Currently, there are only 3 MMORPGs that provide servers for the Oceanic region (Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, etc.). They are World of Warcraft, Runescape 3 and… Eldevin? Why this even has an Oceanic server I have no idea, the game is DEAD! Anywho… Latency free mmorpg gaming for us is little more than a pipe dream outside of WoW, and I’m talking REAL mmorpg’s.
The reality is that it’s hard for developers to justify opening servers in this location, because the population isn’t as profitable as other locations. But also, Oceanic players are reluctant to invest into a game if they know there is no Oceanic server, and that they are likely to experience the same disadvantages they have previously endured with other games. Blade and Soul is a perfect example. Hundreds of Oceanic people have pleaded with NCSoft to open an Oceanic server, but due to the lack of concurrently active players from that region, they cannot open a server. This is the Oceanic paradox. Oceanic people hear about a game, they play, realize that with the latency they aren’t on an even playing field, and they uninstall. Because of this, there is no recommendation or referral from people in the region, the player base remains small, and the developers don’t believe it will be a cost effective operation to open a server there. It’s a never ending cycle.
But this is what I would like to bring to the attention of the Tree of Savior community. OCEANIA HAS NOTHING TO CHOOSE FROM! We literally have 3 MMORPG’s, one of which nobody even plays! North America, for example, has, what… A couple of hundred? It only makes sense to me that the North American player base is divided among these games, whereas Oceanic MMORPG fans don’t even have a choice! And this is where the other part of the paradox comes in. “Risk” and “Business” don’t mix well together, but Tree of Savior has the potential to draw in a large player base in Oceania. The game just needs more polish! There is an untapped resource of hungry MMORPG lovers here, desperate for a sanctuary. I implore IMC Games to take a good look at this region.
Personally, I have had to make the decision to stop playing for this very reason, along with many other players from this region. As much as I love this game, I can’t justify investing any more time into it while being forever gimped by missed packets.
