Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When do you consider a game to be 'dying'?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/the-daily-grind-when-do-you-consider-a-game-to-be-dying/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/the-daily-grind-when-do-you-consider-a-game-to-be-dying/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/the-daily-grind-when-do-you-consider-a-game-to-be-dying/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Image
If you listen to internet negativity, every game is dying. World of Warcraft is dying, some folks say, because it's lost a fraction of its population after seven years. RIFT is "obviously" pushing out tons of content only because it's desperate and dying. Two million players and queues in Star Wars: The Old Republic also mean the game is dying. A game goes free-to-play? Dying. Keeps a subscription? Dying. Box on sale? Dying. Moves to Steam? Dying. Merges servers? Dying. Doesn't merge servers? Dying!

It's true that some games have gone under, but many more are hanging in there after a decade, even if they aren't blockbusters that impress people used to seeing populations in the millions. If World of Warcraft dwindled to as few players as, say, Asheron's Call, I still wouldn't call that dying. It might be small, but it's still alive and still getting updates, and that's more than I can say for some games.

What about you -- when, exactly, in a game's timeline do you consider that game to be dying?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: When do you consider a game to be 'dying'? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acasherons-callbrianna-royce-tdgdaily-grinddyingf2pfree-to-playmergemergesnegativityopinionpopulationqueueriftserver-mergestar-wars-the-old-republicsubsubscriptionswtortdgthe-daily-grindtorWorld-of-WarcraftwowMon, 09 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Another one bites the dust: Warhammer Online shuts down another server]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/another-one-bites-the-dust-warhammer-online-shuts-down-another/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/another-one-bites-the-dust-warhammer-online-shuts-down-another/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/another-one-bites-the-dust-warhammer-online-shuts-down-another/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Screenshot -- Warhammer Online
Another round of server merges are coming to Warhammer Online, and this time it's Drakenwald's metaphorical head on the proverbial chopping block. As of tomorrow, March 20th, Drakenwald will be marked as a Legacy server, which will prevent players from creating new characters there. In the meantime, the players who currently populate the server will be able to move to either Karak Norn or Badlands. After three weeks in Legacy status, Drakenwald will be officially retired and any characters remaining on the server will have to be transferred before they can be played. WAR players should know the routine by now, but if you need a refresher, the details can be found on the game's official site.

MassivelyAnother one bites the dust: Warhammer Online shuts down another server originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drakenwaldeaelectronic-artsendless-trialfantasymythicmythic-entertainmentpvprvrserver-mergeserver-mergesserver-shutdownserver-shutdownswarwarhammerwarhammer-onlineMon, 19 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV pushes patch 1.21 back to March 9th]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/final-fantasy-xiv-pushes-patch-1-21-back-to-march-9th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/final-fantasy-xiv-pushes-patch-1-21-back-to-march-9th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/final-fantasy-xiv-pushes-patch-1-21-back-to-march-9th/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

FFXIV
Patience, they say, is a virtue -- and no one is more patient than the Final Fantasy XIV community. This patience will be tested once more as the imminent 1.21 patch has been delayed until March 9th to accommodate further work and testing.

If someone is to blame, it's Producer Naoki Yoshida, who admits that "the sheer volume" of his suggestions prompted the delay. But it will be worth it, he promises.

In a new producer's letter, Yoshida hypes the patch and in particular its changes to magic casting. These changes will be "almost identical" to what the game will see when it hits 2.0. He's extremely excited to announce that adjustments to alchemy and culinary professions -- the medicines and food, specifically -- are almost complete. Finally, he reports that the team is deep into testing the two new instanced raids that are coming with the patch.

Yoshida also thanked the community for its feedback over the upcoming server merges.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV pushes patch 1.21 back to March 9th originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.21alchemycraftingculinarydelayffxivffxiv-patch-1.21final-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivmagic-castingNaoki-Yoshidapatchpatch-1.21patch-delayproducers-letterraidraidsseserver-mergeserver-mergessquare-enixupdateThu, 01 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anarchy Online's new graphics engine wows Funcom]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/anarchy-onlines-new-graphics-engine-wows-funcom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/anarchy-onlines-new-graphics-engine-wows-funcom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/anarchy-onlines-new-graphics-engine-wows-funcom/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Anarchy Online
Anarchy Online looks to be in good hands, as Game Director Fia Tjernberg returns for her second comprehensive development update. The update, which discusses the projects that the team's been working on, covers the past month in detail while hinting at future goodies.

Tjernberg stresses that the entire team works just on Anarchy Online and nothing else and has put a wrap on the first video showing off the new graphics engine. According to her, Funcom's marketers got so excited after seeing it that the studio decided to flex some additional muscle to promote it in the near future. "The artists are more confident working with the settings and materials," she writes, "and they learned what they can do to really make a difference in quality."

Other areas that the letter covered include an AO-specific world-building tool that the team's constructed, work on the new beginner experience that will tie in with the upcoming engine, the re-evaluation of professions to emphasize roles, and the details behind the upcoming server transfers. All players will be moved onto a new server that will, according to her, "keep [Anarchy Online] running smoothly for another ten years."

Tjernberg also teases the next game update by saying that preliminary patch notes could arrive by the end of March.

MassivelyAnarchy Online's new graphics engine wows Funcom originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anarchy-onlineaoFia-Tjernbergfuncomgraphics-enginegraphics-updatemontly-development-updatenew-graphics-enginepatchpatch-notesproducers-letterserver-mergeupdateWed, 29 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV server merges reassessed; merges to take place in March]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/final-fantasy-xiv-server-merges-reassessed-merges-to-take-place/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/final-fantasy-xiv-server-merges-reassessed-merges-to-take-place/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/17/final-fantasy-xiv-server-merges-reassessed-merges-to-take-place/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Final Fantasy XIV server merge chart
Only four days ago, Square-Enix announced that it would be reevaluating the previously announced Final Fantasy XIV server merges based on player feedback. Well, it looks like the reassessment is complete, and the server merge details have been solidified. In a post on FFXIV's Lodestone website, the studio announced that server merges will be taking place next month on Tuesday, March 27th. The stated reason for the server merge is "to improve the player experience during the period up to the launch of FFXIV version 2.0." The studio goes on to add that "new worlds may be added in the future, for example after the relaunch or when player numbers increase."

Beginning on March 1st, players will be able to use the site's world transfer application page in order to declare their destination servers. It's worth noting that the early bird gets the worm, and by worm we mean server of choice, due to the fact that once a world reaches its population cap, it will (obviously) no longer be available as a destination. To get the full details on the upcoming server transfers, just click on through the link below to the official Lodestone announcement.

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV server merges reassessed; merges to take place in March originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>enixff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivmergemergesserver-mergeserver-mergesserver-mergingserver-transferserverssquaresquare-enixsquenixworld-mergeworld-mergesworld-transferFri, 17 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix reassessing Final Fantasy XIV server merges]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/square-enix-reassessing-final-fantasy-xiv-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/square-enix-reassessing-final-fantasy-xiv-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/square-enix-reassessing-final-fantasy-xiv-server-merges/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Screenshot -- Final Fantasy XIV
Last week, Square-Enix announced that it would be performing a series of server merges on Final Fantasy XIV come this March, during which time the server roster was to be pruned from 18 servers to 10. Maybe you noticed our use of the past tense in the previous sentence. That's because a post on the official FFXIV website declares that Squenix is rethinking the merges in the wake of fan feedback on the matter. The studio isn't prepared to provide any further details but does state that "in order to ensure that the most desirable and effective outcome is achieved, [the company] will be reassessing the method of the merger process." Details will be made public on Lodestone as soon as they come to light, so if you're one of the many who would be affected by the merges, keep an eye on the Lodestone front page.

MassivelySquare Enix reassessing Final Fantasy XIV server merges originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivmergermergesserver-mergeserver-mergerserver-mergersserver-mergessquaresquare-enixsquenixMon, 13 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIV merging servers in March]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/final-fantasy-xiv-merging-servers-in-march/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/final-fantasy-xiv-merging-servers-in-march/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/final-fantasy-xiv-merging-servers-in-march/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Final Fantasy XIV - newbie town
Square-Enix is slimming down its server roster for Final Fantasy XIV. After a year of free-play services due to its troubled launch, FFXIV began charging traditional subscription fees last month. Now, Square says that it will be merging servers beginning on March 27th, and the current lineup will be trimmed from 18 to 10.

Character transfers are mandatory for players on one of the affected shards, and the transfer period starts on March 1st and continues through the 19th. Kotaku reports that the new servers will have temporary names (New World 01, 02, etc.), but Square states that "name assignments will be announced after the transfer selection period has ended."

MassivelyFinal Fantasy XIV merging servers in March originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eorzeafantasyff-14ffxivfinal-fantasy-xivserver-mergeserver-mergessquaresquare-enixThu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enter at Your Own Rift: Server merges? Call Henny Penny!]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/enter-at-your-own-rift-server-merges-call-henny-penny/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/enter-at-your-own-rift-server-merges-call-henny-penny/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/18/enter-at-your-own-rift-server-merges-call-henny-penny/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Rift
When I was younger, I used to love Bobcat Goldthwait (before he went on late night TV and tried setting the studio on fire). One of my favorite jokes was about him losing his job, and he'd say, "Well, I didn't really lose it. I know where it is, but every time I go there, there's this new guy doing it." In RIFT, I find myself saying, "A while back, my server merged. Well, OK, it didn't really merge, but every time I log in, all the guilds and players who were there are on another server." I still have a low-level character over on Dimroot, a server that became a trial server during the summer, but I really can't do anything with her unless I transfer her to another non-trial server.

Last week, 11 more servers were flagged as trial, and while players were given suggestions on which servers to transfer to, everyone is free to transfer to any non-trial servers. But how should we interpret the news, and what does it mean for RIFT players?

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Server merges? Call Henny Penny!

MassivelyEnter at Your Own Rift: Server merges? Call Henny Penny! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>enter-at-your-own-riftfantasyfeaturedkaren-bryanopinionriftrift-planes-of-telararift-server-mergerift-transfersserver-mergetriontrion-worldsWed, 18 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[And then there were two: Warhammer Online merges servers once more]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/and-then-there-were-two-warhammer-online-merges-servers-once-mo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/and-then-there-were-two-warhammer-online-merges-servers-once-mo/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/10/and-then-there-were-two-warhammer-online-merges-servers-once-mo/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Warhammer Online at peak hours
Warhammer Online's server culls continue today as the Gorfang (North America) and Karak Azgal (Europe) servers are being retired. As we mentioned last month, Gorfang players will now be taking refuge on the Badlands server, while Karak Azgal's denizens will find a new home on Karak Norn. For those of you keeping score at home, this brings Warhammer Online's total operational servers to a whopping two. Players with characters on either server can transfer them to the remaining servers via the Mythic Account Center, though at the rate things are going, there may not be any servers left soon enough.

MassivelyAnd then there were two: Warhammer Online merges servers once more originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>badlandseaelectronic-artsf2pfree-to-playgorfangkarak-azgalkarak-nornmythicmythic-entertainmentserverserver-mergeserver-mergesserverswarhammerwarhammer-onlineTue, 10 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Waaaghon Ho!: Warhammer Online merging servers following free transfers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/waaaghon-ho-warhammer-online-merging-servers-following-free-tr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/waaaghon-ho-warhammer-online-merging-servers-following-free-tr/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/12/09/waaaghon-ho-warhammer-online-merging-servers-following-free-tr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

WAR
Saddle up, rough riders: It's time to head to more fertile lands! Starting next week, select Warhammer Online players will be given the option to transfer between servers for free. The decision is Mythic's attempt to merge underpopulated servers, and the company hopes that this move will drive up the action in RvR for previously quiet locations.

Players on the Gorfang (North America) and Karak Azgal (Europe) will be able to move house to Badlands and Karak Norn, respectively, starting December 14th. Once this happens, Gorfang and Karak Azgal will be marked as "Legacy" servers, keeping new players from rolling on them, and then after three weeks, the two servers will be shut down completely. Any characters left on those servers will not be playable until they transfer to their new homes.

Mythic is also paving the way for guilds to move wholesale to new servers, with more information about this coming next week.

MassivelyWaaaghon Ho!: Warhammer Online merging servers following free transfers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>badlandsbioware-mythiccharacter-transfercharacter-transfersea-mythicgorfangKarak-AzgalKarak-Nornlegacymergemythicretireretiredretired-serversserverserver-mergeserver-mergesserver-transferserver-transfersserverswarwarhammerwarhammer-onlineFri, 09 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online offering free server transfers as prelude to two server shutdowns]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/warhammer-online-offering-free-server-transfers-as-prelude-to-tw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/warhammer-online-offering-free-server-transfers-as-prelude-to-tw/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/warhammer-online-offering-free-server-transfers-as-prelude-to-tw/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you're playing on the Iron Rock or Volkmar servers for Warhammer Online, it's time to get ready to say goodbye. The development team for the game has just announced that free server transfers are being unlocked for both servers, allowing players to transfer to Gorfang to help bolster the population. That in and of itself wouldn't be all that unusual, except that when the transfer starts, both Iron Rock and Volkmar are being flagged as Legacy servers to prevent any new characters from being created.

Starting on February 9th, transfers will be enabled and the Legacy flag will go into place. After three weeks of open transfers, both Iron Rock and Volkmar will be flagged as "Retired," meaning that any characters not transferred off the server will have to be transferred to Gorfang (or Badlands via a paid transfer). That means that two of the game's remaining four American servers will be removed in the near future, and while the population boost will no doubt help Warhammer Online's RvR battles, it's still a shutdown for two servers.

MassivelyWarhammer Online offering free server transfers as prelude to two server shutdowns originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ea-gamesea-mythicea-warhammerea-warhammer-onlineelectronic-artsmythicmythic-eamythic-entertainmentrvrserverserver-mergeserver-shutdownserverswarwar-eawarhammerwarhammer-eawarhammer-onlinewarhammer-online-eaMon, 07 Feb 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE answers EQII server merge questions]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/soe-answers-eqii-server-merge-questions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/soe-answers-eqii-server-merge-questions/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/soe-answers-eqii-server-merge-questions/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Wondering how the upcoming EverQuest II server merge will affect your Live characters? You're not alone, and the editors at ZAM decided to collect reader questions and forward them along to SOE. The answers seemingly put to rest a lot of the typical concerns associated with merges, and SOE indicates very little hassle on the player's end.

In addition to the reader questions, ZAM also poses a number of queries, among them, whether or not the developers will be purging low-level characters as well as clarification on guild name conflicts, legacy titles, and name change reimbursements in cases of conflict. SOE states that there will be no character purges, older guilds will take priority when name conflicts arise, and players merging away from their home servers will receive legacy titles. Finally, no special rules apply for name change reimbursements, and affected players should petition their issues in the usual manner.

Check out the original article for all the details.

MassivelySOE answers EQII server merge questions originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EQ2EQIIEverQuest-2everquest-iifantasyserver-mergeserver-mergessoeSony-Online-EntertainmentTue, 09 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EQII Live server merges begin this November]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/eqii-live-server-merges-begin-this-november/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/eqii-live-server-merges-begin-this-november/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/eqii-live-server-merges-begin-this-november/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In a move that should surprise no one, Sony Online Entertainment has announced it will be officially merging EQII Live servers beginning this fall. Sixteen shards will be affected, though notably populated servers such as Antonia Bayle, Lucan D'Lere, Nagafen, and Crushbone are not among them (nor are the Live Gamer shards Vox and The Bazaar).

EQII producer Dave "Smokejumper" Georgeson cautions that the merges won't happen quickly, as there is a lot of work to be done. The trade-off is that "bigger population density on a server is just simply more fun for everyone involved, so it's time to get it done," he writes.

For the complete listing, check out the announcement on the official website, and also hit up this thread for more discussion and details.

MassivelyEQII Live server merges begin this November originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdave-georgesonEQ2EQIIEverQuest-2everquest-iiliveserver-mergeserver-mergessmokejumpersoeSony-Online-EntertainmentMon, 18 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lineage II becomes one with the servers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/lineage-ii-becomes-one-with-the-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/lineage-ii-becomes-one-with-the-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/lineage-ii-becomes-one-with-the-servers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We haven't heard a lot of news from Lineage II since their recent Freya expansion, but apparently the game has hit a rocky patch. Associate producer "Moxie" informed the players on Wednesday that the NA and EU servers would be merging to just one per region.

This merge is being done "in order to promote a healthy and competitive environment, as well as to offer a better overall experience." Currently, Lineage II has five North American and three European servers, which will be boiled down to only two by the end of this month. The team is accepting nominations for the new server names until September 14th and will hold a vote thereafter to determine the winners.

As merges always create an organizational headache, NCsoft is still figuring out the details of exactly how and when this will happen. However, Moxie said that the team will be deleting any character under level 20 that has not logged into the game in more than one year, and if a player has more than seven characters across all of the servers, he or she will only be allowed to keep the seven highest in terms of experience.

[Thanks Riz!]

MassivelyLineage II becomes one with the servers originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>freyaits-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-finel2lineage-2lineage-iimergemoxiencsoftserver-mergeserver-mergesFri, 10 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Massively's Community Detective, Issue #5: Vanguard - Saga of Heroes]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/massivelys-community-detective-issue-5-vanguard-saga-of-he/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/massivelys-community-detective-issue-5-vanguard-saga-of-he/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/massivelys-community-detective-issue-5-vanguard-saga-of-he/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Much has been written around the MMO blogosphere regarding SOE's Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. From its troubled beginnings as a not-quite-ready-for-launch title, to fledgling Sigil Games Online's financial difficulties, to lead designer Brad McQuaid's well-publicized struggles with management and personal issues, the spiritual successor to EverQuest has always had a bit of a dark cloud hovering over its head.

Happily, a fun game remains despite all the problems, and the title's snake-bit tendencies don't seem to have affected either its community or its customer service.

Fly past the cut (on your rented pegasus) for more.

Continue reading Massively's Community Detective, Issue #5: Vanguard - Saga of Heroes

MassivelyMassively's Community Detective, Issue #5: Vanguard - Saga of Heroes originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communitycommunity-detectivecustomer-servicecustomer-service-case-filesdeleted-characterdeleted-itemfeaturedpetitionpickup-grouppugserver-mergesoeSony-Online-EntertainmenttelonvanguardVanguard-Saga-of-HeroesTue, 17 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CCP responds to rumour of server merger with EVE China]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/ccp-responds-to-rumour-of-server-merger-with-eve-china/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/ccp-responds-to-rumour-of-server-merger-with-eve-china/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/05/ccp-responds-to-rumour-of-server-merger-with-eve-china/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Back in 2006, CCP Games decided to move EVE Online into the Chinese MMO market. To comply with China's strict laws regarding online gaming, a second server named Serenity was created. Although the game itself is the same, Serenity doesn't really interact with EVE's main game server. The people over at mmosite today reported that CCP Games had announced plans to merge the two servers. They pointed to a talk given by CCP's CEO Hilmar Petursson at the recent Chinese Game Developers Conference, asserting that Hilmar discussed the company's plans to "connect the Chinese server of EVE Online with its world server."

This news came as a bit of a shock, as the Chinese gaming laws which necessitated a separate game server are still in place. We contacted CCP for more information, who promptly informed us that they are not planning to merge the two servers, and that the writer at mmosite had likely misunderstood what Hilmar said during his talk. Hilmar issued us with the following statement:

"Ever since the Chinese version of EVE Online was announced at EVE Fanfest 2005 then CCP has consistently stated that according to CCP's design philosophy and single shard one world strategy then it would make sense to merge the two servers at some point in the future. Currently this is not possible, for various reasons and we have no current plans to do this merger as a results of those reasons. We will continue to communicate our vision and aspirations regardless."

MassivelyCCP responds to rumour of server merger with EVE China originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ccpccp-eveccp-gameschinachineseeveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinemergemergesserenityserverserver-mergeserver-mergesserversThu, 05 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do server merges worry you?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/04/the-daily-grind-do-server-merges-worry-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/04/the-daily-grind-do-server-merges-worry-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/04/the-daily-grind-do-server-merges-worry-you/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

NCsoft's Aion probably weighs in as the highest profile server merge over the last little while. That said, it hasn't been the only one, as SOE's Vanguard also slimmed down, and scuttlebutt says that EverQuest II's recent free-to-play announcement will eventually lead to a consolidation of the game's subscription shards.

While the pros of merging servers are obvious (keeping the game afloat, swelling the population, and helping group content), there are also some decidedly negative effects. In a PvP-centric game like Aion, it becomes more difficult to quest, particularly in the Abyss where there are now a lot more daevas rubbing shoulders in what is ultimately a rather small zone. In Vanguard, players may have gained questing partners, but they also lost prime housing spots and, in some cases, communities forged over years of gameplay.

Do you think server merges are worth the cost? More importantly, do merges (or even merge announcements) signal the impending decline of a game and cause you to begin looking elsewhere?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do server merges worry you? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionEQ2EQIIEverQuest-2everquest-iincsoftopinionserver-mergeserver-mergesserver-populationsoeSony-Online-Entertainmentthe-daily-grindvanguardWed, 04 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion developers acting to correct server imbalances]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/aion-developers-acting-to-correct-server-imbalances/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/aion-developers-acting-to-correct-server-imbalances/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/31/aion-developers-acting-to-correct-server-imbalances/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Aion's July community address mentions the upcoming 2.0 patch, of course, but that's not what grabbed the attention of the fans.

The recent server merge created some predictable imbalances, and the Aion team has made a few decisions on how to begin rectifying them. NCsoft's Lance Stites, who penned this month's address, tells fans that server transfers have been temporarily disabled while the devs sort things out: "All the associated Aion teams are working on a solution to allow character transfers to resume with appropriate limits in place to prevent radically unbalanced servers."

Furthermore, race creation is "selectively" limited on each server, in the hopes that it will help balance things out. "For instance, if you're playing on a predominantly Elyos server, Asmodian creation will be the only race available for new characters," says Stites.

The situation is only temporary, and hopefully only a first step in sorting things out on the newly-consolidated Aion servers. Take a look at the Aion site for the full July community address.

MassivelyAion developers acting to correct server imbalances originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionasmodiancommunity-addresselyoslance-stitesncsoftrace-creationserver-mergeserver-mergesserver-transferserver-transfersSat, 31 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wings Over Atreia: It's the end of the world as we know it...]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/12/wings-over-atreia-its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/12/wings-over-atreia-its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/12/wings-over-atreia-its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Do you feel fine?

In the final days of the countdown to server merges in Aion this Wednesday, a mixture of emotions are on display on both sides of the battle. While some are feeling excitement, others are cautious, yet bridled with apprehension, and others still are simmering with discontent about the upcoming changes in Atreia. Some apathy has even reared up, as participation in fortress battles wane and the Balaur slowly re-establish their grip of power. Many simply feel a mixture of different emotions at different times (depending which side of the most recent ganking they came out on).

Although the physical make-up of the land is not going to change like it will when patch 2.0 goes live and the Balaur homeland is introduced, the landscape will still be changed. The player base -- the very atmosphere -- of each new server will be markedly different. The population explosion, the economy, abyss rankings, and even tracking reputations will all be affected by the merges. No question about it, life in Aion is going to be altered for every player -- though for better or for worse may be more at the discretion of each individual player, their own attitudes, and preparation.

Take a moment of silence then wander past the cut to see what the last days look like, and prepare yourself for a smoother transition into the morning after.

Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: It's the end of the world as we know it...

MassivelyWings Over Atreia: It's the end of the world as we know it... originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2.0abyssaionatreiabrokercampaignsfeaturedmergemergername changencsoftpatch-2.0pvpserver-mergeServerMergerWings-Over-AtreiaMon, 12 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion producer addresses legion renaming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/10/aion-producer-addresses-legion-renaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/10/aion-producer-addresses-legion-renaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/10/aion-producer-addresses-legion-renaming/#commentsFiled under: , ,


NCsoft producer Chris "Kinslon" Hager checks in to answer questions on the upcoming Aion server merges via this week's Eye on Community featurette. While NCSoft has explained both name change and item transfer policies in detail, it hadn't yet touched on how the server blending will affect legion names (legion being Aion's equivalent of a traditional MMORPG guild).

"Because we have fewer legions than characters, we're able to be more hands-on with legion name collisions. Our customer service team is going through active and inactive legion names, and we will be changing names based on specific criteria (legion size, contribution points, and so on). Similar to how we are handling name changes, if your legion's name is changed, we will be adding a two-letter designation derived from the name of your original server to the end of the legion name and giving your brigade general a legion name change coupon. You'll notice changes to legion names over the next couple of days leading up to the merge," Hager explains.

You can read the full feature on the official Aion website.

MassivelyAion producer addresses legion renaming originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionchris-hagereye-on-communityguild-renamekinslonlegion-namesncsoftserver-mergeserver-mergesSat, 10 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion offers six free server transfers per character]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/aion-offers-six-free-server-transfers-per-character/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/aion-offers-six-free-server-transfers-per-character/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/aion-offers-six-free-server-transfers-per-character/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With NCsoft's upcoming Aion server merges looming, chances are you've taken the time to figure out where your daeva's new home is going to be (as well as marked your calendar to be sure you get first dibs on keeping your name). What you may not know is that you've got plenty of opportunities to test out the various Aion server communities after the merges are complete.

In its weekly Eye on Community featurette, NCsoft answers a player-generated question about transfer specifics. "During the free character transfer period, characters you submit for transfer are placed in a collated list, together with transfer requests from other players. The transfers outlined in this list will all be executed at the same time during weekly maintenance. Because transfers are moved in a batch each week, you will be able to transfer your character up to six times before the 18th of August, when the free character transfer period ends. Our intent is to let you test the waters so that you can decide which server best suits you," says the featurette.

MassivelyAion offers six free server transfers per character originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-the-tower-of-eternitycharacter-namescharacter-transfereye-on-communitymergenamesncsoftserver-mergeserver-transferSun, 04 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion server merges delayed, name changes explained]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/aion-server-merges-delayed-name-changes-explained/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/aion-server-merges-delayed-name-changes-explained/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/04/aion-server-merges-delayed-name-changes-explained/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Aion's recently announced server merges have been pushed back a couple of weeks and are now scheduled to take place on July 14th. The delay is apparently the result of name conflicts between players with the same moniker on servers that are scheduled to merge, and NCsoft has decided to take a bit of extra time to smooth the process.

In a nutshell, the name changes are likely to affect a small percentage of characters, and NCsoft will be adding one or two letters onto the end of duplicate names depending on original name length. Additionally, all daevas will be given a free name-change. "When the merge maintenance is completed on July 14th, 2010, you'll be able to log in and use your free Character Name Change ticket to change your name. All uses of that Character Name Change ticket will be on a first come, first served basis," NCsoft said in a press release.

Check out all the details at the official website.

MassivelyAion server merges delayed, name changes explained originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 04 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-the-tower-of-eternityname-changename-changesncsoftserver-mergeSun, 04 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Server merge hints are confirmed for Aion]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/23/server-merge-hints-are-confirmed-for-aion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/23/server-merge-hints-are-confirmed-for-aion/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/23/server-merge-hints-are-confirmed-for-aion/#commentsFiled under: , ,

"SGDCZ DUZGZ RKZMC DCVHS GRDQU DQLDQ FDZMC BGZQZ BSDQS QZMRE DQCDS ZHKR" was the mysterious message posted by Aion's Andrew "Tamat" Beegle yesterday. The jumble of letters on Twitter and the Aion notice page was decoded pretty quickly by players: "THE DAEVA HAS LANDED WITH SERVER MERGE AND CHARACTER TRANSFER DETAILS."

Aion confirmed the server merge and character transfers today with more details as well as a comprehensive FAQ covering all the details. The merge will happen on July 7th, and character transfers will begin on the 8th. Players can take advantage of free unlimited character transfers until August 18th, and then they will continue to be available for a fee. Once the server merge happens and transfers begin, there will be a number of contests and events coming both in and out of game.

Check out all the details on the Aion site.

MassivelyServer merge hints are confirmed for Aion originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aionaion-server-mergeandrew-beeglebreakingcharacter-transferncsoftserver-mergeWed, 23 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony Online Entertainment announces Vanguard server merges]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/08/sony-online-entertainment-announces-vanguard-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/08/sony-online-entertainment-announces-vanguard-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/06/08/sony-online-entertainment-announces-vanguard-server-merges/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Remember those rumors of a server merge for Vanguard back at the end of April? The game's Lead Developer made a forum post indicating that server merges were on the horizon, stating that the team was "finalizing the process," and that official word would be out soon. We contacted SOE to clarify and were told that there were no plans on the horizon for server merges.

That horizon seems to have changed, according to the emails that arrived in the inboxes of Vanguard players today: "Beginning July 7th, 2010 at approximately 10:00 AM PDT, we will start the process of merging the three current U.S. servers of Telon into one server." The Halgar server will follow in August, joining the others as part of the new merged server.

All details of the merge have been emailed to players affected, and there is an ongoing poll in the Vanguard forums to name the new server.

[Thanks to many of our readers for the tip!]

MassivelySony Online Entertainment announces Vanguard server merges originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingserver-mergesoeSony-Online-Entertainmentvanguardvanguard-server-mergeTue, 08 Jun 2010 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony Online Entertainment announces EverQuest server merges]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/23/sony-online-entertainment-announces-everquest-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/23/sony-online-entertainment-announces-everquest-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/23/sony-online-entertainment-announces-everquest-server-merges/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you've felt like the population in EverQuest was on the low side lately, you can expect that problem to disappear within the next month or so. Sony Online Entertainment will be gradually cutting the number of servers in half beginning June 22nd. They'll complete the process by July 6th, leaving ten servers in place of the original twenty.

It's a big undertaking, and SOE have done some detailed planning ahead. The forum announcement contains the list of planned mergers, answers to common questions, and important information about the deletion of inactive characters and shared banks. They are further easing the transition by offering one free server transfer for all affected characters as well as discounts on race, gender, and name changes.

If you've got characters in EverQuest -- active or inactive -- these server merges are very likely going to affect you. Head over to the EQ forums and read the full announcement for all the details.

MassivelySony Online Entertainment announces EverQuest server merges originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 23 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EQeverquestserver-mergeserver-mergessoe-fan-fairesony-online-entertainmentSun, 23 May 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Aion 1.9 patch dated, server merges announced]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/18/aion-1-9-patch-dated-server-merges-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/18/aion-1-9-patch-dated-server-merges-announced/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/18/aion-1-9-patch-dated-server-merges-announced/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Aion producer Chris 'Kinslon' Hager has dropped a bomb of a community letter on the game's players, packing it full of information including the North American release dates for the highly anticipated 1.9 patch. The letter also mentions an upcoming character transfer service (free for a limited time), as well as server merges.

"I don't relish the idea of mergers," Hager says. "However, once it is complete you should notice improvements in each of the new server economies, an abundance of players to group and run instances with, a number of great Legions to join or people to form new ones with, and a more tightly knit community.When all is said and done, Aion will be a better game because of the server merge. We're in the planning stages, and will have more information on the timing and execution in the coming weeks."

As for 1.9, players can expect to see it on the test server on May 25th, with a June 2nd release date on the live servers. Finally, Hager mentions that work has already started on the huge task of bringing the 2.0 content update from Korea to North America, and hints at a Fall 2010 timetable. Check out the full letter over at the official Aion website.

MassivelyAion 1.9 patch dated, server merges announced originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 May 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.92.0aionbreakingcharacter-transferscommunity-letterncsoftserver-mergeserver-mergesTue, 18 May 2010 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ragnarok merges and renews]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/19/ragnarok-merges-and-renews/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/19/ragnarok-merges-and-renews/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/04/19/ragnarok-merges-and-renews/#commentsFiled under: ,

When worlds collide, continents shift and several unsuspecting people get smooshed between it all. When servers collide, the results can be both good and bad. Ragnarok Online has just announced that they are merging a few of their premium servers into a brand-new one, bringing with them all the current residents of Chaos, Loki and Iris. While there is no definite date for this event, the official merger FAQ pinpoints it down to this week.

Because of the merger, all guilds on the three previous servers will be dissolved and need to be recreated, although the Ragnarok team has created a "pre-list" for the purpose of staving off name sniping. "God items" will be broken back down into their component parts, which will require work to reconstruct them. Finally, all character names following the merge will be somewhat temporary until the GM team can figure out if there are any naming conflicts or not.

While server mergers can be unsettling, Ragnarok has a bit of upbeat news for players with their "Renewal" revamp, designed to eliminate a few glaring flaws and smooth over the entire gaming experience. Finally, players are encouraged to participate in Ragnarok's Dragon Hunting event during the entire month of May.

MassivelyRagnarok merges and renews originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dragon-huntinggod-itemsgravityragnarokragnarok-onlineserver-mergeMon, 19 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pirates of the Burning Sea announces server merges]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-announces-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-announces-server-merges/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/pirates-of-the-burning-sea-announces-server-merges/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Are you a fan of Pirates of the Burning Sea, and feel like the population in game has been a bit thin these days? You're certainly not alone. Other players have been expressing the same opinion, and Sony Online Entertainment has been listening.

On March 5th, Pirates of the Burning Sea will be closing three servers: Blackbeard, Defiant, and Rackham. The two remaining servers, Antigua and Roberts, will serve the entire player base.

Sony Online Entertainment is giving players a month to make plans and choose a new server. Beginning this Friday, February 5th, players on Blackbeard, Defiant, and Rackham will be able to transfer their characters to either of the remaining servers. Character creation on those three servers will be disabled at the same time, so start making your plans for new characters and transfers of current characters now.

Character transfers can be done via the PotBS character transfer service.

MassivelyPirates of the Burning Sea announces server merges originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Pirates-of-the-Burning-Seapotbsserver-mergeserver-transferSOEsony-online-entertainmentThu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Archlord announces server and content updates for 2010]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/14/archlord-announces-server-and-content-updates-for-2010/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/14/archlord-announces-server-and-content-updates-for-2010/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/14/archlord-announces-server-and-content-updates-for-2010/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Since picking Archlord up in October of 2009, Webzen has been busy making plans to take the free-to-play game forward, and we got a peek at those plans today. They announced a server merge, new multi-language client, and brand new content for the game in the form of a dungeon designed to be accessible to players of all levels.

Beginning today, the four existing European servers will be merged into two, and a new realm "Deribelle" will be opened. The merge will increase population on the two "new" serevers, and Deribelle will feature increased EXP and drop rates as well as a "massive cash item giveaway" in order to welcome new players.

February will bring further opportunity for new players to check the game out, in the form of a new multi-language client. The new client will support German, French, Spanish, and Portugese.

Webzen didn't stop there, however. All the effort in reaching out to new players will culminate in March with some brand new content designed to appeal to the entire player base, both new and old. The Chaotic Frontier dungeon features an automatic adjustment to the entering character's level, making the dungeon available to all players.

The first of the new updates arrives today, so if you haven't checked out Archlord yet, this may be an excellent time to start.

MassivelyArchlord announces server and content updates for 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArchLordchaotic-frontierdungeonf2pfree-to-playmulti-language-clientserver-mergewebzenThu, 14 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Updated transfer list for Warhammer Online's server merge]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/updated-transfer-list-for-warhammer-onlines-server-merge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/updated-transfer-list-for-warhammer-onlines-server-merge/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/updated-transfer-list-for-warhammer-onlines-server-merge/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Mark this one down under the "good news" category, but with a lot of conditionals: Warhammer Online has updated the list of acceptable server transfers for the upcoming shutdown. We reported earlier on the planned closing of Phoenix Throne and Dark Crag, bringing the game's remaining servers to four. Unfortunately, the decision hasn't been reversed, but the former limitations on what servers could be chosen as a destination for transferred characters has been expanded. In a fresh release, it was announced that characters from the closed servers would be allowed to transfer to any of the four remaining servers.

When the announcement was first made there were a number of people who protested the selections for destinations, as players had seen some of the writing on the wall and had already begun transferring over to other servers in anticipation. This move seems to be aimed at engendering some more positive community feelings after the understandably unpopular announcement, although how much help it will actually provide remains to be seen. The announcement goes on to serve as a reminder that the server merge will be taking place on December 2nd, so if your server is on the list to be merged and you wish to say goodbye, now is the time.

MassivelyUpdated transfer list for Warhammer Online's server merge originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dark-cragmythicmythic-entertainmentnews-itemsphoenix-throneserver-closingserver-downtimeserver-mergewarwarhammer-onlineMon, 30 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer Online merges two more servers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/24/warhammer-online-merges-two-more-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/24/warhammer-online-merges-two-more-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/24/warhammer-online-merges-two-more-servers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It wasn't entirely unexpected -- after all, Jeff Skalski gave some indications this might be coming in our recent interview with him -- but it's still unbalancing. Warhammer Online community manager Andy Belford confirmed today that two of the game's servers, Dark Crag and Phoenix Throne, will be shutting down. The population of these servers will be allowed a free transfer to two other servers each -- Iron Rock or Badlands for Dark Crag, Gorfang or Volkmar for Phoenix Throne. He also mentions that there will be a 20% bonus to experience and renown in the weeks following the transfer, to at least slightly take the sting off the event.

It looks as if there will be slightly more servers in the European region, as they have a total of 13 still open... but several of those are due to the different languages, and at least one of the realms is scheduled for shutdown. As for what this means for the game itself... it's hard to call it anything but bad news, even with the promises of a boost incoming to ease the impact. We know that Warhammer Online's future looks a bit shaky after recent events, but this is more dire than any of us had expected or hoped. We'll keep up on any news as it becomes available.

[ Thanks to JP for the tip. ]

MassivelyWarhammer Online merges two more servers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>andy-belfordcharacter-transferfree-transferjeff-skalskimythicmythic-entertainmentnews-itemsserver-mergeserver-shutdownshutdownwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Freesky Online merges two servers, offers players compensation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/08/freesky-online-merges-two-servers-offers-players-compensation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/08/freesky-online-merges-two-servers-offers-players-compensation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/08/08/freesky-online-merges-two-servers-offers-players-compensation/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Browser-based MMO strategy game Freesky Online has just finished merging two of its servers to help bring the player population up. The Paradise and Canaan servers have been turned into a single server called Paradise&Canaan, and the server's map was made bigger and filled with more resources to give the inflated population a chance to prosper in their new environment. The hope is that a greater population will increase the amount of PvP action that goes on and offer new strategic alliance opportunities.

Along with the positive effects, the merge brought a lot of inconvenience to players: those that had a character on both servers were only able to keep one, and friends lists and existing alliances were deleted. Players were also unhappy about having their ongoing activities interrupted. To make up for all of this, the game's developers IGG have put together some compensatory goodies for affected players. There are two different gift packages; the players' reputation level affects which pack they will receive. To see what you might be entitled to, visit the news article about the merge at the game's official site.

MassivelyFreesky Online merges two servers, offers players compensation originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browsercanaan-servercompensationfofreesky-onlineiggparadise-and-canaan-serverparadise-serverserver-mergestrategySat, 08 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlanetSide merges last two servers into one]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/27/planetside-merges-last-two-servers-into-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/27/planetside-merges-last-two-servers-into-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/27/planetside-merges-last-two-servers-into-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


In an e-mail that went out to the community earlier today, the PlanetSide team has announced that the game's final two servers will be combined into one to preserve the balance of fighting between their three armies. The merge will be conducted on August 25th, so this is ample warning of the things to come.

Now, normally people would be complaining and unhappy over hearing the words "server" and "merge" being put into the same sentence, but that's not the sentiment over at the PlanetSide community. This move has put the veteran players into a state of happiness in their anticipation of the merge. Old outfits are preparing for a resurgence as former players are returning to the game once more.

Continue reading PlanetSide merges last two servers into one

MassivelyPlanetSide merges last two servers into one originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eu-serverfraggeminimergepingplanetsidepopulationserver-mergesoesony-online-entertainmentwernerMon, 27 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[More server consolidations in WAR?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/more-server-consolidations-in-war/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/more-server-consolidations-in-war/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/more-server-consolidations-in-war/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Less than three weeks after launching Land of the Dead, the Warhammer Online Herald is reporting another round of free transfers from several source servers to a few destination servers. Members of Ironfist, Vortex, Monolith, Magnus, and Skull Throne have been urged to transfer to more populated servers. Players on all servers are being rewarded with an extra 20% experience and renown bonus to mark the occasion.

The latest WAR Grab Bag mentioned server merges specifically: "...we are expecting to resolve our long term population issues on our lower population servers and see high populations regularly as part and parcel of server merges that are currently in discussion."

Mythic consolidated (read: merged) 40 low population servers back in early March 2009, leaving the game with 14 servers in North America. Merging these new servers will eventually leave WAR with 9 active servers. Darren (aka The Common Sense Gamer) is wondering what a lot of us are wondering right now: Is Mythic still correcting for an overzealous server launch strategy or is the game's population no longer holding steady at 300,000?

MassivelyMore server consolidations in WAR? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>common-sense-gamerconsolidationeagrab-bag-no-20mergemythic-entertainmentserver-mergeserver-transferwarwarhammer-onlineMon, 13 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhammer role-play servers: And then there was one]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/31/warhammer-role-play-servers-and-then-there-was-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/31/warhammer-role-play-servers-and-then-there-was-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/31/warhammer-role-play-servers-and-then-there-was-one/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Mythic just began another round of free server transfers in Warhammer Online and this time they are allowing players to transfer from Ostermark (OST) to either Phoenix Throne (PT) or Vortex (VOR). OST and PT are the only two remaining North American servers using the role-play rule set. VOR has a core rule set.

This transfer presented Mythic with some unique issues. OST may have been one of the lowest population servers, but it still had a fairly substantial active player base and forcing everyone onto one server could have led to balance and overpopulation consequences. Many role-players also had characters of one realm on OST and the opposite on PT.

Mythic's rules do not allow subscribers to play both sides of the war on the same server, so they gave players of PT the opportunity to transfer to VOR as well. Finally, there is the issue of transfering from a role-play server to a core server, where there is less enforcement of proper naming and player maturity.

These issues aside, WAR is a game that requires a large number of players to be enjoyable, so many Oysters (as they're called on OST) are embracing this transfer option (as evidenced by Mythic's account website running much slower than usual today). Those wishing to transfer should read all the rules before doing so, as the process requires character and guild preparation.

MassivelyWarhammer role-play servers: And then there was one originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mythic-entertainmentrole-playingserver-mergeserver-transferwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 31 Mar 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mythic merging forty low population WAR servers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/mythic-merging-forty-low-population-war-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/mythic-merging-forty-low-population-war-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/mythic-merging-forty-low-population-war-servers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This news miraculously slipped under our radar yesterday because it was billed as yet another round of source server transfers. Upon reading a bit deeper, we noticed this line: "Characters on the source servers listed below will all be consolidated onto the corresponding destination server. All source servers will eventually be closed."

There are 40 source servers and 15 destination servers listed in the table. This transfer and eventual merge will affect every server except Phoenix Throne, which is widely regarded as the most balanced and stable server for all of Warhammer Online.

Perhaps the most interesting part of all this is a speculative tool called the Warheap active server list. If you look at Mythic's official list of destination servers, you will notice that they almost identically match the only servers listed on Warheap with active rank 40 RvR taking place. We were originally sceptical about how accurate this tool was but now we're believers. The only question remaining is how accurate the activity numbers really are. (Incidentally, they are scraped from Mythic's very own Realm War site.)

Some people may take this news negatively, but WAR subscribers have been begging for server merges for months now. It appears they are finally getting their wish, which can only improve the game. You need people to RvR with, right?

Continue reading Mythic merging forty low population WAR servers

MassivelyMythic merging forty low population WAR servers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingmythic-entertainmentRvRserver-mergeserver-transferwarwarhammer-onlineTue, 10 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Tabula Rasa server merge to affect US servers only]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/tabula-rasa-server-merge-to-affect-us-servers-only/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/tabula-rasa-server-merge-to-affect-us-servers-only/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/tabula-rasa-server-merge-to-affect-us-servers-only/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


We've mentioned in the past that NCsoft plans to merge all four Tabula Rasa servers into one, before the final shutdown on February 28th. Their plan has changed somewhat, as only the three U.S. servers (Pegasus; Orion; Cassiopeia) will be merged into a consolidated server called Hydra.

NCsoft will perform a data capture on Monday, and it may take up to 48 hours beyond that before Hydra is active. NCsoft says, "This means that characters will appear to 'time warp' back to Monday at 12:01 AM on the new server. We do not recommend doing anything irreversible to your character after Monday's data capture, as we are not absolutely confirming the server merge at this time. We will release more details, as well as a final conformation of the server merge, early next week."

Tabula Rasa's European server, Centarus, is not being included in the server merge, and as such will have a separate 'sunset' event for European time zones.

MassivelyTabula Rasa server merge to affect US servers only originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cassiopeiacentarusncsoftorionpegasussci-fiserver-downtimeserver-mergeserver-mergessunsettabula-rasaSat, 21 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tabula Rasa to merge all servers into one]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/23/tabula-rasa-to-merge-all-servers-into-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/23/tabula-rasa-to-merge-all-servers-into-one/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/23/tabula-rasa-to-merge-all-servers-into-one/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


NCsoft has just announced during today's Feedback Friday that they will be merging all four Tabula Rasa servers into one main server, in preparation for the final shutdown next month. This server merge will basically combine all characters and items onto one main server, located on the East Coast of the US.

In a situation like this, many factors are to be considered. What about duplicate character or clan names? Will all characters on one account be combined onto the same character selection screen? These questions, and more, are answered by a handy FAQ set up on the main TR website. They also mention a release of Deployment 16 coming during or shortly after the merge itself, which will introduce all the goodies we've been hearing about for awhile.

MassivelyTabula Rasa to merge all servers into one originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingbreakingnewsmechncsoftpaurichard-garriottserver-mergetabula-rasatrtr-deployment-16Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SWG character transfer starts tomorrow]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/swg-character-transfer-starts-tomorrow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/swg-character-transfer-starts-tomorrow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/swg-character-transfer-starts-tomorrow/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


As we mentioned a few months ago when the announcements were being made, Star Wars Galaxies' character transfer and server merges will begin tomorrow. As a reminder for the merger and a helpful guide to the procedure, we wanted to run by all helpful info into one, easy-to-use post for your convenience.

First, there's the step-by-step guide to the free character transfer as well as a handy FAQ for anyone with unanswered questions. The GM team also took the time to post up some notes on the transfer over at the SWG forums. Finally, we can't forget the post-transfer server list! The state of the game may change somewhat after tomorrow, but at least you'll be prepared.

MassivelySWG character transfer starts tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-transferserver-mergesoesony-online-entertainmentstar-wars-galaxiesswgMon, 12 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[List of post-merger servers for Age of Conan released]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/list-of-post-merger-servers-for-age-of-conan-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/list-of-post-merger-servers-for-age-of-conan-released/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/list-of-post-merger-servers-for-age-of-conan-released/#commentsFiled under: ,


We've known for some time now that Age of Conan's server list would be shrinking. After some fits and starts, the successful merger of Bloodspire and Hyperborea has set the stage for the wholesale conglomeration of the Age of Conan server farm. The official forums are carrying the final list of post-merger servers, and the US list stands at a svelte six remaining gameworlds. That's down from an initial list of about twenty-five, and the post-merger list for the EU side will stand at just twelve gameworlds.

Here's the final list of the post-merger US servers:
  • Set (PvE)
    * Damballah
    * Bardisattva
    * Dagoth
    * Derketo
    * Hanuman

  • Wiccana (PvE)
    * Mannanan
    * Ajujo
    * Thog
    * Zug
    * Omm

  • Gwahlur (PvE - Oceaninc)

  • Tyranny (PvP)
    * Scourge
    * Bluesteel
    * Stormrage
    * Deathwhisper
    * Doomsayer
    * Shadowblade

  • Cimmeria (PvP-RP)
    * Bane

  • Bloodspire (PvP - Oceanic) - already merged
    * Hyperborea
All of these mergers are slated to happen next week, and actual downtime and scheduled mergers will be announced sometime soon. You can read up on the official forums for player reaction, or continue on below the cut for a full list of the final international servers.

Continue reading List of post-merger servers for Age of Conan released

MassivelyList of post-merger servers for Age of Conan released originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocbreakingfuncomserver-mergeFri, 09 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST