ZOS, Massive Spike in Ping/LAG in Recent Days - What Gives?

Photosniper89

Hoping ZOS can chime in and give some context as to what is happening behind the scenes (without giving away possible unannounced changes).

In recent days there has been a massive spike in PC NA ping/lag. Usually when the servers go down for maintenance the ping/lag improves for a few days but the spike we have seen the last week or so is abnormal. Affected areas are both PvE and PvP - I've experienced it most in PvP, though. Based on zone chat this appears to be a widespread issue and not localized to a handful of players. Things that have been observed are ping spikes to 999+ for an extended period of time (3-5 seconds) followed by massive ruberbanding or simply the game freezing then unfreezing after a few seconds.

Overall the average ping has risen from around the 75ish (for me) to 350ish.

With the Cyro issues a few weeks back that were never explained, then the recent PTS issue, I'm making an assumption that there is a large effort behind the scenes to either refactor some code/networking or some other massive network/DB overhaul that's yet to be announced (which I don't blame ZOS for not announcing these efforts due to the last few attempts not working and the player base going full agro mode).

Anyways, haven't seen a lot of dialogue about these recent issues so wanted to get the conversation going and hoping that someone at ZOS could chime in and acknowledge they are aware and maybe give a hint at some reason behind these aggravating issues as of late.

Desiato

There have been a lot of complaints, but it's not affecting everyone. I haven't been in Cyrodiil recently, but I've played overland, dungeon and trial content prime time without any lag or the other issues like rubberbanding others are describing.

So it could be a routing issue on one or more of their links. I don't think it's server related.

Tandor

I've done overland content including delves and dolmens (no, not that one) on PC NA and PC EU from the UK with no problems. I often do dungeons as well and haven't had any issues with those, although it's probably a week or so since I did one. I agree it could be a network issue, or if it's since a patch maybe some addons haven't been updated? I don't use any so I can't tell.

Photosniper89

Tandor wrote: »

I've done overland content including delves and dolmens (no, not that one) on PC NA and PC EU from the UK with no problems. I often do dungeons as well and haven't had any issues with those, although it's probably a week or so since I did one. I agree it could be a network issue, or if it's since a patch maybe some addons haven't been updated? I don't use any so I can't tell.

Appreciate your feedback but 1000% this is not add on related.

Necrotech_Master

Desiato wrote: »

There have been a lot of complaints, but it's not affecting everyone. I haven't been in Cyrodiil recently, but I've played overland, dungeon and trial content prime time without any lag or the other issues like rubberbanding others are describing.

So it could be a routing issue on one or more of their links. I don't think it's server related.

this is my experience

very rarely do i get above 110 ping unless im in a massive fight in cyro (then it can be like 120-130, but rarely higher than that)

LadyLethalla

My ping - before the Jubilee - averaged 280-320. I was away from April 6th to 21st: when I logged in on 21st I saw my average ping had gone to 380-420. I had hoped it was just because of extra people logging in for the Jubilee, but it has not gone back down.

What would cause it to jump by a third?!

I do acknowledge however that it may be caused by outside factors... I live in Australia, the land of potato internet after all.

Sluggy

Necrotech_Master wrote: »

Desiato wrote: »

There have been a lot of complaints, but it's not affecting everyone. I haven't been in Cyrodiil recently, but I've played overland, dungeon and trial content prime time without any lag or the other issues like rubberbanding others are describing.

So it could be a routing issue on one or more of their links. I don't think it's server related.

this is my experience

very rarely do i get above 110 ping unless im in a massive fight in cyro (then it can be like 120-130, but rarely higher than that)

Where do you guys live? Geeze! I don't think I get ping that good sitting in my house with no one else around lol

Orbital78

I've only experienced it really in Cyrodiil during a large battle, it became pretty unplayable. 500-3k+ ping spikes. I am normally sitting around 60-80ms.

Sluggy

For sure it has been bad lately. All week it was rough and I'd noticed it even while doing basic stuff like killing mobs in overland.

About two days ago it started feeling like pre-hardware update in Cyrodiil. My ping climbed from the usual 150 steadily to about 750+ as the day wore on. Everyone in zone was complaining about it and I know a lot of them come from different timezones so I don't think it was merely a routing issue.

Photosniper89

Orbital78 wrote: »

I've only experienced it really in Cyrodiil during a large battle, it became pretty unplayable. 500-3k+ ping spikes. I am normally sitting around 60-80ms.

PRIOR to this week my ping was in the range you speak of... but the last week is the time frame this thread is centered around. If you're comments are outside of this time range they aren't really valid.

Photosniper89

Sluggy wrote: »

For sure it has been bad lately. All week it was rough and I'd noticed it even while doing basic stuff like killing mobs in overland.

About two days ago it started feeling like pre-hardware update in Cyrodiil. My ping climbed from the usual 150 steadily to about 750+ as the day wore on. Everyone in zone was complaining about it and I know a lot of them come from different timezones so I don't think it was merely a routing issue.

This. Nailed it.

Photosniper89

And PC NA just went down. So this thread is even more relevant. ZOS, what is happening.

Just_Attivi

connectivity has been in general crap of late.... my normally 100-ish ping has been routinely spiking to 700+, and lots of crashes for weeks now.... and not just me. internet seems fine on my end, as well as others reporting similar issues.

and these arent strictly cyrodiil related, often times just picking flowers in PVE land and I'll ping up to the red. would be amazing to get some feedback about the service we all paid for being continuously.... not worth paying for of late.

Wildberryjack

And right now it goes to 999+ and everyone gets booted.

Photosniper89

Wildberryjack wrote: »

And right now it goes to 999+ and everyone gets booted.

yup this has been happening to a lot of people I play with as well.

drip_fromtheinkwell

aaaaaaand down again.

Photosniper89

drip_fromtheinkwell wrote: »

aaaaaaand down again.

They are having massive issues before. I feel like this has all been ramping up slowly the last week and getting worse and worse until blowing up today.

Sepultura_13

Photosniper89 wrote: »

Hoping ZOS can chime in and give some context as to what is happening behind the scenes (without giving away possible unannounced changes).

In recent days there has been a massive spike in PC NA ping/lag. Usually when the servers go down for maintenance the ping/lag improves for a few days but the spike we have seen the last week or so is abnormal. Affected areas are both PvE and PvP - I've experienced it most in PvP, though. Based on zone chat this appears to be a widespread issue and not localized to a handful of players. Things that have been observed are ping spikes to 999+ for an extended period of time (3-5 seconds) followed by massive ruberbanding or simply the game freezing then unfreezing after a few seconds.

I and my guildmates experienced this in Cyro on Sunday and Monday evening, and we haven't seen +999 spikes in quite a while. We weren't booted from playing, but could only find a safe place to hide out until the lag quit - and the lag lasted for 4 minutes or more. When we tried to go back into the battle, the spikes occurred again, but only when there were certain players in the vicinity. When stream team members are allowed to lag-hack others with impunity, these issues won't stop until those specific players are permanently removed from the game.

Not the first time I've seen lag-hacks screw everyone over, and it won't be the last, unfortunately.

Wildberryjack

I'm in Texas and have been having latency issues ever since their last update. Seems I shouldn't be having massive lag spikes since I'm in the same state as the server. I'm not having any latency issues with other games either, or with things like YT.

Photosniper89

Wildberryjack wrote: »

I'm in Texas and have been having latency issues ever since their last update. Seems I shouldn't be having massive lag spikes since I'm in the same state as the server. I'm not having any latency issues with other games either, or with things like YT.

Same as you.

tom6143346

Same on pc eu since weeks jumps up and down. A official statement would be appreciated

Photosniper89

tom6143346 wrote: »

Same on pc eu since weeks jumps up and down. A official statement would be appreciated

Doubt we will get one. We had issues with PvP for three straight days where the map and things would roll back, people lost crown items, gold, like it was crazy and ZOS only said issue resolved.

silky_soft

Playing from Australia in NA prime time has got so much worse. I came back to play start of this year and it was great so I subbed again. I plat NA prime as I'm a shift worker. After the last content patch and more so after PTS cycle, my game just doesn't respond.

I am at speed cap to reduce the effects of 250ms, but I will still just run next to someone while I'm mashing skills. I see them trying to do something on the bar, but nothing happens. Other times I will do the animation without cost and just flail about in an endless loop. Then there is the dodge roll animation getting cancelled before it's finished and I am taking CC.

Something has definately been changed. It probably works great with thier in house testing but I bet they never tested it outside or even with a VPN to induce lag.

Photosniper89

silky_soft wrote: »

Playing from Australia in NA prime time has got so much worse. I came back to play start of this year and it was great so I subbed again. I plat NA prime as I'm a shift worker. After the last content patch and more so after PTS cycle, my game just doesn't respond.

I am at speed cap to reduce the effects of 250ms, but I will still just run next to someone while I'm mashing skills. I see them trying to do something on the bar, but nothing happens. Other times I will do the animation without cost and just flail about in an endless loop. Then there is the dodge roll animation getting cancelled before it's finished and I am taking CC.

Something has definately been changed. It probably works great with thier in house testing but I bet they never tested it outside or even with a VPN to induce lag.

It's not just you - yeah VPN and Australia would introduce some lag but even people NA in Texas are having insane spikes recently. Like everyone else is hinting at something has to of changed behind the scenes that ZOS hasn't mentioned.

Really hope we can get some input from @ZOS_Icy @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_Kevin sooner or later. Even just an acknowledgment, without giving away the TBD announcements, would help. I think people would be much more understandable and forgiving about the current state if they knew there was something positive happening behind the scenes. Otherwise it's just left open to everyone's opinion - which is usually yeah this game is running into the ground; which is an unfortunate narrative that could easily be avoided with better communication.

LadyLethalla

Update to previous post - last night my ping was down around 350! Still not good but better!

Sluggy

Photosniper89 wrote: »

Really hope we can get some input from @ZOS_Icy @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_Kevin sooner or later. Even just an acknowledgment, without giving away the TBD announcements, would help. I think people would be much more understandable and forgiving about the current state if they knew there was something positive happening behind the scenes. Otherwise it's just left open to everyone's opinion - which is usually yeah this game is running into the ground; which is an unfortunate narrative that could easily be avoided with better communication.

Given their track records as well as the community backlash when things don't pan out they way they assumed it would, I expect ZoS will remain tight-lipped about any goings ons in the backend from here on out. Under promise and over deliver is always better for PR.

belial5221_ESO

I'm guessing it's a routing issue to servers,since not everyone is having issues.Only thing I'm really noticing,since last update,is longer load screens.

FlopsyPrince

If it is ping times it could be a problem on the Internet in general, but I suspect that is not the issue.

These issues seem much more common to me and it makes me wonder about the ongoing reliability of ESO.

Are other MMOs having similar problems?

TheUndeadAmulet

Trying to complete VMA for weapons and randomly getting massive lag spikes, usually resulting in death and a boot to start screen. Having similar issues for the past two days, sometime just out in the overworld harvesting surveys. Genuinely makes the game unplayable.

I know it ain't my connection either as I have had zero issues in anything else.

Photosniper89

belial5221_ESO wrote: »

I'm guessing it's a routing issue to servers,since not everyone is having issues.Only thing I'm really noticing,since last update,is longer load screens.

It's not a routing issue.

Monte_Cristo

"Things that have been observed are ping spikes to 999+ for an extended period of time (3-5 seconds) followed by massive ruberbanding or simply the game freezing then unfreezing after a few seconds."

I've been getting that for a few years now. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's like that. I've found that disconnecting and reconnecting to the internet fixes it 50% of the time.