EliBallard

The proper solution for an MMO company that has a server become "too large for their hardware" is to upgrade their hardware or take server power from smaller servers such as Jenova for use on their larger ones as needed, not screw the customers for their mistake. Just saying.

Most people don't have time to play on more than one server, let alone 12. That Discord server was a nice idea, but for a real new RP server that has a chance at growing (and now is the best chance to do it with SE making Balmung no longer an option) one or MAYBE two servers need to be chosen and named unofficial RP servers by us in the community. This means some peoples feelings are gonna be hurt when their 3 person LS on Famfrit that RPs isn't on the same level as, say, Mateus and Siren with their actual multiple FCs and roaming RPers. You can't make everyone happy here and trying while shushing anyone who says something negative is futile and the sort of behaviour best left to Tumblr.

I've been a Balmung poster on Tumblr up until now but I'll likely start dropping some Mateus stuff in the weeks to come. Only have a couple hundred followers but meh.

I do want to say that I find it odd that people pull out the whole 'they had to do this because of servers, etc.' like SE is some startup indie developer, or hell, even a smaller MMO company like Trion. Square Enix is massive and they owe a huge debt to XIV for their recent success and pulling them from the brink of bankruptcy. They (the higher ups, I realize this is beyond the control of the devs) have consistently bungled anything to do with server infrastructure as shown in misjudging housing demand not once, twice, but three times among other things. They've proven unwilling to spend money where it's needed (improved servers, etc.) or work on a proper solution like continuing on to the next logical step in their cross-realm stuff and give us the server visiting system GW2 has, or moving unused server space from low pop realms such as Jenova to Balmung as needed, making housing properly instanced like any sane MMO should. Like yeah, I realize we have to be realistic, but I also don't think SE needs any of you to defend them. They're a multi-billion dollar company and these issues are because of conscious decisions they made at a high level. It's perfectly reasonable for people to be frustrated and need to vent here without them being told (most often by longtime Balmung residents with 8 characters safely already on the server) to calm down and/or get over it.

Uh.. the whole point of this is because Balmung is now closed and we no longer have options for new people. I don't think anyone has suggested a mass exodus from Balmung and been taken seriously. EDIT: On topic, my vote is for Mateus. It's the only server of the current option I've seen that's got a decent sized community and has actually put in the work to advertise and be seen.

Regardless of what happens, I'll be both staying on Balmung -and- working to help Mateus grow because from what I've personally seen it's the most likely to succeed. The others are little more than an FC or two that's open to RPers. I don't think waiting for SE to announce the free servers is gonna be of much use unless some people are determined to play on EU servers in which case I -think- Lich is one of the few with any RP at all.

Like I said, without housing and such transferring with people you're unlikely to see any consolidation of the current RP communities. People will just continue claiming their server is the best, and anyone talking to the contrary (as I saw in the Discord made through Tumblr to handle just this 'crisis') gets shouted down for potentially hurting the feelings of a server. What needs to be done is some sort of unofficial decision being made. I say whichever community makes the best effort to advertise themselves and their server here on the RPC should get the blessing of the rest of us. If a server can't muster up the drive to do at least that they're not worth putting further resources in.

When you say that Balmung being closed will cause new players to go elsewhere, are you saying new players will go to other games or servers? I think we oughta slow down with all the doomsaying. Balmung temporarily closing its doors due to high congestion near expansion launch won't be the end of RP as we know it. We've not yet seen how this will effect the roleplay community. Who knows? Maybe this could potentially lead to a boon for RP on other servers. :roll: Care to elaborate? I don't recall once saying this is a good thing, and I'm actively on Mateus helping them grow their community right now. There have been several people in this thread alone saying they're new and lost on what to do. Try not to be so dismissive. EDIT: Also, to give an example of what Momo was talking about. I've been talking to a group of people from WoW planning to come over to XIV. They'd literally been ready to transfer within days only to find out they no longer can. These people are heavy RPers that wanted a heavy RP community, and now several of them are no longer playing at all. So yes, this does actively deter new players.

I hope people realize how "fuck you, got mine" they sound when they say this is a good thing while already safely on Balmung.

Mateus.

The fact that there are enough RPers there for this to be a problem mean there's at least a foundation to build on.

The fact that Foxfirestorm is trying to take charge of making Mateus the sister server to Balmung is why I'm most confident in it. They're determined and an excellent RPer and have a ton of dedication, and definitely worth supporting.

Mateus and Siren are hands down the best choices for a secondary/temporary RP server. They have actual communities that exist beyond an FC or two being RP friendly to attract more members when they recruit.

It's easy to say "Balmung needed this" when you're on Balmung and not someone who desperately wanted on.

Moving to a totally new server, especially an EU one when this problem is as much a thing for NA players as well, seems like the worst possible move.

What's more likely to happen is that nobody from any of the smaller communities is willing to make the jump as they all wail into the void that theirs is the true "other" RP server. Hell, the Discord made for people to discuss these issues gets prickly at the mere mention of actual community size to avoid hurting peoples feelings. If people aren't willing to be cold and logical about naming an unofficial second RP server and admit that maybe their FC being open to RP doesn't necessarily make it a real RP community for new people nothing will change.

To call the groups on servers like Lich or Phoenix 'RP communities' is highly disingenuous. It's a few people who RP, that's all. So far of the ones I've checked only Mateus and Siren have had actual communities of RPers on them.

Elijah wandered into the Quicksand, immediately flinching at the assault of smells, sounds and the sheer number of people who were (and always seemed to be) inside. After a few bizarre incidents early in his career as an adventurer he’d generally made it a rule to avoid the place, though one couldn’t deny that it was among the most heavily trafficked spots in Eorzea and a prime place to find work or companions for a job. He stepped around a Miqo'te wearing practically nothing he could have sworn was in that exact spot every time he was forced to pass through the place and made his way to the notice board, for a change carrying one of his own rather than looking for a listing himself. Unfurling the parchment he’d brought with him, he gave it one more look over before nodding confidently. He’d been up the better part of the night working on it and making sure everything was juuust right, and was only satisfied after the third or fourth iteration. Grabbing a couple of pins from the nearby desk, he found the perfect spot on the board for his notice - nobody would notice that he’d covered up the flier for one of the realms dozen cabarets and brothels, would they? - and carefully pinned it to the board before stepping back to admire his work. The notice, something of an advertisement of his skills and that he was seeking longer term employment, read as follows: “Especially skilled huntsman and adventurer seeks full-time employment with an adventuring company, band or other such organization. Willing to do just about any jobs you can think of provided they remain lawful, with a preference for deeds of the heroic variety. I, Elijah Ballard, have been working as a member of the adventurers guild for the past two years and have made something of a name for myself in that time (always willing to tell tales of my exploits!), yet I’ve come to find that I’d prefer a more long term group of companions as opposed to merely working alone or with whomever I bump into on a job. In a company I would seek steadfast allies and defenders of the realm who share my aspirations to do good while remaining less strict than the grand companies or a local militia, something akin to the Company of Heroes! I would work alongside friends who are not bound by ulterior motives, but still be allowed to pursue their own work. I myself often sojourn with my family to help them prepare for the winter months and pursue work on my own time, and would be unable to give either practice up. Willing to work for room and board, though coin is appreciated as well! My skills include but are not limited to: archery, tracking, hunting, fisticuffs, reading and writing, storytelling, friend-making and some carpentry. You’d also be hard pressed to find someone who knows more of the Twelveswood than I. Should you desire further information or wish to contact me, please send word by letter to the address listed at the bottom of this notice. I look forward to meeting with you!” He grinned triumphantly, nodding again and crossing his arms over his chest. Surely this would lead him to where he belonged, to the dedicated group of friends and allies with whom he would best serve Eorzea (while growing his legend in the process, of course). Had it not been for the gaggle of chattering people that brushed none-to-gently past him at that moment and snapped him back to reality he might have stayed standing there for a time, but he decided it would do him good to give it time and trust that someone would reach out to him. So he brushed off his coat, ran a hand through his hair to give it that “messy but not that messy” look it usually had, and made his way back outside to take up a new job and a new adventure. ( Thanks for taking the time to read this, everyone! If you hadn’t guessed by now, I’m currently seeking an RP FC for my good, simple boy Elijah. I figured I’d give a post out here a shot before going to the RPC and just randomly messaging people because I’d much prefer to meet people via RP if I’m going to be RPing with them, see? To make sure everything is crystal clear, here are some OOC things about myself/what I’m looking for in an FC: Neutral to Good in alignment. Elijah sees himself as a future hero and wouldn’t muck about on the wrong side of the law or doing something an average person would consider shady. A decent amount of activity! I’m not saying I expect there to be 50 people online at all times, that’s terrible, but half the reason I’m reaching out is to find cool people to talk to and if I’m the only one online half the time it kind of defeats the purpose. I am in the EST timezone and tend to be available between 10AM and midnight (subject to change with my work situation), though I can be convinced to be around later than that. An FC with its prime activity time within those hours would be ideal. Elijah has had bad experiences with strictly run groups before, his reasoning being if he wanted to join an army he’d have joined the Grand Companies, so something less formal would be a better fit for him. At the risk of coming off as a scrooge, I’m looking for a group that has more than just beach parties and singles nights in its event repertoire. He’s seeking an active group of fellow adventurers/mercenaries/what have you. Slice of life stuff is wonderful, but not if that’s all that happens! And that’s about all I can think of off the top of my head. I’d be happy to get into more questions and details if someone thinks he might be a good fit for their organization, but until then I won’t take up any more of your time. Thanks again!)

We've filled up, thanks for the interest guys! If you'd be interested in this but don't mind potentially waiting til we're more comfortable adding people, feel free to message me. Same goes for anyone just open to some one on one Discord RP as well.

Hey folks! No doubt some of you have seen me around banging the gong looking for Discord RPers of late, and I've had some excellent luck so far. So much so, that I and a friend are looking to start a more group focused RP! Elijah and Alysia are a pair of adventurers who have been slowly working their way across Vylbrand taking jobs from the guild and seeing the sights, hoping to right some wrongs and make names for themselves in the process. We'd like to have them meet up with 2-3 other adventurers (or people in general) and get involved in something larger and long-term. This would (obviously) be on Discord and we'd have a channel dedicated to it and everything. We've only really come up with a basic idea and will likely put our heads together with whoever shows interest to hash out the details of the story. We're both adults (and expect anyone involved to be as well) with jobs and lives beyond FFXIV, so while we expect to post often there will be times when one or both of us are busy, so this is likely to be something of a longer project with a lot of character building and dialogue. We're also likely going to limit the number of people involved so as to avoid clutter, and I doubt it'll be bigger than a group of five or so. So! If that sounds like something you'd be interested in taking part in, give me a poke here on the RPC forums or add me on Discord at Elijah Ballard#0247.

Someone recommended the Malazan series of books to me so I grabbed one when at a Half-Price Books recently, eager to dive into it, I haven't really read anything in years.

I've played a good number of MMOs and I can say without a doubt that from my experience FFXIV has the largest community of women playing that I've encountered in an online game. My FC feels like its 90% women. Coming from other games it was kind of strange but I'm used to it now.

Welcome! Glad to have you.

Heya! Elijah is a similarly heroic character, though he's something of a country bumpkin and knows little about the world beyond what he's heard in stories, read in books, or seen in his pocket of the Twelveswood and Vylbrand. It's easy for him to get swept up in a cause if it's a good one, and those that can stand his curiosity and occasional bragging find a fast friend, steadfast ally and skilled bowman at their side. At the moment I tend to do most of my RP via Discord and Tumblr due to my work schedule, but I wouldn't be against in-game stuff if we could swing a time. Feel free to gimme a poke here, on my Tumblr linked below or at Elijah Ballard #0247 on Discord.

Have gotten back to most of the folk who've messaged me, still need to reach out to a couple more, but I'm throwing the call out there to people interested in RP via Discord especially now that I've begun my new job. Can post to it all day as opposed to my more limited playtimes in the evening and morning.