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Aion lays out the details for the upcoming server changes

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, News items, Free-to-play

Before a storm, you secure your home. Before a job interview, you clean yourself up nicely. Before a conversion to free-to-play, you make sure your servers are ready to go. That last one is on the agenda for NCsoft, which is making some server changes and merges prior to Aion's transition to free-to-play starting on April 11th. Players affected by this can take a look at a new official FAQ to clarify any and all questions about what's going down on March 28th.

The short version is that most individual character data will remain untouched, but players with conflicting names will be given a random string of letters and numbers and a free name-change ticket. Players who wind up with Asmodeans and Elyseans on the same server will also be given the option to change to an appropriate race or transfer the offending characters to another server to adhere to the one-faction-per-server rule. If you've got more detailed questions, of course, the FAQ has more detailed answers.

Aion lays out the details for the upcoming server changes originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another one bites the dust: Warhammer Online shuts down another server

Matt Daniel — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items, Free-to-play

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.

Another 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.

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Final Fantasy XIV pushes patch 1.21 back to March 9th

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Final Fantasy XIV, Dev Diaries

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.

Final 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.

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Final Fantasy XIV server merges reassessed; merges to take place in March

Matt Daniel — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

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.

Final 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.

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Square Enix reassessing Final Fantasy XIV server merges

Matt Daniel — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, News items, 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.

Square 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.

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Final Fantasy XIV merging servers in March

Jef Reahard — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

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."

Final 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.

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Newest Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter talks patch 1.21 release

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

It's been a little quiet on the Final Fantasy XIV front since the new year, but the team behind the game has been hard at work preparing the launch of patch 1.21. And it's going to be quite a massive patch, as outlined in Naoki Yoshida's most recent producer's letter for the fans. Not only does it contain the addition of the long-awaited Job system, but it also includes UI improvements, housing, two new instanced raids, a food and medicine overhaul, and a variety of smaller changes.

While the team had originally aimed for a launch in the second week of February, Yoshida notes that the patch will likely be delayed two weeks due to the sheer amount of content going in. He also discusses what he calls temporary server merges prior to the launch of 2.0 in November; as he puts it, the main concern is allowing players, especially from European regions, to have an ample playerbase to adventure with. It's a bit of unpleasant news for Final Fantasy XIV players, but it's packed in amidst many things to look forward to.

Newest Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter talks patch 1.21 release originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And then there were two: Warhammer Online merges servers once more

Matt Daniel — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Warhammer Online, News items, Free-to-play

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.

And 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.

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Waaaghon Ho!: Warhammer Online merging servers following free transfers

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items

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.

Waaaghon 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.

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DC Universe Online rolling out megaservers on Monday

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Consoles, DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online has been quiet on the announced megaservers for quite some time, but it turns out that the update is just around the corner. Specifically, the new server structure will be going into effect on Monday, and players have been given a brand-new developer diary on the benefits and the procedure to help get everyone up to speed. In short, it's more people on servers and more people to group up with, albeit still segregated between PC and PS3 players.

Character names will have to be changed in some cases, but the system being used ensures that characters whose names are changed will also receive a free subsequent change if they want. According to comments, the determination will essentially be comparing hours played -- so if you have two characters with the same name on active accounts, but one's been active since launch, the older character will get to keep the name. While it's not quite the cross-platform servers many players had hoped for, it should help bolster the population of each game server as a whole.

DC Universe Online rolling out megaservers on Monday originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Anvil of Crom: Server merges, separation, and why both are potentially swell

Jef Reahard — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Anvil of Crom

Last week I mentioned that the Age of Conan Unrated announcement has given us a lot to talk about. There's the 800-lb. free-to-try elephant in the room, there's a bunch of new content that's both coming soon and already here, and there's also an endlessly fascinating quote from Funcom game director Craig "Silirrion" Morrison that is, well, endlessly fascinating.

This last bit got lost in the big announcement blitzkrieg, and because it was buried in the depths of a thread about roleplay on the EU boards, it's safe to assume that 99.99% of Age of Conan players didn't read it. Regardless, it may well be one of the more interesting and exciting developments in Age of Conan's short history. What was it about? Well, it involves servers, server merges, and new technology that could change the way we think about MMORPGs and server populations.

Continue reading The Anvil of Crom: Server merges, separation, and why both are potentially swell

The Anvil of Crom: Server merges, separation, and why both are potentially swell originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: TERA Korean servers merging [Updated]

Jef Reahard — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Rumors, TERA

Bluehole Studio's TERA action MMORPG is gearing up for its second round of Korean server merges since launch according to a blurb at MMO Culture. The fantasy title, which is currently being prepared for a North American release by En Masse Entertainment, is scheduled to trim its list of 35 shards to 15 this week.

Despite more upbeat news of fresh content in the offing, the merges come amid reports of lower-than-expected financial performance according to publisher NHN Korea. TERA launched in Korea last February and is gearing up for a Japanese beta on July 1st. No North American or European beta dates have been announced.

[Update]: TERA's main Korean website does provide both official confirmation of server merges as well as time projections.

Rumor: TERA Korean servers merging [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enter at Your Own Rift: Rethinking server transfers

Karen Bryan — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Opinion, RIFT, Enter at Your Own Rift

Last week's big RIFT news was that free server transfers were on the way with the next major game update. Players who have been stuck on lower population servers have been clamoring for the ability to join up with higher population servers, and now they'll finally have the ability to do just that.

But any time things like free transfers and server mergers are brought up, the immediate conclusion is that it's a sign that a game is losing players, and as a result, is failing. Free transfers are usually only seen as an act of desperation, and they usually come on the heels of drastic server mergers, as we've seen in games like Vanguard, Warhammer Online, and Age of Conan. But if a game is believed (by the masses) to be doing OK, transfers are seen as a service that comes with a price, as in games like World of Warcraft or EverQuest II.

So how do we interpret the news of free weekly transfers in RIFT? Read on for a look at why it's actually great for the game and why they're more than just a shrewd marketing campaign.

Continue reading Enter at Your Own Rift: Rethinking server transfers

Enter at Your Own Rift: Rethinking server transfers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Conan merging U.S. servers today, EU tomorrow

Jef Reahard — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play

It's server merge time in Hyboria. Age of Conan's launcher indicates that the U.S. servers are offline for up to 24 hours while the American PvP shards (Cimmeria and Tyranny) are consolidated. Tomorrow will see the European servers undergo a similar process, with Crom, Hyrkania, and Ishtar merging into a single PvE mashup and Fury, Aquilonia, and Stygia joining forces as the remaining PvP shard.

Funcom has thrown up a server merge FAQ for your reading pleasure during the downtime, and in it you'll find details on everything from duplicate character names to duplicate guild names to the fate of guild-controlled battlekeeps. "Since build spots for battlekeeps are limited on each server, all build spots will be cleared and guilds will be reimbursed the resources for their battlekeep. This is to make sure that the guild gets the needed resources again and every guild gets the same chance," says the FAQ.

Read up on all the details at the official AoC forums.

Age of Conan merging U.S. servers today, EU tomorrow originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online's megaservers to use phasing rulesets

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 16 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Consoles, DC Universe Online

When DC Universe Online first announced its "super servers," the whole matter seemed pretty cut and dried. These were server mergers under another name, right? Well... perhaps, but perhaps not quite. As a new piece on the merger explains, the servers are going to continue to operate both the PvP and PvE rulesets as before -- players who select the PvP type will be in a phased instance with other PvP players, while PvE players will be in a separate phase.

There's also some discussion about switching phases to ensure that you and your friends wind up in the same place. The overall feel is that the team is aiming toward a Guild Wars-style environment, with a single server and multiple instances within that server. DC Universe Online players can take a look at the answers and form their own conclusions, although the fact that these servers still segregate PC and PS3 players will likely remain a sore point.

DC Universe Online's megaservers to use phasing rulesets originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 16 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online moving to super servers

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 01 May 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Consoles, DC Universe Online

Server merges are an odd thing for any game. On the one hand, they help produce more populated servers, give players more choices of companions, and generally can help keep the community more closely tied. On the other hand, they're rarely seen as a sign that the game is in good health, since it means fewer servers for players to select from. Whether you see it as a good sign or a bad one, DC Universe Online is presenting it as an unambiguously good feature, dubbing the upcoming merges as creating "super servers."

Starting with testing on the PC next week, the game will be migrating to four total servers -- two for each region (US and Europe) and two for each platform (PC and PS3) -- which means that all U.S. PC players will be on the same server. Unfortunately for many DC Universe Online players, this does mean that console and PC players will remain on separate server lists, which may prove detrimental in the long run. Players should keep their eyes open for more news regarding the merge in the coming weeks.

DC Universe Online moving to super servers originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 01 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverQuest II server merges begin today

Jef Reahard — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items

It's been quite a while since SOE announced server merges for EverQuest II. While they're not all happening at once, the big day is finally upon us for a pair of the game's under-populated shards. Blackburrow and Everfrost are down for approximately 24 hours (which began this morning at 12:00 a.m.). The new Everfrost should emerge from the ashes around midnight if all goes according to plan.

In addition to those two outages, cross-server chat, in-game mail, and friends lists on all servers may experience some shenanigans while the work is ongoing. Check out the official word on the EQII website for more information. While you're waiting, have a look at what our EQII expert Karen Bryan has to say about the changes in a server merge edition of The Tattered Notebook.

EverQuest II server merges begin today originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOE answers EQII server merge questions

Jef Reahard — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, News items

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.

SOE 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.

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The Tattered Notebook: Station cash, server merges, and musings from the community

Jef Reahard — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Tattered Notebook

Welcome to another chapter of The Tattered Notebook. There's a ton to talk about this week, as our favorite game has been making news left and right, in both its traditional and free-to-play flavors.

Pull up a chair and grab a cup of your favorite beverage as we delve into our semi-monthly look at what's turning heads and generating discussion in the EverQuest II community. As it turns out, nothing stirs the pot more than server merges (and maybe Station Cash), and in this week's edition we'll highlight a few noteworthy conversations you may have missed.

Turn the page for more.

Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Station cash, server merges, and musings from the community

The Tattered Notebook: Station cash, server merges, and musings from the community originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EQII Live server merges begin this November

Jef Reahard — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items

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.

EQII 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.

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The Mog Log: The natives are restless

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Launches, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

Allow me a little bit of woolgathering. When I started working for Massively, it was October of last year, and Final Fantasy XIV had just been announced as the official title for the game code-named "Rapture" and unofficially codenamed "the sequel to Final Fantasy XI" by everyone else who had seen a single screenshot. About four days after you read this, the game is going to be officially live for players around the world willing to shell out an extra bit of cash for various doodads and a headstart.

This is kind of baffling. Objectively, you know that the game is getting close to release, but it's not made real until the release is right at your doorstep. So before I go too far off the deep end and start thinking about things like the franchise having started when I was four, let's move on to the discussions coming out of the impending launch. And really, do come back next week when Final Fantasy XIV comes out, as I'm sure we'll have plenty of things on launch day. (Very sure, in fact.)

Continue reading The Mog Log: The natives are restless

The Mog Log: The natives are restless originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lineage II becomes one with the servers

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lineage 2, Contests

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!]

Lineage 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.

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It's the end of EverQuest's 51/50 server, but players feel fine

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, Culture, News items

Generally, MMO players don't like giving up even the smallest advantage -- but sometimes having a special server isn't as important as having people to play with. That's certainly the case for EverQuest, and it's resulted in a scenario where the game's special Mayong server is being merged with the Tunare server on September 6th. Mayong is generally known as the 51/50 server, as a character starts at level 51 with 50 AA points already earned. The intent when the server was created was to allow players who wanted to skip the level grind a chance at getting straight into the meat of the game.

As it stands now, however, the server is dramatically underpopulated. After several community discussions, the development team made the decision to merge the server, preemptively shutting down the special creation rules on Mayong. Player response has been almost universally positive -- few players are upset by the potential slowdown this implies. While the server merge itself isn't due for another month, the days of creating 51/50 characters have already ended, and players are able to get slightly discounted transfers off of Mayong if they want to move early.

[ Thanks to Jason Davenport for the tip! ]

It's the end of EverQuest's 51/50 server, but players feel fine originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CCP responds to rumour of server merger with EVE China

Brendan Drain — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, MMO industry

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."

CCP 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.

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The Daily Grind: Do server merges worry you?

Jef Reahard — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, EverQuest II, MMO industry, Opinion, Vanguard, The Daily Grind

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?

The 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.

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Aion developers acting to correct server imbalances

Rubi Bayer — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, News items

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.

Aion 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.

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Aion producer addresses legion renaming

Jef Reahard — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, News items

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.

Aion 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.

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Vanguard US server merge complete [Update]

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Events, real-world, News items, Vanguard

It's been a rough ride for players of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes over the past few months, with the dreaded "maintenance letter" back in December that left players uncertain about the game's future. That uncertainty wasn't helped when rumors began circling that the game would be merging servers, followed by a confirmation of same. As of now, the server merge is complete, with the game's population all concentrated on a single server dubbed Telon.

The good news for players is that the merge, on a whole, went fairly smoothly. There was a slight extension of the expected operation time, which is really normal when dealing with a large-scale operation. It should also help the game's players enjoy the game with a larger population to draw from. The bad news is... well, a server merge is never exactly a comforting fact for any game, and we can only hope that the long-term benefits for Vanguard outweigh the negatives.

[Update: This does not affect the EU server which is set to merge at a later date. Thank you to everyone who tipped us on this!]

Vanguard US server merge complete [Update] originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: Returning to the oldschool

Krystalle Voecks — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, EverQuest, One Shots

It's definitely been a while since we've had a look inside SOE's original MMO offering, EverQuest. Some things are comfortingly familiar, like the flat planes of floors and furniture. Other things seem strangely updated, such as Ryan's character and pet. He sent in a longer note to explain, so we'll cede the rest of the column space to him and simply remind y'all to email your images to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a note about what we're seeing. For now, on with Ryan's story, which continues behind the break as well

"This photo was taken just after I popped on today, when the servers opened up after the big server merger. I had known ahead of time that he was going to have to change his name because someone with a character sharing the same first name predated him in the server I merged with. He was born on October 22, 2002, so that's saying something."

Gallery: One Shots: Gallery II

Continue reading One Shots: Returning to the oldschool

One Shots: Returning to the oldschool originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Online Entertainment announces EverQuest server merges

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, News items

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.

Sony 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.

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Aion 1.9 patch dated, server merges announced

Jef Reahard — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, Patches, News items

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.

Aion 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.

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The breakdown of Final Fantasy XI's VanaFest 2010 announcements

Eliot Lefebvre — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Classes, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, News items

After a month of heavy anticipation from the fans, VanaFest 2010 finally has come and given us all the information that we could want about where the game is heading from here. And the show did stay focused upon Final Fantasy XI -- the only mention of Final Fantasy XIV was the announcement that its first wave of beta testing will start on March 11th with a limited number of participants. That left quite a bit of show left to detail all of the changes coming to the game.

And there was certainly a lot of news to be shared. An increase in level cap, new add-on zones, job reviews, conclusions to existing content, server merges, new seasonal gear -- there was no shortage of surprising announcements. Continue on past the cut for the short version of what came out during the show and what players can expect.

Continue reading The breakdown of Final Fantasy XI's VanaFest 2010 announcements

The breakdown of Final Fantasy XI's VanaFest 2010 announcements originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tabula Rasa server merge to affect US servers only

James Egan — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, in-game, Server downtime, News items, Tabula Rasa

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.

Tabula 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.

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