$50 server transfer fee...its a joke

[Rebor]

Honestly, SOE will gain more customers if they are willing to reduce the $50 transfer fee. With that amount, we can easily start a new mmo or subscribe for another 3 months with $5 left for a quick meal...I know there are some old players that want to come back to EQII by starting afresh in a new server but the $50 put them off. There are also existing players quitting coz they feel stuck in a underpopulated server and would rather use that money to start a new game.So the question is, what's the rationale in pecking the transfer fee so high?

[sorinev]

I think it's probably so high to discourage people from server hopping frequently. I know someone is going to say "it's not easy to switch a character between servers, it's not just cut/paste," but since I don't know anything about how it works behind the scenes, I can't argue. But discouragment has always been my theory. I don't like the high fee either, especially since it's for EACH character. I'm back after a year and a half of being gone, and I see the guild I called home for most of my EQ2 time moved servers during a free transfer period. There's no way I'm paying $350 to go to their server, and there was a dev post recently saying there were no internal talks of free transfer anytime soon.

[Badfeeling]

I think one of the reasons it is high is to discourage people selling thier toons to other users.

[Kasar]

sorinev wrote:

I think it's probably so high to discourage people from server hopping frequently. I know someone is going to say "it's not easy to switch a character between servers, it's not just cut/paste," but since I don't know anything about how it works behind the scenes, I can't argue. But discouragment has always been my theory. I don't like the high fee either, especially since it's for EACH character. I'm back after a year and a half of being gone, and I see the guild I called home for most of my EQ2 time moved servers during a free transfer period. There's no way I'm paying $350 to go to their server, and there was a dev post recently saying there were no internal talks of free transfer anytime soon.

I think the only technical reason is the support for when something doesn't work correctly, and there're lots of disclaimers basically saying if something happens or is lost, that's a risk you take.I mean the way they work, you fill out the form and within five minutes it's done.  No human action on SoE's part needed.

[interstellarmatter]

It's not a joke.  It's really $50.

[Lana]

When they first started doing it back in EQ1, the high price was placed so that people wouldn't hop servers all the time. From what I recall, when it first started there was one price to move your charector without gear, and one to move it with gear. Moving with gear was EXTREMELY expensive, but it was a long time ago and I don't remember how much it was.In the end SOE really doesn't want people to transfer, but due to players demanding they put in the system for it. The high price tag is keep it from becoming something that people do all the time. If you sit down and really think about the impact cheap server transfers would be on the game, it makes a lot of sense.

[Serinde]

In response to the copy/paste comment.The system actually is automated.  I recently had a transfer done, and when I put my transfer through, my character was immediately available to me on the destination server.I agree on the theory that the steep price is to discourage players from doing it.... I doubt it has anything to do with the process itself.

[Rijacki]

If it was trivial to move, there are some who would use it to scam and scram and others who would buy low on one server to sell high on another. Trivial server moves lead to a lot of instability. The free transfer periods did cause a lot of instability most of which died down in a few months but some of which is still around months later (example, the OP and one of the respondants).

[zerfall]

I agree with the thought of it being to discourage people from doing it often, yet still allowing people who REALLY want to transfer to be able to.Think about it this way... if someone is a serial ninja looter, and gains a very bad rep on their server yet gets away with snagging a bunch of nice fabled items, with a low low transfer price, what's to stop them from server hopping after they get what they want?  Yes, word can get around on the forums about this person, but really the vast majority of players don't read these forums.  With a high cost of transferring, it helps to reign in this behavior because if you can't afford to transfer, you're stuck with the rep you've made for yourself.Granted, this more applies back when server transfers first came out in EQLive because looting options have really evolved since then, particularly with the ability for a group/raid leader to hand out loot to people with no one else able to touch the drops.It's there to allow people who REALLY want to transfer for a legitimate reason (ie. family/friends being on the same server) but to curb server hopping.

[Argul]

To my understanding, some people will hop servers in with the 50$ transfer fee to buy items they want on their toon, that never drop in their server. I'm sure the fee cuts down on a lot of that, which is necessary.

[interstellarmatter]

Being able to transfer characters for free (or even cheap), would open up a flood gate to other issues.  Here would be something typical

1) Currently on server X with the name Freakazoid

2) Create on server Y a character with the name Freakazoid

3) Wipe the guild bank clean and transfer to server Y

4) Since the name already exists on server Y, the system forces you to change your name

5) You get to start over clean but a little richer

Of course, your old guild files a complaint, but it gets lost in the 10,000 other complaints of this situation.

WoW's transfer fee is a little cheaper.  $25 but you can't transfer again for 3 months. 

*shrug* Nice people have to put up with crappy rules because of idiots..way of the world.

[Serinde]

Zerfall@Permafrost wrote:

Think about it this way... if someone is a serial ninja looter, and gains a very bad rep on their server yet gets away with snagging a bunch of nice fabled items, with a low low transfer price, what's to stop them from server hopping after they get what they want?  Yes, word can get around on the forums about this person, but really the vast majority of players don't read these forums.  With a high cost of transferring, it helps to reign in this behavior because if you can't afford to transfer, you're stuck with the rep you've made for yourself.

They wouldnt be able to escape that much.... once you transfer a character, you cant move it again for 6 months.

[StormCinder]

Reborne wrote:

Honestly, SOE will gain more customers if they are willing to reduce the $50 transfer fee. With that amount, we can easily start a new mmo or subscribe for another 3 months with $5 left for a quick meal...I know there are some old players that want to come back to EQII by starting afresh in a new server but the $50 put them off. There are also existing players quitting coz they feel stuck in a underpopulated server and would rather use that money to start a new game.So the question is, what's the rationale in pecking the transfer fee so high?

Wouldn't "starting afresh" mean starting a new toon?  Not sure what's stopping them.  Or do they want to "start afresh" with some twink-type help.  Or "start afresh" with an old toon? (would that be "starting a-stale&quot.

SC

[Hanoverian]

I have a different theory, based on economics.  SOE charges $50 because they know that X number of people will pay that amount and therefore they can make X amount of money.  If they charge less, perhaps a few more players would pay, but not enough to make up the difference.  SOE is a business and need make no apology for wanting to make as much money as possible.  If they wanted to discourage players from transfering servers, they would simply not allow it. 

[infa]

Hanoverian wrote:

I have a different theory, based on economics.  SOE charges $50 because they know that X number of people will pay that amount and therefore they can make X amount of money.  If they charge less, perhaps a few more players would pay, but not enough to make up the difference.  SOE is a business and need make no apology for wanting to make as much money as possible.  If they wanted to discourage players from transfering servers, they would simply not allow it. 

i agree completely. for every person complaining about the price, there are probably hundreds happily paying it.in the end they've had this price structure for a long time across various games, so it must be a profitable price point. if they only did 1 move a year at $50 you can be sure they would have lowered it by now.classic example of "what the market will bear".

[Dead Knight]

Argul@Lucan DLere wrote:

To my understanding, some people will hop servers in with the 50$ transfer fee to buy items they want on their toon, that never drop in their server. I'm sure the fee cuts down on a lot of that, which is necessary.

Your plat doesn't tranfer with you IIRC.

[Ama]

Reborne wrote:

Honestly, SOE will gain more customers if they are willing to reduce the $50 transfer fee. With that amount, we can easily start a new mmo or subscribe for another 3 months with $5 left for a quick meal...I know there are some old players that want to come back to EQII by starting afresh in a new server but the $50 put them off. There are also existing players quitting coz they feel stuck in a underpopulated server and would rather use that money to start a new game.So the question is, what's the rationale in pecking the transfer fee so high?

The main reason it is so high has been explained by alot of people.  Keeping it that high prohibits normal folk from server hoping going from server to server to get the gear they want.  For instance say there are 4 pieces of really nice gear, but they are spread out over each server.  Now say you make a contact on each server and promise to pay them if they get that item for you.  If the server transfer fee was only $10 you could grab each nice piece of gear then hop back to your server all in $50. 

However by posting the limit to $50 it makes it so only those players that really want to transfer will do so.  It's  a trade off, but a necessary one setting the price so high.  I think for the server transfer fee + account transfer fee it's 100 bucks which is still a necessary thing to keep people at bay.

[interstellarmatter]

Dead Knight wrote:

Argul@Lucan DLere wrote:

To my understanding, some people will hop servers in with the 50$ transfer fee to buy items they want on their toon, that never drop in their server. I'm sure the fee cuts down on a lot of that, which is necessary.

Your plat doesn't tranfer with you IIRC.

I think that your plat does transfer with the paid move.  It's the free move to station exchange that won't take your plat with you.

[big perm]

It'd be nice if they made it a /claim item, or made it available for a 1 time transfer for free or something. I used to box, but don't anymore, there are a few characters I'd like to put all on one account, but at $50 a pop, no way.

[Serinde]

Dead Knight wrote:

Your plat doesn't tranfer with you IIRC.

Yes, it does.  I know... I've transferred