Pools Closed (Asura Is Full!)

It wouldn't surprise me if true. JP are racists and JP GMs always favoured JPs in game and devs clearly listen to them more.

If I had to guess, Odin will close in a few months too.

Then the overflow will start to fill the other servers up, which is what they said they wanted. They want to spread the players around.

Opening Asura would instantly be counter productive, it would make zero sense to do it if you have a plan to spread players out. Matsui didn't care, he let people do whatever but Fujito obviously wants it how he wants it.

This is going to make RMT operations significantly harder btw, to the point many are going to have to get a job at Mcdonalds in a year or so. Which should be a joyous occasion for some of them, since they have been pissing and moaning for the past 10 years.

Under no circumstances can they leave any server open but closed off.

They have to open it back up. Eventually.

(...ok if they decide to officially make it a jail server, then... and only then can it stay open but closed to transfers by choice)

It will stay closed for as long as it takes to spread out the player base among the servers the way they imagine, reopening the big servers any earlier would undermine the whole endeavour.

The interesting part is when players are distributed to the point group play is possible on most servers and they reopen them all again, will it still relapse to where it was before and if so, how long will it take.?

Unless they start banning bots and RMT on Asura, the population will more or less stay stagnant.
They'd need to actually offer incentives to players to even consider to move, same will apply to Bahamut in due time, maybe even Odin if the trend continues.

If I were SE, I'd start with free transfers and some form of bonus item, can be something small like a Red Pell or a temporary buff, something.
What I will say, it's wild times seeing this development. Game is popping ever since the bonanza handouts, will it be longterm though.

After doubling down, I'm not really convinced. The server is no less self-sufficient than small servers have been historically. Leaving it closed forever reintroduces scarcity to the auction houses, which could actually be good for overall balance.

Not so convinced of this either. Everyone who was already on Bahamut or Asura is likely staying, and the amount of small server players who haven't transferred yet but still want to is going to be negligible. Depends how much interest they can drum up for new players.

Much like government regulation, makes it more profitable for the most effective RMT while kneecapping the rest. Prices are the highest they've been in 5 years.

Even the smaller RMT are probably going to make up whatever they lose in output through price increases for as long as they have accounts. Anyone who didn't stock up on Asura/Bahamut accounts is screwed.

Leaving the flagship server closed is not an option. Period.

There will always be a center, where everyone goes.

A steady flow of new idiots are required to move an economy and an economy moves bodies. It is irrefutable.

Eventually asurans will get tired of being pseudo jailed and leave too if they don't open it.