Actual FAQs about Server Merge

Various threads on server merges seem to have gotten derailed. I think there are a few valid questions that would be nice to get answers to at some point before the merge:

1. What will happen with two player names when players from different dimensions have the same name?
2. Is there any plans or accommodation to restore free players ability to lead organizations (perhaps with some additional limitations to prevent abuse) some time after the merge is completed?
3. Will there be some mechanism for rapid transit at sites where non-instanced player cities used to be located?
4. Will players be given a one time side change after the merge to consolidate their characters into one faction after the merge?
5. What will happen to the playfields that were specifically created just for non-instanced city plots? (Some new content scattered across these playfields plus the merge would certainly make AO seem like a brand new game.)

Those are the one's I seem to have been seeing on the forums lately. I'm sure there are others.

A couple questions I have (not sure how frequent they have been asked):

- Will players be given any free linked account character transfers after the merge to assist with properly aligning accounts. If, for instance, someone has a 220 Doctor on RK2 and a 220 Doctor on RK1 (same account) it would make more sense to move the duplicate toon to another linked account rather than leaving it inactive.

- What trickle-down effects, if any, will we as players have to worry about as it pertains to our character preferences?

I would appreciate a response to Jill's question also. It has been asked on a few threads, but no response ...

Is this option even being considered? Perhaps a reduced fee for the first 6 months ... or first transfer free and the next 2 or 3 at reduced fees?

Kinnik

Bump for actually good questions.

Throwing in my own...

1) If characterIDs need to be altered could we please just add another digit with values 1 or 2 for the respective dim the character was from? That way, it's an easy fix for players to get their pref folders fixed up...

2) If we happen to own our character name on both dimensions, and your algorithm picks one to keep the name, but we want them swapped, is that permissible?

3) Will the algorithm used be released post-merge for character lookup purposes? What is going to become of player history? Can we expect to be able to look up someone's history from before the merge, after the merge hits? Will this history even be available anymore or does the community need to take their own snapshots?

Adding another question:

- Has any consideration been given to instancing Sector 42? I won't go into graphic detail on why I'm asking this as I think it should be obvious based on the many threads that have been started about point bot system issues/considerations post-merge.

I have a Q: what about character-owned apartments and their contents? Will they transfer over as normal or will we have to empty them out so as not to lose the contents?

are we there yet?

How are GMI contents identified ... by our current, soon to be obsolete character ID's?

Will our GMI accounts transfer over "as is" to the new server with our toons? Or, will there be a new "claim shop/GMI" command to collect our stuff and credits from the limbo of server migration?

I am sure you have a plan ... just curious of the details.

Kinnik

Edit: Apartments & HQ's

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ophiuchus

I have a Q: what about character-owned apartments and their contents? Will they transfer over as normal or will we have to empty them out so as not to lose the contents?

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I would guess that you should empty any apartments your toons hold. This is probably also true of any items currently in player city HQ buildings.