Possible Solution to Server Transfering

AK712

I've been wondering about this issue for quite some time. It's certainly an issue that needs to be addressed. The main issue we have is the possibility of all of the users flocking to a single server and leaving some servers with very few. Then I thought, what real-life examples coulds we use for possible solutions to this probelm?

Answer: University classes!

When I was at my university, there was a huge demand for certain classes, and far less demand for other classes. The way that it was made sure that classes would be even was through two main steps: class size limits and a year-based ticket system.

1) Size Limits
Obviously you can't have too many students in a class that has one professor. That just leads to a huge stress on the professor and less individual time for the students. Classes were sized based on how many teachers and teacher's assistants were available for that class.

Why not do the same with MapleStory servers? Nexon does not have infinite GMs, and GMs should be spread out to handle servers based on size. Making size limits for servers is a reasonable idea to combat everyone attempting to flock to one world.

2) Year-Based Ticket System
To pick the classes themselves, students were divided based on the number of years they were at the university. Then each student would be randomly assigned a numbered ticket; the first number would be the number of years they were at the university, and the last three/four numbers was the randomized number. Higher numbers would sign up for classes first. That way, through their years at the university, they'd get a higher and higher chance of getting the classes they wanted.

We can do the same to every character of MapleStory. We can divide up each player based on how many years they have been playing in the current world they're in. Then, give a random number to each character on each server, and then have each character register for which server they want to transfer to. Higher numbers would register first. When a server fills up to its maximum size, it would close for the rest of the registration period.

Let's say you have someone who is transferring a character that has been in Bera for 7 years, and another user transferring a character that has been in Khaini for 5 years. The character from Bera would register first.

Not only would this fix characters hopping to and from servers (they would have far lower years played in their server than users who stay in one server, and therefore would have to register last), characters who have been in the same server for a long time would finally be able to transfer to where they wanted.

I feel that this is the most fair and logical approach to this problem. Many universities use this system, and I believe it fits perfectly with MapleStory server transfers.

Thanks,
AK712

AKradian

One major difference between Maplestory worlds and university classes is that classes have a limited duration, and students only need to take each class once (unless they fail it). So university class registration starts out every semester with an empty list. But a popular Maplestory world will keep the vast majority of its players from last year, so the openings for new transfers will be very few, if any.

As for the argument about worlds having limited resources: the people who support server merges suggest that the resources (hardware and manpower) currently wasted on empty worlds can be reassigned to the merged world. So it can have more channels, more GM hours, etc. (Assuming Nexon can figure out the issues causing lag in Bera for the past few months...)

Also, if we are going to prioritize players transfer requests, I'd go by a measure like legion level or hours played, rather than account age. Consider:
- Player A: "I just returned to the game after 8 years away, and my world Scania is dead! I want to move my OG lv 89 dexless hermit and two storage mules to Bera!"
- Player B: "I started playing two years ago and I've got 6k Legion and a level 235 main, but I can't find the gear I need for progression or a Hard Lucid squad to join, because Scania is dead. I want to move my 43 characters to Bera!"
Who do you think deserves the transfer license first?

Yoongi

I don't really like this idea, even though I know where you're coming from. The thing is, servers don't just include active players but inactive as well. If you say a server can only hold so many players, the inactive players will take up a bulk of that number, thus making active players that want to join the server unable to because it's "full" even though it's technically not, due to the inactive players.
Bera isn't as crazy full as people make it out to be. A good majority of the time many maps I go into are empty and I only run across other players on occasion.

The botters are the problem, and botters/hackers take up a huge percent of the population as well. The number of botters will add to the number of players on a server, thus also making it so that new players couldn't join the server if we were to go by a university style thing. That makes it unfair as well.