Currently 'beta testing' (aka mucking around) on the Ramut server for Phase 3.

Only recently wondered where all the Oceania players were at. Google is my friend.
A pleasure to meet you all. /bow

After looking at the poll results and ping tests, I will likely go Tonberry [JP / New] for phase 4 / open beta >> official release.
While I have no problem partying with the Japanese players [am fluent], it would still be cool to party up with some oceanic players.

Hence, I decided to join up here and get a grasp of the community.

My MMO history is (in chronological order):
Ragnarok Online (International >> Singapore)
Final Fantasy 11 (Original + Chains of Promethia)
…big gap… (aka study) <- touched briefly a little bit of Mabinogi and Fantasy Earth ZERO
Final Fantasy 11 …again (Treasures of Aht Urhgan + Wings of the Goddess)
…small gap… (aka more study)
Star Wars The Old Republic (Was actually pretty good before it went down in flames and F2P and… oh god make it stop.)
Guild Wars 2 (oh boy… this one didn't last long :P)
Mechwarrior Online β/Openβ (Pretty cool but a bit slow on development.)

Splatter a few browser games over the years (if they really count at all): Web Koihime Musou, eRepublik, IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls

NOW: Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn β (Oh YEAH!)

There is a thread for the pings, but they seem relatively close to be honest.
I would be worrying about what kind of community do you want to be around when it comes to end game.

Did do the latency tests myself during the weekend. The difference in ping between the JP and NA servers was significant enough for me to most definitely choose a JP server. (60+ difference)
Being in NZ, where the pings are bad enough as it is 200+, would have to be a masochist to opt for a worse alternative. = NA :P

As you imply, I would agree that yes indeed, community is ~very~ important. Though I am more for 'creating' the community / the atmosphere one wants where they are as opposed to going out and about looking for it (may not exist :/).

住めば都 home is where you make it.

Shouldn't be a problem at all though. From what I have seen so far Tonberry will have some great personality on it! Your FC/LS Mirai seems to be off to a awesome start as well (btw, will LS participation / socialising be available to players that not part of your FC?).

In any case, can't wait for Openβ ((o(´∀｀)o))ﾜｸﾜｸ

Welcome! Pleasure to meet you too! /bow

That's quite a number of MMOs you have played! Awesome!

Holla! Welcome. Mech warrior online? Maybe you can try hawken. It is almost similar and more fun.

>>Einzo
To be honest I actually feel quite lacking in MMO experience in comparison to some people I know haha… (but then again, who can compare with those folks that've been going hard since the dawn of MMOs, through the golden age of Ultima Online / Everquest, enduring the barrens of WoW and traversing the universe of EVE Online, filling each and every gap year as they please with a myriad of MMOs. True Connoisseurs they are! /grovel <t>)

>>Kirino
Yes, I did check out Hawken a bit, it felt very reminiscent of Quake style arcade-y FPS games. Without actually playing it though I couldn't judge much. Mech Warrior Online is most definitely a different style of play. Less arcade-y and more, "Hi, I'm a giant piece of metal that obeys the laws of physics. SLOWLY." or "Hi, I'm a less giant piece of metal that moves faster, but I damage my legs just by traversing terrain! BOOM. Oops head on collision." :P