Weekly server maintenance EU times?

[Vlakrar]

Since when does 4pm +2 equal 8pm...?

 

Because I said OR MORE

 

 

 

As to you final point; the game requires unified patching across all servers, world wide, so having split schedules is not an option and is unlikely to ever be.

 

 

Rift managed to have 1 client, and differing server maintenance. It has been done, it CAN BE DONE

[CreamPoet]

France and Germany - I'm assuming these are largest player bases outside of UK based on language localisaiton - are just +1 GMT which means maintenance would run 9-5pm (8-4pm in UK). This is still off peak as most people are out (work/school/uni) so it makes perfect sense to me.

 

Bioware has to compromise somewhere and if they tried to cater for all the unemployed/shift workers/smaller player bases in different time zones they would never be able to perform maintenance.

[Vlakrar]

Bioware has to compromise somewhere and if they tried to cater for all the unemployed/shift workers/smaller player bases in different time zones they would never be able to perform maintenance.

 

 

The "compromise" was....USA are fine, rest of you can forget about it.

 

Yeah, that's a "compromise"

[CreamPoet]

The "compromise" was....USA are fine, rest of you can forget about it.

 

Yeah, that's a "compromise"

 

No the compromise is:

USA, UK, France and Germany (what I'm assuming to be the vast majority of their playerbase) are fine.

[Kaarina]

France and Germany - I'm assuming these are largest player bases outside of UK based on language localisaiton - are just +1 GMT which means maintenance would run 9-5pm (8-4pm in UK). This is still off peak as most people are out (work/school/uni) so it makes perfect sense to me.

 

Bioware has to compromise somewhere and if they tried to cater for all the unemployed/shift workers/smaller player bases in different time zones they would never be able to perform maintenance.

 

 

And where do you live in the EU? and will separate times somehow affect you in some way?

 

 

PST not all schools in EU get out so late, here where I live +2 gmt they are out at noon

 

 

An Opinion does not equal fact

 

We all know what assuming does to people

 

Other games have separate times and the games go on just fine.

 

Off Peak is not at that time or is that the off peak time in USA?

Edited January 16, 2012 by Kaarina

[Redcheat]

They could easilly give european servers our own maintenance window. I dont buy the bobobibobo its unfair some gets a patch sooner. Having maintenance 9am-5pm is just not good enough.

[Nerk]

I am sorry if this offends you, but the bottom line is that 8am-4pm IS off-peak for us in the EU and that's the end of that.

 

 

i wonder why this is mostly the standard response. "hey it's off peak so suck it up", like servers are either on-peak or off-peak. Which IMHO is a very narrow way to see it, as off-peak does not automatically mean "every server has at most 3 players on them". there is a difference between off-peak at half server capacity and off-peak at almost-empty servers. And the timeframe EU maintainance is might be off-peak (mostly) but it sure isn't when servers are the most empty, like the US maintainance time is.

[Vlakrar]

They could easilly give european servers our own maintenance window. I dont buy the bobobibobo its unfair some gets a patch sooner. Having maintenance 9am-5pm is just not good enough.

 

 

Forget getting it before...I'm more than happy to get it the day after (ala WoW) to have it during the night like the US

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

Other games have split patching and it is not that big of a problem since the servers are already located in EU

 

 

And patch times have been over 8 hours, first one I believe it was, was 10 hours and tomorrows is 8 hours

 

 

BTW Where do you live? which EU country

And where are the staff that manintan those servers? My guess is that they are remotely managing them from the US and that the only staff here are probably Data Centre staff, who don't even work for Bioware.

 

So we no need a second team of technicians/developers to run an EU update? That costs, and probably cost a hell of a lot; somewhere in the region of about $9000.00 for a 8 hour session, assuming 10 techs/devs.

 

The you have the problem of how to unify the end client, becuase if the US gets the patch before the EU, then you can bet you life that loads of EU people will start logging onto US servers so they can get the updates first, especially during the deployment of new content...

 

Thes moans and complaints come from people who:

• Don't understand the complexities of Data Centre Server Farm management
  
• Have not looked at the facts abnout how long patching updates are actually taking (we have yet to come close to 8 hours)
  
• Clearly haven't read the EULA/TOS that they agreed to when they signed up for the game
  

 

Call me a troll if you like; it's water off a ducks back, but unless you have a clue about how these things are managed and can get past the me, me, me entitlement atttitude, then you really need to take a step back and understand the facts of this situation.

[TheHauntingBard]

The fact the servers are in Ireland is shameful enough as it is.

The countries that are experiencing the maintenance up to a 16:00 are a minority, I would hardly use them as an example of 'most people'.

 

The servers are down during peak times in Europe simple as that.

Last time I check a large portion of countries in the Eu still have GMT+2 and a big enough part has GMT +3.

 

Take into account the maintenance can be extended during large patch days as well.

 

 

Bioware knows when the least people play that's why they have the maintenance setup for the US like that.

It's just that the rest of the customers get's the poor mans treatment.

 

But hey horrible ticket service, servers in one of the worst locations and poor maintenance times.

It pretty much sums it all up for me.

Edited January 16, 2012 by TheHauntingBard

[masmun]

I have always lost a day in any mmo I have played due to maintenance. Even living in the US. Mostly due to my jobs and locations and a lot of the people I play with do as well. As servers currently go down at midnight for me, which is about 45 mins after I get home. But I do think the EU should get a separate time for their maintenance.

[PatrickFF]

The fact the servers are in Ireland is shameful enough as it is.

The countries that are experiencing the maintenance up to a 16:00 are a minority, I would hardly use them as an example of 'most people'.

 

The servers are down during peak times in Europe simple as that.

Last time I check a large portion of countries in the Eu still have GMT+2 and a big enough part has GMT +3.

 

Take into account the maintenance can be extended during large patch days as well.

 

 

Bioware knows when the least people play that's why they have the maintenance setup for the US like that.

It's just that the rest of the customers get's the poor mans treatment.

 

But hey horrible ticket service, servers in one of the worst locations and poor maintenance times.

It pretty much sums it all up for me.

 

Blizzard have done it for near 8 years, are you saying that blizzard are far smarter than bioware?

[TheHauntingBard]

And where are the staff that manintan those servers? My guess is that they are remotely managing them from the US and that the only staff here are probably Data Centre staff, who don't even work for Bioware.

 

So we no need a second team of technicians/developers to run an EU update? That costs, and probably cost a hell of a lot; somewhere in the region of about $9000.00 for a 8 hour session, assuming 10 techs/devs.

 

The you have the problem of how to unify the end client, becuase if the US gets the patch before the EU, then you can bet you life that loads of EU people will start logging onto US servers so they can get the updates first, especially during the deployment of new content...

 

Thes moans and complaints come from people who:

• Don't understand the complexities of Data Centre Server Farm management
  
• Have not looked at the facts abnout how long patching updates are actually taking (we have yet to come close to 8 hours)
  
• Clearly haven't read the EULA/TOS that they agreed to when they signed up for the game
  

 

Call me a troll if you like; it's water off a ducks back, but unless you have a clue about how these things are managed and can get past the me, me, me entitlement atttitude, then you really need to take a step back and understand the facts of this situation.

 

Well obviously Blizzard seems to consider Europe important enough to put servers in proper locations and hire a team to do the maintenance for Eu.

But yes I am comparing a good successful company here that has good customer support.

 

 

People in Europe won't log on in masses for the US patch because they are asleep or preparing for work.

But let's say a small group logs on , and?

They got a level one now, they can't do anything.

 

 

Reading the EULA and TOS doesn't equal proper customer support.

In all honesty as customer I don't care how they do it, it's that they do it.

Including taxes we pay more for the game than the US counterpart simple as that.

Let them give us proper customer support instead of sticking it in their pockets.

 

 

But hey we all know how trash the servers are in Europe so you can't expect much from a company that clearly shows their interest isn't giving the Eu the same quality as the US.

 

 

 

 

Blizzard have done it for near 8 years, are you saying that blizzard are far smarter than bioware?

 

 

Blizzard takes the Eu servers down at night and they are up in the morning.

Servers are in France and Germany.

WOW has a lot more Eu subs than US subs, so clearly they did something right.

Edited January 16, 2012 by TheHauntingBard

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

Because I said OR MORE

 

Even though they have so far ALWAYS done far LESS (and no you DID NOT say 'more' in the post to which I replied.)

 

 

Rift managed to have 1 client, and differing server maintenance. It has been done, it CAN BE DONE

 

Ah, so all that Bioware have to do is transfer the game onto the Gamebyro engine and all our problems will be solved. Forget the fact that the Gamebyro engine is much worse than Hero...

 

Yes, I know that the capaibilty is available in Hero, but the game was never built that way.

 

So, with this in mind, how much downtime are you willing to stomach to allow for the changes to occur? A week, may two, what about a month? Becuase that's what would have to happen and then the game would also act differently as well, is that good for you to?

Edited January 16, 2012 by Catch_TwentyTwo

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

i wonder why this is mostly the standard response. "hey it's off peak so suck it up", like servers are either on-peak or off-peak. Which IMHO is a very narrow way to see it, as off-peak does not automatically mean "every server has at most 3 players on them". there is a difference between off-peak at half server capacity and off-peak at almost-empty servers. And the timeframe EU maintainance is might be off-peak (mostly) but it sure isn't when servers are the most empty, like the US maintainance time is.

 

Nope, I agree, but them's the facts and that's the way it is and we have to live with that.

[TheHauntingBard]

Funny thing is I wasn't happy about the Rift engine myself and how the game runs.

But it's still runs a lot better than SWTOR.

[Lyaise]

Hold subscriptions until EU players are not treated as second class playerbase.

 

Separate maintenance times for US/EU It's not rocket science, ask Trion.

[PatrickFF]

Bottom line for me is they do something, i keep subbing, they don't, I don't. I am a paying customer, not a freeride....

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

Other games have split patching and it is not that big of a problem since the servers are already located in EU

 

 

And patch times have been over 8 hours, first one I believe it was, was 10 hours and tomorrows is 8 hours

 

 

BTW Where do you live? which EU country

 

Those are the SCHEDULED windows, but none of the past windows have been used in full today, no where near in full to be frank.

 

27th Dec - Servers back up within 5 hours

2nd Jan - Servers back up in 4 hours

10th Jan - Servrs back in in 4.5 hours

[Lyaise]

Those are the SCHEDULED windows, but none of the past windows have been used in full today, no where near in full to be frank.

 

27th Dec - Servers back up within 5 hours

2nd Jan - Servers back up in 4 hours

10th Jan - Servrs back in in 4.5 hours

 

That just shows EA don't give anywhere near accurate information

[Mandrax]

Those are the SCHEDULED windows, but none of the past windows have been used in full today, no where near in full to be frank.

 

27th Dec - Servers back up within 5 hours

2nd Jan - Servers back up in 4 hours

10th Jan - Servrs back in in 4.5 hours

 

WRONG.

 

December 27th window over ran by 2.5 hours. It was 6.30 GMT before they came up and they started it at 10am. That is MORE than 5 hours.

 

I agree that the other two windows finished early, but don't make things up, the Dec 27th maintenance day was a total joke. Not only was it a bank holiday in most of Europe, some parts of the continent did not get access until 10.30pm.

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

That just shows EA don't give anywhere near accurate information

 

No, they do what every company manging large Data Centre hosted Server farms do; they set an expectation. Anything that beats that expectation is a bonus.

 

Would you rather they say it will take 4 hours, and then have everyine QQing over and extra 30 - 60 minutes.

 

So much nagativity and glass half empty attitudes of entitlement on these forums, it's unbelievable.

[Xandurpein]

I want to give a different view on this question. I can readily understand the feelings of many players in Europe, but I live in Europe and I personally would like to see things continue the way they are.

 

Several posters have correctly identified that you can't let people have access to patched and unpatched servers at the same time. If players had access to patched and unpatched servers at the same time, it would be a nightmare. Now, there are two ways to resolve this.

 

1. Do as SWTOR does now, have all servers down at the same time for patching and maintenance, regardless of which part of the world they are in.

 

2. Do as Blizzard does and have separate maintenance periods for US and Europe. The only way to do that is to code your subscription to one continent only. In SWTOR I can chose to play on a US server if I want to, but in WOW, I can only play on European servers if I bought WOW in Europe. I can't ever access a North American server, even if I wanted to.

 

Now, I may be in a minority, but I have several friends in North America and I think it's great that I can play SWTOR together with them. The fact that I can do that, by far outweighs the inconvenience of maintenance periods. I may be in a minority, but I think that it's great that I'm able to play with friends overseas if I want to, and once the holiday period is over, maintenance is only when I'm at the office anyway.

[Catch_TwentyTwo]

WRONG.

 

December 27th window over ran by 2.5 hours. It was 6.30 GMT before they came up and they started it at 10am. That is MORE than 5 hours.

 

I agree that the other two windows finished early, but don't make things up, the Dec 27th maintenance day was a total joke. Not only was it a bank holiday in most of Europe, some parts of the continent did not get access until 10.30pm.

Well I will defer to you if you say it overan, but I honestly don't think it did. Happy to p[ut my hands up if I am wrong on that one.

 

My recollection of 27th December was that I was online, playing that evening.

[killic]

That just shows EA don't give anywhere near accurate information

 

No it shows that Bioware gives itself a large amount of time just in case something goes wrong with the patch.