Server Transfer
Overview
A server transfer, as the name implies, is the process of transferring (moving) a character from one server (the source server) to another (the target server). For example, moving a character from the Justice server to the Virtue server.
Transfers between live servers are accomplished at the Character Selection window, using a server transfer token. These are shown at the top right of the window. The player merely highlights a character on one server, clicks the server transfer icon, and follows the prompts. Only servers with available and open character slots for the transferred character will be shown as eligible targets.
Server transfer tokens accrue automatically each month for VIP players. Character Server Transfer Tokens can also be purchased from the Paragon Market at any time. See below for more information as well as the consequences of transferring a character to another server.
Players may at any time also copy a character from any live server to either the Test Server or Beta Server. Unlike a live server transfer, this simply copies the character to the new server, leaving the character untouched on the target server. These character transfers have no cost associated with them (other than the Beta server being accessible only to VIP players), and can be done at any time using the Character Copy tool on the official Forums.
Details
Obtaining Tokens
- VIP Players accrue 1 server transfer per month with their subscription.
- Character Server Transfer Tokens are available at the Paragon Market. Their usual price is 800 Paragon Points. From time to time they may be available at a discount during a market sale or promotion.
- Tokens will stack, so a VIP player will have five tokens showing after five months of play. If they then purchase three Character Server Transfer Tokens, they will have 8.
Limitations
- If the name of the character being transferred already exists on the target server, that character receives a free character rename token. This rename token only applies to the transferred character, and cannot be used on any other character.
What is transferred with a character
- Inf
- Recipes, Salvage (Base, Invention, Incarnate, Special, and Event), Inspirations, and Enhancements stored on the character
- Recipes, Salvage, Inspirations, and Enhancements stored on the Consignment House
- Salvage stored at a Vault Reserve
- Badges earned
- Story Arc souvenirs earned, and all active contacts/missions in progress
- "Yellow Titles", special titles granted by NCsoft and/or Paragon Studios
What is NOT transferred with a character
- Supergroup status
- Supergroup prestige earned (remains with the source server's supergroup)
- Server friends list
- Leveling Pact status
- Normal Pact limitations apply on the target server; if the characters are above level 5, they cannot reinstate their pact.
Historical
This section contains information that no longer applies to the current version of Homecoming: City of Heroes/Villains. It is provided for historical purposes.
History of server transfers
On October 2nd, 2007, NCsoft launched a feature to allow players' characters to move from one Live server (e.g., Justice, called the "source" server) to another Live server (e.g., Pinnacle, called the "target" server). With Issue 21, this feature was replaced by the purchase of tokens on Paragon market and the VIP benefit.
Prior to issue 21, a player selected a character from the character list screen, then selected the "Store" (briefcase) icon on the right side of the screen. Server Transfers could not be "banked", and the transfer process would begin immediately after purchase.
Following a global merge of the server list all fifteen servers are now available to all City of Heroes players, so there is no more distinction between "NA" and "EU", and it is possible to transfer between all existing live servers.
Server Transfer Discounts
Paragon Studios and NCsoft have a history of discounting server transfer tokens during special events, promotions and sales. From time to time a variable discount is available for a week, if the Character Server Transfer Token is listed in a weekly sale.
From December 15, 2009, until January 31, 2010, as a holiday "thank you" from Paragon Studios and NCsoft, each player received six free server transfer tokens per week (for a total of 30 tokens) to use in any way they saw fit. Each transfer token was replaced seven days after it was used. During this time the normal "Paid For" transfers were unavailable.
On January 29, 2010, the free transfer offer was extended until February 28. On February 26, the offer was extended again to cover the Double XP/Reactivation Weekend, until March 7. All the same restrictions applied to these extensions.
With the release of Going Rogue, a brief period of free server transfers was offered again, from Tuesday, August 17 to Monday, August 23, 2010.
During the Seventh Anniversary Event and for the month of May, server transfers were occasionally discounted 50% off.
During the VIP Headstart at the beginning of Issue 21, a pack of six transfers from the Paragon Market was discounted 90%, to facilitate players moving characters to the new VIP server, Exalted.