Getting into Balmung - Not Happening Indefinitely.

[Flickering Ember]

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.

 

Dissatisfaction with the server lock outs is a constant around here. It's understandable. Balmung is the designated RP server and that's a unique niche available on one server. People can't make new RP characters or introduce NPCs for their FC storylines. 

 

As sucky as this restraint is, it's effective. It not only stops people from rolling on Balmung, but it also inconveniences people for playing on a full server--both of these are very useful for population control. Otherwise, as you noted earlier, our server would be in trouble from a technical standpoint. Problems come with being on a full server, much like problems come with a low pop. 

 

If you end up restricting players enough with a MMO wise policy then it encourages transfers to low pops. (Really though they should just introduce free transfers to low pops like on WoW) The idea here is then if alts matter to you then even though you already have a main on Balmung, you are turning your activity to a different server. 

 

 

IMO, RPC should decide on a new RP community to co-exist with Balmung.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

IMO, RPC should decide on a new RP community to co-exist with Balmung.

 

*points to the many threads near RPC's creation about Balmung and Gilgamesh, along with the recent addition of other servers*

 

The RPC has lots of Balmung people (and it's true, the vast majority of users here RP on Balmung), but we are not a Balmung-only community. Nor has the site ever been advertised as such.

 

We actually merged the separate Balmung and Gilgamesh boards to make a single one so that server tags could be implemented. In the works: filtering posts by server [hopefully]

[Flickering Ember]

It's admirable that the RPC respects other servers in this way. 

However, just like the RPC stepped up and named Balmung and Gilgamesh as RP community servers, the only way an additional RP community is going to gain any traction is if we step up as a group and organize something. 

 

When one person tries to step up to that plate alone it results in, well, multiple individuals stepping up to the plate but not working together. There are at least a few threads floating around advertising for new RP communities, all of them on different servers. Think of how much tighter those RP communities would be if they were all on one server.

 

IMO, RPC would better show its support of co-existence by helping to organize a new community instead of leaving it solely in the hands of a few folks from that server. If this had never happened to begin with, we'd all be spread out and we wouldn't have Balmung or Gilgamesh. 

 

RPing as a small group is fine but what I think these newcomers we're seeing are hoping for is an open RP community where RP is not all hidden in guilds and linkshells.

[Kage]

It's admirable that the RPC respects other servers in this way. 

However, just like the RPC stepped up and named Balmung and Gilgamesh as RP community servers, the only way an additional RP community is going to gain any traction is if we step up as a group and organize something. 

 

When one person tries to step up to that plate alone it results in, well, multiple individuals stepping up to the plate but not working together. There are at least a few threads floating around advertising for new RP communities, all of them on different servers. Think of how much tighter those RP communities would be if they were all on one server.

 

IMO, RPC would better show its support of co-existence by helping to organize a new community instead of leaving it solely in the hands of a few folks from that server. If this had never happened to begin with, we'd all be spread out and we wouldn't have Balmung or Gilgamesh. 

 

RPing as a small group is fine but what I think these newcomers we're seeing are hoping for is an open RP community where RP is not all hidden in guilds and linkshells.

If you would like to continue this topic of discussion, I invite you to start the initiative yourself in a new thread.

 

By the way, I'm hoping to see what this means. This was part of the august 4 2015 hotfixes.

 

Certain Worlds will no longer go down, even during congested periods such as right after a maintenance.

　* During congestion, Worlds will no longer go down, but the character selection screen may not display.

[Dravus]

It's admirable that the RPC respects other servers in this way. 

However, just like the RPC stepped up and named Balmung and Gilgamesh as RP community servers, the only way an additional RP community is going to gain any traction is if we step up as a group and organize something. 

 

When one person tries to step up to that plate alone it results in, well, multiple individuals stepping up to the plate but not working together. There are at least a few threads floating around advertising for new RP communities, all of them on different servers. Think of how much tighter those RP communities would be if they were all on one server.

 

IMO, RPC would better show its support of co-existence by helping to organize a new community instead of leaving it solely in the hands of a few folks from that server. If this had never happened to begin with, we'd all be spread out and we wouldn't have Balmung or Gilgamesh. 

 

RPing as a small group is fine but what I think these newcomers we're seeing are hoping for is an open RP community where RP is not all hidden in guilds and linkshells.

If you would like to continue this topic of discussion, I invite you to start the initiative yourself in a new thread.

 

To be fair, it's linked directly to the topic of discussion as a possible solution and compromise that may very well end up solving or at least alleviating the issue. We already know from experience that as the game continues to gain popularity then the window for creating new characters on Balmung continues to shrink in turn.

 

There isn't a whole lot to do about that yet I was under the impression that this thread was created to discussion solutions and temporary/permanent fixes for the issue. If we're not going to discuss Ember's proposal then...what exactly is left to discuss? Given that we'd then be limited to discussing the possibility of transferring or waiting around for the tiny window that arises before and after maintenance?

 

Both of those options aren't available to everybody - thus discussing a third option within this thread seems quite logical to me, especially given the term 'discussion' in the title.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

@Above Two Posts

 

I think what Kage is ttrying o say is that a thread talking about how to get into Balmung specifically does not incorporate building out community on other servers, whether RP exists on them or not.

 

 

If if the topic had been "Getting into McDonald's to buy a burger", and someone brought up that there are plenty of other fast food places to get a burger, that isn't a solution if the customer specifically wanted a McDonald's burger. If it had been more akin to "Where to buy a burger if McDonald's is closed", then I would be in agreement.

[Thorgar]

Odd thought of the day: contact the devs and see about getting a kickstarter for larger Balmung server? if everyone on Balmung tossed in 10 to 20 bucks they could probably afford a crey lol.

[FreelanceWizard]

We actually merged the separate Balmung and Gilgamesh boards to make a single one so that server tags could be implemented. In the works: filtering posts by server [hopefully]

 

Yep, that's still in the works. I'm having to backport a feature from a later (incompatible) version of MyBB to do this, which is proving to be more complex than it seemed at first glance, but it is in the works.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Odd thought of the day: contact the devs and see about getting a kickstarter for larger Balmung server? if everyone on Balmung tossed in 10 to 20 bucks they could probably afford a crey lol.

 

Somthing like this probably isn't feasible, given the costs of enterprise equipment and running it, not to mention it's likely a bandwidth issue and not a server issue. (They're different!)

 

We actually merged the separate Balmung and Gilgamesh boards to make a single one so that server tags could be implemented. In the works: filtering posts by server [hopefully]

 

Yep, that's still in the works. I'm having to backport a feature from a later (incompatible) version of MyBB to do this, which is proving to be more complex than it seemed at first glance, but it is in the works.

 

*cheers*

[Mhega]

 

 

 

Somthing like this probably isn't feasible, given the costs of enterprise equipment and running it, not to mention it's likely a bandwidth issue and not a server issue. (They're different!)

 

This is my guess since it's claimed to be based on too many people logged in and not total number of characters on the server. If it was based on server... it would be 24/7 closed and would have been for a while... as it is, there is the tiniest gap of time when people aren't on after a maintenance when it's open.

 

That said... they have to have that lockout set pretty darn low on the bandwidth scale to be locked so fast and to never been open during the week anymore. I've seen times when the server seemed fairly dead (by lack of people standing around Iddy and Ul'dah) but not being open.

 

I feel they should take the route of locking it when it's at 90% percent capacity or maybe 80%... right now it's like they cut it off at 50% or even less. I've never seen or heard hard numbers on that part so it's pure speculation on when they set the cutoff but it just feels that it's set pretty low.

[Kellach Woods]

Somthing like this probably isn't feasible, given the costs of enterprise equipment and running it, not to mention it's likely a bandwidth issue and not a server issue. (They're different!)

More importantly, it shouldn't be up to a crowdfunded initiative from the community to add more bandwidth available to the one of the most densely populated datacenters of the game.

 

Ultimately, if they want people to move out of Aether's Data Center so it's hammered less hard, they'll have to offer hella incentives to do that, or just straight up put Balmung under extended maintenance and put it onto another Data Center that's far less crowded.

 

However that would require Square-Enix to want to do anything about this situation, which precedent shows they don't so essentially anyone rolling on Balmung has to pay 18$ for the privilege. Not saying that's the reason they're not doing it. Just that it's probably in the 3 digits on their list of things to do sorted by priority.

[Solistor]

I've been wanting to get into Balmung and have the disposable income to drop $18 on a transfer, but I was reading the terms of the transfer service and came across what I perceived to be a road bump:

 

 

"Characters cannot be transferred to Worlds with restrictions on character creation."

 

Does this just mean that my application won't be accepted until the World isn't character locked? Or will the transfer occur regardless of restrictions? This is the only roadblock in my way and I wanted to get some insight since the strategy for getting into Balmung seems to be "Just transfer m8"

[Jana]

Everyone's reported that paid character transfers to Balmung work just fine, regardless of the status of new character creation. Go for it.

[Kage]

I was able to paypal funds to someone in Germany to transfer their character after they just barely started the game. Saw them over the weekend. Seems to work without issue.

 

Recent discussion was that the window was open for 2 minutes.

 

Good luck with that when trying to just wait for a window.

[Greybarren]

Everyone's reported that paid character transfers to Balmung work just fine, regardless of the status of new character creation. Go for it.

 

That's exactly how I got onto Balmung from Diabolos, if any additional confirmation is needed.  Did it on a Saturday when new character creation was closed for the server.

[Khoure]

There's going to be a PSN maintenance on August 31st 6-10 pm PST

 

this isn't a guarantee since it's only ps3/4 users and even then if they stay logged on throughout they won't get booted. However, there may be a chance depending on how large the ps3 and ps4 userbase is. If it's large enough, just the act of not letting people log back in could make a difference.

 

Probably a long shot, but I thought I'd give notice of it anyways.

[Kailia]

Reading this thread, I think it is safe to say it isn't the players causing the server to always be locked. Nor is it SE's fault. The fault lies completely on the RMT people. They set up a system that absolutely hammers the character creation to get 50-100 bots created in 1 sitting.

 

Ideally, if SE and we as a community can come up with a way to permanently block access to the game by RMT, we'd see the restrictions grow far far more lax. But there in lies the problem. These same RMT's, they love using every internet trick they can think of, to mask their IP, or just outright change their IP. Blocking regions, would only harm innocent people.

 

There is something that SE could do though. Make the people creating the characters, prove they are human. Add some sort of security measure in the character creation screen that requires input of a code or something. Because the way bots are made right now, with how fast they are made, and the exact timing, chances are the entire system the RMT are using, are automated to randomize character look, pick the same namesday, same guardian, same class, and input random gobblygook for names and create the character.

 

But, if the naming process required a unique code for each person creating a character, the automated system would be screwed, leaving the window open for legitimate players to make their alts/new characters. Might be something to propose to SE.

[Lucius Ignatius]

Hey there guys; forgive me, but I havent looked over the whole thread besides the OP, but, I recently started playing almost a day or so ago, I believe the character may be 2 days old? Hes in the next zone over from Gridania now. And on Aether/Gilgamesh.

 

I tried to transfer with the $18 thing, but supposably its not working; tried RIGHT as servers came up at 6am EST. Could it be my character is too young yet, or is this the usual difficulties?

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Hey there guys; forgive me, but I havent looked over the whole thread besides the OP, but, I recently started playing almost a day or so ago, I believe the character may be 2 days old? Hes in the next zone over from Gridania now. And on Aether/Gilgamesh.

 

I tried to transfer with the $18 thing, but supposably its not working; tried RIGHT as servers came up at 6am EST. Could it be my character is too young yet, or is this the usual difficulties?

 

Hi there! Yes, your character needs to have been around for certain amount of time (I want to say 72 hours + being able to see other players). The server transfer service is always turned off while there's maintenance though, so it is possible you might have tried too soon. But yeah, if you can see other players, have started the MSQ and show up on the lodestone, you should be able to transfer.

[Kage]

Hey there guys; forgive me, but I havent looked over the whole thread besides the OP, but, I recently started playing almost a day or so ago, I believe the character may be 2 days old? Hes in the next zone over from Gridania now. And on Aether/Gilgamesh.

 

I tried to transfer with the $18 thing, but supposably its not working; tried RIGHT as servers came up at 6am EST. Could it be my character is too young yet, or is this the usual difficulties?

Sounds like you might have to wait another 24 hours or so. I believe it's a strict 72 hour from creation so if the character was made only a day or so just wait a little longer. :3

 

Soon!

[Lucius Ignatius]

Ah, thank you guys! : )

[Kage]

Glad to be of some help!

 

 

More of the popular worlds are getting more congested. Funnily... Gilgamesh was not closed when others were. Sargatanas is becoming more and more congested now.

 

When I log in after work, the "queue" has gotten longer. Before it was 10-20, now the queue is usually 30-50. Not that it is a real real queue... but it represents the notion that more and more people are active and logged in.

[Kou]

Reading this thread, I think it is safe to say it isn't the players causing the server to always be locked. Nor is it SE's fault. The fault lies completely on the RMT people. They set up a system that absolutely hammers the character creation to get 50-100 bots created in 1 sitting.

 

Ideally, if SE and we as a community can come up with a way to permanently block access to the game by RMT, we'd see the restrictions grow far far more lax. But there in lies the problem. These same RMT's, they love using every internet trick they can think of, to mask their IP, or just outright change their IP. Blocking regions, would only harm innocent people.

 

There is something that SE could do though. Make the people creating the characters, prove they are human. Add some sort of security measure in the character creation screen that requires input of a code or something. Because the way bots are made right now, with how fast they are made, and the exact timing, chances are the entire system the RMT are using, are automated to randomize character look, pick the same namesday, same guardian, same class, and input random gobblygook for names and create the character.

 

But, if the naming process required a unique code for each person creating a character, the automated system would be screwed, leaving the window open for legitimate players to make their alts/new characters. Might be something to propose to SE.

As absolutely obnoxious as I find these "Are you human?" systems to be, this would probably, actually solve a huge issue, at least as far as the RMTs go. It may be a bit hopeful to think it'd solve the problem completely, but I can see it solving a huge part (if not most) of it.

 

So who knows how to propose ideas to SE? O-o

[Unnamed Mercenary]

As absolutely obnoxious as I find these "Are you human?" systems to be, this would probably, actually solve a huge issue, at least as far as the RMTs go. It may be a bit hopeful to think it'd solve the problem completely, but I can see it solving a huge part (if not most) of it.

 

So who knows how to propose ideas to SE? O-o

 

SE does have a feature request on the Official Forums. While RMT is likely the leading cause, there are human RMTs and just a lot of humans as well. Probably like a 80-5-15% distribution, if we're being hopeful. I would like to hope that more "human checks" would solve the issue, but bots can either be coded to learn the new ones as needed, or RMT would simply have humans make the characters and then let a bot do the grinding. :

[Nokumane]

Sorry if this was already mentioned, but when the TOS says "Characters cannot be transferred to Worlds with restrictions on character creation" it means you can't transfer a character to a world where you already have 8 characters (or whatever the max is).

 

From what I've been told, at least