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In order to improve the player experience, we will be merging Worlds on Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

We have reevaluated the World merge system based on the large amount of user feedback we received in response to the World Merge and Character Transfers update of February 9. Now that the details of the new World merge system have been decided, we recommend that all players review the World Merge Summary and Notes Regarding the World Merge and World Transfer.

This World merge is intended to improve the player experience during the period up to the launch of FFXIV Version 2.0. New Worlds may be added in the future, for example after the relaunch or when player numbers increase.
[World Merge Summary]

Key Dates
March 1 (Thursday) to March 19 (Monday), 2012: World transfer application period. *
March 27 (Tuesday), 2012: World merge maintenance to be carried out.

Information regarding the time required for the merge maintenance process and other details will be released at a later date.

* The World transfer application period will consist of two stages. For details, see World Transfer Application below.


Merge Details
The Worlds will be merged according to the system below. The new Worlds will be named after the merge has taken place.

Current Worlds New Worlds
Selbina -> Ridill
Wutai + Gysahl -> Masamune
Rabanastre + Cornelia -> Durandal
Melmond + Figaro -> Aegis
Istory + Mysidia -> Gungnir
Saronia + Lindblum -> Sargatanas
Fabul + Besaid -> Balmung
Trabia + Kashuan -> Hyperion
Karnak + Palamecia + Bodhum -> Excalibur
Ragnarok *
* Recommended for European time zone players.

Ragnarok will be recommended for players in the European time zones. This should improve the playing experience for European players, who form a small minority scattered across the Worlds, and make it easier for them to get together and form parties. However, this is a recommendation only. The World will not be restricted to European players, and players from other regions will be free to transfer to the World.

Please note that if we determine that the new Ragnarok does not attract enough players to deliver a satisfying game experience, we will consider options such as reopening World transfer applications or merging with another World. We therefore encourage players to keep it in mind as one of the options.


World Transfer Application
During the World transfer application period indicated below, players will be able to select a destination World on the World Transfer Application Page.
* The World Transfer Application Page is scheduled to be available from March 1.

World transfer application period: From 0:00 a.m. PST, March 1 (Thursday) to 0:59 a.m. PDT, March 19 (Monday), 2012.
* The World transfer application period will consist of a first and second stage.

First Stage: From 0:00 a.m. PST, March 1 (Thursday) to 0:59 a.m. PDT, March 12 (Monday), 2012.
- Players will still be able to change Worlds even after applying for a World transfer.
* Players will not be able to select Worlds that are already populated with the maximum number of characters, but players will be able to move from such Worlds to other Worlds. Note that if a player leaves one World to transfer to another World, and in the interim the first World is filled with the maximum number of characters, the player will no longer be able to transfer back to the original World.
* It is possible that some Worlds will reach the population limit very soon after World transfer applications begin.

Second Stage: From 1:00 a.m. PDT, March 12 (Monday) to 0:59 PDT, March 19 (Monday), 2012.
- Worlds that are populated with the maximum allowable characters will be fixed and locked.
- Locked Worlds cannot be selected as a transfer destination.
- As well, all players in locked Worlds will no longer be able to apply for World transfers.
　For this reason, we recommend that players complete their World transfer applications in the First Stage.

(Example)
If Hyperion becomes populated with the maximum allowable number of characters:
- Players cannot apply to transfer to New Hyperion.
- Characters who have already applied for Hyperion can no longer select another World to transfer to.
- All characters in Trabia and Kashuan who have not already applied for a transfer to another World can no longer do so.

Conditions Required to Apply for a World Transfer
To apply for a World transfer, an existing playable character must be associated with a player's service account. As long as a player has at least one usable character, a destination World may be chosen for all characters in the service account, including characters that have not yet been paid for.
* To view and change subscription details, visit the Square Enix Account Management System and click Select Service on the left-hand menu, and then select FINAL FANTASY XIV.


Notes Regarding the World Merge and World Transfer
All character data will be transferred, with the exceptions described below.

Character Names
After the merge and transfer, if two or more characters with the same first and last name exist in the same World, only one character can keep the name, based on the order of priority below.

1. Characters that are playable on both March 26 (Monday) and March 27 (Tuesday), 2012.
2. Characters that were created first.

If your character name must be changed because another character's name takes priority, please enter a new name by following the on-screen instructions when you first log in after the World merge maintenance has taken place.
* After you enter a new name for the character, the change will also be reflected on the Lodestone.

With this World merge, all character names reserved for use from the Open Beta that have not yet been assigned to characters in the release version will be deleted, and thus no longer able to be carried over.

Retainer Names
If retainers with the same name exist in the same World, only one of the retainers can continue using the name, based on the same conditions described above for player characers.

If you are required to change the name, please do so by following the on-screen instructions when you first log in after the World merge.

About Linkshells
Carrying over linkshells
All linkshells shall be carried over to the new merged Worlds.
* The Lodestone linkshell pages will also be carried over.
* Players who transfer from the new merged World to a different World will be removed automatically from all linkshells in the current World.
* If the linkshell master leaves the merged World and transfers to a different World, the master will no longer be a linkshell member, but the linkshell itself will continue to exist in the merged World.

Linkshell names
If two or more linkshells end up sharing the same name in a merged World, the linkshell with the most active characters will keep its name. For linkshell names that must be changed, the game will automatically add numbers such as "01" and "02" after the name.

In this case only, players may use a GM call to change the linkshell name after the World merge maintenance is completed. Because linkshell names may be rejected due to the use of forbidden words or other reasons, players should submit multiple candidates when making the GM call.
* Only masters can change linkshell names.

Friend Lists/Blacklists
Friend lists and blacklists can be carried over after the merge, but players who leave the merged World to transfer to another World will lose their friend lists and blacklists.

Character Info on the Lodestone
The World name displayed in character pages, diaries, and histories (including finished histories) will change to the new World name after the merge. If the character name changes, that will also be updated.

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=13222abe211533c87814786dc7c7c72707574cb8

Lolcakes and beans.

Fancy explanation but here's a well known fact about mmos:
1) Server merge/closure is a sign that player population have fallen to the point that gameplay suffers.
2) Server expansion/creation indicates rising popularity of a mmo but with demand exceeding supply.

Imagine if FFXIV would have been released last month instead

I wonder if it would have had a brighter future that way