Help understanding Clusters

[Wiggy-Mack 1]

Look i just bought the game and im seething a bit that it seems like if i just wanna play with my friends i need to several servers. Can someone explain the clusters to me is there anyway i can add my clusters to another server? if i was to buy 1 more server to i then unlock full game or is it only going to be another 8 levels until i need to buy another server, its made me so mad

[mndfreeze 92]

Game was designed around mass multiplayer.  Each grid square on the map is one 'server'.  The entire set is a full world.  If you want to compare it to ark each grid square would be a whole server map in ark so if you wanted the island map, the center map, scorched earth and abberation you would need to rent 4 servers.  They hook together in a cluster which is what lets you transfer form one to the other in game.

This game works the same just on a much larger scale and without using obelisks to transfer.  Now you have big blue server border walls.  So each map grid you want you gotta rent another server and cluster them together.

Someone made a post either here or on reddit talking about using some tool or map editor on their private server where they fit multiple biomes and island types into a much smaller zone so they were able to get everything all 9 power stone islands and such into a 2x2 or 3x3.  Can't remember which though.  

You are a bit out of luck though if you only want to pay for a single server grid.  The game just isn't designed that way.  You should be able to change the map  your on to a different grid (not a freeport) so the restrictions don't hold you back, or change the settings to allow it but I'm not sure how as I haven't ran an Atlas server yet.

[Wiggy-Mack 1]

IS there a way i can merge my server with say other people that only have one server for pve like is there a way to do something like that? just seems like a really odd way to design a game. here lets make you pay for a game then really if you want the full experience you need to fork out a shit load of cash to do it. been australian these large servers people run we just lag like crazy.