Official RP Server

[Asyria]

Heh, don't feel too bad about Legacy players stuck on Balmung. Some of us are rerolling on Gilg and others are simply rolling alts there so we still have choices.

[C'io Behkt]

Heh, don't feel too bad about Legacy players stuck on Balmung. Some of us are rerolling on Gilg and others are simply rolling alts there so we still have choices.

 

Shhhh, you totally ruined my dramatic moment!

 

Although I'm glad that some of you are finding a way to enjoy and eat your cake, . It's still a more limited option of possibly leaving behind your 1.0 self, but it's something I guess. Not something for everyone, but something.

[Hyakki]

Hello. Ryuusuizen's other half here.

 

Thank you for all the insight and I'm sorry if the thread upset some. That wasn't the intention at all.

 

We have friends that also plan to play with us. I can't speak for Ryuusuizen's friends but some of my friends don't want to deal with the 4chan/reddit crowd (after putting up with it in other games), some don't want to go to a legacy server and some don't care one way or another where we go.

 

They put it on us to choose a server that fits their criteria. What was once a sure choice isn't anymore. Its a difficult position to be in since one way or another, someone is likely to be unhappy with the decision. :frustrated:

[Spiritual Machine]

Hello. Ryuusuizen's other half here.

 

Thank you for all the insight and I'm sorry if the thread upset some. That wasn't the intention at all.

 

We have friends that also plan to play with us. I can't speak for Ryuusuizen's friends but some of my friends don't want to deal with the 4chan/reddit crowd (after putting up with it in other games), some don't want to go to a legacy server and some don't care one way or another where we go.

 

They put it on us to choose a server that fits their criteria. What was once a sure choice isn't anymore. Its a difficult position to be in since one way or another, someone is likely to be unhappy with the decision. :frustrated:

Personally, I did not believe that you intended to stir the pot. It's just been a hot topic as of late.

 

Threads that begin with "Hello I'm not trying to stoke any flames..." are a symptom of the issue we need to address, not the cause. Folks need to remember that before they make any determinations about the OP.

 

That said, it's good that people are going out of their way to stifle these flames before they start.

 

 

Anyway~

 

The problem you're facing with your server choice is one of long-term issues.

 

Will the qualities of a Legacy server corrupt the economy, the community, the number of lowbies in lowbie zones? Personally, I think it's highly unlikely. In a few months, the term "Legacy server" will mean nothing, because Legacy players are after all in limited supply, and so is their money. Of these, many of them will re-roll on other servers anyway, or roll new characters. The pre-established community is not a negative either, but a positive, because near as anyone can tell it's a healthy community. Time will tell more certainly, however.

 

Likewise, will a server that is popular among 4chan and Reddit users result in a caustic and hostile community for players and roleplayers alike? Probably not. Those are big communities, but as we all certainly must know, there is a loud and vulgar minority that often represents a community improperly to outsiders. It is just as plausible that Gilgamesh will receive an influx of Redditors and folks from /v/ who are helpful and skillful with the game, and tolerant of the way others play. Perhaps such a crowd is less receptive of roleplayers, but that could also be due to our poor representation to them. Time will tell more certainly, however.

 

Are your friends gambling folk? Lay this information on them and tell them which scenario they'd rather take a gamble on. It could help for them to see the choices available from every angle, and to consider whether these are legitimate concerns or whether they're simply being pessimistic.

[Darien Cadell]

My concern with both reddit and 4chan heading to Gilgamesh is that they're both pretty large communities where the internet is concerned. Does that mean Gilgamesh's population is going to be disproportionately oversized, possibly leading to server or queue issues?

 

I really don't care that they have a high proportion of jerks that think they're hilarious. And I don't even care about having a larger population in general, because larger pops means less chance of sitting in a big open space all alone. But I really don't want to have half my buddies stuck at login screen or dealing with server crashes. We'd already decided not to go with Balmung due to the "tabula rasa" effect. And we've been looking at other servers since learning this, but... eergh. Inconvenient. That's what it is.

[lady2beetle]

Though this is unrelated to the Gilgamesh argument as a whole, I will say that you should ABSOLUTELY expect queue times and other issues when the game first comes out. I've been through 2 MMO releases and several expansion releases and one thing I can tell you is that you NEVER expect to get anything done the day (or even week!) of release. Thankfully, SE is taking the path of RIFT and other games in using the open beta and early access as a way to slowly ramp up thei player base and at the same time give the servers a gradual stress test.

 

Even so, the servers will be VERY stressed the first week or two after release. People will bitch. They will scream at SE to set up more servers. And SE will hesitate, wait to see how things play out. Depending on how the game goes, they might add servers, or they mgiht not. But they are caught between a rock and a hard place, because if they open too many new servers, then they will have to merge the servers a month down the road and they do NOT want to do that.

 

So, yeah. I think you are right that Gilgamesh will be jam packed and have quite a nasty queue when the game is released. Be prepared for that. But know that what Gilgamesh looks like on the day of release does not mean it will continue to be that packed a month or two down the road.

[Spiritual Machine]

My concern with both reddit and 4chan heading to Gilgamesh is that they're both pretty large communities where the internet is concerned. Does that mean Gilgamesh's population is going to be disproportionately oversized, possibly leading to server or queue issues?

 

I really don't care that they have a high proportion of jerks that think they're hilarious. And I don't even care about having a larger population in general, because larger pops means less chance of sitting in a big open space all alone. But I really don't want to have half my buddies stuck at login screen or dealing with server crashes. We'd already decided not to go with Balmung due to the "tabula rasa" effect. And we've been looking at other servers since learning this, but... eergh. Inconvenient. That's what it is.

If that's your fear, I'm not sure that having that "tabula rasa" effect is worth finding a new server devoid of roleplayers just because of a fear of queues. You might not even care about the fact that you started fresh two months after the game launches, but you will care if you pick a server outside of the scope of the RP community.

 

Unless you're not interested in roleplay, that is.

[Ryuu]

Sorry for the delay of my reply due to work related priorities. I was truthfully concerned about the rp community itself. I apologize but my experiences from WoW(Sisters of Elune, Feathermoon, and Wyrmrest ; and to an extent Xieveral's), CoH and EQ have given me a bad taste regarding cliquish communities on pre-established rp servers. As Xieveral has said earlier a few people who are fellow rpers will follow us in server choice and we worry about the community not being so forthcoming.

 

The server economy was also one of factors, But basically I don't want to have them to feel a have or have nots division and feel welcomed. To add with the armory system its going to be quite a bit of time and dedication to have to put into two different characters. I again apologize if I had unintentionally offended anyone with this thread.

[Desmond Aryll]

I think it warrants discussion so there's no offending going on. It will most likely be alright though.

For what it's worth, this could all be moot if SE actually designates an RP server.

[C'io Behkt]

Though this is unrelated to the Gilgamesh argument as a whole, I will say that you should ABSOLUTELY expect queue times and other issues when the game first comes out. [...]

 

So, yeah. I think you are right that Gilgamesh will be jam packed and have quite a nasty queue when the game is released. Be prepared for that. But know that what Gilgamesh looks like on the day of release does not mean it will continue to be that packed a month or two down the road.

 

The potential queue issues is already one I had to deal with in convincing a friend to roll on Balmung despite his friend wanting to go to another (less populated) Legacy server for PvE/Server First reasons. That was a real headache of an argument. Gilgamesh won't be alone in that, so I think the reminder that "this too shall pass" in regards to "expect the queues!" is one we all need no matter where we're going.

 

Sorry for the delay of my reply due to work related priorities. I was truthfully concerned about the rp community itself. I apologize but my experiences from WoW(Sisters of Elune, Feathermoon, and Wyrmrest ; and to an extent Xieveral's), CoH and EQ have given me a bad taste regarding cliquish communities on pre-established rp servers. As Xieveral has said earlier a few people who are fellow rpers will follow us in server choice and we worry about the community not being so forthcoming.

 

I come from this background also and have discovered in my long journey that it isn't even about pre-established rp servers; it's about people. I've run into this problem on completely new games and on completely new servers because the real issue is not "who was here before" but "who is here now." Particularly when players now travel in large groups from MMO to MMO, the possibility exists that even a new server will inherit that "pre-established" vibe from another game or group. I've seen it happen. I've even seen it happen because of people cliquing up to avoid/counter the cliques, which leads to them becoming the clique! (Replacing the bourgeoisie is a common phenomenon.) So when you can no longer trust fresh spaces to be free of that kind of thing, the only recourse left is to experiment, research, talk to people (including the established players), and make the best educated guess you can muster. Oh, and be open and accepting and not think of people in a potentially negative light based on your past. You can't let your fear rule your perceptions and your actions. Fear is precisely why cliques exist in the first place; I've seen enough clique beginnings to have made that connection.

 

Heh, and don't worry about it too much. With this topic, I'm sure I've also managed to unintentionally offend someone reading. (To which I hope they can forgive me.) Like you said, there are a lot of issues involved and a lot of old fears at play, which is why this topic keeps coming up. Unfortunately, it keeps... coming up and sparking some of the fears and apprehensions some in this community have regarding the matter. Growing pains,

[Koninbeor]

Griefers only matter on a PVP server. Don't run away from a server because you're worried about some punks talking smack about you. It's easy enough to put people on ignore. They can only ruin your fun if you let them. This is YOUR game. Make what you wish of it.

 

Now... who's with me?

[Darien Cadell]

I've been through many, many MMO release days so I understand what that entails, although GW 2 and SWTOR had shockingly smooth releases so times are a'changin'. However, I also know that servers that attract massive outside communities (i.e. WoW and the Penny Arcade crowd) have population issues well beyond the usual first week growing pains. That being said, I can always naively hope that the FF interest from the communities in question isn't as widespread as it is in my own circles.

 

The possibility of ending up on a server devoid of RP is just another unpleasant twist in this saga, as a lot of my past nonRP comrades have refused to reconsider their server choice in order to join forces with those of us who do RP. We've considered trying to "be the RP" on another server, but it sounds like a very lonely proposition at best and a downright disaster at worst. If the population size is a problem, it might not be immediately evident for the reasons already mentioned, which is even more annoying if it means packing up and moving in the middle of the initial building processes just for the sake of functionality.

 

It sure would be nice if SE would name us a server.

[Tooli]

When I saw this, my first instinct was to run the other direction as well.  Then I read Rock Sandbourne's post (on the first page) and realized that he was right.  The best way to build our community is to set a good example, be inclusive, and let others share in the fun.

A lot of, no most, people want to get immersed in the game and into their characters, truly.  I think many people feel, however, that they need to be 'cool' because they think the rest of the people out there will see them as uncool if they immerse themselves.  If we set an example and let people know that they are 'cool' if they get into character, too, then I think we will see more join us than not.

If you RP because you like it.  If you get immersed because you like it.  If you just prefer to stay in character because you like it.  Then have confidence that others will like it too.

[Gideon Aryeh]

When I saw this, my first instinct was to run the other direction as well.  Then I read Rock Sandbourne's post (on the first page) and realized that he was right.  The best way to build our community is to set a good example, be inclusive, and let others share in the fun.

A lot of, no most, people want to get immersed in the game and into their characters, truly.  I think many people feel, however, that they need to be 'cool' because they think the rest of the people out there will see them as uncool if they immerse themselves.  If we set an example and let people know that they are 'cool' if they get into character, too, then I think we will see more join us than not.

If you RP because you like it.  If you get immersed because you like it.  If you just prefer to stay in character because you like it.  Then have confidence that others will like it too.

 And see this is all of what I am saying here. I honestly want to attract as many people as possible and based on my experiences during phase 3 the interest is there. Now is it going to be easy? Absolutely not. Again I'll say if you just want to jump right into rping immediately then please head right on over to Balmung and call it a day. But.....for me...I'm kinda intrigued on helping a server get its legs and with getting new people to try rp. I love doing that. I used to just sit in the tavern my character ran in GW2 and just invite newbies to have their first rp experience. I loved doing that so much, me and my guild back then really did a great job of turning the district there that was formerly dead into probably what is currently the most busiest district in that game. Now getting to do this on an entire server excites me to no end, and I'm so happy about the support from you guys who are coming along to help. So I think we can make something that lasts, and at least be able to take away the negative stigma that surrounds roleplayers establishing a wonderful server culture on Gilgamesh that doesn't just automatically shut people out because they are affiliated with this group or that group or not part of the cool kids. All this does is cause further rifts with different groups and in my opinion that is part of the reason why rpers tend to be looked down upon or ignored by game companies themselves, because we can be so insular at times and so shut off that we purposely relegate ourselves to that of a niche group. I'd like to change that, especially in a game where the lead producer constantly mentions how he likes roleplaying in his "Letter from the producer videos".

 

I want to help make rp so good and so fun on the server and so inclusive that Yoshi rolls an alt there just to see it for himself.

 

I think we can do it, as a matter of fact I KNOW we can.

 

See you guys in game!

[AmericanHero]

First of all, first post.  Woo!

 

Long time gamer, huge FF nut.  I'm an old school RP guy though I've spent most of the past 5 years on WoW world PvP servers.  Many good times, but I think I'm favoring more "grown up" environments now.

 

Anyway, does anyone know if Square will have designated RP servers or will the community just sort of christen one unofficially?  I think there was some post in the forums that a buddy linked me that implied Gilgamesh.  Sound about right?  Good choice if so.  Gil is a wacky bastard.

 

I imagine there are many groups that will go other ways with their collective broods, but as a guy with a few buds ready to get back into some RP stuff, I want to ensure that it will be the right environment.

[Gideon Aryeh]

First of all, first post.  Woo!

 

Long time gamer, huge FF nut.  I'm an old school RP guy though I've spent most of the past 5 years on WoW world PvP servers.  Many good times, but I think I'm favoring more "grown up" environments now.

 

Anyway, does anyone know if Square will have designated RP servers or will the community just sort of christen one unofficially?  I think there was some post in the forums that a buddy linked me that implied Gilgamesh.  Sound about right?  Good choice if so.  Gil is a wacky bastard.

 

I imagine there are many groups that will go other ways with their collective broods, but as a guy with a few buds ready to get back into some RP stuff, I want to ensure that it will be the right environment.

 Square mentioned establishing an official server and has done nothing yet so who knows. As for right now there are two servers the RPC endorses which is Balmung, the original choice since 1.0 and now Gilgamesh the rp server for those who don't want to play on a Legacy server for whatever reason. Its really up to what you would like as a roleplayer. Balmung is established and people know it many just want to jump right into roleplay with an established known community of roleplayers. Gilgamesh is new and scrappy and needs to be built by great roleplayers looking to help. There is no right or wrong choice it just depends on what you are looking for in a server.

[Kyatai]

Hey AmericanHero!

Yep... the RPC is officially supporting:

 

Balmung as the RP Legacy server

 

&

 

Gilgamesh as the RP non-Legacy server

 

Of course, you are free to roll a character on any server- but this site is mainly focused on those two. Even as a non-Legacy, you are free to go to Legacy servers- it's just the Legacy members can't bring their Legacy characters to non-Legacy servers.

For now.

 

The creators of the RPC have been longtime Belsaid/Balmung players (since 1.0) and are very dedicated to both the RP and their server... and FFXIV. They are a fount of knowledge and very supportive.

 

Those heading to Gilgamesh are very motivated to 'break new ground' and make that server the best RP non-Legacy they can.

 

Either would be a great choice- and if you can't decide? Well roll a toon on both and see which community makes you smile widest.

Doesn't really matter where you go, you'll find great RPers.

 

:moogle:

[Desmond Aryll]

Just one question slightly off-topic. If SE does indeed declare an RP server, would the general consensus be for us to move there? Balgamesh unite??

[Kyatai]

I think the consensus is... that if Squeenix makes a designated RP server, we'd all move from Gilgamesh to there.

 

The Balmung Legacy (and those non-Legacy that want to be on Balmung) would remain there. (The Legacy members have no choice- they HAVE to stay on a Legacy server for now).

[Adelpha]

Just one question slightly off-topic. If SE does indeed declare an RP server, would the general consensus be for us to move there? Balgamesh unite??

I seriously doubt it will happen at this point. Legacy server transfers are over, and SE would have to open up transfers again just because of this. On top of that, a lot of Balmung players have non-RP friends on the server, or others who wouldn't be willing to transfer.

 

On top of that, there'd still need to be a Legacy and Non-Legacy server since some people feel very strongly about starting out on a fresh server. Since we already basically have a consensus-based Legacy and Non-Legacy RP server, I'm not sure what an official designation at this late stage would really do, aside from probably cause even more trouble.

 

Kyatai's response is basically all that needs to be said on the topic. 

[Xerek Devereux]

Agreed.  At this point I'd be nervous about pulling up the stakes and moving our Company to another server, even a designated RP server.  Most of us have settled in.  We may have friends on Gilgamesh that wouldn't be willing to move, or those that don't realize the new server was open.  If Squeenix was going to do this, they should have done it a whole lot earlier (preferably before beta 3).  Ironically, at the midnight hour here I'm hoping they *don't* open a dedicated RP server, as I'd rather not have the headache. :frustrated:

[AmericanHero]

Great feedback, thank you.  Sounds like Gilgamesh will be better for me as someone getting back into the RP mind set.  In other words, not shouting profanities at the noob healer that just fell to his death.

[Kyatai]

.... but.... but.... but....

 

it's FUN!

 

... Y U gotta steal my funz away?

 

*stalks off*

 

 

 

((See you on Gilgamesh!   Be sure to check out the Linkshells, we have a few going on Gilga... but always room for J.E.L-erm.. that is, more... if you don't find one to suit your fancy))

[Havoc Snow]

If SE did give us an official RP Server it probably won't be for at least six months after launch, since this was around the time he stated they would open all servers to all characters, including allowing Legacy characters to transfer to any server they wanted. At that point there would no longer be such a thing as a Legacy or Non-Legacy server, so they could easily designate any server they wanted as the RP Server.

 

As a curiosity however, and I hope this doesn't spark an argument but a peaceful debate, since Yoshida has shown he does pay attention to fansites in the community, what if he decided to declare Balmung the official RP server? Would the members from Gilgamesh come to Balmung, or would they still decide to stay on their own server?

[Desmond Aryll]

I spent a fair amount of time on Cactuar during phase 3 and there was Rp'ing going on there. I imagine other servers were similar too. With that in mind I would hope that an official RP server would be a different animal from the current Balmung, if it attracted Rp'ers from all over that is.

 

I would definitely try it out as that would be the closest thing to an actual living world of RP as opposed to pockets of RP happening here and there.