Is it really usual in MMORPGs that so many bugs are present and not getting fixed all the time?

altemriel · October 2016

I was just wondering after today`s bug, this is my first MMORPG, so I really do not know the answer, so I have a question for you long-time MMORPGers:

Is it really usual thing, that so many (not just minor, but also major) bugs are present in the MMORPGs and take so long to get fixed and more and more bugs keep being introduced, by trying to fix the old bugs???

Serious question. No troll post.

cjthibs · October 2016

For the most part, yes.

Fixing bugs isn't as easy as some people like to think, and yes, they can stick around for a long time.

There are far buggier games that have been around for a lot longer than ESO. Age of Conan for example has been out almost 10 years and still has bugs that have been around since launch.

Mojmir · October 2016

I know when I played UO, we had a lot of bugs that lasted years. Some still exist from the early 2000's

cjthibs · October 2016

Mojmir wrote: »

I know when I played UO, we had a lot of bugs that lasted years. Some still exist from the early 2000's

I'd bet a few of them from the 1997 beta were still in there.

Zuuman · October 2016

Its part of MMO coding, they are gigantic games in term of coding, way bigger than most stand-alone games you'd get on steam and are being played on a huuuuge variety of configuration so bugs on your side can be localised to your PC only and would be hard for the developper to find that very bug without your computer next to them to test it.

As a programmer i can tell that what seem like the most trivial function in a program/game can sometime require very intensive code and logic to do that very stupid little thing.

Mojmir · October 2016

cjthibs wrote: »

Mojmir wrote: »

I know when I played UO, we had a lot of bugs that lasted years. Some still exist from the early 2000's

I'd bet a few of them from the 1997 beta were still in there.

Absolutely, in those developers defense,the game is just too old and built on such dated software, it would be easier to start from scratch.

idk · October 2016

@altemriel

Every MMO has bugs. Every MMO has bugs that are fixed and bugs that are never fixed, even years later.

The biggest thing Zos has not fixed and should have 2 years ago is Cyrodiil lag.

Most of the rest of the bugs that are not recent creations are not really game breaking.

Graydon · October 2016

I've yet to encounter any game breaking bugs.

Yes some minor annoying bugs.

Zuuman · October 2016

Giles.floydub17_ESO wrote: »

@altemriel

Every MMO has bugs. Every MMO has bugs that are fixed and bugs that are never fixed, even years later.

The biggest thing Zos has not fixed and should have 2 years ago is Cyrodiil lag.

Most of the rest of the bugs that are not recent creations are not really game breaking.

Cyrodil problem is alot harder to fix than what people think.. The very way cyrodil is coded make it close to impossible to fix it's netcode without recoding it from scratch.

Julianos · October 2016

no only usual in ESO

JamilaRaj · October 2016

Zuuman wrote: »

Its part of MMO coding, they are gigantic games in term of coding, way bigger than most stand-alone games you'd get on steam and are being played on a huuuuge variety of configuration so bugs on your side can be localised to your PC only and would be hard for the developper to find that very bug without your computer next to them to test it.

Except that many bugs in ESO as very easy to find, such as the latest "missing characters" bug; typically you update the game, log in and just stare in disbelief at blatant regressions.

serenity_painted · October 2016

Yes, very. ESO is a lot better of compared to the MMO's that got out a several years ago and pretty polished compared to other recent mmo's.
You have to understand that MMO's are huge games, giant. There's going to be bugs and dev's can't just snap their fingers and make them go away.

BrianDavion · October 2016

it's pretty common yeah, keep in mind a MMO is constantly having new code being added, so it's a task just to fix the big important errors. little ones tend to get ignored.

Zuuman · October 2016

JamilaRaj wrote: »

Zuuman wrote: »

Its part of MMO coding, they are gigantic games in term of coding, way bigger than most stand-alone games you'd get on steam and are being played on a huuuuge variety of configuration so bugs on your side can be localised to your PC only and would be hard for the developper to find that very bug without your computer next to them to test it.

Except that many bugs in ESO as very easy to find, such as the latest "missing characters" bug; typically you update the game, log in and just stare in disbelief at blatant regressions.

Yes, and those get fixed too. If they rolled a patch every time they fixed one single bug you could count on your fingers the time the server would be up.

They gather a bunch of bug fixes and roll a patch when it's worth taking you out of the game to implement them.

sadownik · October 2016

Its common for any games to have bugs. Its definitely uncommon for MMO especially AAA to have that many critical bugs. I Its not common to leave so many bugs lingering for months. This comes from a person who plays mainly MMO games for almost 20 years.

Balthyzar · October 2016

Absolutely and with the ability to release unfinished games they can just patch later, it will only get worse for future releases.

altemriel · October 2016

interesting replies guys, thanx

Tandor · October 2016

I hope those who believe these things only happen with ESO aren't also playing BDO which has apparently had an update today which has gone pear-shaped leading to emergency maintenance and the need to fix a host of bugs like missing life skills, inventory slots and text etc. I have no personal experience of the game or any particular views on it, but it is an indication that these sorts of problems are certainly not unique to ESO!

e1team · October 2016

Played Rift, Lotro, Wow... Can't say these had as many bugs (or as obvious as ESO has). Although these titles been out there for much longer. *shrug*

Uriel_Nocturne · October 2016

e1team wrote: »

Played Rift, Lotro, Wow... Can't say these had as many bugs (or as obvious as ESO has). Although these titles been out there for much longer. *shrug*

And that's half of it. Those games have been out "on the market" for quite some time.

They have had much more time to get their game ironed out than ESO has. I remember when LotRO first launched and it's trip through it's first few years. It had the same bug issues that ESO is currently dealing with.

But as we (the player base) stuck with the game, they got most of the bugs fixed. While there are some annoying bugs that remain, just the amount of time that has passed and constant support from the devs, the bugs are nowhere near what they were at the start of LotRO.

It will be the same with ESO.

But every MMO and game this size have their bugs. Just my mathematical probability, there's no way possible for Zenimax (or any other development company) to completely rid the game of bugs, no matter how much money we might shovel their way. It simply isn't possible.

But compared to some of the bugs I've seen in other MMO's, ESO's few bugs are in the "Minor Annoyance" category.

But everyone just needs to give the developers time. As this game ages, the bug situation will get better. I promise.

idk · October 2016

Zuuman wrote: »

Giles.floydub17_ESO wrote: »

@altemriel

Every MMO has bugs. Every MMO has bugs that are fixed and bugs that are never fixed, even years later.

The biggest thing Zos has not fixed and should have 2 years ago is Cyrodiil lag.

Most of the rest of the bugs that are not recent creations are not really game breaking.

Cyrodil problem is alot harder to fix than what people think.. The very way cyrodil is coded make it close to impossible to fix it's netcode without recoding it from scratch.

I am very well aware of the challenge and equally understand it's the base architecture of cryodiill that is where the issue lies. However, it's no excuse considering the major impact it has on a significant part of the game.

jedtb16_ESO · October 2016

been playing games online for a long time.... there are always bugs.

these people saying 'oh this game or that game has no bugs' are not telling the truth.

swtor lotro wow rift etc etc etc all have bugs.... from the start.

oh yeah.... the op

yes it is normal.

WhiteMage · October 2016

If the game had any depth to it, in my experience bugs were not unusual. I believe there is a reason we complain more about content rather than bugs themselves (when they aren't gamebreaking, like, say, missing all of your characters on log in lol).

Looking at you Wrobel! I'm very much looking forward to the combat changes of U13.

Tryxus · October 2016

"It's an Elder Scrolls game, ofc it's filled with bugs"

Tryxus - 2015

Izaki · October 2016

After a major patch like 1T? Yeah sure. But I'm confident ZOS is working on it. Be patient, report bugs and then us console players will get a nice smooth running game !!!

Prof_Bawbag · October 2016

Add to all that, the word 'Bethesda' appears here n there, so of course there's gonna be bugs.