Server Merges with Active Ships: Has Anyone Else Noticed This?

  • Kamteix
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    Hi,

    I've noticed some unusual occurrences over the past week regarding server merges. Initially, I assumed that server merges happen when we are the last ship on a server. However, I recently experienced two instances where I was certain there was at least one other active ship on the server.

    The first time, we passed by a friendly Brigantine that was doing the "Art of the Trickster" tall tale on its way to Sailor's Bounty. Less than five minutes later, we were server merged. Notably, I could still see the brig through my spyglass from a distance less than 30 seconds before the merge.

    The second time, I was duo slooping with a crewmate. There was a Galleon crew doing a Fort of the Damned. I tucked onto their ship as we passed by, while my mate headed to Dagger Tooth Outpost to sell our Megalodon loot.

    A few minutes later, my friend was heading back to the Fort of the Damned. The Galleon crew was on the captain's wave when one of them started shooting explosive darts all over the Galleon. They found me and I got killed. I went through the Ferry of the Damned to respawn immediately and as I loaded back onto the sloop just past Shipwreck Bay with the Fort and Galleon in sight, we server merged to another server without the Galleon and Fort.

    The first occurrence was no big deal, but the second one was frustrating because we anticipated a good fight against a Galleon crew and possibly a good plundering of a 3-stack Fort of the Damned.

    So my questions are:
    Have there been changes in the server merge rules?
    Have other players noticed strange behavior like this?

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  • RealStyli
    Vanguard
    Insider

    Have there been changes in the server merge rules?

    Not recently, in terms of what you are describing.

    Have other players noticed strange behavior like this?

    Yes, but it's not strange and it's not new.

    I've seen instances like this for years, but it hasn't been that common or noticeable. Basically, if a server has three or fewer crews on it, it can merge you out (unless you are in an Alliance). Particularly if the server is close to end of life and needs to shutdown (I think server "life" is something like 48 hours uptime, but don't quote me on that).

  • Kamteix
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    Until last week, I had never noticed such an occurrence, despite having logged approximately 1200 hours in the game. The decision to merge servers and separate ships that were in close proximity or interacting with each other's crews seems overly aggressive to me.

  • RealStyli
    Vanguard
    Insider

    I don't think it's "overly aggressive" if a server needs to shutdown. The alternative is degraded server performance and the increased possibility of a Marblebeard (server crash).

    The really odd server merges are the [very rare] ones where you will merge shortly after joining a server. A couple of months ago, I had a merge as I was approaching a Sea Fort Raid that I had just dived to, which caused the fort to bug (broken AI) and the loot to revert to standard.

    I've also had [again, very rare] instances where I will load into a tavern at the start of a session and get a server merge within 5 minutes. In those cases, I actually benefited from the extra supplies.

  • KeylessWord4029
    Ship Mate

    server merging used to only happen when you were the last ship on the server. just like it also only used to merge you when you would drop anchor. but people learned if you never drop anchor and player long enough you got a single player server! god forbid we have a proper pve server! so NERF! same now with merging you off a full server.

    the new system seems to be that if you are too far from other players you cant be as easily stolen from. this is creating a negative experience for the pvp oriented crews. "its a pirate game" so if you spend most your time off in the devils roar hiding from the world? they will merge you to hopefully get on a server with people close by who will come and attack you. i hate this. if we want pvp they have hourglass now. this goes against "tools not rules" if people learned how the server worked IE the anchor trick or the hiding off in a far end of the map cause no one plays there... what happened to "play how you want" now its all about rules and punishing people for exploiting bugs they couldnt find in their own testing etc.

    what next? nerf the merging rule where you only merge when the whole crew is on board? going to black screen people back to the ship to force mergers like hourglass does? ruin the fun of people who like to split off in a row boat to do side stuff or fishing while the ship itself is sailing around?

  • KeylessWord4029
    Ship Mate

    @realstyli ive been on servers 7+ days old and not seen marblebeard happen. not to say it still cant but the servers are surprisingly more stable than they used to be... despite how poorly they can run at times hard crashing seems way less common

  • xDragonMan15558
    Marauder

    @keylessword4029 said in Server Merges with Active Ships: Has Anyone Else Noticed This?:

    @realstyli ive been on servers 7+ days old and not seen marblebeard happen. not to say it still cant but the servers are surprisingly more stable than they used to be... despite how poorly they can run at times hard crashing seems way less common

    Irl days or in game days?

  • Astralenigma
    Marauder

    @keylessword4029 said in Server Merges with Active Ships: Has Anyone Else Noticed This?:

    server merging used to only happen when you were the last ship on the server. just like it also only used to merge you when you would drop anchor. but people learned if you never drop anchor and player long enough you got a single player server! god forbid we have a proper pve server! so NERF! same now with merging you off a full server.

    If the server merge only happened when you dropped anchor I think what the devs learned is that the veteran players rarely, if ever, dropped anchor after learning how to manage sails properly.

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