GM Vessago said it best in his announcement on why we’re doing the server merge. We wanted to keep the game more exciting and challenging. With the first and still the best sci-fi, PVP-based MMORPG, RF Online remains true to our commitment to give this promise to our community.

I’m reprinting GM Vessago’s great announcement after the break…

RF ONLINE PH SERVER MERGE ANNOUNCEMENT

Greetings Citizens of Novus!

It has been a long and tough ride since RF Online Philippines first opened its commercial servers Nexus and Altrax, paving the way for gamers to experience a thrilling, sci-fi fantasy game. We have witnessed the rise and fall of each race as they battled for supremacy over the planet Novus, gaining friends and sharing victories and losses. We have been through thick and thin, tried and tested by fire for the past few years. Those who would want to destroy our community made attempts to do so, but we are still here, playing, fighting and winning.

Therefore, the RF Online Philippines Team has decided to merge the five commercial servers into two servers.

The main reason behind our decision was to strengthen and concentrate the enforcement of the Magna Carta in the two remaining servers, thereby creating a more positive gaming experience for you, our customers.

As your community manager, I would like to thank the RFO-PH Community for responding to my thread entitled, “If There’s Going To Be A Server Merge” as it has provided an avenue for me to get your feedback on this major change that will surely affect the future of RF Online.

The server merge will be as follows:

• Hardcore servers Nexus and Praxis will be merged into one server.
• The servers Altrax, Xenos and Calix will be merged into one server.

The reasons behind the selections are as follows:

Both Nexus and Praxis has earned the name, “Hardcore server” and they have lived up to that name. These servers have given us the NEST finalists and it has been decided that the tough competition between the three races in these servers are ideal reasons for them to be merged into one server.

Xenos and Calix are new members to the RF Community and it would be unfair competition if they were pitted against the more veteran players of Nexus and Praxis due to the disparity in the items and equipments and the presence of highly competitive players in the hardcore servers.

And we know that Altrax server has requested not to be included in the merge due to their being a story server, but why not give a chance for a new story to be written and allow new members of the community to be a part of your story? This is not just “your” server; it’s for everyone who wants to play this great game. Let this server merge build camaraderie and acceptance and allow your community to grow instead of letting it become stagnant and unchanged.

Inside the game or in real life, there are times when we experience hardships and troubles. It is during these times that we should solidify the community’s bond in order to assure that we remain unchallenged. And if we do get challenged, we are united towards a common goal, and that is to play the game that we love and have grown up with.

Meanwhile, here are the mechanics and rules on the server merge. The merge process will be on Dec 1, 2009. All servers will be down indefinitely while we do this. Stay tuned here and in the RF site for updates.