Solution to the Pre-Purchase Bug

[countfitz]

So, as a person who has had 4 of his 6 attempts fail at using my pre-purchase item, I was very sad. But, when it did work, and I got my Onyx Panther, I was very, very happy. Then very, very sad not to have him on all my toons. But then okay, 'cause I know it will be fixed "soon."

So to help with this, I came up with an idea. I posted it on the thread we're all reporting on, but it's close to 20 pages, will probably be 30 by tonight, and my post will be ignored.

So here is my idea.

We know that the items CAN work, and somewhere on that thread were tips at getting it to work "better," mostly the same advice as the djinn cake, go to a private instance, etc. etc.

So, just give us a "vendor" that will give out more of the onyx bags! It works for House Phiarlan and Silver Flame Favor rewards. If you "lose" your Silver Flame Symbol you can ask for another one, even if you haven't lost it. We exploit this every TR by getting one and using it after a TR without having Silver Flame favor. Same with the Pendant of Time.

So, just have a vendor do the same thing. Same dialogue, etc. We walk to it, it says "have you lost your onyx tiger symbol bag thingamabob from the pre-purchase" and you say yes, it gives you one. You then try it again, this time in a private instance and hope it works. If it doesn't you try again. And again.

There are a couple exploits I see. XP pots are not exclusive and could be pretty cool to keep getting. But otherwise, it's not like a single item can be used more than once, all are bound, and would just fill inventory slots if we tried to exploit it.

At worst, Turbine would lose XP pot sales to those of us affected, or, anyone that pre-purchased. That is the price they pay "IF" we exploit it. I for one would not, if they did this fix soon. Of course I didn't exploit the green bag/epic seal shard exploit even though I knew about it and could have benefitted, and honestly I think the majority of us didn't either. But even if we do, it's not a game breaking exploit and would only harm Turbine's XP pot sales, not us or the game. And again, price they pay.

[MrkGrismer]

I wouldn't even mind so much of the xp potion was just not included. That's a consumable and it was a non-mentioned bonus I wasn't expecting when I pre-ordered anyway. It would just be nice to be able to get the figurine and the lesser tome on my one character that is missing it.

Unfortunately, adding such would require coding something to check if the account is flagged and checking inventory and character bank to see if the character already has it, or recoding the items to make them exclusive (don't know if they currently are or not). Then rolling it to live in a patch.

It is more likely that they will just run some script to check to see if characters on a flagged account already have the item and if not then to send it to them in mail.

But first they have to write and test the script.

And more importantly, they need to find how and where it went wrong so it is less likely to happen again.

[countfitz]

I wouldn't even mind so much of the xp potion was just not included. That's a consumable and it was a non-mentioned bonus I wasn't expecting when I pre-ordered anyway. It would just be nice to be able to get the figurine and the lesser tome on my one character that is missing it.

Unfortunately, adding such would require coding something to check if the account is flagged and checking inventory and character bank to see if the character already has it, or recoding the items to make them exclusive (don't know if they currently are or not). Then rolling it to live in a patch.

It is more likely that they will just run some script to check to see if characters on a flagged account already have the item and if not then to send it to them in mail.

But first they have to write and test the script.

And more importantly, they need to find how and where it went wrong so it is less likely to happen again.

Honestly, this is probably what is going to happen. And this is the order of events that will have to take place:

Identify the bug. Hotfix the bug. Identify the people affected. Send them items. That is 1-2 days per step, minimum, making this a week long fiasco, ruining an otherwise awesome update.

OR, my solution. Code vendor/NPC to recognize everyone who purchased pre-update pack. Very simple compared to recognize everyone who was affected by a bug that they don't even understand. Then, give that person the item they should have and try it again, ad nauseum, until it works.

I would be MORE than happy to forgo the XP elixir as well, BUT, my solution is for the FASTEST fix. Not having the XP elixir would require a NEW coded item, the same item but without the XP elixir. My solution is simply put the already coded item at an NPC.

See, my solution is for the fastest, ugliest fix to make people happy. In 2 days, tops. That is how quick this could work.

I honestly don't expect this to be fixed "properly" for at least two weeks otherwise. I doubt the bug will be identified in under a week, TBH, and the hotfix code another week, and hopefully identify the affected players in 1 day, and get them items right away, that's probably nearing their 6 year anniversary, and by then they're "probably" going to be dealing with CC issues...

[Memnir]

My solution to this, and any other, bug... measure twice, cut once.

[countfitz]

My solution to this, and any other, bug... measure twice, cut once.

I actually posted how happy I was they finally seemed to be doing this.

The unofficial original date of the release was the 22nd, but was postponed a week, it seemed to fix/check any last minute bugs.

This seems to be one of those bugs that only happens when hundreds of people are doing the same thing in the same instance, so not something that is easy to test on Mournlands/Lammania.

Anecdotally, it seems to have the least bugs in private instances, just like the djinn issue.

I'd like some dev confirmation on this, but that is what some forum posters are testing on their toons.

I'd do it myself, but kinda ran out of toons to test it on.

[jwdaniels]

It's not like giving away extra lesser tomes of learning would make a difference, if they make them BtC for this purpose only. Same with the panthers. I like the OPs idea.

[herzkos]

i don't like the idea of a one-off solution to the problem. Whatever the problem is. Would vastly prefer it
if Turbine took the time necessary to find out the cause and then fixed it permanently. That way, perhaps
update 26 Ghosts of Greyhawk (expansion) would launch with less issues and wouldn't break 100 different
quick fix patch jobs to the code.
The expansion doesn't launch until June. relax please.

[countfitz]

The expansion doesn't launch until June. relax please.

This is for all the people that just spent $80+ to get absolutely nothing.

Imagine going to a store, buying a pair of crazy overpriced jeans, giving them your credit card, being charged, and then the jeans disapear.

Considering this happened, my post is INCREDIBLY relaxed.

In fact, it is the nicest post I could manage considering I just had $80 stolen from me.

[MrkGrismer]

While I would like the issue fixed as fast as possible I seriously doubt coding a new (or even existing vendor) into the game would be any faster than what they are working on now. Being familiar with development cycles such a thing would probably take months.

Now, putting a Lost and Found vendor into the game with sufficient code behind her that she would be able to address such issues in the future in a very timely manner would be a fantastic idea in my book.

Personally I have one character stuck in Limbo until the issue is fixed, as I would rather not quest with that character until he has his greater tome, and I can't buy his tome upgrade until he has his lesser tome. Fortunately I can just quest with other characters for now, but I know others are much worse off.

[HAL]

The expansion doesn't launch until June. relax please.

You apparently don't understand the situation: people payed extra money to receive items that they can use NOW, not when the expansion launches. It is these items that are not being received.

[herzkos]

You apparently don't understand the situation: people payed extra money to receive items that they can use NOW, not when the expansion launches. It is these items that are not being received.

I understand the situation perfectly fine. I'm sure turbine will fix/address the complaints of people who purchased
the CE (and standard edition for that matter). I just don't agree with the OMG BURN THEM!!!!!!!! knee jerk
reaction of the forums. So long as your shinies get straightened out in a reasonable time you should be
ok. I understand it's a major trauma to just be earning as much xp/quest as you were before and not the extra
50% but it will be Ok and Turbine will fix it. Give them some time before calling for the tar and feathers please.

[countfitz]

While I would like the issue fixed as fast as possible I seriously doubt coding a new (or even existing vendor) into the game would be any faster than what they are working on now. Being familiar with development cycles such a thing would probably take months.

Now, putting a Lost and Found vendor into the game with sufficient code behind her that she would be able to address such issues in the future in a very timely manner would be a fantastic idea in my book.

Personally I have one character stuck in Limbo until the issue is fixed, as I would rather not quest with that character until he has his greater tome, and I can't buy his tome upgrade until he has his lesser tome. Fortunately I can just quest with other characters for now, but I know others are much worse off.

I like the idea of a permanent bug fix vendor. Call him something cutesy like "Mr. Fixit" or something more referential like Mario or some other tradesman, and have him there so you can always get things fixed in situations like this.

A lost and found vendor is also a great idea. All the hundreds of lost items during bank transfers (I never trade bags, just one item at time just because of this issue) would be great as well.

As I stated in my original thread, of my 6 main toons, only 2 got the items I paid for. A capped 28pt FvS (my first) who is a bit gimp and was currently just a shroud farmer and mule, and my 7th level FvS. So I guess I'll be leveling my FvS. Though, that Onyx pet was freaking AWESOME on my mule, I soloed eDA with it and a hire! Seriously awesome, in fact that FvS's first epic solo, and on eDA no less! Just capstone healed/scroll healed the panther and sat back while he took care of everything!

Which is why I'm so sad I didn't get the panther on my main TR that is so much better! Or even my 32 pt. builds. Or even my level 19 that is SO CLOSE to cap... but has no Tome or Panther to help him out.

But at least I've got a couple of toons to play around with until this is fixed too. Otherwise this thread would have taken a WHOLE different direction. Like start a petition to get people to call their credit card companies and put a hold on their payment's to Turbine.

As it is now, I'm able to be happy with just my two toons out of 6.

[countfitz]

I understand the situation perfectly fine. I'm sure turbine will fix/address the complaints of people who purchased
the CE (and standard edition for that matter). I just don't agree with the OMG BURN THEM!!!!!!!! knee jerk
reaction of the forums. So long as your shinies get straightened out in a reasonable time you should be
ok. I understand it's a major trauma to just be earning as much xp/quest as you were before and not the extra
50% but it will be Ok and Turbine will fix it. Give them some time before calling for the tar and feathers please.

Wow, considering I would be completely justified in calling for the tar and feathers, or, see my post above, calling for everyone to cancel their payments, or some other boycott like action, but instead SIMPLY OFFERED A SOLUTION, you know, do something productive, I'm pretty much not getting where you are coming from.

Never did I say OMG BURN THEM. In fact I've been way too polite considering the situation.

The "major trauma," (my words were "very sad") by the way, is seeing $80 disappear from your bank account and not getting anything from it.

[countfitz]

So Maj just posted this:


Preorders are not tested in the preview/ test worlds. It is almost impossible for us to do this out there with non-employees.
What broke was something in the world QA did not even know existed, so we had no metric to test against. All our tests for delivery worked brilliantly, since there was a variable that we did not know to test against. Same exact thing with the cake. I thought at first it was a load issue too, it isn't, it is something else. Ask me some other time and I'll explain the crazy. Mushrooms are the same as doors strikes again...things you would never think are related...are.

Remember TR inventory issue was found on Lamma, and tons of other issues.Should have the tester regressing the other TR issue seen it? Yep, but this late in the cycle testers ususally just test the fix, not a full pass at the system. He shortcutted his way through the system to get to the fixed part. Poor choice maybe, but this late in the cycle these are the decisions people make.
Anyway the preview worlds worked better than ever before. Having a bug forum there was super helpful. Some of you in the community really stepped up, and this was noticed!

Anyway Fixes on the way, stay tuned. There are around a dozen things we are in the process of verifying right now for a patch.

Maj.

If this is the case I say we just stop talking about this thread and my idea. If the "Fixes" on the way are really being verified "right now for a patch" then I'm fine just trusting that this means soon, (not "thoon" as I was expecting).

So HOPEFULLY I'll be eating a little crow tomorrow.

Because I'd REALLY like to be WRONG, and my fast solution actually not be faster than a good solution!

So, apology in advance, sorry for wasting time with my idea! (I hope!)