lower latency do so, but if you're fine and want more to get the match or flashpoint done faster because i'ts 8a.m. locally your time, and you leave for school or lectures/work in an hour and want a quick match, you will go for it.

This, and then you would link the 3 to have one virtual live server.

Welcome to to eradicating half of the "game quitting" moans, eliminating queue times for any part of the day, eliminating low pops of any kind. no more people quititng because no ranked queues pop or can't find enough quality for HM groups. This is a significant issue solveed.

Then you can now focus on giving more contnet, beautiful fly in scenes to repalec loading screen pictures, and other QoL stuff like Legacy banks, multiple skill tree presets, and also multiple equipment euip presets, like the most popular one on request is, is have 1 set of clots represent what gear everyone sees, and another represnt the actual item stats. or like I suggested once, have each slot on the character sheet have multiple versions..so, you can add or even purchase on the CM preset slots, so you can have 2 head/leges/implant etc slots on your character, so the gear is not in your bags, it's on your character in those slots, and switching gear is just a matter oof making which prest slot active. rather than having to equip in and out, Subscribers start with 3 slots, one appearance and 2 equip, F2p just have 1, and you can purchase additional ones. Basically they can go back to thegame.

But then, i'ts different departments.. your tech team beef up the server tech. like blizzard did for wow.

so my high end, modern video card wouldnt be burdened. how about their overburdened servers that have to provide that data? watch the lag spikes that affect the whole raid when their server spawns adds. this might make the pvp crowd happy, but not so much the rest of us.

If server side technology could do it at an affordable level I bet we'd see that. Since all games pretty much still do separate servers and subsequent server mergers I'm going to guess it can't be done with a decent sized population. She cannea take the strain captain.

That is actually the one thing I like about ESO (I regret buying it...lol). The game is literally one megaserver and I was highly impressed at how smooth it was when early access went live. Never had a single issue logging in.

But ya, at the rate this game is dying and the refusal of adding cross server to the game. A mega server would probably be a great idea. Too bad they wont do it because they are going to milk the server transfer service dry. When that stops becoming an ideal money maker they might start merging servers but it seems highly unlikely.