The town is growing!

While a much smarter algorithm, and one I'd love to see you implement, it too will still hit legit players. I"m sure you've already thought about it too. But it will be much less frequently. For others who haven't thought of it: Imagine the scenario where someone joins. Gets ill for a few days and doesn't even fire up Minecraft, therefore not pinging EMCs servers... Rare, but still, ultimately frustrating to the affected (But a significantly smaller population, which means more people are happy with EMC!)

The lesson here is (as you, Aikar are painfully aware of) EMC can't make everyone happy.
Therefore they seek to make the most number of players happy and put due consideration into how to do it. This means that some will be unhappy. And yes it sucks to be part of that group. I get it. So just understand that there will be times where all the staff can do is issue a heartfelt apology for the inconvenience. Just try to be understanding of the position these wonderful folks are in and what they're doing as compromises. (A 50K res move is seriously affordable!)

As for welcoming vs shunning a having new neighbor, I am in the welcoming camp.

Wouldn't it be best to reverse this? If the player is pinging the server but not joining doesn't that mean that they are actively choosing not to join and there's a bigger chance of them not coming back?

However, real life can get in the way, so if a player hasn't been pinging the server, then that means they're away from Minecraft. Doesn't it?

Pinging indicates they have at least a passing interest, or are too lazy to delete the entry. Assuming the former gives the benefit of the doubt and is more forgiving which is EMCs strategy. Not pinging means one of the following: the player no longer plays minecraft, the player has not played minecraft in significant time period but might again (who knows when), the player deleted the entry from their list. In all but one case the player will never return and therefore are the perfect candidates. In the case where they plan to return it's impossible to say when. This is why they are a better candidate to select for deleting the res vs the one who is pinging. (not a perfect candidate, but there is no measurable "interest" or activity which could be construed as interest, where as receiving a ping can be construed as interest...again not perfect, but certainly better than the reverse...)

Makes more sense now, thanks.

Any time. It was a good question.

Edit: You'll also see that I raised the real life getting in the way and this algorithm biting someone. This is hardly different than what is happening today. Since, ultimately, fewer legit players will be bit, it will be an improvement. We (players) like improvements.

Even if you do need to do it right away, please, go ahead, but just do it in a plus shape or a circle, as I've repeatedly requested. No good reason not to do so has been offered.

Let me be clear: I am not saying anything about Utopia. Work is already being done (or has already been done) on Utopia, and I don't currently have (nor have I ever had) an issue with how Utopia is expanded, or how quickly it is expanded, as it has always been quite small, and is clearly the first of the servers in need of expansion. Therefore, please do not use Utopia as an example or aspect of any counterargument.

Secondly, let me remind everyone that the plus/circle shape ideas do not create any kind of separation like the greenbelt or walls would, so that kind of argument would not work either.

Thirdly, the thing I keep hearing is that EMC "can't make everyone happy", but it would seemingly follow that the optimal solution is one that makes the fewest people unhappy, even if it's still more than zero, yes? In that case, the plus/circle shapes would make no more people unhappy, but would make all corner res owners and even a few edge res owners happy.

I cannot think of why this wouldn't be desirable, so please, someone tell me, without talking about Utopia, community separation, the inability to please everyone, or any of the other points I have already countered in previous posts. Seriously, I really want to know the reason why making certain people actually spend (many) rupees just to get a lesser version of what they already have is actually seen by the majority as totally fair, and the best possible plan, especially when something like this has been suggested.

Now I will end on a quote from just yesterday:

I have spent all of 45mins reading this thread...and all I can say is "Holy Crap"!!!! As most have already stated there is no way to please everyone!! So please step down off the soap boxes long enough to see that the solutions put in place are the most fair to the greater good!!

Everyone wants a mile and no one is willing to give an inch!!! Granted I spend most of my time in the Frontier and very little time in Town, but that does not mean that I have not noticed my new neighbors or their builds. I can appreciate the style and time that went into each of them and am happy to call them Neighbors. For those of you that do not want neighbors all around I applaud your decision to stay "separate" from the rest. But please remember that this is a "Community"!!!!

Our Owners and Staff are doing their very best to help the Empire grow in very unique and creative ways. They have allowed all of Us to play and create with very few restrictions and lots of latitude. Yet some seem to think this is not enough!! Believe me when I say that this is one of the most stable servers I have ever played on. It is well run and takes the player's views into consideration before making drastic changes that affect everyone. Our Staff cares about each of US and are trying to make this server better......so give them the courtesy they deserve!!

So now I will climb down off My soap box.....have fun and play hard!!

If we were to move Town Spawn off the map, or if the Mob Arenas were moved, there would be people who had specifically chosen those locations that would be unhappy just like the people who are currently being affected on the edges of the map.

I think we should reasonably expect the Town map to change in the name of progress and it is good to see that we are reserving the new residences for those who want to move to keep their spots, but...

Given my recent discussion over bridging residences where I was told I should move mine because I didn't research well enough three years ago when there wasn't even a Wiki, I find it rather ironic that people who actually did make an intelligent decision in choosing their residences are being told that it is just too bad and that they will have to pay a penalty to maintain something close to what they have now.

They aren't being stingy. They are hurt and offended by the principle of it more than the cost.

Charging someone to move their residence like this does nothing more than rub salt into the wound.

It would not cost EMC to do the moves for free. Anyone who currently has an edge or corner Residence should have an opportunity to move at no cost even if I have to pay for it.

Also, by Krysyy's own admission the numbering system is wonky and it is being done by hand anyway. Why can't anyone affected by this, like Uber_Corq keep their Residence number AND move?

It is worthless to make changes to accommodate new players if in doing so we alienate old ones. Cable and phone companies pull that all the time. I have zero loyalty to any of them and I know of no one that likes it as a customer.

Can it be so that everyone has an unlimited amount for maximum residences?
We just have to pay rupees to get an extra res.

You can claim up to six residences. Six is plenty.

No, not for refular players...
Only supporters.

Not quite. You can buy Max Res Vouchers to make your /res cap higher. If you are Gold or Diamond you do get the extra residences, but you can gain even more if you use a Max Res Voucher. These can be bought for I think $100 on site or you can buy them from others in game. Diamond allows up to a cap of 4 whilst it is active, Gold is a cap of 2. These Vouchers can claim you more residences.

There are plans to also introduce more ways of getting these Vouchers and perhaps a way of introducing Token buying of residences in the future, but all of this is talk and is not definitely planned, but there are ways for you to be getting more residences.

OMG I don't want to spend real money...

Read FDNY's post again please. If EMC never charged real money for anything there wouldn't be an EMC now would there?

It depends on how you look at it. I'm pretty sure EMC is owned by Starlis LLC (Aikar and Max last I knew), and the Cable/Phone companies are also companies. That is a similarity.

When I read this, I felt as if you were almost attacking them with some things said in here. This is just an example.

I thought the cost was to keep people from moving repeatedly and without good reason rather than a way to compensate staff in Rupees for their time.

Most people are going to forget these changes in a few month's time. The people this affects will remember that they were penalized through no fault of their own, and yeah, by doing that to a current player that puts you in Charter territory.

The work is being done anyway and I have nothing to gain or lose either way. I'm just expressing what I think some people must be feeling about this. It wouldn't hurt to make a concession to them that doesn't also seem like a face slap.