Ides of March V: An Uneasy Return

It all began with a meeting, or so the legend says...

I'm sure the community is abuzz with the announcement that the game would return this weekend. With a 10% conservation in power consumption (meaning that Square-Enix will be minus their air conditioning for a long period of time, as well as shutting off a few more lights), they are able to offset the server power usage (which was about 12% of their entire power usage as a company!!!) and can, hence, return the game to service on Friday morning at 4 AM PDT (8 PM JST Friday night).

This is, of course, with the caveat that, if the situation should worsen (and I'll say right now that I doubt it won't, especially as Japan gears up for the spring and summer -- if there isn't some degree of major continuing conservation effort or some major power rerouting, the game is going to be down more than it is up over the summer!), the game could go back down at pretty much any time.

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That said, two thoughts:

1) I'm shocked it's only going to be about a two-week suspension. Fukushima Daiichi is GONE. Their power infrastructure took a massive hit with the earthquake, tsunami, and all-but-certain nuclear meltdown. Without a major power rerouting, this could end very badly.

2) I swear to God that I have seen some of the most shameful trolls I have ever seen in and around FFXI on the official (English) forums in the last 10 days.

They basically confirm many of the worst suspicions which made me angry enough to raise Hell and to take names on this blog.

I know that people troll for a reaction and all that garbage, but the fact is that to even have it within one's mind to be as callous, disrespectful, and just downright not able to have one ounce of human compassion because THEY JUST WANT THEIR GODDAMN GAME, GOD DAMN IT!!...

*sigh* And we wonder why most of the Japanese, even with accommodations like the auto-translate system and the like, want nothing to do with the English-speaking playerbase...

Well, anyway, you have it back Friday.