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Less is more when it comes to rolling systems. Narrative and character actions should drive RP content. When I incorporate RNG into roleplay, it is usually in a very loose, interpretive fashion (i.e. - low rolls = sucking; high rolls = amazing -- but not always).

When it comes to RP, OOC gender should be immaterial. I enjoy RPing characters of both genders, but find that female characters are slightly more difficult to roleplay because I am male.

The important note is the definitive "NO" on giving Balmung the RP server label. It's too big, too old and too diverse. That's not how I took this. I'll rewind it when the VOD is out but what was said was 1.) Dev team is 50/50 about adding RP labels to certain servers. 2.) Adding this labels is easy peasy and not an issue. 3.) They're holding back because of fear of RPers creating a toxic environment by asking non RPers to leave the servers because it's an RP server. At no point was it mentioned "We won't do this for Balmung." How completely disappointing. SE's reasoning is terrible and shows how unfamiliar the devs are with the RP community (probably because RP extremely rare in Japan). Any person who legitimately believes anything but a tiny, tiny minority of RPers (less than 5%) would harass PVEers for not RPing lives in their own special reality. The inverse is true: RPers are a small minority that are frequently ostracized and griefed.

A few observations before work (I wish I could respond to things in detail but just don't have the time): (1) The OP should have paid $18 and joined Balmung months ago. It is unreasonable for people to cast an $18 transfer fee as an insurmountable or objectionable barrier. Eighteen dollars is a paltry sum of money (a couple pints of beers; two hours worth of work at minimum wage; a night at the movies; a birthday gift from a distant friend, etc.), and the return on that tiny investment [at least 4 hours of entertainment; likely /hundreds/ of hours of entertainment] is enormous. (2) I cringe every time I read vague allegations about how RP is impossible to find on Balmung or how someone needs connections to find RP on Balmung. That isn't the case. It is extremely easy to find RP on Balmung because it is everywhere, and RPers are generally extremely supportive of new comers. If you can't find RP on Balmung, you're actually less likely to find it elsewhere - especially the style/content you enjoy - and should consider trying a little harder. (3) RP should be consolidated on one server. It doesn't matter where that server is. We're a small community and need to stick together to make sure RP remains frequent and diverse. (4) The hyperbole about Maetus being the new promised land of RP is colored with so much self-interest that it makes me sad. Maetus likely began as a tiny enclave of RPers who deliberately chose to break off from Balmung for purely person reasons. Perhaps they thought there were too many futas in the Quicksand. Maybe they wanted housing. Who knows. But they made a decision not to participate in the greater RP community where 80%+ of RPers roleplay. When SE locked server transfers, 5-10 Maetus RPers did a terrific job of orchestrating an effort to promote their server -- not just as a place where people can RP if they can't access the greater community on Balmung, but as the next "unofficial" RP server. Some of those users cite erroneous statistics purporting that Balmung is completely unsustainable, or failed to see that there are many ways to preserve a central RP hub and deal with a population problem. They did this out of a desire to grow their small RP community. What they do not understand or value is that RPers /need/ to be consolidated in one central community to ensure the long-term viability of the RP community as a whole, and that their efforts would naturally fragment multiple RP communities. Now, there are three camps of people on Maetus: (1) people who left Balmung for personal reasons; (2) the "let me make an alt and show support" crowd; and (3) new players who cannot access Balmung. This isn't a mass exodus. At most there are 100-200 active RPers (many who can't access the centralized RP hub and will likely do so when they can), and a legion of alts of people who do value RPing on a centralized RP hub who are there to show support. Most RPers have no intention of leaving Balmung, even to play around on alts. They know the value of a large centralized RP hub, and believe that the transfer restrictions will be lifted. When this happens, most will gravitate towards the central RP hub again. (5) The best thing that could happen would be for Maetus (or another small server) to be designated as an official RP server by SE, and for all RPers to transfer to that server. RPers should be working towards this goal. But, most are very comfortable on Balmung (for good reason), and others labor under the misbelief that an alternative unofficial server designation would work. Splintering the community never works. (6) Servers are dumb artificial barriers that only divide people and serve no purpose.

A few observations: (1) It is unfortunate (and very childish and stupid) to impute negative characteristics on an entire server of people. Making derogatory comments about people on an entire server is analogous to insulting the people of the entire continent of North America. It makes zero sense because the people are incredibly diverse and different. The maturity of RPers who insult entire servers of people is sad, and they likely suffer from poor social skills. (2) RP should be consolidated on one server, and it doesn't matter where that server is located. We must keep in mind that the efforts to designate a second unofficial RP server are ultimately colored by self-interest by those who deliberately chose not to RP with the greater community on Balmung for personal reasons. Instead of taking action that would help all (i.e. - working to persuade SE to designate an official RP server or lift the transfer restrictions), some would simply use the current state to increase the size of their alternative RP communities, despite that it ultimately fragments RP. Ultimately, these issues will likely be rendered moot when SE lifts the restrictions (and the super majority of RPers gravitate towards the central RP hub they value) or an official RP server is designated to mitigate Balmung's population problem (the only thing that could get a large chunk of the population to transfer). (3) Servers are dumb artificial barriers that do little more than divide people.

A few observations: (1) It is unfortunate (and very childish and stupid) to impute negative characteristics on an entire server of people. Making derogatory comments about people on an entire server is analogous to insulting the people of the entire continent of North America. It makes zero sense because the people are incredibly diverse and different. The maturity of RPers who insult entire servers of people is sad, and they likely suffer from poor social skills. (2) I have to tip my hat off to the 5-10 vocal and organized Maetus RPers who seized the moment and advertised their server, generating a land-slide like effect. I have explained many times why fragmenting the RP population on multiple servers is harmful for all parties (it increases stagnation, promotes homogeneous RP, harms RP diversity, etc). I still think that a second unofficial RP server designation is harmful for all parties, but it's good to see that people are acting against xenophobia on the server. (3) RP should be consolidated on one server, and it doesn't matter where that server is located. We must keep in mind that the efforts to designate a second unofficial RP server are ultimately colored by self-interest by those who deliberately chose not to RP with the greater community on Balmung. Instead of taking action that would help all (i.e. - working to persuade SE to designate an official RP server or lift the transfer restrictions), some would simply use the current state to increase the size of their alternative RP communities, despite that it ultimately fragments RP. Ultimately, these issues will likely be rendered moot when SE lifts the restrictions (and the super majority of RPers gravitate towards the central RP hub they value) or an official RP server is designated to mitigate Balmung's population problem (the only thing that could get a large chunk of the population to transfer). (4) Servers are dumb artificial barriers that do little more than divide people.

The easiest way of cutting down the server population (which could be resolved through other control measures that do not require a restriction on transfers) would be to simply designate an official RP server and allow for a complete transfer of assets [i.e. - refunds for housing and housing items]. That is the only scenario where a sizable portion of the Balmung population would leave the server. The vast majority of RPers have little to no interest transferring to small RP servers that lack diverse and sustainable RP communities. Most people realize that splitting the RP population across multiple servers in a disorganized fashion does little more than cause stagnation and homogenization of RP. But, gauging by the interest and motivation of most RPers at the present time, we're 1-3 months away (assuming the transfer restriction stays in place that long) from RPers feeling motivated or pressured enough to encourage SE to designate an official server.

This is the last time I intend to respond to a post you make in this thread. There are no applicable precedents or procedural facts that give any indication to whether SE would designate an official RP server. A precedent is only applicable if there are analogous facts (and is usually defined as a analogous rule of law or regulatory standard; as opposed to something that depends on facts). Here, there have been no serious efforts to persuade SE to designate an official RP server since 2.0, and we are facing one of the most difficult population issues to impact high-population servers since launch. The facts and circumstances are unique. If you can identify any recent post by SE (made since high population has become a major issue) where they specifically decline to designate an RP server, that would be precedent. You have no precedent. You have only speculation and conjecture. Consumer demand drives change. If enough consumers demand something, companies are bound to respond. With that said, RPers have made lackluster efforts (save for a few vocal RPers who supported Nero's thread on the official forums) to convince SE to designate an official RP server. This is likely because most RPers believe that SE will simply reverse the transfer ban within 1-3 months after the launch of SB, rendering the need to designate alternative RP servers premature. The only tide I'm lost in is the majority consensus that large, centralized RP hubs are desirable. The overwhelming majority of RPers play on Balmung (or will transfer there after the restriction is lifted) because they value robust, diverse, and active communities. Very few RPers desire to RP on stagnate ghost town servers that offer little more than a 50-100 person homogeneous cliques of like-minded individuals that dwindle in numbers over time. Most RPers I know think that people who hold your view (i.e. - we should designate an unofficial RP server) /and/ my view (i.e. - we should convince to reverse the transfer ban and/or designate an official server) are acting prematurely. And they're probably right - things will likely revert to status quo in 2-3 months after SE lifts the transfer ban. In the end, most RPers will gravitate towards a centralized RP hub that offers the greatest frequency and diversity of RP. That hub has been and will continue to be Balmung (and perhaps an official RP server if designated down the road).

You say that such actions before have been met with failure, I disagree! There has never been such an occasion in XIV's history that has required the RP community act so swiftly. To be relaxed in such a position is an invitation for destruction! By ignoring the fresh lifeblood of our community we ensure that we shall starve! This is a GLORIOUS opportunity for communities to grow and prosper. They are perhaps niche right now, as you have said, but as new players go to these communities they will grow beyond their previous boundaries into a wonderful new existence! Unofficial "alternative" server designations are flawed because they do little more than divide the RP community across artificial barriers [servers], cause RP stagnation/homogenization, and are not an effective long-term solution to population issues. No argument has refuted this. The overwhelming super majority of RPers value having a large, healthy, and diverse central RP hub. The popularity and size of Balmung is a testament to this. We need to be taking action to ensure that there is a centralized RP hub, as opposed to scattering the RP population across multiple servers. I'm sorry if the importance of this goes overlooked because we take Balmung for granted, and it is difficult to evaluate remote contingencies. I appreciate your recent efforts to identify servers where RP communities exist so newcomers will know where to go, but trying (for the upteenth time) to go down the failed path of an unofficial alternative serve designation is a waste of time for all parties. In fact, those who stand the most to lose are people who toss their eggs in the alternative server basket, as most RPers are likely to transfer back to Balmung when the restriction is lifted (likely 2-3 months), and the community on "alternative RP servers" will remain small, isolated, and homogeneous (and sadly stagnate over time). I don't want to see this happen to RPers. This is why RPers should take action to pursue a very attainable goal: getting an official RP server designation (or revocation of the transfer ban).

... It's the server everyone knows is the RP server, the one people know to flock to, has a thriving RP population to the point that it's overcrowded... and SE didn't have to lift a finger to do it. Yes, it sure didn't work. Thanks for pointing out typo. Edited. Unofficial server designations for an /alternative/ RP server have not and will not work.

I don't understand why people believe that a request that was made years ago to SE under completely different circumstances is even mildly indicative to what they would do now. No one has bothered really pressing this issue recently because Balmung has been available as a central RP hub. Unofficial server designations for an alternative RP server have not and will not work. Balmung is a testament to this.

Thank you for pointing this out. I suck at reading before morning coffee. The problems with designating unofficial RP servers are systemic, and I've addressed the issue more times than I can recall (and never really heard a persuasive counter argument that explains why the problems will not be an issue the 20th time around). The solution to this problem is simple: SE should designate an official RP server. And this is far more achievable than most people believe.

Edited: I am horrible at reading before morning coffee. Designating alternative unofficial RP servers has not worked and will not work. It will produce nothing more or less than a small, homogenized clique of RPers that will eventually stagnate, and it decreases the frequency, diversity, and types of roleplay available to everyone. RPers should be supporting the request to designate an official RP server. We should be posting on the official forums (http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/324942-Transfer-Restrictions-and-Roleplayers) and trying to bring this issue to SE's attention however we can. It's a request that virtually /everyone/ can get behind, and it would benefit the RP community immensely in the long-term.

Although SE could resolve the population issue on Balmung by lifting restrictions and implementing alternative measures, the designation of an official RP server by SE is the most probable long-term solution that would benefit the RP community as a whole. RPers should encourage SE to designate an official RP server. It is a reasonable request that would cost SE very little in terms of resources, satisfy a substantial number of subscribers (RPers), and alleviate much of the population issue on Balmung. If you have not done so already, please consider supporting the thread Nero made requesting an official RP server designation on the official forums (and spread this around to friends and contacts however you can): http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/324942-Transfer-Restrictions-and-Roleplayers

Oh my god man. WE CANNOT STAY ON BALMUNG BECAUSE IT'S FULL. That is not going to change. If restrictions are lifted, it'll just get full again and then we're back to having this debate. We can certainly all stay on Balmung and encourage SE to alleviate any server population issue by either reversing the transfer ban (and implementing alternative population control measures if needed) or designating an official RP server. In fact, I'd go so far as to say this is the most probable scenario at the present time [see topic 3 in the OP]. I think it's unfortunate that some users seem to think that SE are demi-gods incapable of modifying their product to meet consumer demands. I suspect we could get an official RP server designated within 2 months if there was an organized and dedicated effort. But, instead, most appear content to "wait and see" or operate under the false assumption that multiple unofficial RP server designations will not increase stagnation while decreasing the frequency and diversity of RP. This is unfortunate.

You keep missing the third long term solution though. Roleplayers designate a new RP server on their own, and consolidate there. Vex, based on your prior post, I understand that you have tossed all of your eggs in the Maetus basket, and I wish you the best there, and hope that the trend of small RP servers floundering is reversed [by SE designating an official RP server on Maetus, Balmung, or elsewhere, or by the transfer restriction being lifted and everyone coming back into the Balmung fold]. But self-interest colors your proposal; it is not reasonable (or even remotely probable) to expect /thousands/ of RPers who have invested countless of hours on ongoing plots, millions in gil on housing, and have deep-rooted connections to leave Balmung and join a new "unofficial RP server." This is why you're not seeing a mass exodus of players to Maetus - most will likely limit their activities to "rolling alts" at most to support the community there. At most, we could be looking a scenario where if SE does not lift the server restriction over 6-12 months, the size/diversity/health of the RP community on both servers declines, and RPers are forced to pick and choose between increasingly stagnate communities. The RP population - in all of its diversity and size - would basically get chopped in half, thereby chopping in half the frequency of RP, types of RP, diversity of RP, etc. This would be unfortunate on a number of levels for the reasons stated in the OP.

(1) Merc, thank you for the tech explanation. That was very informative about the server load. However, the Balmung population could be decreased by alternative means [mentioned some of these in a prior post] (ideally designating an official RP server). Banning transfers will not be effective to alleviate the pending server strain that will happen around SB when potentially thousands of players already on Balmung return. Worse yet is that this ineffective remedy could be extremely detrimental to the long-term health of the RP community if the transfer restrictions are not lifted after 2-3 months. (2) Oswin, I appreciate all the effort you're putting into bolstering Maetus as the alternative RP server, but the answer again is not to fragment the RP community across multiple servers. This does not create diversity or increase roleplay: it does the opposite - it causes homogenization of roleplay, decreases the type and frequency of RP available, and increases community stagnation. Server selection is an artificial, technical barrier that should not divide roleplayers. Honestly, if SE decides to split Balmung, that might very well be a great thing for the community if RPers could agree on a consensus alternative server. It doesn't matter where RP'ers play: what matters is that they stick together and consolidate RP in one place (currently Balmung). (3) Again, the long term solutions here are: (1) convince SE to lift the transfer restriction [and implement alternative population control measures if necessary]; or (2) convince SE to designate an official RP server. No one stands anything to gain by splitting the party, man.

Correct ideas are not always popular. oh my god could you not You're not Martin Luther King. You're some guy that's trying to talk about things he obviously has no idea on how they work, both from a common sense point of view and an infrastructure one. "Hey this restriction you have sucks. I need you to lift it.' "But if we do it'll keep breaking things and the economy will continue to be awful." "Yeah well I need you to lift it." "But th---" "I need you to lift it. IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF (ME) THE PEOPLE" Dissenting (and entirely valid) opinions over the internet sometimes attract vitriol. See post above. Honestly, Val -- you're a good roleplayer. I expected more than petty personal attacks. The points raised in the OP are both coherent, achievable, and would benefit RPers the most. It's not the easy option, but it is correct the one that will benefit the overwhelming majority of RPers. The problem with your argument is that you're not listening to anyone's opinion. You're taking what you say as fact and not remotely considering the truths of what anyone else is saying to you. I--and pretty much literally everyone else here--have told you time and time again that while your ideas are great, they cannot be achieved for multiple reasons. And yet, you choose to ignore it with simple responses that more or less boil down to "because i want it to happen". It's not realistic. Expecting them to shit out a new RP server isn't realistic. Thinking that it costs nothing isn't realistic. Personal attacks? No. I have not attacked you personally. I refuse to do so. I will, however, point out how incredibly unrealistic/ridiculous your arguments and responses have become. This isn't some sort of heroic "let's band together friends!!!!" moment. This is real. You have a handful of options. Nothing is going to change. You can try to change it, but expecting it is a fool's errand. People have tried telling you this over and over and over, and yet you bullheadedly rush through and dismiss literally any valid option they're offering, sometimes even going so far as just ignoring it outright. You take whatever common sense they give you, consider it a personal attack (like I assume you're going to do with this), and push past it. And yet, even if we try to tell you "Hey that's not what we mean" it doesn't matter. It's not even an issue with "well this community will break apart." The servers literally can not handle the stress. It's just how it is. That's not even touching on the subject of social and economic issues that Balmung is facing because of the overpopulation, both in RP and PvE. To assume that none of them exist is another issue altogether. You seem to appear to confuse disagreement with the ability to understand and process arguments. I've considered each and every counter argument and disagree. I don't exactly take posts offered by at most 15 people to refute basic, intuitive arguments we all take for granted. Think about this: would we have anywhere near as vibrant, healthy, sustainable, and diverse an RP community if Balmung was not a centralized RP hub? The answer is no. We have enjoyed the benefits of a centralized RP hub for years. Reversing this and fragmenting the community could harm RP for all roleplayers for the reasons stated in the OP. No one is standing in line to transfer from Balmung right now for this very reason; at most people are rolling alts to show support. The vast majority of the FFXIV RP community depends on a centralized RP hub. They may not advocate for this expressly, but it's something most value. I've already pointed out a dozen times how SE could alleviate this problem in a way that would not harm the RP community: reverse the transfer restriction (and implement alternative population control measures) or simply designate an official RP server. Nothing else will work.

The 25 thumbs up have to count for something? And yes, a fine petition, I daresay. I'm surprised the PVEers didn't burn me alive. I've had better with less page count. Correct ideas are not always popular. oh my god could you not You're not Martin Luther King. You're some guy that's trying to talk about things he obviously has no idea on how they work, both from a common sense point of view and an infrastructure one. "Hey this restriction you have sucks. I need you to lift it.' "But if we do it'll keep breaking things and the economy will continue to be awful." "Yeah well I need you to lift it." "But th---" "I need you to lift it. IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF (ME) THE PEOPLE" Dissenting (and entirely valid) opinions over the internet sometimes attract vitriol. See post above. Honestly, Val -- you're a good roleplayer. I expected more than petty personal attacks. The points raised in the OP are both coherent, achievable, and would benefit RPers the most. It's not the easy option, but it is correct the one that will benefit the overwhelming majority of RPers.

The 25 thumbs up have to count for something? And yes, a fine petition, I daresay. I'm surprised the PVEers didn't burn me alive. I've had better with less page count. So he did make a thread and didn't want to link it because it's a flame war just like this thread? Why are we even in this thread again? Maybe? It's me. Me too. Trust me, I don't enjoy engaging in circa 1999 forum discussions, and wouldn't do so unless these issues were critical to the long term health of the FFXIV RP community (which is something awesome and worth raising a ruckus over).

The 25 thumbs up have to count for something? And yes, a fine petition, I daresay. I'm surprised the PVEers didn't burn me alive. I've had better with less page count. Correct ideas are not always popular.

So he did make a thread and didn't want to link it because it's a flame war just like this thread? Why are we even in this thread again? The thread I made on the official forums is a broader argument against the server restrictions in general and encompasses more than the RP community. I didn't want to bore PVEers to death with the intricacies of the RP community. Although terminating the server restriction would be ideal, it is far more probable that SE would designate an official RP if we could get our ducks in a row and advocate for that course of action collectively. Hence, that is why I linked Nero's thread in the OP, and why I believe effort is best spent seeking the official RP server designation.

I was going to offer to give you an answer when you manage to draft a post that isn't inflammatory, but I'm feeling generous (and believe that drafting such a post would prove difficult). I've mentioned the answer numerous time -- if you physically can't access Balmung, select whatever alternative RP community best suits your tastes, and transfer to the central RP hub [balmung or official RP server if designated] the first opportunity you get. There are communities to pick from on numerous servers (Maetus, Farie, Lich, etc.). Don't split the party. Stick together. For reasons why, see OP. And most of all, you're welcome (insert Moana music here). One of the most significant reasons the RP community of Balmung has remained there so long is that simply ripping out your roots and transferring is not as easy as it sounds. FCs, LSs, Friends, Houses, etc... you're suggesting that -when- Balmung is opened up, people should do all this and move to Balmung, when there are many on Balmung who are not willing to do this for the same reasons. Don't you think there's something of a double standard in this? The RP community should stand united, I agree, but if its come to the point where we can have more than one stable server, I don't see the issue. When Balmung opens up, I don't see an issue in making alts there, just as some folks from Balmung do not currently see an issue in making alts for Mateus. If you're advocating that we do not split the party, that we stick together, perhaps you should campaign for Balmung's RP'ers to leave Balmung and be with the rest of the RP community, rather than on a server no one can join anymore. We must sadly defer to utilitarian realities. There are too many RPers entrenched in Balmung, with on-going plots, real property, etc., for a community wide transfer to a new server to take place. The only thing that could every accomplish that would be an official RP designation. Again, it doesn't matter what server we're on: what matters is that we're united in one centralized RP hub. This benefits everyone for the reasons stated in the OP.

The 25 thumbs up have to count for something? And yes, a fine petition, I daresay. I'm surprised the PVEers didn't burn me alive.

I was going to offer to give you an answer when you manage to draft a post that isn't inflammatory, but I'm feeling generous (and believe that drafting such a post would prove difficult). I've mentioned the answer numerous time -- if you physically can't access Balmung, select whatever alternative RP community best suits your tastes, and transfer to the central RP hub [balmung or official RP server if designated] the first opportunity you get. There are communities to pick from on numerous servers (Maetus, Farie, Lich, etc.). Don't split the party. Stick together. For reasons why, see OP. And most of all, you're welcome (insert Moana music here).