[Official] Clustering Thread

[Phuzzy]

So can we at least get a new English OF/No-ToA/No-Clustering server so we can effectively continue to play more than 1 realm?

 

[Ethild]

So can we at least get a new English OF/No-ToA/No-Clustering server so we can effectively continue to play more than 1 realm?

Adding a new servers doesn't fix anything though? We already have 2 servers. Moving everyone onto one, then making a new server to split the community in half again would be quite an odd thing to do.

It just needs to be changed to removed the odd limit of not being able to create new chars on the other realm of you are a new player. Is this a limit because of how its been implemented? Or is it a limit deliberately imposed for a reason?

 

[Boggy]

The advantage does not seem clear. We'll get more people in RvR, but it's debatable how much benefit this will give.

Conversely, the disadvantages are clear and significant.

1) ToA - the biggest area of dissatisfaction in the game - will become worse.

2) We lose the ability to create new characters on other realms without deleting.

3) The people who have chosen to play one server because they don't like the community of the other, will have the community they don't like thrust upon them.

4) Even people who DO have a second account will now be put in a difficult situation of having to cross-realm on one server if they play more than one realm.

If GOA want to make this a clear success, we'll need mitigation of the downsides. Possible mitigation strategies:

A) Give everyone a second account for free. This would preserve the status quo in terms of being able to play on a second realm.

B) Create a "Hibernate" function for characters so that we can "delete" them with the possibility of getting them back. You could provide it through a web interface so the game code didn't need to be modified.

 

[Raven]

1) ToA - the biggest area of dissatisfaction in the game - will become worse.

No it wont, it will make it better, 2 toa zones to go into, 2x artifact encounters up, more people to go on the ML raids.

2) We lose the ability to create new characters on other realms without deleting.
.

not that much of a huge deal, if you want to re-roll onto another server i am sure you can stretch to a second sub. but yeah for some people this could be a downside

3) The people who have chosen to play one server because they don't like the community of the other, will have the community they don't like thrust upon them.
.

You dont have to talk to them if you dont want to

4) Even people who DO have a second account will now be put in a difficult situation of having to cross-realm on one server if they play more than one realm.
.

This could be a bit of a problem, but these days its not just a case of hitting the relic keep (except ofc the enemy held relics)

 

[Sugah]

Completely gutted at the friday news today. This is the most stupid thing to hit this game and i can't see why 2 active servers need to be clustered. I'd prefer to see how the poll panned out i.e. what the different servers said because this will hurt prydwen alot more than excal.

 

[Dorin]

would like to know if the "you cant create a char in another realm" is something like the "impossible to add more char slots" when we had 4 only... we got 10 now ? :F

oh well nvm, clustering for the win

edit: "get a new account if you want to play another realm" this is bullshit, but the only solution atm however...

 

[Cruhar]

um...

I havent voted as im not sure at all...

I guess I want clustering as I find the RvR on Prydwen very boring, as its either optimized GGs or ubertwinked Stealther 'Alts'

Clustering the NF zone just adds twice of that, but also the more casual players, which Excalibur have more of, than Prydwen.

But twice the GGs and Stealthers and NOT twice the casuals (you dont see many casual players in Pryd as they dont dare to leave their homezone) just gives a bigger problem in a month as All casual players will be pwned twice as fast and twice as hard, so we are back at square 1.

Maybe set a RP limit of 1.000.000 rp for Prydwen NF so everyone with more than that have to go Excal NF(like the old BGs pretty much)

So IMO Cluster SI and Classic zones, and leave NF and ToA open for teleportation, + add the RP limit for Pryd NF...

BUT (I like big butts I cannot lie)

What about multi realms then... Well... Do like on Camlann, when you log on to the server you choose which realm you want to log on to (Gives you access to all 3 realms then) BUT you cannot log out of eg. Mid and then move to Hib instantly (add +1 hour timelimit) ... BUT (again) You have to be able to log on same realm just after leaving it (LDing)

SOoo here we have 3 realms, you cant switch between without 1 hour delay, but you can log on to same realm as last logon instantly.
How? well im not a programmer, but you would need 3 servers (with clustering as in point 1 imo ...) When you log on, You select to log on Alb which is server1, it sends a log to the other two, telling them not to allow your IP for an hour after logout.
If/When you LD you can still log on Alb, but not Hib/Mid for an hour after your LD/Logout... I can see this work with a small change on LOGIN-server (if it works how I think it does) but nothing major (compared to loose another part of what the US players are able to use; multi realming)

3 realms, Clustering of SI and Classic, RP limit for Prydwen NF ... can I vote for that?

 

[Cadiva]

if u now so desperatly wanna play 3 realms, im sure u can afford another account..
after all, doesnt all the roleplayers have a buff bot for all that PvE u do ?

I don't now 'so desperately' want to be able to play all three realms. I've always wanted to do that but have always been unable to without buying more than one account or playing on the PvP server or a foreign language server.

It's interesting to see the stereotype of everyone who doesn't fit into the I love PvP beyond anything else pigeon hole being labelled roleplayers.

 

[Juilie]

Voted yes
Ive returned to prydwen because i look forward to clustering happening.

After playing on the german server Avalon for a year (biggest server, population pretty much the same as prydwen and excal combined at primetime), ive found that such a number of players greatly enhance the gaming experience.

For rvr, not having to roam and wait a lot for action means great fun for me!

PvE-wise, the number of arranged ML-raids on prydwen is saddening compared to what im used to, if more people means more frequent ML raids, thats me happy. Artifacts and scrolls were never a problem on a big server like avalon, and with 2 TOA zones, i cant imagine it will be any harder on a clustered prydwen/excal.

 

[Minau]

It's interesting to see the stereotype of everyone who doesn't fit into the I love PvP beyond anything else pigeon hole being labelled roleplayers.

I use the word "roleplayer" more out of convenience(tricky word) then a bad term.
No offence to any1.

 

[Sharma]

people will leave their BB at an Excal-ToA Artifact encounter, and place their other account at the Pryd-ToA encounter...

I hate to sound selfish in any way, but if someone thinks its their god given right to camp an artifact with a buffbot, then they can bloody well piss off.

 

[Cadiva]

I hate to sound selfish in any way, but if someone thinks its their god given right to camp an artifact with a buffbot, then they can bloody well piss off.

Bet it happens tho

And Minau, no offence taken.

 

[Downanael]

I hate to sound selfish in any way, but if someone thinks its their god given right to camp an artifact with a buffbot, then they can bloody well piss off.

I would pull the arti if there was someone peel 'lil bb camping it,they not players

 

[Zagantia]

Question - New Characters post clustering

This may already been answered in this thread or elsewhere, I have looked but couldnt find full answer.

Voted No for clustering.

Currently have one account and play Hib/Excal and Alb/Pryd. Once the servers are clustered, am I prevented from creating new characters in my unused slots for these realms?

Or is it account based. i.e. If pre-clustering you have at least one character already active on Hib/Excal, post clustering you can continue to create new characters (provided name isnt already taken on either server) on Hib/Excal on that same account.

 

[Void959]

Account based, so you can create as many new chars as you like providing you aldready have a character in that realm on that account.

 

[Zagantia]

Account based, so you can create as many new chars as you like providing you aldready have a character in that realm on that account.

Thanks for the swift answer

 

[Boggy]

No it wont, it will make it better, 2 toa zones to go into, 2x artifact encounters up, more people to go on the ML raids.

Depends what server you are currently on. For pryd users it is worse because:

2 * ToA encounters BUT 2.5 * the number of people competing for them

not that much of a huge deal, if you want to re-roll onto another server i am sure you can stretch to a second sub. but yeah for some people this could be a downside

It's not a big deal that suddenly to have the same options I currently have my subs will double? So you don't think it will be a big deal if tomorrow GOA say to German players "we're doubling your subs"?

You dont have to talk to them if you dont want to

Being part of a community is not about who you talk to. It's much more complex than that and a lot of it is to do with the sort of behaviour and attitudes that you have to witness.

My first DAoC foray was on excal. I didn't take it past the free trial because I found I didn't gel with the people there. Then some months later someone advised me to try Pryd because the attitude was different, and I did. It was entirely different. Now that choice I made is being undone for me by GOA.

 

[Adianna]

It's not a big deal that suddenly to have the same options I currently have my subs will double? So you don't think it will be a big deal if tomorrow GOA say to German players "we're doubling your subs"?

You could play on a german server though... even if you don't speak German, most of us can speak English.

 

[Ctuchik]

OK, so from now on. the next smartass thats gonna create a post on the rvr boards about the oh so lame "zerg" and voted YES for clustering. SUIT YOUR BLOODY SELF!! YOU WANTED IT BY VOTING YES SO DONT COMPLAIN ABOUT ZERGING!

yeah, ul get more "rvr action" allright. in the form of massive zerging like old emain.

So dont u DARE to whine and bitch about zerging when YOU voted yes for clustering!

and to all of you that voted with all of your accounts. thats a fking lame thing to do and should make the survey invalid!

 

[Xxcalibur]

less cry dude, u losed, end of story

 

[Sarumancer]

Not sure how to vote.

I want clustering on the RVR, but I dont want even more bitching and whining over pve nonsense, scrolls and artifacts are already nightmares for the 'non hardcore', if they made 1 toa zone for both servers youre going to end up with 2x as many trying to get an already small amount of things, it`ll suck harder than amedor does.

More people in rvr would be good, keep pve seperate.

Oh and dear Goa, since english speaking players STILL have less opportunities than French or german (or italian) on the Euro servers, given we could only try 2 realms. AND that youre now reducing that so that people can only realistically play on 1 realm(with the cool down and no creating new toons). WHY should we be paying the same amount as the rest of Europe, WHY are we paying teh same FOR LESS options in the game?

Are GOA prepared to give us extra credit (say a few extra days each sub) for being on pryd/excal (caveat, to stop sneaky buggers moving over, you have to have been on those servers over 6 months to qualify), since youre effectively shutting down an already limited 'other realm' option. Also given that the patches are delayed for translation meaning the english speaking servers are treated as 2nd class (or feel that they are). Will there be a shift in patching procedure to compensate? Perhaps we get the patches when they hit the US (pass testing ofc), and DONT have to wait for you to translate for the French/Germans/Italians (yes I know you dont run it, but the point stands), as compensation for having LESS opportunties than the other languages.

It would only be fair compensation Goa.

 

[- English -]

dont u worry, ill sure wajn

 

[UndyingAngel]

Not sure how to vote.

I want clustering on the RVR, but I dont want even more bitching and whining over pve nonsense, scrolls and artifacts are already nightmares for the 'non hardcore', if they made 1 toa zone for both servers youre going to end up with 2x as many trying to get an already small amount of things, it`ll suck harder than amedor does.

More people in rvr would be good, keep pve seperate.

Oh and dear Goa, since english speaking players STILL have less opportunities than French or german (or italian) on the Euro servers, given we could only try 2 realms. AND that youre now reducing that so that people can only realistically play on 1 realm(with the cool down and no creating new toons). WHY should we be paying the same amount as the rest of Europe, WHY are we paying teh same FOR LESS options in the game?

Are GOA prepared to give us extra credit (say a few extra days each sub) for being on pryd/excal (caveat, to stop sneaky buggers moving over, you have to have been on those servers over 6 months to qualify), since youre effectively shutting down an already limited 'other realm' option. Also given that the patches are delayed for translation meaning the english speaking servers are treated as 2nd class (or feel that they are). Will there be a shift in patching procedure to compensate? Perhaps we get the patches when they hit the US (pass testing ofc), and DONT have to wait for you to translate for the French/Germans/Italians (yes I know you dont run it, but the point stands), as compensation for having LESS opportunties than the other languages.

It would only be fair compensation Goa.

you need to look at the big picture.. tbfh..
1, There are new scroll drop rates.. and as of next patch scrolls are easyer to get.. even for the casual player.
2, Artifact Drop rates have been increased.
3, There will be more ML raids avilable for ppl as you can join ppl on the other server when they are doing artifacts etc..
4, You will be able to make new friends that play on the excel server.. i
5, It will give move 8v8 fights in RvR as there will be more GG's out

sure there will tell be the good old stealth zerg/alb zerg/tower campers/bridge camper/ but with more ppl to play with in rvr you can look else where for the fun
Im playing on the Galahead/MLF cluster in the US and its great fun with all the ppl out nice fight.. else killing all the albs such easy rps xD mid rox tbh

also we are always 1 patch behind the US server this will never change, as for waiting to translations for other server.. I ashume.. you dont read much.. translation doesnt take that long.. its converting the code to run on the GoA server which is slightly differnt from the US server!. Get over it most ppl did a long time again.

 

[Dancingboner]

I voted No.

1) How exactly are increasing player numbers going to increase 8V8 fights? Surely the more people you have the more likely they are to run together in a zerg.. also how is more people in RVR going to "spread them out" - there will just be zergs where there was once the odd FG..

2) I already have lag issues in RVR which is why I rarely do it. For people who can't afford a gig of ram it'd be suicide. I ran in a FG a few weeks back, came across another FG and was dead before I even saw them.

3) If Prydwen is indeed the lower population - a WoW style character transfer whereby characters can be transfered from Prydwen to Excal could be another route? It'd mean that the people who like their casual not so laggy RVR could play on Prydwen still and all the FOTM zerglings can run around making Excal a worse place to play.

Atleast that way people can still fanny around with different realms.

4) Would it kill you to do some decent advertisement before resorting to irreversable potentially drastic measures? Try increasing server population with a decent TV advert campaign or something. I've not seen one bit of advertisement in the UK in the 3 years that I've had the game.

5) There are a lot more things you can do before you are forced to cluster. By making leveling easier (free levels and camp bonus and task dungeons) you've made it possible to level to 45+ solo much easier. Draw in some new blood, wait a month or two and watch your RVR numbers increase. (aswell as your profits)

In short: If clustering turns out to be a big mistake it could kill the game as its not reversable. So surely in the interests of your profits, jobs and the community as a whole - it'd be better to try other methods of increasing RVR numbers.

As for the people with 7 accounts they shouldn't be able to vote with more than 1 account from the same name/address cos its not giving a true representation of the communities opinion.

 

[Boggy]

You could play on a german server though... even if you don't speak German, most of us can speak English.

It's not the people that worry me. It's the not being able to understand the screen controls and dialogues. If the client is all in German, how do I use it?

you need to look at the big picture.. tbfh..
1, There are new scroll drop rates.. and as of next patch scrolls are easyer to get.. even for the casual player.
2, Artifact Drop rates have been increased.

The real big picture is that the scroll/arti drop rates were improved to make ToA more bearable. If you then reduce the improvement by increasing the competition for them, you're back at square 1 with TOA remaining a nightmare.

 

[Leel]

Will be fun to play against my realm mates on mid excal, but I don't like the fact that we on hib pryd have to deal with the excal hibbies in arti zones. And as I see it, less chance for soloing, more getting rolled by fg's that presumably only want fg fights. I did vote yes in the first poll, but now I'm not so sure, and haven't voted in it. Also, I really really dislike the 1 hour switch, for aforementioned reasons. Meaning if I exp an alt, farm some scrolls on hib pryd or whatever, and am asked to help with an arti on mid excal, I can't, or if my healer is wanted for a gg on mid, I have to wait an hour, it's not really an issue. At least make it some silly timer like 15 mins so it's bearable.

 

[Evergrey]

Dont cluster please, just dont atleast not the PvE (excal--->pryd [hib] zone. I dont want moore greedy EXCAL fuckheads camping artis and charging insane prices for items :s

 

[Sarumancer]

1 patch behind ? get over it?

Um, we've been up to 4 patches behind the US servers, been playing since beta, so no, I wont get over it.

We pay the same amount, have less choice, have no csrs, have to wait for patches, have had to put up with a less than ideal service, no advertisement which hurt the game numbers and other issues.

yet I should just get over it.


lemme tell ya something bubba, I love this game, but it doesnt mean it doesnt have flaws and things that can be improved. Im working and living in the USA right now, if a US company was doing half the stuff GOA was getting away with, theyd be getting law suits thrown at them so fast their eyeballs would be spinning.

Im not after a reward or compensation, just even an acknowledgement that unlike the French and German servers, the english speaking servers have NOT been treated well. They got advertising campaigns and offers and trials (and test servers), we got.... one poxy page in the back of Pc gamer over a year ago, right, nice. They have a chance to play on all realms because they ahve 3+ servers, we have 2 and a pvp server all other players get access to. Patches are delayed, when IN english, so as to allow for translation, we get to wait and wait and wait, oh because all the other servers would flood the 2 english speaking ones, no, no they wont, they wont leave their friends permanently, they wont leave their artifacted toa'd chars just to see, they wont keep logging and patching, that`ll get annoying. I can understand testing period to ensure it doesnt break custom goa code, but NOT the current time lag.

So remind me, or explain to me, why I should be happy that Im paying the same amount as everyone else, yet some of the others are getting 'preferential' treatment ? Would YOU be happy if you went into a resteraunt and everyone ordered a burger and chips and some people got handed a triple decker burger with bacon and extra cheese, and you got a single burger in a slightly burnt bun, yet at the end of the meal you all were charged the same amount. I know I wouldnt be amused, this is EXACTLY whats going on at hte moment.

to be fair Goa have improved in leaps and bounds lately, long may that continue, but c'mon the 2 english speaking servers (the pvp server is a poxy dung hole, its not a true choice), are'nt being treated right.

 

[Adianna]

It's not the people that worry me. It's the not being able to understand the screen controls and dialogues. If the client is all in German, how do I use it?

My client interface is mostly English on German servers. All client messages can will be in English unless you change the update.dat from english to german. (You won't be able to reply with the "R" key though if you don't patch it.) If you patch the client to German, well it still works the same way as the English one, except all descriptions will be in German instead of English of course. Still some things will remain English, slash commands will always be the same for example.

For quests and so on, okay, there you'll need someone to help you either translating it or knowing it. RvR messages, hit messages and so on are easily learned. They shouldn't be any problem.

 

[Aerendur]

I voted No.

I did so for several reasons. The main one however is playing two sides of the same battle.

You get easier cross-realming. Stuff like Relic Raids will get more spies and thus have a less chance of getting done. Or you do it with a more select group (so less fun for the casual players that like to join)

I do realise pryd could use a slight boost, but if you want to do that. Id still prefer combining with a french or German server. Language barrier is no excuse, most german/french people speak english. And many other people speak either German or French as well. (I for example speak German, French and English)

If you combine servers. Id like to see only the frontiers mixed. And keep the rest as it is. Looking at general economic behavior, prices always go up when markets get combined. Usually ending up between 85% and 110% of the highest market price previous to combining.

And this keeps at least a part of that old community feeling.

Thats my 2 cents.