Kuzhuk

[align=center]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/182503562293673985/317101733467652097/Screen_Shot_2017-05-24_at_7.48.47_PM.png[/img][/align] [align=center]Greetings from Mateus, FFXIV-RPC! The Aureate Ward is looking for dedicated roleplayers to join us for the release of Stormblood and the RP arcs that will follow. We've got a lot of great ideas, diverse themes, and soon new content to tackle together! Newcomers to the game are certainly welcome, as are alts from Balmung. We've got a lot to offer members including a bi-weekly RP cafe opening, a medium house in the lavender beds, regular FC buffs, and all the perks of being a rank 8 group.[/align] Our FC concept is built around the following themes: [align=left] Different people coming together to create a community and home. The establishment of an on-campus cafe for the public (with a weekly event). Field work as a company involving combat scenarios and much more! Rumblings of shady dealings beneath the surface for the devious. [/align] We hope to create an inclusive setting where characters of any alignment can find plenty of inspiration. Out of character, whether you're shy or outgoing, we will do our best to involve you and make you feel like part of the group. If interested, check out or website or join our discord where we're always happy to answer questions: https://discord.gg/GyXFpbh

I do think ERP is more commonly talked about these days, there's less shame involved and there are more RPers that are far more direct about their interest in it. I think that can give the perception that it's all anyone wants to RP about. It isn't... but it's easy to see it that way if you spend a lot of time in Balmung's Quicksand.

I think we'd be a good fit for you if you're willing to come to Mateus. We're just starting out as an FC (freshly transferred) but we already have a medium house and 5 members. Our goal is to put together a group that does just about everything. Here's our FC directory description: FC Name: The Aureate Ward Tag: Leader name: Luther Aldric FC Home: Lavender Beds, Ward 6, Plot 51. Roleplay focused with PVE/everything FC Description: A home for refugees, outcasts, political dissidents, half-breeds, the poor, and the abandoned. Join us to find a place to call your own and we'll give you employment in one of our many endeavors to help you make a better life for yourself! I'm hoping to have our first RP event soonish. Probably early next week. If you're interested, feel free to PM me.

I'm not a fan of jump potions, but I am a fan of the game remaining accessible and active. It's a trade off that I can't judge ultimately because I don't know how it'll turn out in the end.

I went ahead and moved to Mateus with a friend today. Took the plunge, and will be starting an FC there. If anyone needs someone to talk to on Mateus, feel free to PM me. I encourage other people who have the means/interest to go ahead and transfer now. I'm going to start helping out and contribute what I can to make Mateus even more successful than it already is.

It doesn't matter how significant the issues with Balmung are, in part because their extent is unknowable and unquantifiable. I think the situation here is very simple: every server has a culture and the culture will not necessarily fit well with every individual RPer. The benefit of having multiple server communities is that there are more cultures for players to explore in order to find one that fits them.

I find it disturbing that someone saying "Hey Balmung hasn't worked well for me, I don't think I fit in here" is immediately met with stern accusations of "and that is all your fault because you didn't try hard enough."

I would definitely prefer an official RP server, and there's nothing that could keep me from joining one!

That's an excellent point! It's one I hadn't thought of, but from my experience it is definitely true. I think there are some drawbacks to a factionalized approach as well, and in the end what I'd advocate is this: the community should come together to try to start a second unofficial RP server. And, if at the time that Balmung Transfers become available again, people are happy there? Stay there. If they're not, consolidate back into Balmung.

I think a lot of these points are predicated on the idea that Balmung is a great place to be for a new player, but I don't believe this is an easy argument to make. For one, as far as I can tell, those who are most vociferously against the community fracturing away from a Balmung consolidation are people who already have made connections, friends, and own houses there. As such, I don't think they're qualified to judge how good Balmung is for new players. Secondly, the $18 transfer fee is essentially an additional cost imposed beyond the basic buy in on those new players. That is quite clearly not in their favor, nor is it a one-time fee if a person wishes to play multiple characters. Third, there are ways in which Balmung's size is actually bad for new players. Many established, quality FCs are closed to new recruits or require references from existing members. The Bystander Effect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect) combined with chatspam from overcrowding often leads to people being ignored during events. Finally, I simply disagree that somehow Balmung is less cliquish than other servers. The claim itself is unverified and evidenceless, and it's been my experience generally after playing MMORPGs for nearly 20 years now that smaller communities appreciate each individual player more and are more inviting as a result. Example: I rolled an alt on Mateus yesterday and have already been personally greeted by their roleplaying ambassador, but I've been on Balmung now for 2-3 years and no one welcomed me. EDIT: One big point I forgot to mention: housing. You can't even get an Apartment on Balmung as a new player. That's a big problem.

I've had great experiences with official RP servers in other MMOs in the past, and want to replicate that experience again.

An extended timeline is important to me, because I want to make sure whereever we transfer that transfer from Balmung is free. I'd also like to know what the other benefits are, etc. But I think it's important to have a basic plan ready as well. Also, thanks for taking charge of this Oswin.

Yeah, if they designated an official RP server I would move to it. The details aren't particularly relevant to my decision as the choice to be on the officially designated RP server would outweigh any of my other considerations.

What makes this decision hard is that no matter what choice is made there are going to be people that lose out by virtue of it. All we can really do is support and take the actions that benefit us. In the end, you've got to do what seems right for you and yours. A choice will be made one way or the other by the natural aggregation of individual decisions, it's a quiet sort of Democracy that is the only fair way to handle this. And trying to convince others? It is best not to do this. If you want to explain your decision and why you are making it where appropriate, that's great. Building empathy for other people's rationale is a healthy exercise. Just make sure you don't slip into persuasive mode. That's where the friction is coming from.

I won't be voting, but I will be participating. The chosen server doesn't matter to me. I just want somewhere to go that's low population and will allow for free transfers and character creation. It's also very important to me that enough people commit to this and follow through to create a stable community.

In lieu of an officially designated RP server (please square, just put RP after Zalvera and be done with it)... If they're going to offer free transfers off of Balmung I think now would be the perfect time to try and find people on Balmung who want to create a second community that's more welcoming to newcomers. It isn't just the need to pay for a transfer, there are also no homes available and there are quite a lot of groups that have been around for years that have no need for new blood. If there was a fresh push for another unofficially designated RP server, I think it would be very good for the game.

The characters are looking for work that will utilize their talents, adventuring, mercenary, etc. Any kind of risky, martial type stuff. Possibly crime oriented, if it's interesting enough. They're very neutral people.

Thank you both for the response. We'll definitely take a look at everything. As far as themes go -- we're open to most non-civilian concepts. Entertainment, tavern running, etc. isn't compatible with our characters. They're more martial/action/adventure focused. Thanks for the question!

Two veteran roleplayers looking for a home! Keeping this straightforward, what we're hoping to find is somewhere that fits these criteria: At least 8 active players. An FC House or designated public RP spot. Medium or Heavy RP intensity. Regular RP activity. Some kind of defined guild purpose/storyline. Discord is a plus, but neither of us use voice chat. 18+ mature group. It would be nice to have people to run a little endgame content with occasionally as well, but that's not of great importance compared to our RP priorities. We play weeknights from 9 EST to 1 EST and A LOT on the weekends.

I'd recommend Balmung as someone who has been to both servers. There's just a lot more people on Balmung who prioritize RP.

You seem like the kind of troublemakers we could get involved with. As a thief and an abuser of magic, I could imagine you two joining our group to try to steal artifacts and do forbidden experiments. Here's a description of us: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=18356 Let me know if you're interested, you could add some spice to the mix!

I think you'd probably fit into our FC pretty well. We're small and made up essentially entirely of people who are working adults (most of us are 30ish). We also wouldn't mind helping you to field lore questions. Our discord is linked on our FC page here if you're interested: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=18356 Good luck finding something that works for you!

I think you two would fit into our concept easily. Right now our group is pretty small so it's a good time to get involved. We have a clearly defined goal and consider ourselves to be somewhere between medium and heavy RP. Plausibility and immersion are important to us. We're a pretty mature group too! You can read more about our concept here: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=18356 Our discord link is there, feel free to hop in sometime if you have any questions or you can contact me ingame as Ivik Black.

Welcome, welcome! We're looking forward to meeting you too!

If you're trying to avoid tavern RP you're definitely going to need to get set up with a decent RP FC or LS. There's also some solid events you can attend like the Grindstone Welcome!