Status Update and Answers

In the fifth episode of our Ask AION series we answered a number of questions regarding the upcoming server merges, as well as explaining how we’ll handle compensation for rank-dependent equipment.

Nevertheless, the number of questions we can answer during our short videos is limited, so we’ve collected some of the most frequently asked questions here, and will answer them here along with giving you a general status update.



Status Update:

As far as the plan goes, nothing has changed since the last announcement in the Letter from the PD (November 2015). There we explained how we’d decided to postpone the server merges to January/February, as well as explaining how they’ll happen.

Our plan allowed for affected accounts to transfer their characters one week before the merge was to take place. This would allow possible faction conflicts arising from the merge to be solved in advance, by providing free transfers for the affected players.

However, we’re going to introduce a transition period starting on the day of the server merge, which will allow players to play with both factions on one server, as a result of which we’ve decided to activate the transfer function in the account management section of the website only on the day of the merge. Players affected will thus have the chance during this transition period to decide how they want to solve the faction conflicts, before initiating the transfer.

Aside from which, here’s an update on the merge schedule:

The merge will take place on 3.2.2016.



Questions:

Before we get to the questions, we’d just like to outline the reasons behind the compensation. Following the merge, some players will drop in rank and thus no longer be able to use their current equipment. Our main reason for going through with the merges is to increase your gaming enjoyment. From our point of view, it would be unacceptable if a player was no longer able to participate actively simply because they lost their armour and/or weapon. It’s our general aim to allow you to continue playing the game as usual after the merge, without having to overcome any major problems or difficulties. While we know this will be a nigh-on impossible task, we’re trying our hardest to get as close to this ideal situation as we can.

Now, here are the answers to your questions:

Equipment compensation:

1. What exactly do you mean by ‘equivalent’ when referring to the replacement gear? Please provide some examples!

The equipment items you’ll receive from us come from specific NPCs in the Hall of Fame/Temple of Honour, with the exception of mythical ‘rank 1’ equipment. On the basis of these items we’ve created a comprehensive correlation map as to which equipment matches yours the best, and thus which gear will wind its way into your inventory. For example, you were previously a Governor, but drop to Great General as a result of the server merge. By dint of your reduction in rank, you’re no longer able to use the ‘Guardian Governor's Sword’. In compensation you would receive an ‘Elite Guardian Commander's Sword’. Below you can find an example of how this correlation map works for all ranks. Depending on the rank the Governor would fall to following the merge, the listed equipment would be their compensation.







2. Does the compensation apply to weapons, armour and jewellery?

Absolutely! Weapons, armour and jewellery items will all be compensated.

3. Will the items be exchanged or do we receive additional gear?

Items will NOT be exchanged; players will instead receive additional gear. Under no circumstances do we wish to take items away from players which they’ve worked hard to get. The goal behind the compensation is to ensure that you don’t find yourselves in a worse off position as a result of the merge.

4. What will happen to players who aren’t eligible for compensation at the time of the merge, but who drop out of the rankings days/weeks later and would then be eligible?

We’ve tried our best to cover as many bases as possible with our solution. Nevertheless, in the case mentioned, the player would not qualify for the compensation items. Only the state of affairs at the time of the merge is decisive. Anyone who loses their rank shortly before or after the servers merge will miss out.

5. Will equipment be compensated which can still be worn, but no longer charged? For example: an officer drops from rank 2 to rank 1 as a result of the merge. The rank 2 equipment can still be worn, however it can no longer be charged.

We have decided to compensate all equipment that cannot be charged, even if it can still be worn, including in this example the Army 2-Star Officer’s equipment, which can no longer be charged as a result of the drop in rank.

6. What will happen with the General’s ‘extendable weapons’? There are no real alternatives to them.

At the moment, the General’s ‘extendable weapons’ are treated like regular items, although we of course acknowledge that they hold a special status. In January we investigate alternatives to see if we can find a better solution for them.

7. Will players receive compensation for all sets or just one of them?

Our team is still discussing this matter internally. As such, we would only compensate one individual set, that being the one currently worn, however it is currently unclear how easily that can be carried out during the merge from a technical standpoint. In addition, there are plenty of players who actively use more than one set and who would only receive a single set as compensation after dropping in rank according to the current system – which would be pretty unfair!

8. Will the General’s set by compensated by mythic rank 1 or eternal rank 2?

We don’t plan to compensate mythic rank 1 equipment. Exactly what the affected player will receive as compensation will depend on their rank before the merge and their new rank following the merge.

9. How will fused weapons be dealt with? If an Army 2-Star Officer drops to an Army 1-Star Officer, will he receive a new weapon for the Army 1-Star Officer?

We’ll compensate fused weapons as a whole (i.e. both parts of the fusion) and swap out the rank-dependent part.

10. What class of equipment will be compensated? Mythic or eternal?

Only players dropping to the rank of General will receive mythic gear. In all other cases we’ll be distributing eternal rather than mythic gear.

11. How will Army 4-Star Officer accessories be compensated?

These will be replaced with rank 1 accessories. For example: The ‘Archon Special Ops Commander's Holy Turquoise Ring’ will be compensated for by the ‘Archon Commander's Magic Ring’.

12. How will the Army 4-Star Officer’s wings be compensated?

Unfortunately, there is no direct equivalent to these wings. Theoretically we’d have to award mythic rank 1 wings, but from our perspective that would be a case of overcompensation. As a result, the compensation in this case will be a ‘Powerful Blessed Augmentation: Level 2’, though we’re keeping the option open of awarding PvE wings instead.

Characters and legions:

1. Will it be necessary to empty the Account Warehouse/Legion Warehouse before the move? If so, what will happen to items that weren’t removed beforehand?

This is one of the few points that we’re still evaluating from a technical standpoint.

2. How will potentially necessary name changes be handled? Will there be tickets available after logging in? And how will the names of currently banned accounts be treated? Will they become available again after the merge?

Players who lose their names will find a Name Change Ticket directly in their inventories. Names from banned accounts will not become available again.

Housing and server balance:

1. Will the re-sale of houses be staggered, or will they all be available directly after the server start?

The current plan is for houses to be made available again after a cooldown period of 1-2 weeks, giving all players equal chances to pick up a new house.

2. Are there any plans for dealing with the current imbalance between Asmodians and Elyos? After the merge, the latter will be numerically far superior.

The merges will not alter this situation. Depending on the servers, the balance will either be slightly better or slightly worse than before the merge. Taking all servers into consideration, the balance will of course remain unchanged.

3. Will the servers be using completely new hardware or simply transferred to the old ones?

Our servers are at the cutting edge, and this will apply just the same for the new servers.



Feel free to join our Forum Discussion here.



Other questions not related to the server merge:

1. Will player statistics from Steam be publicly available?

Player statistics are publicly available on third-party websites such as this one: https://steamdb.info/app/261430/

2. Will the Steam launch and/or the arrival of new players put the server merge back again?

At the moment we don’t see any cause for that whatsoever, and the chances are very slim that this will have an impact. Only should player figures suddenly and unexpectedly erupt and all the servers be full again, then there’d be no need for the merges.

3. Is there anything on the agenda for AION between now and February which could delay the server merges?

Nothing to speak of, except the release of 4.9.

4. Could GameGuard and/or Hackshield lead to the merges being delayed?

The GameGuard/Hackshield issue is currently on ice as a result of the 64-bit client release, so as already stated in the previous Letter from the PD, this will not cause any delays.