Downtime Notice: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM Eastern (-4 GMT) Thursday, August 20th

[blackdoguk]

Looking forward to getting my hands on the PiP Boy Edition my wife manged to snag when they went back up on Best Buy.

[Memnir]

Yep! My wife is a keeper, that's for sure.

[Indy1524]

Can we get an update, maybe a good time for when servers might come back up?

[KaVaYo]

Well, this kind of job (dev team) is quite ungrateful. It's moreless like marriage, when everything runs smooth no one thanks you, but when something goes wrong, oh boy... you are in ****... (I work in IT and I know what I'm taliking about )

Good luck getting it fixed. I'm sure all of you are working really hard.

[Cordovan]

This is about the fourth moving of the goal posts.

What exactly is the issue, Cordovan? And of course I'm not referring to the technical issues. I'd hope that if those were know that they'd be fixed already. What issue(s) are causing this repeated failure to perform, or even to predict, at Turbine?

*snip*

Communication of new push backs of the restoration of service are great, even if the news is bad. Better by far than just going past the latest deadline with no communication. But communicating more fully and freely with your customer base might engender some sympathy, and soothe some ruffled feathers.

This kind of response is why we typically do not provide rough estimates on uptime during unexpected issues like we've seen today, as they are seen as "moving the goal posts" when inevitably things come up during the build process, mirroring process, staging, backup, QA checks, etc. Typically, I'd use a response along the lines of, "The worlds are currently unavailable. At this time there is no ETA. We'll keep you updated." However, I know that too causes consternation, so I've been trying to be looser in providing information today.

We are making progress, and are quite a bit closer to opening the worlds. We'll let you know when they reopen.

[Nivalis]

Ouf. I miss the game. Hope you guys figure it out and fix it soon. I much appreciate the progress updates on here, but if it doesn't take too much time away from solving the issue at hand, I'd also like to second the motion for updating the logon pad notice more frequently in the case of unexpected extended downtime. (for people like me who don't like forums)

Anyways, much appreciate the game and the efforts you are putting in improving it.

[Qaliya]

What exactly is the issue, Cordovan?

Software development.

[enteriiblackwater]

This kind of response is why we typically do not provide rough estimates on uptime during unexpected issues like we've seen today, as they are seen as "moving the goal posts" when inevitably things come up during the build process, mirroring process, staging, backup, QA checks, etc. Typically, I'd use a response along the lines of, "The worlds are currently unavailable. At this time there is no ETA. We'll keep you updated." However, I know that too causes consternation, so I've been trying to be looser in providing information today.

We are making progress, and are quite a bit closer to opening the worlds. We'll let you know when they reopen.

Please hurry my wife is now talking about having babies, I'm scared

[snook59]

This kind of response is why we typically do not provide rough estimates on uptime during unexpected issues like we've seen today, as they are seen as "moving the goal posts" when inevitably things come up during the build process, mirroring process, staging, backup, QA checks, etc. Typically, I'd use a response along the lines of, "The worlds are currently unavailable. At this time there is no ETA. We'll keep you updated." However, I know that too causes consternation, so I've been trying to be looser in providing information today.

We are making progress, and are quite a bit closer to opening the worlds. We'll let you know when they reopen.

Thanks for the update.

[vivarium]

Unfortunately, we ran into some issues getting the build staged, so we've got more work to do. At this time we do not have an ETA on when the worlds will open, although we are targeting later tonight.

Define later tonite? because there are 3-4 hours left till tomorrow... P.S. will there be compensation for those of us with VIP?

[AgedGoblin]

This kind of response is why we typically do not provide rough estimates on uptime during unexpected issues like we've seen today...

Well said. You guys are doing a great job. I have had MANY hours of enjoyment from your hard work and look forward to having many more.

I would like to say thank you to your whole crew for your hard work.

[UurlockYgmeov]

This kind of response is why we typically do not provide rough estimates on uptime during unexpected issues like we've seen today, as they are seen as "moving the goal posts" when inevitably things come up during the build process, mirroring process, staging, backup, QA checks, etc. Typically, I'd use a response along the lines of, "The worlds are currently unavailable. At this time there is no ETA. We'll keep you updated." However, I know that too causes consternation, so I've been trying to be looser in providing information today.

We are making progress, and are quite a bit closer to opening the worlds. We'll let you know when they reopen.

Thank you Cordovan. You are doing just fine. Keep up the good work.

[Thomas70]

This is about the fourth moving of the goal posts.

What exactly is the issue, Cordovan? And of course I'm not referring to the technical issues. I'd hope that if those were know that they'd be fixed already. What issue(s) are causing this repeated failure to perform, or even to predict, at Turbine?

Because I'm not able to recall an update or patch or hotfix or whatever other label you'd like to apply which has not been accompanied by unintended consequences. Some fairly major, such as this one, and some fairly minor. But major or minor they always seem to happen, and a ~100% failure rate on a smooth and error-free patch is a pretty poor record. I'm willing to accept that fact that people, including myself, remember the bad more than they remember the good, but even updates which introduced new content seem to have always had issues, and patches meant to repair those issues or others seem to either fail to accomplish their intended goal or they introduce other, new issues which need to be fixed in yet another patch cycle.


Is it:
1) Technical inability to revert? The U27.1 changes (reported changes, since it's clear to everyone that there are often changes which are not communicated to the player base) listed nothing which would seem to be important enough to retain at the expense of the unintended consequences they have caused.

2) Overconfidence? You know:
- 8AM "Yeah, we'll get it fixed in the next hour."
- 11AM "Yeah, we'll get it fixed in the next hour."
- 2PM "Yeah, we'll get it fixed in the next hour."
- 5PM "Yeah, we'll get it fixed in the next hour."

3) Management direction? You know:
- PHB "**** the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"

4) Lack of resources? That could be included in #3. But it doesn't explain the failure by even an overworked and stretched to the limit staff to seemingly be incapable of looking at their situation and making an accurate estimate for downtime or patch application or debugging or whatever.

5) Some combination of the above?

6) Something else?

Please share with the class!

Communication of new push backs of the restoration of service are great, even if the news is bad. Better by far than just going past the latest deadline with no communication. But communicating more fully and freely with your customer base might engender some sympathy, and soothe some ruffled feathers.

Perhaps the Devs secretly work for Blizzard on WOW, so they are breaking DDO to drive more folks to WOW.

[rlarge]

lol to that. wow had downtimes just like this back when I played it. For all 4 years that I played. **** happens with programing. we don't like it and devs don't like it but that does not change things. patience is a good thing.

[RTG]

Well see, there was this kobold in waterworks........................................ ...................

its them pesky sneaking oxen that moo //that one near the high roads cart is always trying to sneak away ..inch by inch XD

[Stormblade721]

lol to that. wow had downtimes just like this back when I played it. For all 4 years that I played. **** happens with programing. we don't like it and devs don't like it but that does not change things. patience is a good thing.

It might even be a virtue <SHUDDER>!

[kylecamera]

I think the servers are down is anyone else experiencing this?

[slarden]

Please share with the class!

Communication of new push backs of the restoration of service are great, even if the news is bad. Better by far than just going past the latest deadline with no communication. But communicating more fully and freely with your customer base might engender some sympathy, and soothe some ruffled feathers.

Bolding that part that all of us should remember - not just Turbine.

There is a whole page of updates I see here:

https://www.ddo.com/en/forums/post_t...ker=devtracker

[AgedGoblin]

I think the servers are down is anyone else experiencing this?

Nope...having a great time in world.

[mpetrarca]

This kind of response is why we typically do not provide rough estimates on uptime during unexpected issues like we've seen today, as they are seen as "moving the goal posts" when inevitably things come up during the build process, mirroring process, staging, backup, QA checks, etc. Typically, I'd use a response along the lines of, "The worlds are currently unavailable. At this time there is no ETA. We'll keep you updated." However, I know that too causes consternation, so I've been trying to be looser in providing information today.

We are making progress, and are quite a bit closer to opening the worlds. We'll let you know when they reopen.

I am sure the Devs hate the player actions at times like this, but really how much QA is there really being done? I am not an IT professional but I have been part of installs of software on even IBM System 36 mainframes and we would throw everything possible at the new software before we went live with it. So how could something like the current situation or even the ship buffs disappearing several year ago. Turbine has a track record of releasing updates that seem to not be QA'ed even when players on Lam tell you about the problems.