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Server management strategy at launch?
Kyleran
Member LegendaryPosts: 43,507
I was just curious, has ANET released any information about how they'll manage servers at launch and beyond?
For instance, any indication of how many servers will be available at launch and do they plan to add them on a regular basis? Sort of like how WOW started out with "XX" number (50?) and kept adding them until one day that had over 400?
How do they show load on servers, the standard low, medium, high of recent games, or do they show actual number of users?
Are people expecting there to be queues on certain servers and if so, why, because certain guilds have designated their preferences in advance and others may wish to join them? (looking for a perceived advantage in WvWvW I would imagine)
I did read about the "overflow" server idea, which I think is a great idea btw, and I know they are currently challenged with regards to queues to certain PVP zones, but those aren't really what I'm asking about here.
I also know they will permit players to PVE on servers other than their own, is that an entirely voluntary thing that can be done at will, or are there some sort of limitations on that? I ask because I can imagine a guild like the Goons deciding for kicks to jump from server to server enmasse just to spread their grief around. (and yes, I know you really can't grief in GW2, but if there is any way possible for it to be done, Goons will figure it out and find a way and bring it to you.)
(edit, and I realize that some or maybe all this information is in other threads on these forums or the internet, but if my post annoys you please just pass on by and let the people willing to answer do so) 
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
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Sorry for the unlink, phone and all. It seems like a small list but they have overflow servers for zones if the initial one is too full. They look to have a bar for relative population and a had "Low" for each of the servers last night during the surprise stress test.
Judging from the first Guild Wars ANET have some of the most cutting edge server/client technology on thr market that is even able to patch while servers are running. You can be pretty sure, that they really know what they are doing when it comes to netcode, serverstructure and so forth. Expect minimal hassle and a smooth launch.
Typical MMO launch (SWTOR)
1.People are super excited and many want to play at launch
2.Open many extra servers (does not help with long queues anyway)
3.People get tired of the game and leave
4.Many empty servers
5.Merge servers
6.Server merging = game failing - OMG leave the failboat game
GW2
1.People are super excited and many want to play at launch
2.Make temporary queue servers
3.People get tired of the game and leave
4.No need to use queue servers - which nobody notices anyway
5.Happines
They're allowing free transfers between servers at launch, until servers settle down in population (afterwards they cost gems). Then they add in the guesting feature.
Overflow will also help things quite a bit, since you can still play pve while waiting in queue.
Server list for launch: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Server_list#List_of_Servers
They never mentioned how they are going to add more servers but judging how they did it between BWEs, there should be a fair amount of unused servers ready to be added if the population demand it.
Low, medium, high, full for server usage
There are no queues in the game. If a server is full you can't make that server your home server. If you already have that server as your home, you can login and you will be taken to an overflow
During the first days (maybe a week) there will be free transfers, so everyone should be able to start playing immediately. After the free server transfer period is over, they will activate "guesting" which will allow players to play on any server they want
Block the trolls, don't answer them, so we can remove the garbage from these forums
Thanks for the info, so it seems they are starting off with roughly 45 servers, which is a good solid number, and with the overflow tech mentioned I can agree that its a good way to prevent the usual pattern of having too many servers to launch and then doing reductions later on which are perceived as a game failing.
Shame they won't publish the actual number of people that are online at any one time but that practice is one of many that appears to have died out about 8 or so years ago.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Only games that does that nowadays is EVE online can't seem to remember any other recent game that shows number of users
Block the trolls, don't answer them, so we can remove the garbage from these forums
Yes, back in the day games such as DAOC, Lineage 1 and a couple of others did, but it's a lost art, I'm surprised CCP is still doing it for EVE.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I wish I had the source but I am pretty sure there was a confirmation about adding new servers as needed for launch and that the free xfer period might extend past the 1 week, which was verified.