Merge the servers?

[cybergh0st]

Hello everyone,

I just got back to Ryzom, but noticed no people online in my hometown and my guild is dead. So I wonder why the devs should not merge the servers.

A proposal to deal with the naming is just to tag everyone with their originating server, which could be made invisible.
There is the language barrier, but people who try to overcome that barrier will only get richer and the rest just keeps playing in their own language.

This would have several positive effects : More people online at different times, spillover between timezones ( Euro's playing with US, etc ), having 1 big sandbox where all actions have an impact on everyone playing Ryzom ( just like in EVE ). More diversity, etc.

As has been seen, the merging of several European and US servers in DAoC in to 1 big cluster had a snowball effect of attracting retired and new people above the sum of the parts, at least for a while. Ryzom has the added bonus that the game still holds true to it's vision ( sandbox style ), while DAoC's main selling point got tarnished ( RvR and realm pride ).

I think newbies will be easier kept in the game if they have at least some people to play with, it is a great game, but being alone is a big turnoff in an mmo imho.

[splatula]

I was playing back when the North American and European English servers were merged. Us NAers saw the loss of all our GMs from Windermeer, and we felt pretty crappy for a while over that. There was antagonism, both overt and covert, between the two populations as we adjusted to each other's style of play. Plus we here on the English server would be at a disadvantage, since as far as I understand the French and German servers have much larger and sustainable populations.
It's not something I'd be too keen on.

[thols]

Merging servers will kill roleplay, the language barrier will make us lost many people. Think it's a really bad idea (that can kill Ryzom)

[jezabel]

You cannot play an official roleplay event in 3 different languages at the same time. So, with a merge WG will have to choose an official language for roleplay event.

If it's french (the biggest community), all english and german roleplay players will quit.
If it's german, all english and french roleplay players will quit.
If it's english, not all but a vast majority of german and french roleplay players will quit.

The french server has a really strong roleplay community (much more rp players than non RP players on Aniro). A merging with official events in english (the logical choice) would be a disaster for the RP community.

I am french. I read english very well but I have some difficulties to write it speedily and flawlessly. Roleplay in french is not an option for me because I lack english vocabulary to do a good rp. French player able to do a good RP in english are very few.

Ryzom is not only a sandbox game, but a roleplay sandbox game (at least on the Aniro server).

Imagine that you encounter a player that tells you "Hola face de craie, tu crois vraiment que je vais te laisser déblatérer tes fadaises sans réagir ? Vient te battre, tu vas comprendre ta douleur !"
Would you play on a server where the official language is french ?

[katriell]

Naming would not be a significant problem compared to the other issues that would come up. There are several ways that duplicated names could be dealt with.

Some of the real problems:

• Each community has a different culture. Not just in French vs. German vs. American/British/etc terms, but in terms of having divergent histories, influences of prominent persons and organizations, political dynamics, etc. The Aniro players, for example, have always been the most hardcore in various ways. There would be many clashes of playstyles and expectations.
• Speaking of divergent histories, a number of live events have had different outcomes on each server. Merging these would break the lore, shatter immersion, and throw RP off balance.
• What about outpost ownership?
• What about the player governments? For example, if the French, German, and Arispotlean Akenaks were merged into one, their meetings would suddenly involve at least two languages (considering that most Leanon players can understand and write English). It is probable that additional members of the event team would have to be present, which would complicate logistics. Furthermore, communication and collaboration within and between governments would become very difficult and awkward, discouraging the creation of events like the gift of flowers from the Matis to the Zoraï.

Besides, Aniro and Leanon have always had larger populations than Arispotle. While we might feel as if "Ryzom's" population has dwindled to an uncomfortably low level, Aniro would probably disagree and Leanon must be somewhere in the middle.

So my vote is not listed on the poll: simply "No."

If you want a bigger population, get busy recruiting and advertising.

[cybergh0st]

You cannot play an official roleplay event in 3 different languages at the same time.

Not at the same time at the same location no, but why can't there be different events?

I don't see the problem there.

[acridiel]

Well, what the above said.
No merging please.
At last in my mind it would hurt more than help.
Even if from Leanon only a minor few would seriously consider RP-issues, there would be several problems in Outpost-ownership issues.
Just think of the chaos that would follow a merger, when everybody and his brother demands to keep hold of "their Outpost".
And if they´d were to be fought over again, several players would quit in a giant nerd-rage for it being unfair and such...
People like to keep what they get, else I can´t explain the verbal wars going on in our IG-boards about Outpost and attack times and fair/unfair tactics and such.

I shudder at the thought of seeing this on an international level.

No, thanks I don´t need this.
Ryzom doesn´t need this.

Not at the same time at the same location no, but why can't there be different events?

I don't see the problem there.

Why you don´t see a problem there?
Because you´re probably not one of those who'd have to organize those events and who´d have to coordinate all those different story-lines and different populations demands on them and such.
Are you one of the volunteers that serve as Event-Teams?
No?
Well, then you know the problems now

And besides, it just wouldn´t make any sense to have three different "time-lines" or "story-lines" on one server. There´s only one world.
But I get the feeling that RP consistency wasn't even on your list of things to consider, right?
Man, I`m such a Geek


CU
Acridiel

[cybergh0st]

Naming would not be a significant problem compared to the other issues that would come up. There are several ways that duplicated names could be dealt with.

Some of the real problems:

• Each community has a different culture. Not just in French vs. German vs. American/British/etc terms, but in terms of having divergent histories, influences of prominent persons and organizations, political dynamics, etc. The Aniro players, for example, have always been the most hardcore in various ways. There would be many clashes of playstyles and expectations.
• Speaking of divergent histories, a number of live events have had different outcomes on each server. Merging these would break the lore, shatter immersion, and throw RP off balance.
• What about outpost ownership?
• What about the player governments? For example, if the French, German, and Arispotlean Akenaks were merged into one, their meetings would suddenly involve at least two languages (considering that most Leanon players can understand and write English). It is probable that additional members of the event team would have to be present, which would complicate logistics. Furthermore, communication and collaboration within and between governments would become very difficult and awkward, discouraging the creation of events like the gift of flowers from the Matis to the Zoraï.

Besides, Aniro and Leanon have always had larger populations than Arispotle. While we might feel as if "Ryzom's" population has dwindled to an uncomfortably low level, Aniro would probably disagree and Leanon must be somewhere in the middle.

So my vote is not listed on the poll: simply "No."

If you want a bigger population, get busy recruiting and advertising.

I don't see the problem with different cultures really, I always found it great to play on the US servers, for both SWG and DAoC, I am from Belgium myself.

Not sure what to do about outpost ownership, I imagine a reset is not a good idea?

So only Arispotle has the problem of too small population? There goes my luck again

[cybergh0st]

Well, what the above said.
No merging please.
At last in my mind it would hurt more than help.
Even if from Leanon only a minor few would seriously consider RP-issues, there would be several problems in Outpost-ownership issues.
Just think of the chaos that would follow a merger, when everybody and his brother demands to keep hold of "their Outpost".
And if they´d were to be fought over again, several players would quit in a giant nerd-rage for it being unfair and such...
People like to keep what they get, else I can´t explain the verbal wars going on in our IG-boards about Outpost and attack times and fair/unfair tactics and such.

I shudder at the thought of seeing this on an international level.

No, thanks I don´t need this.
Ryzom doesn´t need this.




Why you don´t see a problem there?
Because you´re probably not one of those who'd have to organize those events and who´d have to coordinate all those different story-lines and different populations demands on them and such.
Are you one of the volunteers that serve as Event-Teams?
No?
Well, then you know the problems now

And besides, it just wouldn´t make any sense to have three different "time-lines" or "story-lines" on one server. There´s only one world.
But I get the feeling that RP consistency wasn't even on your list of things to consider, right?

CU
Acridiel

Uhm, but there are different events right now on each of the 3 servers no?

And no, there is not only 1 world, there are 3 worlds ... a French, a German and an English one

[r1vver]

I's useless now.
Train of future has left Atys.
Server merge should have been done in August 2008. Combined with wipe.
That was the only chance for second life for Ryzom. Ryzom 2: Reloading of Ma-Duk and Return of Jena in one package, if you wish.
But someone got scared. And who not risking - does not drink champagne.
So, enjoy the last months of the game.