Vanguard chatter

[shiznitz]

So the first statement from SOE, via Gilbertson as Producer, asserts that server mergers are coming. This, of course, is being met with suspicion by all house owners.

The latest Test Server patch notes (5/31) has nothing major, but mentions that the cash value for vendor loot is changing. Not clear which direction, but it has to be up since it cannot go much lower than a dozen copper for most items.

[Venkman]

Ouch. Server merges with houses in a persistent public space. I can't imagine how they'd resolve those overlaps.

[Nebu]

Ouch. Server merges with houses in a persistent public space. I can't imagine how they'd resolve those overlaps.

Condos? 

[Hutch]

Ouch. Server merges with houses in a persistent public space. I can't imagine how they'd resolve those overlaps.

Condos? 

Instancing!

[Numtini]

First come, first served. Anyone who loses a space goes to the top of the queue for another one. A lot of programming though.

[Count Nerfedalot]

Ouch. Server merges with houses in a persistent public space. I can't imagine how they'd resolve those overlaps.

Condos? 

Just stack them.

[NiX]

Is this the fastest a MMO has merged servers?

[Trippy]

AA merged servers pretty fast too. Vanguard still may be the quickest, though. Would have to do some Googling to know for sure.

[Numtini]

I think things have shown you're a lot better off merging than not. I know Turbine took a load of grief on the boards for not opening up a ton of servers for LOTRO, but in the end it'll turn out ot be a very wise decision.

[Venkman]

Well, there's a difference between merging servers on a list and merging actual hardware. I have no idea what the corrolation is. I do remember some conversation about how LoTRO had "less" servers than others and therefore showed Turbine was predicting a more modest success. The point raised in response was that LoTRO servers are capable of hosting a lot more concurrent avatars than, say, WoW or EQ1, so there didn't need to be as many servers in the displayed list because each one could handle, say, the equivalent or four or five from WoW.

Not sure about the numbers since I've never been able to verify, but it's a point to discuss.

I think AA was quicker to merge servers, but VG was quicker to announce pending merges.

[Strazos]

DDO merged fairly quickly as well, yes?

[eldaec]

I think Planetside might have beaten all of them - though for different reasons. PS found they needed more ppl per server than they originally thought in order to keep the action going.

[caladein]

AA merged servers pretty fast too. Vanguard still may be the quickest, though. Would have to do some Googling to know for sure.

AA launched mid-April 06 and the earliest news I see of a server merge puts it at mid-July 06. So... (a few days short of) three months for AA.

[CharlieMopps]

Well, with Vanguard I think they actually wanted to merge the servers a long time ago but put it off due to all the other issues with the game.

What will happen to the home owners? Who cares, most prolly got their homes with duped money anyways. How is SOE going to fix the duping issues? hmm... Character whipes? Or at least, whipe property and money?

As far as LOTRO goes... the servers are already pretty over populated. I'd actually like to see some more servers added. Maybe the big patch coming this month will include a new town so Bree won't be so over crowded?

[Venkman]

I think Planetside might have beaten all of them - though for different reasons. PS found they needed more ppl per server than they originally thought in order to keep the action going.

The PS server merges were announced in December '03, seven months after it's May launch. Not sure when they were actually done, but VG has only been live three months by comparison. I can't find exactly when North American DDO servers merged (which makes me wonder if they did?), but the European ones did so this past February, a full year after the game launched.

[Azazel]

Woot~!

Vanguard comes first at something~!!

[shiznitz]

Server merger plan announced, but no date set. 13 servers down to 5, assuming Florendyl (RP server) elects to stay as is.

http://forums.station.sony.com/vg/posts/list.m?topic_id=11599

Servers


There will be 2 US PVE, 1 EU PVE, and 1 US PVP server.
Thunderaxe, Woefeather, and Gulgrethor would merge into server A PVE
Targonor, Hilsbury, Flamehammer and Shidreth would merge into sever B PVE
Tharridon, Varking, and Frengrot would merge into sever C PVP FFA
Gelenia and Infineum would merge into server D EU PVE
For Florendyl we will be soliciting feedback via a poll and discussion as to whether or not the players think it should be merged.
We are open to considering the option of leaving it up with the understanding that the population is way under what it needs to be to be healthy but we wouldn't recommend it.
 

All existing servers will go away and everyone will be moved to new servers.
We will post a poll so you can vote on the new server names.
PVP players will be able to move to PVP OR PVE servers.
PVE players will only be able to move to PVE servers.
PVP rule set will be FFA.
Each character will get one free server move after the merge.

 
Character Naming


Characters name priority is based on
First created, if also played within the last 30 days
Last Played
Those characters that have name collisions will be marked, and upon next login will have to choose a new name before that character can log in.
 
Housing


The price for the player's plot is refunded to the player in coin.
The resources used to generate the house are refunded to the player via the housing resource escrow.
The current upkeep balance will be refunded to the character
Fixtures and items in the house will be placed in the escrow.
 
Boats


Boats will be marked as needing to be named.
 
VGPlayers issues


We are still working out the specifics on this.
 
Corpses left in the world


All corpses will go away.
Any items left on corpses will go to your escrow account.
Exp on the corpse will be returned to you.
 
Mail


Any pending mail will be returned to sender.
 
Friends list


We are still working out the specifics on this.
 
Guild names


We are still working out the specifics on this.
 
Market items


Items in the market will be returned via mail.

[NiX]

Well, at least they're giving stuff back. I like the way they're handling the corpse issue especially with the XP. Someone keep us updated on how the actual merges end up. It's all nice and pretty in writing, but it may flop hard when it comes down to implementation.

[Miasma]

The housing thing is pretty interesting, it basically means there is going to be a land rush to get the plots when the new servers come up...

[shiznitz]

The housing thing is pretty interesting, it basically means there is going to be a land rush to get the plots when the new servers come up...

No kidding. On Hilsbury, it is already tough to find plots in the more popular areas and that is going to be one of 4 servers mashed together.

[Oban]

Was PvP always FFA?  Can you attack members of your own "faction" currently?

[shiznitz]

There is at least one non-FFA PvP server now (Shadow vs Order) but it is going bye bye in the server merger as currently planned. FFA will be the only PvP option.

[Mrbloodworth]

Ouch. Server merges with houses in a persistent public space. I can't imagine how they'd resolve those overlaps.

I think they are cashing out everyone, on both sides of the server merge. Then its first come first serve.

[Yegolev]

Reminds me of Horizons.

[El Gallo]

I remember reading blow-by-blow accounts of the UO land rush when T2A came out back when I started reading Lum's site regularly.  Oh the tension!

[shiznitz]

Land rushes are kind of fun actually. I tend to lose out since I have a day job, but it definitely creates buzz in the community. VG still has no mechanism to transfer a plot to another player - which is a good thing for a land rush but not a good thing later on. Anyone still playing VG is pretty diehard so I doubt there will be many "IDOC" opportunities.

Also, since each continent has different house components, one cannot take Thestran-materials and use them in Qalia (ASFAIK.)

[Azazel]

Well, at least they're giving stuff back. I like the way they're handling the corpse issue especially with the XP. Someone keep us updated on how the actual merges end up. It's all nice and pretty in writing, but it may flop hard when it comes down to implementation.

You can already see the non-Sigil-Brad-vision--ness of it all...

[schild]

Reminds me of Horizons.

You just made me look like your avatar.

[Muggi]

I'm still ::gulp:: playing VG, on Florendyl so.. the changes should be interesting.  No one in my guild really cares if they merge or not, as we're xenophobes and hardly ever group outside of guild.  The merge would bring in some new classes we're short on for raids but..whatever

[Morfiend]

I'm still ::gulp:: playing VG, =

Is that like playing L2 "where the hardcore sons of emo bitches play"?

[Muggi]

Is that like playing L2 "where the hardcore sons of emo bitches play"?

Heh maybe..for me its just playing with a group I've been with for a decent amount of time so, the guild is really the fun part.  Also, the game isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be, but the ::gulp:: was there because I knew there were good possibility of flames inc.  There's such a stigma attached to the game now..

I still enjoy it, don't have nearly the problems I hear reported with bugs/hardware issues, and the ludicrous amount of content under 30 has made playing alts up a good holdover til raiding.

[Secundo]

Yeah it really isnt that bad if you have a nice rig and a few regular friends to play with.
Or maybe it was tolerable because there was almost no people left on my server(Frengrot)... Anyway, I was on a team pvp server and that option is no more after the server merges.
I don't do ffa pvp and pure pve isnt what I want either so VG has no place for me.

Too bad since it was starting to grow on me just like swg once did. Maybe I'm just a sucker for trainwrecks :P

[schild]

Nearly anything is tolerable when others are suffering with you.

That doesn't mean it's a Good Way to waste time.

[shiznitz]

VG remains the game it is. It doesn't excite me, but I do pop in now and then. I am curious how the player dynamics will change post-server merge. I won't be logging in until then, probably. VG is a lot of fun when grouped. We will see if merging servers makes grouping viable.

[Hlk]

All VG these days .. is stange, I don't know where they  heading.

If you look at "news" at VanguardSOH.com, you really must laugh, what sort of news/ propaganda is that. I have not played it for months, but certainly I would be more interested in game development, rather then screenshots contests(http://vgplayers.station.sony.com/newsArchive.vm?id=144&section=News), or "new" team management and bug teams (that article is a laugh http://vgplayers.station.sony.com/newsArchive.vm?id=142&section=News) or interviews with players about their characters (http://vgplayers.station.sony.com/newsArchive.vm?id=143&section=News, very exciting).

Looks to me they are deciding what to do next with this "healthy game" , as one manager said, and feed peple with this childly bullshit.