Are NA and EU players segregated?

[Faria]

One of my friends and I have been trying to add each other and find each other in game. We keep getting the message "player not found". I really really hope it isn't because we aren't in the same region. I already can't play with my brother because he is on a PS3. This would be another slap in the face. Region and platform segregation is about as archaic as it gets. This has got to change.

[Exes]

You can change your region on the pc in the launcher settings (launcher/patcher, not game). Your current character is on the region you started on though so you would have to make a new one to play with your friend.

[Faria]

Ok, thanks for the reply. It makes me happy to hear that there is a solution.

[ghostercon]

Is this for real?

[HexCaliber]

One of my friends and I have been trying to add each other and find each other in game. We keep getting the message "player not found". I really really hope it isn't because we aren't in the same region. I already can't play with my brother because he is on a PS3. This would be another slap in the face. Region and platform segregation is about as archaic as it gets. This has got to change.

Servers are separate, I have no idea why you would think they are not, why else would you have to set your preference in the launcher. There is nothing new about this, mmos and many online games are separated by region, it is done so the experience is as smooth as possible for the games users. Network connections vary widely across the globe and people would have every right to complain if they did not have access to a server with acceptable performance; here you can chose to play on the other regional server, but you do so knowing you may not have the best connection and experience.

As for cross platform gaming, cross console will not happen while Microsoft produce one of the major consoles, it really is as simple as that; they don't want it, it has nothing to do with current technology, defiance had planned for cross console support until stopped by Microsoft. As for PC and console, like it or not, console gamers are at a disadvantage trying to take part in pvp against PC gamer's; a controller will never match the accuracy and response times of mouse and keyboard, and is the reason console games have artificial aiming help. There are also a plethora of other hurdles to overcome concerning performance when considering pc<>console gaming; due to their design, consoles are frame rate locked and this is a factor in any shooter where competition is involved.

[Gregnar]

About M$ it's a bit weird because they made first cross-platform game Shadowrun.

[Faria]

Servers are separate, I have no idea why you would think they are not, why else would you have to set your preference in the launcher. There is nothing new about this, mmos and many online games are separated by region, it is done so the experience is as smooth as possible for the games users. Network connections vary widely across the globe and people would have every right to complain if they did not have access to a server with acceptable performance; here you can chose to play on the other regional server, but you do so knowing you may not have the best connection and experience.

As for cross platform gaming, cross console will not happen while Microsoft produce one of the major consoles, it really is as simple as that; they don't want it, it has nothing to do with current technology, defiance had planned for cross console support until stopped by Microsoft. As for PC and console, like it or not, console gamers are at a disadvantage trying to take part in pvp against PC gamer's; a controller will never match the accuracy and response times of mouse and keyboard, and is the reason console games have artificial aiming help. There are also a plethora of other hurdles to overcome concerning performance when considering pc<>console gaming; due to their design, consoles are frame rate locked and this is a factor in any shooter where competition is involved.

Thanks, but completely unnecessary. You not knowing why I didn't know servers were separated, doesn't make it an invalid question. Cross-region compatibility is also nothing new. As far as cross platform play, there are no technical hurdles. Only bureaucratic excuses. You don't have to try to convince me.

[Faria]

Final Fantasy XI was the first cross platform game. I played in groups with people from Japan, NA, China and the rest of the globe... across 3 different platforms (PC, 360 and PS2). It has been done before and there is NO reason why it can't happen again, which is a sad thing for all of us.

[HexCaliber]

As far as cross platform play, there are no technical hurdles. Only bureaucratic excuses. You don't have to try to convince me.

This statement does one thing and one thing only; demonstrate your complete lack of understanding of the complexities involved in cross platform gaming between the PC and console. Your initial post and your comments made it evident you have little idea, this only confirms it.

While cross platform gaming has been done before, that does not mean it was easy, or that it worked well, which it did not; if it had, it would be a major selling point every developer and his grandmother would have jumped on. Why would developers invest millions to produce multi-platform games with no cross platform integration, if cross platform integration was that easy?

The same is true of multinational servers, CCP the developers behind Eve Online fought for years to get their servers to a point they could handle groups of players from across the world. In the process they ended up having to create the largest server cluster ever seen, and produce completely new approaches to networking. In the meantime players from several areas of the globe couldn't enter busier systems without everything grinding to a halt and some couldn't play at all.

You don't even need to understand the difficulties cross platform gaming or multinational server tech introduces; common sense should have been enough to work out there is a reason it is not more prevalent.

[Faria]

This statement does one thing and one thing only; demonstrate your complete lack of understanding of the complexities involved in cross platform gaming between the PC and console. Your initial post and your comments made it evident you have little idea, this only confirms it.

While cross platform gaming has been done before, that does not mean it was easy, or that it worked well, which it did not; if it had, it would be a major selling point every developer and his grandmother would have jumped on. Why would developers invest millions to produce multi-platform games with no cross platform integration, if cross platform integration was that easy?

The same is true of multinational servers, CCP the developers behind Eve Online fought for years to get their servers to a point they could handle groups of players from across the world. In the process they ended up having to create the largest server cluster ever seen, and produce completely new approaches to networking. In the meantime players from several areas of the globe couldn't enter busier systems without everything grinding to a halt and some couldn't play at all.

You don't even need to understand the difficulties cross platform gaming or multinational server tech introduces; common sense should have been enough to work out there is a reason it is not more prevalent.

You have no idea what you are talking about, but please.. continue to toot your own horn. I'm sure it feels good. Nothing like paying attention to your own e-peen.

For the record I played Final Fantasy XI for 6 years. The game shares servers across all regions AND 3 different platforms, PC, PS2 and 360. It was done extremely well and is still going strong to this day. Furthermore, Trion itself has said, cross platform functionality HAS BEEN TESTED and WORKS VERY WELL. So I guess Trion, the developers of the game we both play, don't know what they are talking about either.

Cross platform functionality hasn't been implemented because Sony and Microsoft won't allow it, NOT because it doesn't work or is too difficult to implement. But go ahead, feel free to belittle me without proving specific examples to support your incorrect claim, whereas I have provided 2 to support mine.