64-Bit Servers Are Launching In Lord Of The Rings Online Today Even As Many Still Await Transfers

Names have been reserved for VIP players, and the new Lord of the Rings Online 64-bit servers are scheduled to launch in just a few hours at 1 PM EST today. Sounds great, doesn't it? There's one little snag, however. Many players, including myself, have yet to be able to transfer our characters over to the MMORPG's new servers due to ongoing issues with the transfer process. Basically, it's proven too popular, and everyone seems to be trying to get their characters moved.

As we've previously covered, the new 64-bit servers should offer performance enhancements over their old 32-bit brethren, and judging by the transfer overload that's been taking place all week, it's pretty safe to say these new servers will soon be home to the majority of LOTRO's player base.

If you can get in. You see, therein lies the problem. Transfers were supposed to be done and dusted by now, and we should all be gleefully awaiting the official opening of the new servers (that were supposed to arrive Wednesday). Instead, many players are still waiting to even get a glimpse of the ever-elusive transfer button, myself included. All of my characters remain stranded on a 32-bit island, staring off into the distance at a 64-bit land they just can't reach.

The transfer process has been a nightmare and nothing like the smooth transition we were told was coming. The servers haven't been able to keep up with the load of transfers, and even when you finally see the transfer button, you're often left with the "hourglass of doom" as the transfer wizard screams in agony.

For now, it looks like the new Lord of the Rings Online 64-bit worlds will move on without me. I don't really envision a situation where I see the transfer button today, much less get my characters onto a new server by the time they go live. I, along with many others, will be on the outside looking in. Perhaps, however, the joke isn't on me. You see, all this transfer trouble nonsense has made it painfully obvious that pretty much everyone is transferring, and what that means is queue times and more queue times for those looking to log into the new servers when they go live. The whole situation has been far from ideal, and unfortunately, I don't believe the launch of the new servers will make it any better due to the sheer demand.

For what it's worth, I'm still excited to play on the new 64-bit servers, as the existing 64-bit Legendary servers have proven to be much more stable and lag-free, but the question remains. When? When will we get our characters transferred, and how long are the queues to get in going to be? Who knows is the answer to the first question, and LONG is the answer to the second.