World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

[Toksyuryel]

Starting March 8, 2007, players will be able to create new characters on the World of their choice. Up until now, Worlds would be randomly assigned to characters upon their creation, while only players with World Passes could join their friends. However, with this new adjustment, all players, even ones without World Passes, will have the option to select their realm at the character selection screen.
Originally, the World Pass system was introduced to maintain a balance among all the Worlds and prevent overpopulation. However, with the continued stablization of each World's adventurer community and recent technical advances in server technology, it has been determined that allowing players to create new characters on Worlds of their choice would not greatly affect the current population balance.
In conjunction with this change, we have updated the character creation screen to include a new pull-down window from which players can select the World of their choice. Also, additional characters added to an account will no longer be automatically assigned to the same World as the first character. Players will be free to choose where they wish that new character to reside, be it the same World, or a completely different one.
Finally, the development team is continuing their work on World selection by making preparations for a new service that will allow players to move their characters to different Worlds. Please keep a close watch on the Topics page for further updates on this exciting feature.

*While all World Passes will become void after March 8, 2007, Gold World Passes will continue to be distributed to players who wish to purchase them. Any adventurers who would like to invite their friends to Vana'diel can still utilize the Gold World Pass feature and take advantage of the special benefits this unique system has to offer.
To access a beginner's guide to FINAL FANTASY XI, click here.


Original article: http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics...20/detail.html

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

I have mixed feelings about this. It's good they finally gave the choice, that should have been available from day one to be honest. The other side of the equation is it now opens the door for gil-sellers to target whichever server is low in RMT population as previously they used to spam the hell out of the Alla forums asking for world passes.

Additionally, one of the reasons this option was never available in the past was supposed to be the fact it ensured certain servers didn't get overcrowded, is this now an acknowledgement from S-E that they don't think this is an issue anymore with the slowly reducing server populations.

[Jei]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

Easier for gilsellers to choose servers now after mass banning. I think it makes a lot of sense.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

Exelent upgrade! specially for all new players and maybe some old ones that wanna change server residence
Grats to SE! ^^

[hongman]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

Do i get a refund for the gil spent on World Passes?

Oh look, I just saw some flying bacon!

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

Finally, the development team is continuing their work on World selection by making preparations for a new service that will allow players to move their characters to different Worlds.

Well, there's only one thing to say to that proclaimation: Bye-bye "LS equipment".

Should be some amusing flames on Allakhazam about Player X made some mule Y, then move mule Y along with "super blah breast plate of doom" belonging to UberRulyHNMhunterz LS to some new server.

Also, watch RMT's to move gils from "cheap" server to "expensive" ones, then and have IGE claim that as their greatest service to player base ever by "addressing the gil purchasing power imbalance between worlds."

This is possibly the dumbest idea the FFXI dev team came up with in a long time. -_-

[Wise Donkey]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

I think this is a great idea. It makes getting to the server you want to be on easier. I really don't think that SE is gonna make it too easy to server hop either. I am sure there will be restrictions on what you can take and how often you can actually do it.

[Pawkeshup]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

Well, there's only one thing to say to that proclaimation: Bye-bye "LS equipment".

Should be some amusing flames on Allakhazam about Player X made some mule Y, then move mule Y along with "super blah breast plate of doom" belonging to UberRulyHNMhunterz LS to some new server.

Also, watch RMT's to move gils from "cheap" server to "expensive" ones, then and have IGE claim that as their greatest service to player base ever by "addressing the gil purchasing power imbalance between worlds."

This is possibly the dumbest idea the FFXI dev team came up with in a long time. -_-

While I share your concern, take a look at WoW. There is a fairly large fee involved with the move, and a 60 day period you have to stay at the new server. I doubt gilsellers would bother with the service, they'll just spam the server with mules. Oh, and as for gilsellers spamming a server with character, all it takes is to get one person on there, then they can invite as many as they want. So that's likewise a non-issue.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

I doubt gilsellers would bother with the service, they'll just spam the server with mules.

I think you may have misunderstood.

Here's an example: I picked a random server, Asura, and compared to Ifrit, where I'm from. According to IGE, 50 million Gil is currently $1925 on Asura, but only $1715 on Ifrit.

What if IGE moves one billion gil from Ifrit (where it's cheap) to Asura (where it's expensive)? That would be $38,500 vs. $34,300, or an additional revenue of $4200 for 10 min of work and maybe 100,000 gil, depending on what S-E charges for moving server per character (if S-E charges anything).

As a manager at IGE, would you order your RMT troop to move that 1 billion Gil? Nah, no way--you'd move 100 billion, instead. Why just make $4200 more, when you can make $420,000 more?

What do you think will happen to economy on Asura when all that 100 billion Gil is pumped into the economy? (Other than Asura'ns will be whining a lot?) What happens if EVERY RMT company out there start to do the same to Asura at the same time, for the same reason?

* * *

I think S-E is finally caving into people's demand for Eruo/NA/JP specific server, except they want to let the player sort out which is which, instead of telling us where to go. That's why they are letting us pick worlds to create characters on, and going to let us migrate on demand.

While I don't think the picking world on new character will have much of a (bad) impact, allowing migration on demand means any time you want, you can get away to new server with no one from the old server to reprimand you for bad behavior, and without the penalty of starting from scratch. It would be too tempting.

What free migration ultimately means is looser community ties. While many people do feel tied down and think they want freedom, those ties serve to guide players to behave in a socially acceptable manner. Less ties, more "crimes".

While the cynics would say it could hardly be worse than what we have now, I think if it's implemented, we'll be looking back to 2006/2007 as "the good old days when you can actually trust people" a few years down the road.

* * *

If server depopulation is the problem they are trying to solve, a better solution is to merge smaller worlds, not to encourage community destroying, random migrations. Transplant the entire community as a whole, instead of tearing it apart one person at a time.

[hongman]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

While I would love to be on a server where I knew more GB players on...I wouldnt move now anyway. I couldnt, too many NA friends, and I also am getting to know more and more GB players, who are always on the same time as me.

I wonder what restrictions SE would/could put in place to stop GS's from exploiting it? I guess thats what they are discussing now. Wouldnt surprise me if they had an employee scouting forums to see what we are all suggesting

Limit on how much Gil can be moved per transfer, per char? I suppose there is always a way round that though....its gonna be interesting to see what happens short and long term.

[Tekumel]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

I really have mixed feelings on this one.

On one hand, I wish they'd done this earlier. Y'know, before I ended up on my fourth server, after various r/l friends came & went through the game, and I was silly enough to follow them.

On the other hand, I SERIOUSLY hope they put in some significant countermeasures against server hopscotch... the ones that immediately jump to mind would be:
1.) A "cooldown period", as mentioned above. You must wait XX amount of days before changing servers again. Preferably somewhere in the 60-90 range.
2.) A limited number of hops per ACCOUNT. I would say character, but all that would mean is rolling a new mule.
3.) A fee significant enough to give pause to those changing servers. I'm not saying $100 to change, but if you really wanted to change servers to play with friends, or to escape the evil overlords of your current server, would it be worth $10?

I dunno. I just don't wanna see mules being used as cracked out interserver delivery boxes to make money wherever it's easiest...and let's face it, it's not just RMT that'd be doing this. Hell, given the resources & a truly open server changing system, I think a good chunk of people would be interserver farming.

[MisterCookie]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

This is possibly the dumbest idea the FFXI dev team came up with in a long time. -_-

PlayerBase>> Wahh!!! We can't choose our servers without going through this arcane world pass system!!
**After new system**
PlayerBase>> Waahh!! The CGFs have a slightly easier time choosing servers!

Remember folks, when FFXI first released one of the biggest complaints by reviewers centered around not being able to choose a server.

[Icemage]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

The server economy balance should stabilize over time as people drift from one place to another. There may also be costs or conditions to moving your character.

Let's wait and see what happens.

Moved to News on FFXI!


Icemage

[Shinhiryu_Kage]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

Ah man.... that's kinda cool. FF11 is finally going more mainstream! lol

Now, if only SE would make it where, if you get all of your missions done and can keep that, but allow you to change characters.................

[Malevolent]

Re: World Selection Made Easier! (03/02/2007)

This is awesome...I'll be able to go back to Siren and party it up with my friends.