Getting into Balmung - Not Happening Indefinitely.

[Naunet]

Going to have to really disagree with you here. I have yet to see a games RP community survive as strong as it was before a Megaserver merge. Even games that start out with Megaservers don't foster great RP communites.

 

I'm going to have to disagree with this. In my experience, the RP community doesn't really change following a megaserver implementation, though a lot of RPers panic over it. A dwindling RP community is going to have far more to do with the overall health of the game than whether or not the game has megaservers.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

[[steps in as a mod]]

 

Let's try to keep this thread on-topic, people.

 

This isn't about discussing whether one server vs many servers is inherently better. It's about trying to help people get into Balmung and discussing those options.

 

Off-topic posts will be removed if they continue.

 

[[steps out]]

[111]

How to get onto balmung.

 

1)Pay 18$

 

2)Log on the second maintenance is done.

 

Ok cool, wrapped that one up. Good discussion.

[Mhega]

Question... is there a good place to get updated on when the servers come up early? Most of the news I see on the Lodestone is like right at the time they come back or a minute or two after... is there a place where that information is more timely?

 

I know the other option is just clicking back and forth from world and back after logging in while waiting... I screwed up though last night by forgetting to patch before I started so I lost precious minutes and didn't get a character made.

 

Also my biggest issue is not new people... it's the fact established people who are already taking up bandwidth because we're here, but we cannot make a new character who wouldn't take up any more bandwidth because we can't log in two characters at once.

[Kage]

The only website that we know of tracks using the lodestone.

[Kellach Woods]

Which is not exactly updated often.

[Addison]

Also my biggest issue is not new people... it's the fact established people who are already taking up bandwidth because we're here, but we cannot make a new character who wouldn't take up any more bandwidth because we can't log in two characters at once.

 

Bandwidth isn't the only issue though. Character databases for MMOs are huge. You would get a migraine going through it all. When an update is applied to the game, it needs to be applied to each individual character. That takes a lot of time and is a big reason why updates are several hours long and not instantaneous.

 

Think of how many people you run by on a daily basis in game. I easily run by a couple hundred per day at least. Now imagine if each of those people had 1-4 alts. (I myself have a total of 5 characters on Balmung.)

 

Couple that with the fact that the Aether datacenter houses two of the most popular servers in the game and probably has more characters than all the other datacenters combined, you pretty much have a perfect storm as to why these servers are closed with the exception of paid transfers.

[Naunet]

Bandwidth isn't the only issue though. Character databases for MMOs are huge. You would get a migraine going through it all. When an update is applied to the game, it needs to be applied to each individual character. That takes a lot of time and is a big reason why updates are several hours long and not instantaneous.

 

Think of how many people you run by on a daily basis in game. I easily run by a couple hundred per day at least. Now imagine if each of those people had 1-4 alts. (I myself have a total of 5 characters on Balmung.)

 

Couple that with the fact that the Aether datacenter houses two of the most popular servers in the game and probably has more characters than all the other datacenters combined, you pretty much have a perfect storm as to why these servers are closed with the exception of paid transfers.

 

A "perfect storm" that is never an issue in any other MMO. >_>

[Mhega]

I was gonna reply about databases but did not want to derail the thread further... that and Naunet summed up my feelings about it pretty easily.

 

I did think of a way to possibly track openings when in game. I'm sure others have done it but maybe not.

 

Just search for all players at level 1. If suddenly a lot pop up that are brand new or bot names... creation is probably open. It's not a perfect method... but we don't seem to have a perfect method currently.

[Kage]

I have found a website here, http://worlds.nyxstudios.moe/

 

However I don't know where it grabs its information from. If it is just updated from the lodestone, no matter how many times it updates it won't catch the small windows that Balmung is open anymore.

[Addison]

Bandwidth isn't the only issue though. Character databases for MMOs are huge. You would get a migraine going through it all. When an update is applied to the game, it needs to be applied to each individual character. That takes a lot of time and is a big reason why updates are several hours long and not instantaneous.

 

Think of how many people you run by on a daily basis in game. I easily run by a couple hundred per day at least. Now imagine if each of those people had 1-4 alts. (I myself have a total of 5 characters on Balmung.)

 

Couple that with the fact that the Aether datacenter houses two of the most popular servers in the game and probably has more characters than all the other datacenters combined, you pretty much have a perfect storm as to why these servers are closed with the exception of paid transfers.

 

A "perfect storm" that is never an issue in any other MMO. >_>

 

Because no other game has ever locked people out of creating characters on certain servers? Sorry, I'm calling BS.

[Ashe]

I think the character "lock" issue comes from SE not taking into account how much server space they would need.  I remember reading that when 2.0 launched, the servers for NA broke almost instantly because they didn't account for the size they would actually need. The game has 4 million players, the majority of the US players are on the Aether data center across two servers and then on the other servers still...

 

I've paid transfer for alts to Balmung...it's not the end of the world.  I don't NEED an alt and I recognize that I am kind of just taking up a spot of a first-time player making alts at maint (which is not possible now btw...I tried to make another alt recently and it did not work). 

So yeah...$18 isn't that bad.  SE probably didn't take into account the server space actually needed but they're slowly fixing it I think? HW just dropped a month ago...give it time.  2.0 drop was like this. 1.0 was even worse...(1.0 on release wasn't even a game...it was like...stand there and do nothing in pretty graphics simulator). 

....

That's all I'll add >>

[Mhega]

I have found a website here, http://worlds.nyxstudios.moe/

 

However I don't know where it grabs its information from. If it is just updated from the lodestone, no matter how many times it updates it won't catch the small windows that Balmung is open anymore.

 

Hmmm... it looks like it does an attempt ever 5 minutes? I'm not sure how though and if it is accurate. I'll try it though, see if it does anything.

[Naunet]

Because no other game has ever locked people out of creating characters on certain servers? Sorry, I'm calling BS.

 

Certainly not to this extent, that I have ever experienced. Balmung is locked far more than it is available, and what's more, it's locked to new players and established players. At the very least, I think SE could stand to ease up on the restriction for players who already have a character on the server.

[Dravus]

It's likely that they can't make a major push towards easing the restrictions due to the PS3 holding things back. Much in the same way as they can't update the size of the armoury chest either. Would they be brilliant quality of life changes? Definitely - though I'm certain that in due time we'll see vast improvements.

 

The overall quality of the game is pretty great so I can forgive the awkward implementation of character creation restrictions and player housing. With any luck they'll ditch the PS3 support in time for the next expansion and then they'll be able to make the game even more impressive/smoother than it is already.

 

At any rate, each MMO has its own set of perks and flaws. This just happens to be one of FFXIV's perceived failings - but solutions to the problem do exist even if people don't necessarily like them.

[Mhega]

I have found a website here, http://worlds.nyxstudios.moe/

 

However I don't know where it grabs its information from. If it is just updated from the lodestone, no matter how many times it updates it won't catch the small windows that Balmung is open anymore.

 

Site at some point went down for me... so maybe not a good resource then?

[Threndual]

I think one of the reasons the char creation is locked more when compared to say World of Warcraft, is because you do not need alts to experience the full game.

 

In WoW for example, you start of with your race and class. Your race only affects the game in a minor way with reputation, starting stats and a racial ability but that's pretty much negligible by late game anyways. Then there's class, which you must level from 1 to 100, you cannot switch classes on that character and you're pretty much stuck with what you initially chose.

 

In FFXIV however you can easily swap your class at any time as easily as switching your weapon. You can tank, heal and deeps all on the same toon without ever needing to switch. Races in the game do not even have a racial ability and the stats are again negligible by end game. 

 

If I was SE, I wouldn't be too worried. I'd probably do something to give people an incentive to play on the lower populated worlds. Perhaps by having like a server wide experience bonus for new players or something.

[Star Lin]

I have found a website here, http://worlds.nyxstudios.moe/

 

However I don't know where it grabs its information from. If it is just updated from the lodestone, no matter how many times it updates it won't catch the small windows that Balmung is open anymore.

 

Site at some point went down for me... so maybe not a good resource then?

Shoot, just check out the site myself and it is completely missing.  All that comes up for me is a list of similar url websites.

[Kage]

I have found a website here, http://worlds.nyxstudios.moe/

 

However I don't know where it grabs its information from. If it is just updated from the lodestone, no matter how many times it updates it won't catch the small windows that Balmung is open anymore.

 

Site at some point went down for me... so maybe not a good resource then?

Shoot, just check out the site myself and it is completely missing.  All that comes up for me is a list of similar url websites.

I posted it just in case anyone cared for them not as if it would be a good reliable resource. At the moment, I don't think getting into Balmung is even possible without sheer luck of being on right as maintenance ends. The far more reliable way is transfer.

[Kage]

Gonna try to remind others to keep the Balmung is Open! thread as free of discussion posts as possible, as it might interfere with others' notifications.

 

The window was open for 4 minutes (which sounds about the same as the last time.

 

Relying on email notification is super unreliable for a method that requires you to already be awake and monitoring a system that could be 1-2 hours early/late.

[Berrod Armstrong]

Gonna try to remind others to keep the Balmung is Open! thread as free of discussion posts as possible, as it might interfere with others' notifications.

 

The window was open for 4 minutes (which sounds about the same as the last time.

 

Relying on email notification is super unreliable for a method that requires you to already be awake and monitoring a system that could be 1-2 hours early/late.

Aye, I was monitoring it this morning and only had time to blow up skype and make a tumblr post about it before it went down again. I didn't even get the chance to get on -here-, much less send an e-mail. I'll try to find a way to get people in the know as soon as it happens (as it is, the maintenance periods usually end during my morning prep so I'm USUALLY in a good place to keep tabs). Probably tumblr, then here, instead of skype. That ate up the entire window, though I managed to get some friends on. Hngh.

[Kage]

With 4 minutes you have to already be in game / launched etc. If you don't even have your computer on, or you still need to launch/password/one-time password.

 

Gooooood luck.

[Mhega]

Yeah... I thought I had it this time. Made sure I was updated and sat on the server status webpage, hitting F5 every few minutes while I had myself logged in on the launcher. I saw the servers open and logged right in and had the premade character... but after punching in my name, got an error that said they weren't taking new characters.

 

Le sigh... such a tease.

 

As far as the e-mail system, it obviously won't work for maintenance attempts... but more on the rare off-chance it opens up during the week in the wee hours of the morning.

[Darien Cadell]

Another thing to note is I've found maintenance windows tend to end a little bit (if not a lot) earlier than originally stated. So setting your alarm for the exact time maintenance is supposed to end is probably not going to help you.

[Kellach Woods]

1 hour before maint ends should be good.