Question for ESO+ members and the growing amount of time spent in maintenance

scottii · November 2019

Ok, I wasn't going to say anything before, but this maintenance downtime is starting to add up a lot. Within 3 weeks, we've had well over 20 hours of maintenance due to the recent problems on Dragonhold's patch.

I took a two year break and wanted to come back enjoying the game while off work.

For ESO+ members, do you feel we should be compensated more crowns or something else for the accumulating downtime?

Sorry, but my play time is mostly during the morning US hours due to working the night shift.

pdblake · November 2019

I agree (not sure about crowns though as I never know what to spend them on), but I wouldn't go holding your breath or anything silly like that.

Goregrinder · November 2019

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

scottii · November 2019

Goregrinder wrote: »

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

What if this affected your play time, like it does for many other players? Have to think about the bigger picture.

JKorr · November 2019

scottii wrote: »

Goregrinder wrote: »

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

What if this affected your play time, like it does for many other players? Have to think about the bigger picture.

I think the last time I saw threads like this on the forum, someone worked out the cost per hour per month, it was about $0.50 an hour.

Fifty cents an hour.

Yes, maintenance might cut into my playing time, especially when I have time off. Is ZOS taking down the servers on purpose just to annoy me, or are they attempting to fix issues in the game? ZOS catches all kinds of rants and complaints if they don't try to fix problems; ZOS catches all kinds of rants and complaints when they do try to fix problems. No matter what they do someone is going to (snip) and complain.

I'll worry about compensation when the servers are down for more than a day or two at a stretch. Otherwise, no.

(edited for content)

Dread_Viking · November 2019

i agree

Jayne_Doe · November 2019

JKorr wrote: »

scottii wrote: »

Goregrinder wrote: »

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

What if this affected your play time, like it does for many other players? Have to think about the bigger picture.

I think the last time I saw threads like this on the forum, someone worked out the cost per hour per month, it was about $0.50 an hour.

Fifty cents an hour.

Yes, maintenance might cut into my playing time, especially when I have time off. Is ZOS taking down the servers on purpose just to annoy me, or are they attempting to fix issues in the game? ZOS catches all kinds of rants and complaints if they don't try to fix problems; ZOS catches all kinds of rants and complaints when they do try to fix problems. No matter what they do someone is going to (snip) and complain.

I'll worry about compensation when the servers are down for more than a day or two at a stretch. Otherwise, no.

It's actually 50 cents a DAY, and that's with just paying monthly - it's less if you have 3, 6, or 12-month plans. Of course, this is USD, so it will vary by region.

It's unfortunate that maintenance, whenever it happens, is going to affect someone's gameplay time. It can't be helped as no matter what time they do it, someone is going to be inconvenienced. Maintenance has to happen - ZOS need to take the servers offline to fix things. If they don't, then players will complain. When they do, players complain.

At the end of the day, this is a hobby, a recreational activity - not a life necessity. If you feel like you're not getting your money's worth, then maybe you should unsub. My sub pays to support the game, and part of that is maintenance, whether routine or to fix problems that crop up or are ongoing. Just because it disrupts the only time you can play doesn't mean you're entitled to compensation, though I guess they could either extend your sub by a few days or reimburse you a couple bucks. But, of course, what players want are crowns so they can get more shinies.

JKorr · November 2019

Jayne_Doe wrote: »

JKorr wrote: »

scottii wrote: »

Goregrinder wrote: »

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

What if this affected your play time, like it does for many other players? Have to think about the bigger picture.

I think the last time I saw threads like this on the forum, someone worked out the cost per hour per month, it was about $0.50 an hour.

Fifty cents an hour.

Yes, maintenance might cut into my playing time, especially when I have time off. Is ZOS taking down the servers on purpose just to annoy me, or are they attempting to fix issues in the game? ZOS catches all kinds of rants and complaints if they don't try to fix problems; ZOS catches all kinds of rants and complaints when they do try to fix problems. No matter what they do someone is going to b itch moan and complain.

I'll worry about compensation when the servers are down for more than a day or two at a stretch. Otherwise, no.

It's actually 50 cents a DAY, and that's with just paying monthly - it's less if you have 3, 6, or 12-month plans. Of course, this is USD, so it will vary by region.

It's unfortunate that maintenance, whenever it happens, is going to affect someone's gameplay time. It can't be helped as no matter what time they do it, someone is going to be inconvenienced. Maintenance has to happen - ZOS need to take the servers offline to fix things. If they don't, then players will complain. When they do, players complain.

At the end of the day, this is a hobby, a recreational activity - not a life necessity. If you feel like you're not getting your money's worth, then maybe you should unsub. My sub pays to support the game, and part of that is maintenance, whether routine or to fix problems that crop up or are ongoing. Just because it disrupts the only time you can play doesn't mean you're entitled to compensation, though I guess they could either extend your sub by a few days or reimburse you a couple bucks. But, of course, what players want are crowns so they can get more shinies.

Thank you. I thought at first it was something horrendously expensive like that, but decided to err on the conservative side since I didn't remember and didn't want to search. Its been a while since the last "omg I deserve that $1.50 cents" thread.

Goregrinder · November 2019

scottii wrote: »

Goregrinder wrote: »

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

What if this affected your play time, like it does for many other players? Have to think about the bigger picture.

Then I go play another game, or go outside, or go out on a date, or read a book, or learn an instrument.

Valerie_Sinclair · November 2019

Honestly, I'd not mind if they took it down for a month or two solid, if it meant things actually got fixed

Easily_Lost · November 2019

My play time usually runs from about 4am - 9am ET ( Florida US ), during downtime. Do I feel that I should be reimbursed for my time. NO. It is what it is.

pdblake · November 2019

I'm not so much bothered about the maintenance as I am about the actual performance of the game, those several hours where you can't log in and nothing is getting done about it because no one in America is awake yet. Then when they are they investigate for a few hours. The couple of hours to fix it isn't the problem. There might have been 20 hours maintenance, but there have been a lot more hours where people have not been able to play because of the reasons for maintenance.

It might not be much moneywise, but you're still not getting what you paid for. It's a principle. It's only a game, it's not life or death, but they take your money, however little it is. It's just the principle of the thing.

Nestor · November 2019

When I subscribe to a game that has to be taken offline to be maintained, I expect it to be take offline to be maintained.

Mr_Walker · November 2019

As an Aussie, most of the time this "maintenance" is right within my prime time.

Even so, no, but perhaps actually do... like... maintenance? So the game runs better?

Dusk_Coven · November 2019

When FFXIV had a 24-hour maintenance (yes, that long -- but they want to do things right the first time, and typically do) for a big update, they credited 1 day to all subs (which is required to access the game).

Starting to look like ZOS needs to take more time to do things right the first time even if it means they might have really long maintenance and credit subs for that time.
In ALL departments it looks like there just isn't enough checking their work. Not just server issues and group finder issues. Any sort of issue has a huge ripple effect multiple aspects of the game -- bug reports get sent, forum needs more moderation, issue needs to be investigated and bug-fixed, etcetera.
Doing things right the first time, spending time up front, actually SAVES more time.

Heatnix90 · November 2019

Sub is optional, you know what you're getting into when you sign up for it.

Which is exactly why I cancelled mine. Don't have to worry about compensation when you're not giving them money.

daim · November 2019

I don't care for a compensation. I'm working so the sub doesn't break my economy. But on the other hand my time is more expensive than to stare the login screen.

So I vote with the time I have to give for this game.

Kittytravel · November 2019

This should be clarified that if it's a scheduled maintenance then no I don't think I should be compensated; after all I should have used my eyes to read and planned accordingly.

If it's a random outage that affects game play then yeah I do believe you owe your subscribed members an extension based on the outage time.

For an hour? I wouldn't expect anything in return, it's inconvenient but in no way does that account for my entire playtime. (If you are subscribed to a game you can only play for max an hour a day then maybe you shouldn't sub... just my opinion but it seems like an odd choice.)

For three or four hours? Okay now we are entering the realm of the average amount of time the working class parent can put into this game; and this may be their hobby. At this point (three+ hours of outage/unexpected downtime) yeah I'd say start reimbursement by a day.

And yeah that's all I'd say, they don't actually owe us crowns or anything like that, we already got the crowns we paid for. The only thing that's really owed is the time their outage costed the average consumer.

scottii · November 2019

Dusk_Coven wrote: »

When FFXIV had a 24-hour maintenance (yes, that long -- but they want to do things right the first time, and typically do) for a big update, they credited 1 day to all subs (which is required to access the game).

Starting to look like ZOS needs to take more time to do things right the first time even if it means they might have really long maintenance and credit subs for that time.
In ALL departments it looks like there just isn't enough checking their work. Not just server issues and group finder issues. Any sort of issue has a huge ripple effect multiple aspects of the game -- bug reports get sent, forum needs more moderation, issue needs to be investigated and bug-fixed, etcetera.
Doing things right the first time, spending time up front, actually SAVES more time.

This is exactly what I'm getting at.

Players don't seem to understand that there have been several patches lately, and the game is still broken, if not getting worse. Cyrodiil was barely playable yesterday. Not to forget, the same bugs that have existed for nearly two years.

If ZOS want's to increase sales, then they really need to start fixing things. feelsbadman.

Ysbriel · November 2019

I agree with the idea since even free to play non AAA mobile games reward you when there are downtimes like this.
But have you heard? that's right, nothing!! all we get is silence besides thanking us for our "ongoing patience"

Tigerseye · November 2019

Goregrinder wrote: »

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

Um, yeah, that is when you choose not to play.

Or when the rest of your life chooses for you...

Not when you have the decision made for you by the people who are taking your money.

idk · November 2019

Goregrinder wrote: »

We already pay for the "time" we sleep or go to work and don't actually log in. I don't really feel I should be compensated.

And we want Zos to fix things. It seems counterintuitive to feel entitled to compensation because the devs are doing work we want them to do.

Anotherone773 · November 2019

scottii wrote: »

Ok, I wasn't going to say anything before, but this maintenance downtime is starting to add up a lot. Within 3 weeks, we've had well over 20 hours of maintenance due to the recent problems on Dragonhold's patch.

I took a two year break and wanted to come back enjoying the game while off work.

For ESO+ members, do you feel we should be compensated more crowns or something else for the accumulating downtime?

Sorry, but my play time is mostly during the morning US hours due to working the night shift.

No. Its $15 a month and the game even with 20 hours of maintenance still has 97% up time. Maintenance is done typically off peak. If you play 10 hours a week that is 38 cents an hour you pay for a sub.

Its not the problem of ZOS, if you cant or dont want to play the other 700 hours it was available during the month. Alter your schedule if you want to play in the mornings. Sleep during that time or run errands or do whatever on those days If your not happy with the service cancel your sub. Personally, I had a sub for 5 months and spent 10 hours between all 5 months on the game. Should i ask for a refund?

Maintenance in every game sucks for a few players. You think you have it tough, let me introduce you to the Aussies. Maintenance happens on peak for them.