Runes of Magic US / AU

Quoted from "Ziav"

I laugh at all the people who think nothing will go wrong with it. When has GF/RW or froggy ever tried doing something major and didn't screw it up? How long did it take them to fix broken houses/housemaids, some STILL aren't fixed years afterwards. Doing this merge will officially be the end of rom. Too many people will lose items or gear, too many will get the standard "everything is fine on our end so it must not really be missing" reply from support. Just face it, this is how they plan to kill rom. If I were you all, I'd start looking for that next game now.

I think your way off base here, when is the last time you dealt with customer service?

I never got the reply from customer support you quoted. This is not fanboism, it comes from the experience I have had with customer support for the last few months maybe year, issues they resolved for me dealt with Adventure Pack codes ( all replaced with even giving me 10 extra for the inconvenience ), I had roughly 100 Proof of Myths get deleted in my house chest that were replaced ( after they took about week to have time to research the issue, my accounts ). I was around when the big mess up happened with the house chests n such vanishing, it was after a big update or expansion I think, and I had all my chests and items returned except for the few alts I myself had forgotten I had till much later ( so never sent in a ticket about them ).

So if they have the same Customer Support crew in place when they do
this merge, I will not be worried, may have to be a bit patient but that
would be the worst I believe unless they just are not provided the
proper tools to fix the problems that may arise.


I have no idea how many of us will still be active once the merge is implemented but I still look forward to hearing about the merge, and if I am not active at the point and I hear about it I may then return just to check it out. The small handful of us on the forums have to all be fanboi's to some point or we would not be here.

Say no to AGROPIG! C'mon people, work out another abbreviation lol. It sounds like Pumbaa refused the Hakuna Matata lifestyle and became the tank for your guild .

As for the actual server merge, I don't see where all the negative is coming from. If I was on deadbeat server, heck, as long as my experiences becomes "playable" again, I wouldn't mind changing my name or guild name or even lose a couple of items for that matter. I don't want to speak for anybody, but let's be realistic: do you think Mrpushpop would rather leave the game forever (like he did) after spending so much time and money on his warlock or simply change his name or guild name and go to another server?

As for GMs, im all about discussion and I hate when they censor some stuff but they probably know about as much as we do. Hopefully this time we get as many updates as possible. If they are having issues with some aspect of the merge, maybe they should ask the community. We have been playing the game far longer than any employee has and could probably provide a better alternative than current employees who might not be as knowledgeable as we are. Ex. Don't merge Reni and Artemis and leave all the servers as they are because naturally everybody knows these are the two servers who need the merge the least. For this purpose, however, people must take their bickering out of here so this thread doesn't get locked as many others have.

PS. I suggest to make the server merges manually instead of automatically. That way we can differentiate the active users/accounts from the inactive ones, thus using resources to its most productive use. It makes to sense to transfer the entire data of 1 server if only 20% of those users/accounts are actually active and the 80% rest is just gathering dust.

On a side note, what's going to happen to our guild CASTLES? Are they also going to be merged or do we have to start building them from scratch again?

Scripting can fix everything, from the same name (point expections) to the same ID (game assigns ID to everything as far as I know) - so all those merged castles, houses, accounts with chest, bank and housemaids) will be recreated with new IDs to new server. We did something similar in merging of 2 separate DB at work few years back. (took us 6 months to plan, still had some 'newly found problems at the time of move ) Week of move I was at work 14-16 hours per day.

Everything is possible, and this can be made into few scripts, server should be down for a day or two to move and to validate everything. Not sure how complicated DB for this game is, but can't be much worst then 30 years old ERP system.

The way I read this news - GF will move few people left on Palenque to Reni, where rest of population already is...

My suggestion for Thalia - with new Azure prices for hosting, host their server there. Not sure what are requirements, but can't be that bad that folks have to play with high PING.

Any way - sounds like smart move with population drifting. Other way would be to promote game and get new blood - after IS is fixed to support easier and less expensive leveling and gearing.

Personally I really don't see a need to merge servers when many of the same desired outcomes can be accomplished in different ways.

Why do we really want server merges in the first place? Is it just so we can watch someone run by our character and get a warm fuzzy that we're not alone on the server? Well, Ok, maybe some players want that IDK, but from players I've talked to they really just want the option to participate in content that requires a group and are frustrated because there often is nobody else on their server when they want to do this. Another reason is the game economies.

Alternative option suggestions:

1. Take the un-used party locator and make it cross server. Other games have done this with great success though some thought would have to go into how loot gets distributed because I have seen that become a major issue.

2. Second: create a secondary AH in one of the major cities that is also cross server. Let the players decide if they want to sell local or in the "big" AH. This will help the economies much better than a server merge would IMO.

3. Third: While servers will still have to come together for things like group quests, events and world bosses, even those could be managed and more easily accessed by putting some of them on an event server and having people sign up to participate in them.

That’s just three things off the top of my head. I’m sure others may be able to contribute more if they put their minds to it. Not only could these options be completed faster than server merges but IMO would be a much less potentially frustrating experience for everyone concerned.

Quoted from "Cike"

Quoted from "Jguy"

How is a server merge going to fix anything besides making the servers APPEAR populated?

because it will at least help fix the population issue people have been complaining about for years...

just think, do you want 10 people each on 5 servers or 50 people on one server? which would be healthier for the game? sure, there are still 50 people, but the chance that those 50 people will get runs, find a guild, and generally want to stay around is much higher if they are all on the same server, than if they were split up into 5 groups.

no, it will not increase the total population, what it WILL do is make the current population more accessible to each other, providing a more enjoyable and productive MMO experience for all of them.


by your logic, lets all get 18 bazillion single-guild servers, how would you like that? only talking with your guildies, no reason to even use the auction house...wait...some of the servers are pretty much down to that.

My point was that I -really- don't think this will fix the major problem of the game: Dwindling population. Sure there are people here, after the merge the servers will appear fuller, and I think the GM's have been doing a pretty bang up job lately, but people are STILL leaving the game. There are no advertisements in place, no methods to replace those people. The very FEW people we get come to the forums, see all the freaking negativity and run away. "The future of RoM" "Is RoM dead" are just a few of the thread titles I've seen that do nothing but drive people away.

The few that make it into game see all the trolling and stupidity from world chats in game and they run away.

Quoted

Alternative option suggestions:

1. Take the un-used party locator and make it cross server. Other games have done this with great success though some thought would have to go into how loot gets distributed because I have seen that become a major issue.

2. Second: create a secondary AH in one of the major cities that is also cross server. Let the players decide if they want to sell local or in the "big" AH. This will help the economies much better than a server merge would IMO.

3. Third: While servers will still have to come together for things like group quests, events and world bosses, even those could be managed and more easily accessed by putting some of them on an event server and having people sign up to participate in them.

You don't obviously know Runewaker. Between your suggestions and that of merging the servers, merging the servers is the quickest outcome and probably the most stable, believe it or not. If we wanted to do what you're suggesting we'd probably be waiting 5+ years.

just throwing my 5 cents in here.. Al of us left on Grimdal will TOTALLY support a merge. I spent all day yesterday with my sister, takin screenshots of every single thing we have, including the backpack slot for shop items, and the bank slots, all our equipment slots (if equipt with anything) .. every single chest was shot with each item moused and identified...( and those who know me, will be horrified because im the queen of storage lol) I even shot all the boss furniture in my castle and other items- totaled between us 14 gigs of pictures haha. who knows? it may be pertinent when the merge is offered? so what if it took a day to detail these items.. better than losing it eh? For what its worth anyway, this topic has brought new energy to the server today, people are getting interested again and that is what it is all about I think.. keep it flowin!

Quoted from "Jguy"

You don't obviously know Runewaker. Between your suggestions and that of merging the servers, merging the servers is the quickest outcome and probably the most stable, believe it or not. If we wanted to do what you're suggesting we'd probably be waiting 5+ years.

The first part may be true lol. I've almost given up on trying to understand many of the things GF/RW does from a business perspective yet find it strangely fascinating on many levels I won't go into here for the sake of brevity.


That said, I have to disagree with your assessment that merging servers would achieve the quickest outcomes. Merging servers puts all the eggs in one basket figuratively speaking while the suggestions I've made can be individually phased in over time. As it is, GF has made a point of stating server merges will not happen any time soon so we will play the waiting game either way.

On a side note, I don't think many players are appreciating the full ramifications of server merges or why GF is even entertaining the idea in the first place. It has very little to do with the player experience and much more to do with saving money by reducing the number of servers they maintain. Things won't magically get better because of server merges, they will in fact most likely get worse before they stabilize.

In the end, does it really matter where we park our characters at night or do we just want the ability to do more?

AMALGAM - One server to rule them all!

Merge 'em all, put up 6 - 8 channels.

Trolling after SW becomes a lot more fun!

Quoted from "Tuulikki"

Personally I really don't see a need to merge servers when many of the same desired outcomes can be accomplished in different ways.

You have those pros for merging:
- Easier to get group
- Ability to create stronger guilds

But what will be interesting is market - folks holding monopoly on some items on server might find themselves in new water, once server merge.

There should be more items on sale - price might go down on some expensive items.

I said long time ago that each server should have Rustypedia - now it might be even possible...

I'm of the opinion that US should remain with only two servers, and only 2 PVE's

Why this arrangement and won't it kill off PVP? Well yeah. Do the PVP servers ACTUALLY PVP anymore outside of trading gear? There's almost no point in PVPing anymore. Gear loss is not guaranteed anymore, there's almost no point. Not having PVP's and fix the arena's and we'd have enough PVP for everyone.

OR, if you still want PVP, merge the two PVP's together and make 2 PVE's, for 3 servers.

Hey, maybe we'll get the "Load" on the server select screen to turn yellow again?

The merge is pretty simple in logic.

This game has basically reached a make or break point, so Gameforge and Runewaker realizes
that a desperate move will be needed to keep the game profit making.

So, the most supported suggestion being the server merges, Gameforge and Runewaker decides to go on with it.

So now, either we will end up with a good merge providing very active servers, so that's good.

OR else, Gameforge and Runewaker would end up making the merge go bad, there by resulting in
the end of this game since most players would get frustrated and leave.

I don't play anymore, but I think bringing the servers together will end up being a good thing.

I would love to see GF/RW create a brand new server and anyone who wants to "move" there would be able to do so.

As far as duplicate toon/guild names, let the players talk it out.

If guild names are duplicated, let the guild leaders talk it out.

Most importantly, just be civil about the whole thing.

Here the FAQ from TERA Rising merging servers, to give u an idea if they do it like they did it on TERA Rising.

SERVER MERGE FAQ

Character:

Can I keep all my characters?

Depends.

When extra slots were not bought: If you have 2 characters on Balder and 2 on Zuras with the server merge you will have 2 character slots available on Icaruna. All these 4 characters will appear on Icaruna but you’ll have to delete 2 of them in order to be able to play.

When extra slots are bought or you have Veteran status: The maximum amount of character slots that you will have on Icaruna, will be the higher amount of slots that you have in any of the 3 merging servers. Example: if you have 5 slots on Balder and 3 on Zuras, on Icaruna you will have 5 slots available.

In order to be able to enter the server, you will have to delete these extra characters. When the characters are deleted, please contact the Support and then will help you with the restoration and compensation. No bought character slots will be just “lost”.

What will be the limit of characters on Icaruna?

Same as every other server, the maximum amount of characters will remain 8.

Can I keep my character name?

As a first step, when you will enter Icaruna, you will probably have to change your name in order to be able to enter on the server. We recommend you to not pick a random name. If the random name you have picked gets requested by another player that already had it before in one of the merged servers, yours will be changed again.

How will the procedure work:

If your original name is available ~and you choose it~ you can keep it as long as someone else doesn’t claim it from the Support. If someone else claims it, the Support will give it to whomever’s character is level higher than 30 and of course had already the name before the merge. If both of your characters are above level 30 and you both had this username before, then the Support will check if any of you has a Veteran account. If both or none of you have a Veteran account then the priority will go based on the date and time of the character’s creation.

When you contact the Support about the name change please include the following:

Character Name Request.

Current Character Name:

Previous Character Name:

Original Server:

Example:

Character Name Request.

Current Character Name: Anemsalokx

Previous Character Name: Anemsalok

Original Server: Balder

I haven’t been in my account for a while and I don’t plan to return recently, do I risk losing it or losing any of my characters?

The server-merge will not lead to any character or accounts deletions.

Can I transfer my characters to another server instead of Icaruna?

As this is basically a server merge, not a server transfer our first priority is to get everyone settled in Icaruna. If you later wish to transfer somewhere else, you can do it on your own with a transfer voucher (note: the server transfer from and to Icaruna will not work for few hours). In case of course your characters do not all fit in Icaruna, feel free to check the “Can I keep all my characters?” question/answer.

Can there be a free transfer for the rest of us to Icaruna?

At this point and also considering that the server transfer vouchers to and from Icaruna do not work for a while, something like that won’t be possible.

On my server I’m Exarch, Echelon or Officer. Will I also be on Icaruna right after the merge?

After the server-merge everything will be reset, so there will be no ranks for one week on Icaruna.

Will my Battleground ranking remain after the merge?

No, also the Battleground rankings will be reset, not only for Icaruna but for all servers. During the Tuesday’s maintenance/merge a new season will start for the Battlegrounds as well.

Will I get my Battleground achievements?

Yes, all the Battleground achievements will be delivered when the season is over, so you should be able to have them moved with your characters on the new server.

Will I lose my reputation points after I am on Icaruna?

No, you will not be losing any points/credits.

Will my friends’ list also be transferred as well?

Yes, all your friends should be there too even if their characters’ names might have changes in the process.

Items:
Do I need to open and/or my messages and post before the merge?
No,
your post is bound to your character and will be moved with you. All
messages, sent items etc will be transferred with your character.
Will the items in my bank and inventory be moved to Icaruna?
Yes,
all items will be moved along with your character. If the items in your
bank exceed the normal bank space, additional but temporary slots will
be created in order for you to retrieve your items.
Will the items that I have in the Trader get transferred too?
All items or revenue will be transferred and will remain in the Trader for you to collect.
What about the items in the “Item-claim”?
They are moved to Icaruna as well.





Guilds:
Does my guild need to prepare something for this merge?
Please
make sure that your guild-leader is a character that will be
transferred with the rest of you and not some alt-character that might
be deleted (even temporarily) if the owner exceeds the number of allowed
characters on Icaruna. If the character of your guild-leader gets
deleted in the process your guild will be deleted too.*
Can I keep my guild-name after the merge?
The
procedure here will be the same as with the character-names. Please,
keep in mind that if you need to contact the Support about a guild
matter, the support will only respond to the guild-leader, none of the
other guild-members.
Will the items in the Guild-bank be transferred to Icaruna?
The same as with the normal banks, items will also remain there.
*In
the case where a guild might get deleted by accident, please keep in
mind that the Support is not able to restore the Guild nor the items in
the Guild’s Bank.


all info here was copied from Tera Rising news

Here FAQ from Ikariam goes merge seems we are not the only one having a merging servers.

Ikariam goes merge

there was another RoM community that went through server merges, so it IS possible. i'll have to find the exact info, but i think it may have been somewhere in asia...

ah, here

keep in mind that this was under a different publisher, so ours may be completely different.

also, you have to realize that that merge happened with different servers running different versions, as well as about a ton other complicating factors that we don't have to deal with. before anybody has any serious reactions to that link, i advise them to read the entire thing and maybe do a bit of background searching, to get a better understanding of how they differ from us.

On Romage's prediction about prices, I suspect the answer will depend on the item. Some prices probably would come down, while others could actually become more expensive. More demand is also created with server merge. In general, supply and demand will control that, and it will depend on what kinds of players are merged into one, and what they buy or sell.

It may be under a different publisher but Rom is still the same Runewaker owns the rights to RoM but gameforge buys the rights to rom for a while and they run the game how they want to that makes them money

Also DID NO ONE READ WHAT I LAST SAID??


Q___________________________________________________Q

Quoted from "Asphodelix"

It may be under a different publisher but Rom is still the same Runewaker owns the rights to RoM but gameforge buys the rights to rom for a while and they run the game how they want to that makes them money

RW owns RoM. GF buys the rights.