Cougar have posted some information about Megaservers coming to WildStar.
Hi everybody,
First off, we’d like to apologize that we’ve been so quiet about the state of our servers; we wanted to be certain that our new tech was in a solid enough state where we could speak confidently about some exciting new developments we want to share with all of you. We’re close to finalizing a goal we’ve always had for our servers, something that will bring long-term benefits for our players and their WildStar experience.
In the near future, we will be implementing Megaservers for WildStar.
Going the Megaserver route means that we vastly increase server capacity allowing for greater critical mass of our player base, resulting in more people, more groups, more activity and more raids… more of everything that makes WildStar so fun. The Megaservers and their increased player capacity will give fans more options to group up and enjoy WildStar with friends and other players for a long time to come.
Under the new MegaServers, there will be one PvP and one PvE realm per Data Center. We’ll also increase the number of available character slots for each Megaserver. There’s lots more information to come, with some questions already answered in our FAQ and more on the way.
When the time comes, all guilds, arena teams, circles, mail and auction items will transfer to the new Megaservers. The normal “realm transfer” restrictions will not apply during this transfer. Unfortunately, one of the byproducts of this is that realm rule sets will be going away, so we will replace them with five region-wide chat channels – Roleplay, French, German, French Roleplay and German Roleplay. More details on this will be revealed soon.Although we’re far enough in the process to begin talking about it, we are still some ways away from the Megaservers going live. One of the things we’re doing to make the wait easier is that as of this post going live, we have put free realm transfers in the game for all players.
There’s still a lot of detail to be worked out and shared with you in the near future. We did want to let you all know where we’re headed with our new Megaservers, because we are fully aware that the game servers in their current state are a very important subject with you, our players. As always, the devs are listening, we’ve heard your feedback loud and clear and we’ll continue to listen as WildStar grows.
We’re happy to be able to share our future plans with you, and thank you as always for your patience and support.
When will the Megaservers be introduced ?
Currently we are still finalising the details and working on the Megaserver technology, which will have a big impact on when it can go live. We will post any new information or updates as soon as possible to ensure any communication on this is as clear as possible.
Why did you go for the Megaservers ?
Megaservers allow us to increase player capacity so you will always have people to play with. This means it will be quicker and easier to find people to group with with and enjoy the full scope of WildStar. The Megaservers system will not change region restrictions though, so players will still be grouped in NA and EU Data Centers.
Are you doing Megaservers because of declining server population ?
The increased server capacity to cope with the launch rush is no longer required. Megaservers allow us to increase player capacity per server so you will always have plenty of people to play with.
How will the Megaservers work ?
After the transition, there will be one PvP and one PvE realm per Data Center. After the merge, all characters that were on PvP realms before the change will be on your region’s the PvP server; All the characters that were on a PvE server will be on your region’s PvE server.
Will the NA and EU region lock still apply ?
Yes, both NA and EU will remain on seperate datacenters and will require the appropritae regional accounts etc.
What happens if two characters from different realms have the same name ?
Along with the Megaservers, we will introduce character last names. Each characters will have a unique name comprised of a first name (this is your existing character name) and a last name separated by a space. In the character select screen, you will have to choose a last name before entering the game. You will be limited to a total 30 characters including the space.
What happens if two guilds from different realms have the same name ?
The oldest guild with an active guild leader will keep the name. All the other guilds with the same name will have something added to their name to make it temporarily unique. We will give more information about how to change your guild name in due course.
How many characters will I be able to have ?
You will be able to create up to 12 characters on a single realm. The current limit is 6 characters.
What if I have more than 12 characters ?
You will be able to play all your existing characters. However, you will be unable to create new characters until you have 11 or less characters.
Will I still be able to play in French or German ?
Yes. If you wish to play in French or German, just select the desired language in your client settings. You will be able to select between the following chat channels: RP, FR, DE, FR-RP and DE-RP. These channels will be region wide; just like the current /advice channel.
What about RP Servers ? Will they be merged as well ?
Yes, all realms will become merged. We will however offer a region RP chat channel, similar to the FR and DE Chat Channels, so that RP activities can be kept seperate from the regular channels.
Will I be able to transfer from PvE to PvP realms or from PvP to PvE realms ?
No. Once the Megaservers are live, the current plan is all realm transfers will be disabled.
Will I keep all my C.R.E.D.D., currency, items, mail, housing items etc. ?
Yes, all your character data will remain intact.
How will I know the new character name of each of my friends after the merge ?
Your friend list will be automatically updated. You should see all your friend’s new name once you log in.
What will happen to Realm First Achievements ?
All the existing realm first achievements will be kept as permanent records on your character. You will be able to compete for new realm first achievements on the new Megaservers though - Start training now !
Summary
- Only one PVP & one PVE server per Datacenter. (NA/EU)
- Charcaters surnames to prevent name conflicts.
- Free realm transfers active until Megaservers are active.
- No RP realm but a new RP channel
- 12 characters per realm
- You will be forced to have a surname. Everyone without any exception -will- have a surname. [Source]
