Guild Wars 2

Question 1. When will the server caps be raised? The tournament and free trial filling up the important servers I understand, but I’ve got the last friend to finally pickup gw2 and he can’t join in on the server ( he’s had it for almost a month now and hasn’t been able to join because tournament ) ontop of him going through a really tough time. Long story short, his gf got back together with her ex but still wants him, and slaughtering in WvW is a great way to get over hard times! Fractals are fun too….

Question 2. Why do server caps still exist? From what I can understand, the “megaserver” makes it so all servers are pretty much one giant server. If the caps exist to “balance” WvW, there’s already a queue to get into area’s of WvW and then there’s EoM for when the queue is full. Is there a actual reason for population caps on the servers? I dont know so I’m asking, maybe there’s a issue or something? I mean if its because the “room” or “server shard” can get full, there’s multiple server shards and overflow so thats not a valid reason either.

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Anet you do realize that you will have to do something about the inactive/dead accounts/trial accounts, right? Otherwise, you guys are gonna have a lot more stress and work, and you will unintentionally damage the game. I do have a solution though to fix this issue.

You need to make a unlisted, non-selectable “graveyard” server. Once you have this server then transfer inactive accounts ( hopefully with theyre characters intact, although its been 2 years so they probably wont care ) to this graveyard server and if they ever decide to start up the game again, let them choose what server they want to join, as if they were new players but with all theyre characters.

The idea is flawless, and if you don’t want to pay for a new server then take one of the almost dead servers that already exist, tell players that exist on it to skitten to another server ( basically merging the server with another low pop server. I know people are talking about ideas like this already ) then once the actual players are gone, turn the server into a crypt. It fixes multiple problems, one of them being another server gets added to the roster of actual active servers. Who knows, maybe that new merged server might even rival tier 1 servers someday?

tl;dr something NEEDS to be done serverwise. I even have two friends in my guild that have no plans to return to gw2 and haven’t played since release. inb4youcanstillplaybutwontbeabletoWvW I know the rules and how it works, ive been on my server since before release ( got to play early from preorder bonus ) and WvW/PvP is half the entire content of the game, i mean its even called guild wars 2, as in guilds fighting other guilds. if nothing gets changed or done about this, can i trade in two inactive friends that have no plans to return to guild wars 2 at all in for 1 friend who could really use something to take his mind off his problems?

Question 2: Because there is not technology today that can handle infinite amount of data?

If you are a WvW veteran player then you know exactly why there are servers caps. Taking technology aside, what will stop people from flocking to the top 1 and 2 servers? It is known the tendency to do it, is happening since early days.

If anything, top servers should be locked down for undetermined period to encourage players to spread out more. Personally, I hope those servers keep their ‘full’ status even with the end of the tourney.

Why, instead of asking Anet to allow people to stack even more in the tier 1 servers and ask to lower tier servers to be scraped down, don’t you, your friend and guild, do the opposite and transfer to a lower tier server and help them out while being together?

It is the stacking mindset that made WvW imbalanced the way it is right now.

EDIT: Merge servers is a bad idea. I can’t fathom how people even dare to propose that. I hope all that do that, are aware that low tier servers can as well field 50-80 players during NA prime time right? So you are basically saying to merge 3 servers which can field at least 50 to another server which possibly can field even more during the same period of the day! Merge will fix nothing, only cluster and make a huge queue during NA prime time.

nymshade.5178:

Question 1. When will the server caps be raised?

Not for another 6-12 months. They seem to schedule their population culling (I assume they flag inactive accounts) around the WvW tournaments. Just prior to this one for example, all the servers shifted down a rank, where all the full servers became high for a few days.

What makes an account inactive? Why would they ‘cull’ trial accounts? Would you want to take a break from the game and find your account gone or moved, decide to buy the game and find all your progress gone? Pretty sure most people would not.

I have questions too. What’s an “important server”, and why is it important?

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

What makes an account inactive? Why would they ‘cull’ trial accounts?

Last login would determine when an account is inactive and judging by how often they do it, it’s probably around 6 months. When they adjust the numbers, I assume they simply ignore those inactive accounts. With the way the servers are setup, it doesn’t actually matter if an inactive account comes back to a full server.

Well, let’s hope not. I’d hate to take a break and find my account moved or gone.

I would assume a account that hasn’t been used in two years would be considered inactive.

Transfering servers isnt a option. Ive been on my server from the start and enjoy it and the people on it ( dont care about winning or losing ) why should I have to transfer, when theres people who only transfered to my server just to be carried and get free wins/rewards?

There is nothing wrong at all with moving inactive accounts. If your driving on a road and a cow walks into the road and drops dead, with no way to go around it other than cutting down trees which would take waaay longer, are you gonna just go through it? Megaserver makes it so any reason to be upset with being transferred from a PvE standpoint, invalid. PvP i could understand, but like i said if you are inactive for 2 years you should be moved so others can get in. Also note that i did say it would be good to allow returning players to choose what server they want, as if they were new players picking a server for the first time. You could always… idk rejoin your old server? That is, if you actually come back.

There is a queue on WvW so more players joining a server thats already tier one have no problem. If there is truly a problem, then make it so there can be at most around 300 players from each server ( or whatever the normal numbers are ) and problem solved! anybody who still wants in can either wait in a queue or EoM.

The only real reason to get rustled or upset at anything i said was when i said important servers, and by that i ment actual alive servers and not some of the living dead ones already existing. Merging the almost dead servers into one would put them up with actual active servers. No 50 vs 50 isnt what i would call good enough for WvW, not when the game is called guild wars 2 as in at least 100 vs 100 vs 100 in a massive war. Its fine if small battles are your preference, but then you are playing the wrong game ( WvW-wise, spvp is fine for small battles and maybe EoM if its not a event going on ). Players who have stayed active and have been playing since launch should get priority on their servers, they shouldnt have to transfer when theres people who only transfered for the rewards and people who played the game once and have no plans of returning.

I would like to thank Healix for giving me a answer at least. As for lordkrall, there actually is technology that could handle infinite ( or even might as well be considered infinite compared to modern computers ) data, but if it ever gets released publicly idk. It was actually the very friend ive been trying to get into my server that told me about it and showed me some articles on it. If your interested in hearing more about it, i can ask him whenever he gets online.

I play waaaaay too many games, especially MMOs. If anet doesnt bring some new big changes to gw2 and the way they do things with gw2 then it wont be able to hold up for too long. I really like gw2 ( after all i preordered it immediately and told pretty much everybody i know that plays games about it ) and would hate to see it go.
Quick question while im online, when does the halloween event start up this year? or is there not gonna be the event? I missed out on the last one because i had to move.
anet could also just retire my server for a season or two from the tournaments, that would solve most problems except the only servers capable of beating my server would be forced to actually fight eachother instead of double team.

Well I have to say.. I have played other game where some one may be deployed in the military and not be on for 12-24 months.. I know several people that where… I know they wouldn’t be very happy to have a account be deleted for not being active….

OP the cow analogy is lame. If a cow dies in a road, there’s a zero percentage chance of it coming back to life. Of course you get rid of it. That’s logical.

There are people in my guild who took a break for a year and they came back and play every day now. There are people in my guild in the military.

It’s just not so cut and dried.

I could understand people in the military or work related reasons for being gone for years. Im not saying delete theyre accounts though, all im saying is temporarily move them to a empty server where they won’t take up space and if they do return, then let them choose what server they want to join. Megaserver makes it so theres no reason to worry if its PvE, only for WvW. If youre gone though, you dont need to be taking up a WvW slot anyway. Im not saying do this to a account inactive for 1 year but 2 years seems fine. Thats 2 years of complete inactivity, no logging into the site, using the forums, playing the game.

While I dont know the rules and what military personel actually get to do, they could just have somebody they know log in for them at anytime for those 2 years. It might be a bit harsh to say but they might not even come back in the first place. Which brings me to another point, If everybody is against the idea of moving inactive accounts then what does that mean for people who died but played the game? Do you suggest just leaving them there? Server choice, really only matters for WvW and if they are dead they cant WvW so that slot should be opened for new players. GW2 being a multiplayer online game i would think would not want to prevent new players from joining in on the fun.

Yes the cow analogy is lame. I thought it up really late last night and didnt get much sleep that day either. There is never a zero percent chance of anything really, there is recent reports of things coming back to life after being confirmed dead. There is people who survive despite getting impaled through their head. There is “zombie” ants,snails, and other things where a parasite kills the creature then reanimates it just so something bigger might end up eating it then the process repeats.
you could even say it doesn’t snow in florida ( the bottom right of the USA for anybody who doesn’t know that ) but it did a few times while i lived there lol.

As for the cow, theres always people that would be crazy enough to try to revive it, probably with cpr or electricity ( idk im not crazy enough to try reviving a cow ). Ive made my point enough. Cow analogy is lame, dont really care too much though. This thread is more active then i thought it would be and thats not saying much since i thought it would be dead the moment i posted it, usually because devs dont listen/dont care until its too late to fix things, and theres probably others that have said similar things to what i said. Would have been nice to actually have a dev answer the 2 simple questions i did have though.

The problem would be, if an account was moved to a ‘holding’ server, and then the player came back, the solution provided was, ‘let them choose a new server’. What if they wish to rejoin their previous server and it is ‘Full’? Does an account that joined that server more recently get thrown off?

I imagine the Devs considered the future when implementing the current policy of not removing accounts from servers. And wanting to spread the population around. But, maybe they will change their policy and decide to cater more to those that play often..who knows?

And how exactly do they “go back to their old server” (and all their old friends and WvW there) if it’s full? Given your chief complaint is how hard it is to get in full servers, exactly how would a returning person fit in?

There are complaints on these forums about ANet deviating from its original vision. Fortunately, they have held true to a core feature: No matter how long you are gone, you can return and pick up where you left off. The game shipped with that promise and you are asking them to break it.

edit: /points at Inculpatus and declares, “JINX.”

You do realize that technically a ‘Full" server is not a full server, it’s an arbitrary number that has been set by A.net, it’s completely software related, as for the increase in data, the data that a particular account takes up is really quite miniscule, if not infinitely small to be insignificant.

Zaklex.6308:

You do realize that technically a ‘Full" server is not a full server, it’s an arbitrary number that has been set by A.net, it’s completely software related, as for the increase in data, the data that a particular account takes up is really quite miniscule, if not infinitely small to be insignificant.

It is impossible to have infinite amount of data.

Why would they bother having multiple clusters and so on if they could just (as you seem to imply) put everything on the very same one without any issues.

I would assume the caps are put there for a reason after all.

nymshade.5178:

Why do server caps still exist? From what I can understand, the “megaserver” makes it so all servers are pretty much one giant server

you misunderstand the underlying technological concept as complete as it gets.

There is plenty of room on many servers for your friend, you and your guild. Upping the cap right now would just make a bad situation worse.

And I would be interested to hear ArenaNet’s response/definition of the phrase “important server.”

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

The problem would be, if an account was moved to a ‘holding’ server, and then the player came back, the solution provided was, ‘let them choose a new server’. What if they wish to rejoin their previous server and it is ‘Full’? Does an account that joined that server more recently get thrown off?

Why would an inactive account be moved to a holding server? GW2 isn’t using the outdated server structure that most other MMOs are using. The worlds you can select in GW2 are simply an ID. They don’t physically exist, compared to how old MMOs had 1 physical server per world. All maps are virtual, dynamically created and may be using multiple physical servers.

The population counts in GW2 are meaningless. All characters are stored in a central database and what server they’re assigned to simply adjusts which virtual map instance they’ll be directed to. It would be possible to put every single account on the same server. It would simply create overflows and operate like normal.

Lol. Why do you answer me? I’m just asking the OP about his ‘holding/graveyard’ server idea. It makes little sense (to me) if they account-holder comes back and finds they are now unable to rejoin their original server because their place has been ‘given away’ to someone else, or someone else is now removed from the server to allow the original account back on.

Since it would seem likely that most would prefer to be on the ‘winning/popular’ server, it makes sense from a game-health point of view to ‘encourage’ accounts to be associated with a variety of servers. At least, it makes sense to me. Players already have issues with over-crowding at events or waiting in queues.