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SERVER IDEA
BlackAlien
Member
It could be a global server with regional channel systems that the player can choose to change whenever they want every 15 days and subchannels that the player cannot change and has no access to choose, open only when there is overcrowding in a certain location, to avoid overcrowding! the game will prioritize the main sub channel, so every time the player leaves a crowded area the game will play you back on the main channel. So the game would leave it up to the player to choose which regional channel he wants to play. however, you can only change regional channels every 15 days to prevent the player or an entire guild from getting out of trouble using regional channels. But when it comes to sub channels, the player cannot choose the channel and as the game will prioritize the main channel, whenever the player is not in a crowded place, it is certain that this player will be on the main channel of the regional server. Again, the player cannot change channels to escape a mess and as the server will prioritize the main channel every time the player is on channel 2 and leaves a crowded area, the game will throw you back to the channel 1. Regarding the issue of changing the game's regional channel, the player will have certain restrictions such as: they cannot change channels if they are in pvp, they cannot change channels if they have farm items, transporting goods on the boat or cart, as well. You won't be able to change channels if your guild is at war,...
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Also no, but in wiki format
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Servers#Server_instancing
So I guess I'll repeat my post too then roughly
No. Global sharding is bad especially if you can bring your currency and items with you. Creates unwanted problems ranging from multi-lingual issues, corrupt player habits and RMT gold sellers.
I did mention how it brings up a good point about potentially why currency should be account wide but regionally locked as it's definitely easier to track one bank account vs several sub bank accounts for each character when it comes to gold sellers, laundering and related websites for RMT items and what not.
I like the idea of account-wide currency.
However?
Yours truly *hates* the notion of server-shards, and am very thankful that AoC will not feature them. The whole point behind the Alpha One a couple of years ago was to stress-test the hardware they want to be using, and it surpassed expectations.
Games like SWTOR feature these, because they are a "closed-world" game - and AoC will be open-world. Shards are typically something employed by games with much-smaller game worlds, as to avoid over-crowding of (usually) the one-or-two central social areas of those types of games.
In an open-world MMO, however? It often just makes it feel as though the game is less-populous - especially when there isn't an option to change shards. This is entirely un-needed for a game like AoC.
I definitely agree based on ashes design and goals. I like regional servers IE: NA, SA, EU etc. It helps reduce latency as well with what ashes has planned.
Global latency is plays a large factor in this as well. Doesn't matter how good your internet or networking is, there's always the chance for ping spike and plateaus. Last thing anyone wants is to be a 500 player event with 400-1000+ ms ping lol (bit extreme but potentially an issue).
Plus I do miss how in the earlier years of MMORPG's where servers were somewhat more close knit.
In relation to the account wide currency, as why I mentioned regionally locked. If you play in NA, your NA currency is shared for NA between your characters. No need for gold mules and bank alts. Just a mess when it comes to preventing gold sellers and what not by making it easier for them. No shame in a joint bank account between your alts haha. The bank wont care, they're happy to your hold your money lol
But I don't mean it as if you are part of like 7 different NA servers that your money is shared across them either. I guess I should've been more specific on that. Just realised I left that detail out. I meant it more as in you were on NA server 1, all your characters on NA server 1 have a shared currency. Would be pretty funny if they added in a unique coin imprint for the different Regions. The stamp on the coins in NA would look different than the EU coin stamp.. Be a funny yet small detail like real world currencies haha.
The sentiment on the forum generally is against any changes to the current server structure that has been proposed in at least the recent months. Some don't even like the head start server, but that is a promise Intrepid has given so they ought to stick to it. Beyond that I doubt there will be any changes.
Specifically on your idea: Making subchannels to avoid overcrowding. This seems like a "fix" to something that is not an issue but an intended part of the game. A lot of players in the same location triggers certain events and should spark competition over whatever all these players are there for. So by dispersing the crowds you would kill off a key feature of what makes the game world change. There were similar ideas before and often times it was extensively discussed how that would undermine one of the basics for this game, so thats why most will now stick to just saying "No" - because we've been here many times before.
Don't take it to heart, we get the idea but it would be counterproductive to what Ashes wants to be.