Back up server discussion

With Crystal Desert confirmed as our "home" server, I promised a certain couple of our members that I would open the discussion for a "back up" server so that members who struggle to get onto Crystal Desert can all play on the same server instead of being scattered across multiple worlds.

I have reservations about the idea but I'll let you guys have your feedback before I make a post of my own (so I don't skew any opinions).

Time is against us and I have a feeling that "yes" would beat "no" if I made a simple poll. So instead I have made a server choice with an option for "none".

Please consider picking a server as voting "yes" to having a back-up server and give your full opinion in a reply below.

Thanks,

Halish

I voted yes for a backup (Fergusons Crossing because I think it was a low pop). I don't care which one - seems it would be a good choice to pick a low population server - or pick the same server the other LGBT guilds are using as a backup.

To be "CRYSTAL" clear - first and foremost without any confusion - the goal is to get on Crystal Desert ASAP.

But you know there are some folks that won't be able to join right away and CD has the potential to fill up - for an unknown length of time.

I think pooling the 'latecomers' is important so they can take advantage of a consolidated Guild Influence bank.

1 - Guild Influence accumulates per server and can only be spent on that server.

2 - Guild Upgrades and Boost only apply to the players on the server in which they are built.

If everyone waiting to join Crystal Desert is spreadout on multiple servers - the Guild influence is spreadout and takes longer to accumulate. Suggesting a dedicated 'waiting' server will allow SWVG latecomers to play together AND build influence for them to use while waiting.

Remember - we are not talking about guild mates who CHOOSE not to join Crystal Desert. We are talking about creating a temporary home for those who CANNOT join Crystal Desert right away.

Thanks my 2 copper.

I never really ran into this in beta, so I'm not sure, but do they basically lock a server after too many people join or something?

I voted for Ferguson's Crossing like Kerstov to start making a pack, but I really do not care where we go for back up, as long as we are together. I'd be just as OK with it if you appoint one server for the guild.

Quote by JoeG

I never really ran into this in beta, so I'm not sure, but do they basically lock a server after too many people join or something?

Yes, when the server is 'full', no new player can make that server their home. I assume you can still create new characters, not sure dough. This is to avoid having to many people in one place or to many people shoved off to the overload servers.

Quote by Halish

a "back up" server so that members who struggle to get onto Crystal Desert can all play on the same server instead of being scattered across multiple worlds.

I'd say we pick whatever the other gay guilds pick. So i didn't vote.

What is the contingency plan when on day two or three Crystal Desert is full? I assume we will all get one free server move the first few days, or at least a free move to a less populated server. Do we wait hoping that the server will be unlocked when people level up?

I just think this causes so much confusion.. just look at this thread.. already a lot of confusion just talking about it... just seems to me like we are inventing problems.. but whatever..

Quote by Kael

With the free sever transfers for a period of time after launch, hopefully this will be a non-issue, as people will be moving and spots will be frequently opening on busy servers.

Was this confirmed or is it a rumor?

EDIT: NVM
http://www.guildwars2guru.com/topic/49312-switching-servers-at-no-cost-on-release/

Quote by Deyadissa

Quote by Kael

With the free sever transfers for a period of time after launch, hopefully this will be a non-issue, as people will be moving and spots will be frequently opening on busy servers.

Was this confirmed or is it a rumor?

It was confirmed! http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/07/20/guild-wars-2-chat-with-game-designer-mike-zadorojny/

First of all, players will be able to move servers at will for a while after release so that they can play with their friends. Since the game is launching with the ability to switch servers, it should come as no surprise that, in the event that ANet needs to open new servers, players will immediately be able to transfer servers (for free if you're coming from select crowded realms). People also have the option to "guest" on servers, allowing them to play with friends from other servers (unless you want to enter WvWvW with them, in which case, you will need to switch servers). That still doesn't fix the "Oops! I created on the wrong server and have to pay for a transfer" situation, so Mike said that ArenaNet will have a warning up after release so that new players will understand what might lock them into a server. However, people playing the beta test will notice that the warning has already been implemented!

They should really rework on what full servers do. I'm not sure if they are based on the total population on the server or the ones currently logged in. Because as soon as the beta starts, it already shows the server full... but there was no que for any of the zones to overflow.

I'm going to guess and say it counts the total active population towards a player cap, doesn't matter which time of day it is... it will always stay full.

You can't transfer to a full server, and you cannot make it your home world either.

THe free transfers they will be giving will be off Crystal Desert, not into it. So if people join the guild thats not in the home server, they can never do WvWvW with most of the guild.

It's nice not to have queues, but its a bit ridiculous when guilds have to split servers or even leave one because the server is full... i'd rather wait in line to log in honestly.

Quote by Thrumdi

In regards to Full servers, I think it is only applicable at the exact moment you log in. If the server name on the list reads Full, you can't transfer or create a new account.

However, if you access the server list at a different time, and the server is not Full (it's High, Medium, Low etc.), I think you can go ahead and transfer or create your account there.

Don't quote me on that, but I think that's how it works.

If that's the case, then it just a matter of picking a quiet time to try and get on CD.

Problem is though, the sever population is not factored by the amount of people logged in... but rather how many total players are on it. I believe it works that way because of overflow servers, since they can always move the extra people in another server.

I logged on a few times in the stress tests and noticed that crystal desert was always full no matter what time it was, even when 2 stress tests ago it started 15 minutes earlier than its schedule time.


This is why I highly suggest we pick another server, but I may be taking it out of proportion. I'm just worried about the members that may be left behind if this is the case.

I tried to explain to Guildwars 2 guru here and someone chimed in:

Ugh. What I am reading here?
This whole argument seems pointless as it's nitpicking over meaningless details.

Listen, you don't have to agree with Deyadissa on all her/his points but she/he knows what she/he is talking about. I am a member of the GW2 RP community and in order to make RP work without an RP tag it requires a lot of community building. This has required a lot of monitoring as we try to get other RPers to gather on the same server. We have monitored the server population over the BWE's because for our community we must. I understand if it is not a problem for you but for others it is a very serious problem.

As it is now, I can back up Deyadissa when she/he says that once a server hits full no one can roll there. Our members have had trouble getting onto the server we wanted to use over the various BWE's and have spent nearly entire weekends not being able to get on the server we picked. The size will change because the developers -have- been tweaking with server capacity. And people still can server transfer during this time.

But, yes, it is a problem in this sense.

Basically, it can be a huge problem but servers can always be increased.

This makes me very nervous, since I likely won't be able to log in on first head start day. Why would we pick a server that has a real chance of leaving members high and dry (Crystal Desert humor)?

I never had the chance to login in as the servers were turned on.. I had to wait until I got home and had to login at prime time.. Yes CD was full... I kept trying even though it said full, less then five minutes I was in.. Not only that but I looked again a little later and ANet had changed capacity so it was no longer full.. All releases are frantic, just be patient and keep trying..

If you really want a name and can't get into CD, I can't blame anyone for logging onto another server temporarily and transferring when things calm down a little..

Quote by Thrumdi

I'm following your thread at Guru, and it could be a real problem, in that new Stonewall members may never be able to get onto CD.

However, this would be a problem with any server we choose (though more of a risk with one that is initially popular like CD).

It all depends though on if ArenaNet is going to enforce a hard server cap or not. As you point out at Guru, that cap appears to exist because of WvW limits. This makes me pessimistic that it will ever be significantly increased from what it is now.

If this is the case, a low-pop backup server like Ferguson's Crossing might be a necessity if new Stonewall recruits can't get on CD ever, or have to pay to do so. This raises the real risk, however, that FC could gradually become the unofficial LGBT server, as new gamers find it easier to flock there.

But what happens once FC's become full? Do we have to choose a 2nd official back-up after that?

This is the system ArenaNet is going with, and I guess we just have to come up with a plan to deal with it.

That is my theory, the overflow technology is well capable of having everyone on a single server with no caps simply because its all instanced.

I believe there are limitations to it to prevent server neglect (I.e, why would anyone roll ehre when this is the best!) and to prevent massive WvWvW queue times, since it cannot be put on overflow. (Simply due to design, it's just impossible!)


This is why I think there should be no overflow, but rather go back to traditional queues and allow guesting to be freely used. If the queue is too long, guest in a lower populated realm. If the zone is too crowded, change channels/districts (sort of like Aion)

Honestly this wouldn't be much of a problem if it wasn't for the fact that anyone out of home server is ineligible for server perks.


It's a huge problem because like I said in nearly every MMO launch I have been in, all of the launch servers get full... then they start creating new servers.


My best suggestion to anyone is to prepare to be segregated. You WANT to choose the high population realms. Because we are guaranteed a transfer from a high pop realm to a new server. We'll be split up the first week or so, but we may have to transfer to a completely new server all together.


Also, there is a very high probability that if they launch new servers... Eternal Grove will return.

Quote by Thrumdi

Yeah, we might have to consider transferring en masse in the first week.

The alternative might be to have Guild chapters on different servers. However, because guild perks are server bound, and WvW will need intense co-operation, this would probably lead to break-away Guilds.

In another sense, the whole LGBT community might want to prepare to become permanently "nomadic". We might have to periodically transfer to low pop servers if we want to keep all LGBT guilds on the same server.

Certainly a strange way to do business, but it's the result of how ArenaNet set up their servers.

That is the worst case scenario. This will only happen if there are continually new people buying the game and everyone keeps playing as much as they did when they started playing the game. At launch people will be playing a lot. Shortly after launch a lot of new people will buy the game. The number of new players will decrease though. The amount of time one player is online will decrease too. If they don't unlock servers, after a while a lot of accounts on that server would be less active or inactive.

Arenanet has chosen to limit the number of servers at launch. I assume they want to avoid having to merge servers a few months after launch. At launch they'll want to spread out the community, so i expect the popular servers to be 'full' quickly. When people move away from the starting zones i expect them to unlock these servers.

you guys are seriously making a mountain out of a mole hill...

first transfers are not one way, so yes folks will be able to transfer to CD... second there is not a hard cap that once reached no one will EVER be able to move to CD.. you're working yourselves into a panic on assumptions that aren't even true..

at the very worse (only if you can't wait) you might have to play on another server for a few hours..

Quote by MMOWarrior

you guys are seriously making a mountain out of a mole hill...

first transfers are not one way, so yes folks will be able to transfer to CD... second there is not a hard cap that once reached no one will EVER be able to move to CD.. you're working yourselves into a panic on assumptions that aren't even true..

at the very worse (only if you can't wait) you might have to play on another server for a few hours..

First - I hope it's not an issue.. but you are right about the assumptions.. there are many including some of your own. As to the mountain and molehill - I feel the ones voting against it - are making a bigger deal than it should be.

This is ultimately about planning for the "what if I cannot join Stonewall Vanguard on Crystal Desert because it's full for (unknown amount of time)". We hope no one runs into this potential problem - or it's very few people at best and it's short.

Why are we against planning for a TEMPORARY backup server so guildmates play together on the same server while they wait to transfer to CD?

Crystal Desert guildmates will be able to enjoy Upgrades and Bonuses within a day or two - but individuals spreadout on multiple servers will have to wait longer because their influence didn't build as quickly.

If we plan for it and everyone is able to get on CD in a "few hours" as you state - it's a great and wonderful thing.

But if someone has to spend a week on another server - why not have them enjoy their time with other guild mates?

Quote by Kerstov

Quote by MMOWarrior

you guys are seriously making a mountain out of a mole hill...

first transfers are not one way, so yes folks will be able to transfer to CD... second there is not a hard cap that once reached no one will EVER be able to move to CD.. you're working yourselves into a panic on assumptions that aren't even true..

at the very worse (only if you can't wait) you might have to play on another server for a few hours..

First - I hope it's not an issue.. but you are right about the assumptions.. there are many including some of your own. As to the mountain and molehill - I feel the ones voting against it - are making a bigger deal than it should be.

This is ultimately about planning for the "what if I cannot join Stonewall Vanguard on Crystal Desert because it's full for (unknown amount of time)". We hope no one runs into this potential problem - or it's very few people at best and it's short.

Why are we against planning for a TEMPORARY backup server so guildmates play together on the same server while they wait to transfer to CD?

Crystal Desert guildmates will be able to enjoy Upgrades and Bonuses within a day or two - but individuals spreadout on multiple servers will have to wait longer because their influence didn't build as quickly.

If we plan for it and everyone is able to get on CD in a "few hours" as you state - it's a great and wonderful thing.

But if someone has to spend a week on another server - why not have them enjoy their time with other guild mates?

I agree with you and MMOwarrior: I voted for the temp server for exactly the purpose you stated above.

The very minor issue is: This should not have been a debate or a vote or lengthy posts and polls ....which MMOwarrior said very accurately in an earlier posts.....more or less...this is adding "confusion" here.

This (respectfully) should have been:

If something happens and you can't get on CD right away then here XXXXXXX - XXXXXX is where you go temporarily until you can join CD. (Period)

Opening this up for discussion just lead to what is happening now "confusion" as nice as the gesture was to give choices and different voices to be heard....this called for 1 decision maker....all the rest say, "okay."

;)

Quote by Kerstov

But if someone has to spend a week on another server - why not have them enjoy their time with other guild mates?

I think that's just fine, no problem...

I just wanted to calm down this talk of NEVER being able to transfer, one way transfers, nomadic tribes of queers, etc.. because people do take these things to heart..

Siafu well said..

Is everyone forgetting that the free transfers are for population control? One does not simply transfer to Crystal Desert. The transfer work by moving high pop realms into lower populated ones.

They wouldn't make free transfer to high populated realms, it will just make everything worse.

I also think we need to talk to the other gay guilds for a backup server as well. Because it is very likely that we will be fragmented for the first few weeks.