Merge

[Kuyt]

Merge already, population problems killing the game day by day. I for one wont pay for 2 accounts very much longer at 15 euros a month if you dont do something to increase our possibilities to interact online with other players.

Also, since i came into the subscription rate, it has been some years since the euro = dollars and it is about time to do something about this, the fact that is going on is an insult to the european players which by the looks of it probably is your biggest playerbase.

Today's rate 15 USD = 11.92 Euros

nuff said..

[Lliers]

Take a deep breath...

Clearly FC is working on it, but they know if they handle it incorrectly, the will alienate a vast number of the population who will rage quit as a result.

For instance, let's take org cities and tower fields for an example... How would you handle that? Do you think for that it will be a simple thing to accomplish? Look at what FC had to do in order to have a mostly orderly transition for RK3 to RK1/2.

There needs to be a balance between quickly and correctly.

[Kuyt]

As you may know, FC's intent is to start a completely new server with clear city plots and unplanted towerfields. City plots will also be a non issue as soon as the new GMS market is out there cause FC's intent is to make every org city instanced.

I'm not saying right this second but they can't hold out much longer, atleast not without throwing a timeframe out there. Give their paying customers peace of mind. We all love this game, but I as a player want to let them know what I am thinking.

[Ilaliya]

I'm not saying right this second but they can't hold out much longer, atleast not without throwing a timeframe out there. Give their paying customers peace of mind. We all love this game, but I as a player want to let them know what I am thinking.

Yeah, I hear ya. Thing with a server "merge" (and you are absolutely correct, we're actually technically merging both existing servers into a brand new server and copying everyone's data onto that) is that there is a lot of database magic that has to happen, and a lot that can go wrong. That's the nature of the game.

So lets just say there are substantial technical considerations. This means we need our internal hardware/database experts to allocate a block of free time to be "on call" to immediately respond in case their are issues. Since when we do the merge, server(s) are going to have to be down (and they can't come back up until it's all working, so we have to get it right the first time!) and then the same guys are going to have to be on call for awhile after the new server comes up "just in case." And this is after the time they spend doing the prep-work. We also need a time-frame where we aren't in the middle of a patch. So don't take this as a commitment and it's completely subject to change, but in a best-case scenario we're currently looking at roughly after the summer, sometime in the fall. Needs to happen this year though, but then again keep in mind a lot needs to happen this year

[Flyingengi]

What about those with 8 chracters on both servers? Will we have 16 slots on new server?

[Ilaliya]

What about those with 8 chracters on both servers? Will we have 16 slots on new server?

Still debating what we want to do here to be honest. It's deceptively complex (assuming we ever want to allow character transfers), but fortunately there are a lot of options.

[Gorathon]

...assuming we ever want to allow character transfers....

I take this to mean that it hasn't been firmly decided that my existing characters, their research levels, and equipment will move over to the new server. Do I take your meaning correctly, or are you speaking metaphysically?

[Esssch]

What about those with 8 chracters on both servers? Will we have 16 slots on new server?

There's a field on the account page now for number of character slots. And looking at the new login screen, it seems it would fit nicely to put a scrollbar on the side.

[Redbar]

I take this to mean that it hasn't been firmly decided that my existing characters, their research levels, and equipment will move over to the new server. Do I take your meaning correctly, or are you speaking metaphysically?

I understood it as taking into account the (however remote) possibility that AO might become quite popular (with the graphics update and all, perhaps) so that more servers/realms makes sense again, making paid character transfers between realms an interesting service to provide.

[Mastablasta]

I take this to mean that it hasn't been firmly decided that my existing characters, their research levels, and equipment will move over to the new server. Do I take your meaning correctly, or are you speaking metaphysically?

Excuse me, but how the hell did you get that from:

we're actually technically merging both existing servers into a brand new server and copying everyone's data onto that

?

Unless you go "duurrr I think he means account data, but I don't know why because that's entirely seperate from the gameservers, but duurrr"

[Ekarona]

Account data is already separated from game and character data. Atleast they could mess up with it to some extent without stopping game...

Deleting existing characters would be suidice ;D And also very much more simple. Just throw in new server and they are done ;D

[Kahava]

Excuse me, but how the hell did you get that from:
?

He didn't get it from the post that _you_ quoted but from this:

Still debating what we want to do here to be honest. It's deceptively complex (assuming we ever want to allow character transfers), but fortunately there are a lot of options.

As he qouted in his post.
For all to read.

[Mastablasta]

He didn't get it from the post that _you_ quoted but from this:

As he qouted in his post.
For all to read.

Don't tell me you can't read either. So you're postulating that there's a reasonable case to be argued to the effect that in the span of typing two posts he comes from "we're going to copy everything" to "we haven't decided if we're going to copy anything at all"? Please, please tell me that you're just trolling.

Now, let me cut it out into cardboard. "Assuming we ever want to allow character transfer" - OK, let's look at that part of the sentence and see how that relates to the rest. "Ever" refers to some indeterminable period into the future, specifically after the merger, because the process of the transfer of all characters, referring the previous post saying that all characters will be transferred, is made deceptively complex BECAUSE of a decision that relates to possible FUTURE features.

[Iancu]

If this timetable is accurate, it pretty much means the end of RK2.

[Kuyt]

Excellent ducking regarding the currency question.

Cba to pay for this game any more, been real ya'll. Hope they get their head out of their arse soon.

[IHaveHugeNick]

Why dont you just allow free characters transfers across dimensions and allow people to migrate naturally while you work on actual merge.

I give a lot of credit for new team to actually jump on the problem right away , previous managment was too busy making weekly empty promises for 2017 to notice game has became single-player. But merge into one server is a long overdue, some time zones have been dead for literally couple of years.

You managed to delay for so long, it may have reached point when merging might not accomplish anything in the longterm.

[Raggy]

Why dont you just allow free characters transfers across dimensions and allow people to migrate naturally while you work on actual merge.

I give a lot of credit for new team to actually jump on the problem right away , previous managment was too busy making weekly empty promises for 2017 to notice game has became single-player. But merge into one server is a long overdue, some time zones have been dead for literally couple of years.

You managed to delay for so long, it may have reached point when merging might not accomplish anything in the longterm.

As a small example.

My Org of 6year+ vets have all but quit which is about 10-15 of us. Seeing more than 5 people on LFT was a treat. And even some of the more resilient players have just gone 'Screw it' and packed up and left.

RK2 is a ghost town, we've been shouting this for years and been told we were wrong for years. Let FC reap what it sowed.

[Darkripper]

I know for a reason I'll let them be right when my subscription ends if they wanna keep telling us we're wrong... They can be right...with the loss of another customer.
I realized it was a mistake to resub the moment I had a lil bit more time to play.

[Ilaliya]

Why dont you just allow free characters transfers across dimensions and allow people to migrate naturally while you work on actual merge.

This is a really good thought. Unfortunately, there is a specific technical problem we need the merge to be able to fully solve, which is why we are setting up a fresh server (that has the "solution") and migrating everyone to that. It's also why the merge absolutely has to happen (and honestly, as soon as practicable for us). Any sort of mass migration of characters to either of the existing servers would exacerbate the problem.

[Raggy]

This is a really good thought. Unfortunately, there is a specific technical problem we need the merge to be able to fully solve, which is why we are setting up a fresh server (that has the "solution") and migrating everyone to that. It's also why the merge absolutely has to happen (and honestly, as soon as practicable for us). Any sort of mass migration of characters to either of the existing servers would exacerbate the problem.

Hogwash. How did you manage to do RK3>RK1/2 transfers? How do you transfer from RK1/2>Test?

Even if this imaginary technical problem existed you have had over 4 years to come up with a solution. That is how long players on RK2 have noticed the declining population. That is how long we have been saying to get preparations ready and you flat out ignored us.

Too little, too late.