Free Transfer

[Teezsin]

Over the last few months there has been alot of talk of a free character transfer, is this JUST talk or is there a likelihood of it actually happening in the near future?

[Sprin]

i doubt it, why would sony care where you spend your money... and why would they let you change for free when they cand charge you a boat load to do it.  Sony is in the buisiness of ripping us off.. the are good at it and doubt they will change their methods

[Mishkel]

<p>Well I've seen a lot of people asking about it but nothing from SOE.Personally I've played AB since the games launch and would take a free transfer off the server.  There is just about no end of nights I see people saying they just transferred there.  Lag at times has gotten pretty bad...</p><p>When the expansion comes out I'm sure quite a few will come back out of boredom and it will be even worse.</p><p>I certainly wouldn't support any free transfers to AB... but there should be some for those that would move off.. or it would be nice I should say.. can't really say there "should be".</p>

[Besual]

<cite>Mishkel wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Well I've seen a lot of people asking about it but nothing from SOE.Personally I've played AB since the games launch and would take a free transfer off the server.  There is just about no end of nights I see people saying they just transferred there.  Lag at times has gotten pretty bad...</p><p>When the expansion comes out I'm sure quite a few will come back out of boredom and it will be even worse.</p><p>I certainly wouldn't support any free transfers to AB... but there should be some for those that would move off.. or it would be nice I should say.. can't really say there "should be".</p></blockquote>Someone with a red name said on this boards that he / she doesn't know of any plans to offer free transfers in the near future.

[Spyderbite]

The "talk" of free transfers has been a player side response to demands by others who have asked for server merges. SOE has not mentioned either option to date. It's all player chatter. $50 transfer is your only option at this time. So, you can pay to transfer your character now. Or you can hold out for a free transfer window which may or may not ever happen.

[liveja]

<cite>Winnter@Nagafen wrote:</cite><blockquote>why would they let you change for free </blockquote>Because they've done it before?

[DragonMaster2385]

<cite>Winnter@Nagafen wrote:</cite><blockquote>i doubt it, why would sony care where you spend your money... and why would they let you change for free when they cand charge you a boat load to do it.  Sony is in the buisiness of ripping us off.. the are good at it and doubt they will change their methods</blockquote>lol, this guy gets hit with a noob bat. Free transfers are a good way to balance server population and the first step before doing server merges.

[Mabes]

<p>Personally, I would welcome some server merges of lower population servers, Nektulos could sure use a population boost.  If there was a free transfer without server merges, I think most the remaining active players would abandon the lower population servers leaving them dead.</p><p>On another note, why does it cost $50 to move a character between your own accounts?  That's the only thing stopping me from getting a second account for dual-boxing, is the fact it would cost me $100 to move a couple characters over in addition to the cost of another subscription.  They should add an option, where if you sign up for a new account with a 3 month or more subscription plan, you get a few free character transfers to the new account.</p>

[Rast]

I'd love it if I could move my lvl 79 pally off of LDL and onto AB... But I ain't going to pay $50 for it, that's for sure.  Until then, I simply level up another pally on AB and if the option comes, I can betray him back to SK and have my pally too.

[Spyderbite]

<cite>Mabes wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Personally, I would welcome some server merges of lower population servers, Nektulos could sure use a population boost.  If there was a free transfer without server merges, I think most the remaining active players would abandon the lower population servers leaving them dead.</p></blockquote>Without raising the whole merge vs. transfer debate up again for the 100th time.... The reason a free transfer window is more preferrable is that it gives the players a choice of which server they wish to play on instead of having that choice made for them.Using your example above, such a transfer window would serve the same purpose. "You have XX amount of days to transfer, free of charge, to any server you'd like. After that, you're character will be moved to a server of our choosing". Win-win.. people who prefer a merge can sit on their hands and wait to see which server they'll land on. Those who wish to choose will get to go play where they'd like.Server merges are a horrible first choice for balancing the populations.

[Spyrit]

<cite>Mabes wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>On another note, why does it cost $50 to move a character between your own accounts?  That's the only thing stopping me from getting a second account for dual-boxing, is the fact it would cost me $100 to move a couple characters over in addition to the cost of another subscription.  They should add an option, where if you sign up for a new account with a 3 month or more subscription plan, you get a few free character transfers to the new account.</p></blockquote><p>Thats a great idea!</p><p>I have been thinking of another account (my 4th) to give me more flexibility when 3 boxing but the $50 (total ripoff for an automated move) that it costs to move each toon to the new account, turns me off.</p>

[Zarador]

Well, as someone who just paid $50 for a transfer...and will again most likely in the future...I'm against the idea. That was just for a transfer between accounts on teh same server.  Some people actually enjoy the populations as they stand on the server. Not everyone wishes to see an influx or major outflux happen to their server. $50 makes you think, do I really want to do this? Hey, lets all move to [insert server] where the grass is greener and everyone logs into a group. Except 25% of the guild, the ones that said they would move rather than get in some debate with the other 75% don't move.  They have friends and family that don't really wish to move.  Then of course there are the members who now jump ship because there is a much more capable or advanced guild looking for their class. Lets not forget the guilds that were less capable that recruit some of the newer better geared players shelving some of those who have been there for a while, purely for the good of the guild you know, needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I've observed all of the above happening when free transfers were done on two other SoE games, in the end, the fix was worse than the "problem".  I like things the way that they stand.  You play a game enough to really get your money's worth and discover that you really want to move or transfer characters.  Since the game is cost effective, so is the price to move. $50 dollars over the course of hundreds of hours of play really does not amount to much.  But what about Flippy, Dippy, Nippy and Snippy my level 30 alternates?  I don't wish to pay another few hundred to move them?  Well, that's when you weight $50 dollars against spending maybe a couple of days to make them over.  Not to mention, with the new loot tables and the increases in AA and Leveling, it might be better to make them over anyway.Of course, there is always the argument of "I have 6 level 80 characters all capped that want to move so I can be more attractive to any Guild".  Any Guild that I obsereved over the years that is into "Hardcore Rading" usually puts the focus on your main so everyone has a shot of being "uber".  Not to mention, if you spent hundreds of hours progressing those characters, then the cost of moving them to spend a few hundred hours more in a more enjoyable place is again, cost effective.In the end, it's the same game on all the servers.  It only takes so many people to make up a group or even a raid.  Every server has people with no problem getting groups or into guilds that do what they enjoy.  Blaming things on the population usually means that there is some reason you can't get into those groups or guilds, not that there are too few players.

[DragonMaster2385]

I bet you can call CS and work a deal with them.  I bet if you activate a new account with them over the phone and set up payment options, they might move a character to the new account for you at no cost.  If they know that they will get an extra $15/month from you if and only if you get a free character transfer, it would make sense for them to make that deal.

[woolf2k]

yes, they've done it before. I believe it's been twice before. Once was when they merged PvE servers...the Second time was when they merged PvP servers...even though the merge was PvP specific they gave everyone the opportunity to move for free.Ofcourse, the same conditions existed as a paid transfer... pvp to pvp and pve to pve...Exchance servers are different. I believe you can move to them for free anytime BUT you can't move off..oh and during the free times they did not allow transfer TO AB and Lucan... cause they were so full.

[woolf2k]

to answer your original question ... I have not heard anything from SOE. It's all been player wishfull rumors... it would  be nice if they did have a free transfer period though

[Yimway]

Honestly, there is a new thread asking this question about every 2 weeks for the past 14 months or so.Maybe it needs a sticky or something.

[Gilasil]

<p>I don't think it would help the game if people could move between servers too easily. It would break up community for one thing.  So transfers need to be limited in some way.  They could allow no more then one transfer per account per every 3 months for example, or they could charge.  As far as I'm concerned the details aren't important.  But there has to be some way.</p><p>The only place where easy and free transfers should be allowed is for load balancing.  This would typically be by allowing transfers from specified high population servers to specified low population servers.  Or,  just off a high population server.  Or just to a low population server.  </p><p>But SoE has to make the call.  I most definately do not think players should be lobbyijng for free transfers just because they want to save themselves $50.  If you don't want the transfer bad enough to pony up the money, you don't want it bad enough.</p><p>Heh, I just transfered a character last night (yes, I paid my $50).  I'm glad I did.  It was a very carefully thought out move -- I'd been weighing the pros and cons for a couple weeks.  I think people should be forced to think about transfers and not just do them on a whim.</p>

[Zarador]

<cite>Gilasil wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I don't think it would help the game if people could move between servers too easily. It would break up community for one thing.  So transfers need to be limited in some way.  They could allow no more then one transfer per account per every 3 months for example, or they could charge.  As far as I'm concerned the details aren't important.  But there has to be some way.</p><p>The only place where easy and free transfers should be allowed is for load balancing.  This would typically be by allowing transfers from specified high population servers to specified low population servers.  Or,  just off a high population server.  Or just to a low population server.  </p><p>But SoE has to make the call.  I most definately do not think players should be lobbyijng for free transfers just because they want to save themselves $50.  If you don't want the transfer bad enough to pony up the money, you don't want it bad enough.</p><p>Heh, I just transfered a character last night (yes, I paid my $50).  I'm glad I did.  It was a very carefully thought out move -- I'd been weighing the pros and cons for a couple weeks.  I think people should be forced to think about transfers and not just do them on a whim.</p></blockquote>Agreed!And what about those who perhaps, just maybe, selected a low population on purpose?  Yes, people do actually do that!  Some people actually (gasps) enjoy soloing, duoing or just grouping mainly with friens and family. Not everyone enjoys "camp checks" and contesting even the most common areas. It's also difficult to predict what balance you may have.  Who will be moving to where in the end? Like you, I agree with the simple concept of what we have now.  If the game is that enjoyable and you simply feel the need to move around characters, then pony up the cash and put the money where the mouth is.  It takes six people to make a group, that's all, plain and simple.  If your not finding a group now, moving won't get you one either.  When Everquest Live had to split servers long ago because of over population, people still moaned they could not get a group.  When Vanguard merged servers early on, people again still complained they could not get a group, even when most places were so filled that hunting was not all that enjoyable. Maybe, just maybe, the groups that people have difficulty forming are the ones requesting a must have [insert classes] for [insert specific instance]. Hey, maybe being too specific gives you a better shot of winning, or maybe it just gives you a better shot of sitting in the corner all night complaining about populations and class balance.  

[Rast]

<p>I know for me, it is more a matter of just returning to the game and most of my friends have either moved on from the game or moved on to other servers.  So, if I'm gonna start over with a foriegn community, I'd rather be on a more populated server (I'm not much for the ghost town servers), I just can't justify $50 to move each toon (I'd like to move 2), so instead, I start over fresh and work my way up again.</p><p>For me, it is a niceity, not a necessissity.</p>

[liveja]

<p>I can't help thinking that a lot of this angst over free transfers wouldn't exist if the number of character slots we have available was <b>PER SERVER</b>, rather than <b>TOTAL</b>.</p><p>& I still think that paltry number of character slots is/was one of the bigger reasons EQ2 had trouble in the beginning, & continues to have trouble now.</p>

[Yimway]

I'd like to see them go free for a weekend about once / year.I have 3 friends spread out on different servers who's guilds / community have crumbled and they'd very much like to come over and play in my guild.However, they have 2-3 accounts and 6+ toons over level 50 and max tradeskills and all that stuff.   So the actual cost to move servers with all their toons is more like 800-1300 bucks each.  A cost they are unwilling to pay, and they can't bring themselves to abandon all their alts, or sever themselves from all the tradeskillers they leveled up.50 per character is simply too expensive.  If for 50 bucks they could home all characters on an account to a new server, they'd pay that.  It just quickly becomes an unreasonable amount of money to move servers if you care about your alts.One of the 3 has quit the game for now, he'd come back if moves were turned on.  I wont be surprised if the other 2 come to the same conclusion over the following months.$0.02

[Thunndar316]

<p>They need to merge some servers bad.  Everfrost has practicly 0 low level population.</p><p>No I don't care about your stupid name being changed. </p>

[Zarador]

<cite>Thunndar316 wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>They need to merge some servers bad.  Everfrost has practicly 0 low level population.</p><p>No I don't care about your stupid name being changed. </p></blockquote>So the server has almost no low level population.  Sincer were talking about Low level characters, why not simply make one on a higher population server?  If it's because your main is on another server, then that means that you wish to make a "twink" which, in many cases does not group all that much for many people, thus continuing the lack of a group complaints. I mean really, why not make a character on a server you *think* you may enjoy, see how the community really is, play the game for a few weeks there and then find out if a move is worthwhile?  No, it's far easier to say "Lets merge and let the chips fall where they land".

[liveja]

<cite>Thunndar316 wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>No I don't care about your stupid name being changed. </p></blockquote><p>That's OK, I couldn't care less about your stupid server population, especially when you're talking about lowbies.</p><p>Start over on a higher-pop server, if you can't hack it on EF.</p>

[Thunndar316]

<cite>Zarador wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Thunndar316 wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>They need to merge some servers bad.  Everfrost has practicly 0 low level population.</p><p>No I don't care about your stupid name being changed. </p></blockquote>So the server has almost no low level population.  Sincer were talking about Low level characters, why not simply make one on a higher population server?  If it's because your main is on another server, then that means that you wish to make a "twink" which, in many cases does not group all that much for many people, thus continuing the lack of a group complaints. I mean really, why not make a character on a server you *think* you may enjoy, see how the community really is, play the game for a few weeks there and then find out if a move is worthwhile?  No, it's far easier to say "Lets merge and let the chips fall where they land".</blockquote><p>First of all it's not a twink, it's my main. Level 29 Swash.  Secondly, I have a lot of real life friends on Everfrost that I want to play with.  Every time I log on and look for a group to grind with there is nothing.  </p><p>All you high level players care about is your leet but you're too stupid to realize that the game will die without an influx of new players.  When new players log in and find out they can't get a group unless their 50+ they will quickly leave.</p>

[Thunndar316]

<cite>Flaye@Mistmoore wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Thunndar316 wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>No I don't care about your stupid name being changed. </p></blockquote><p>That's OK, I couldn't care less about your stupid server population, especially when you're talking about lowbies.</p><p>Start over on a higher-pop server, if you can't hack it on EF.</p></blockquote>It's not about hacking it junior. Nobody can enjoy the game without groups. Try raiding by yourself if you're so awesome.

[liveja]

<cite>Thunndar316 wrote:</cite><blockquote>Try raiding by yourself if you're so awesome.</blockquote><p>Try getting to raid level, before you care about it. At 29th level, you're barely even out of soloing range anyway.</p><p>Or, here's an even better idea: if you hadn't made a stupid crack, telling the whole world you don't care about issues (like, getting our name changed) we might see as important ... then you wouldn't have gotten my snarky response.</p><p>IOW: learn to play nice on forums, & people will play nice with you.</p>

[Commodorepants]

<cite>Flaye@Mistmoore wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>IOW: learn to play nice on forums, & people will play nice with you.</p></blockquote>QFE and QFT.

[Shareana]

Greetings all! This topic is brought up quite often, with some good thoughts put into them... Lets keep giving ideas and debate the issue without the personal insults please.....*Psst* aka follow <b><a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=411000" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Forum Rules of Conduct</a></b> <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

[Soluss2]

<cite>Thunndar316 wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Zarador wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Thunndar316 wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>They need to merge some servers bad.  Everfrost has practicly 0 low level population.</p><p>No I don't care about your stupid name being changed. </p></blockquote>So the server has almost no low level population.  Sincer were talking about Low level characters, why not simply make one on a higher population server?  If it's because your main is on another server, then that means that you wish to make a "twink" which, in many cases does not group all that much for many people, thus continuing the lack of a group complaints. I mean really, why not make a character on a server you *think* you may enjoy, see how the community really is, play the game for a few weeks there and then find out if a move is worthwhile?  No, it's far easier to say "Lets merge and let the chips fall where they land".</blockquote><p>First of all it's not a twink, it's my main. Level 29 Swash.  Secondly, I have a lot of real life friends on Everfrost that I want to play with.  Every time I log on and look for a group to grind with there is nothing.  </p><p>All you high level players care about is your leet but you're too stupid to realize that the game will die without an influx of new players.  When new players log in and find out they can't get a group unless their 50+ they will quickly leave.</p></blockquote>Why not just reroll on your friends server. You can get to level 29 in a solid weekend of play.

[Ezheal]

Maybe they could make a free transfer move part of a veteran reward claim.

[Oh]

<cite>Atan@Unrest wrote:</cite><blockquote>I'd like to see them go free for a weekend about once / year.I have 3 friends spread out on different servers who's guilds / community have crumbled and they'd very much like to come over and play in my guild.However, they have 2-3 accounts and 6+ toons over level 50 and max tradeskills and all that stuff.   So the actual cost to move servers with all their toons is more like 800-1300 bucks each.  A cost they are unwilling to pay, and they can't bring themselves to abandon all their alts, or sever themselves from all the tradeskillers they leveled up.50 per character is simply too expensive.  If for 50 bucks they could home all characters on an account to a new server, they'd pay that.  It just quickly becomes an unreasonable amount of money to move servers if you care about your alts.One of the 3 has quit the game for now, he'd come back if moves were turned on.  I wont be surprised if the other 2 come to the same conclusion over the following months.$0.02</blockquote><p>I agree with the statement that 50$ can be too much, TO ME personally if it was just a flat rate 50$ for all characters on one account to move to another server that would seem more reasonable, but paying 350$ to move 7 characters to another server is just not acceptable. As such I am on my server and will probably never leave, although to be honest I don't really wish to leave have friends that I play with and don't really have a problem with grouping.</p><p>Oh to the person complaining about grouping on everfrost... Umm while I will say right now it is a bit lower then it has been, it really isn't that bad. THe main thing to watchout for is the time of day/week you are trying to get something going. Also taking the initiative and starting the group yourself can help. These are common solutions to the problem, yes everfrost is less population then AB (I think that's the highest non pvp server population) but it by sure isn't the end of the game. Well let me rephrase it, just cause there isn't alot of lowlevel players isn't the death of this game. The lack of players in general on any given server would do that.</p>

[Teezsin]

<p>I'd like to thank everyone for their responses to my question.</p><p>To those that were saying that the 50$ isnt much, all I can say is that I already pay for 3 accounts (1 with full access...and we're talking AUD here), so yes, that extra 50$ per toon to move them (i'm talking between accounts...not between servers) IS expensive.</p><p>During the mass exodus of players to AoC, there are us die-hards that stay loyal to EQ2...we need loving too (yeah ok, and a pat on the head via a free transfer <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />).  Whether that transfer be via veteran rewards, part of the Station Access as a one time offer to do all the transfers you need to do within a certain time frame for that original 50$....ANYTHING would be nice to show that SOE do want our business (awww, group hugs <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> with warm, fuzzy feelings).</p>