Does Zenimax needs to improve the servers?

Cernow

Things have been so bad for me lately with crashes, disconnects, permanent loading screens, lag and evidence of blatant exploiting in PvP that I've found myself starting to drift from ESO, to look at other games again and seriously reconsider my ESO+ when it comes up for renewal soon.

The PVE crashes are a big frustration, especially when they get you killed in combat. But a bigger problem for me are the issues with Cyrodiil and Imperial City. Getting disconnected or crashing during a fight or getting a permanent loading screen trying to move between keeps is game breaking. Now and again it might be bearable, but It's not acceptable when it happens so frequently.

It's not my rig or connection, I play other MMOs and more demanding games without any problems whatsoever. ESO has serious server problems and they need to face up to them and address them, rather than answer almost every thread on the subject in the Tech Support forums with canned responses which suggest the problem lies with the user.

Panda_iMunch

I want the servers to be improved, but you can't sell that. ZoS is on a P2P system now, and all that encourages is tiny little card packs to sell, nothing grand. I'm even surprised they even go chapters tbh.

I don't know if I can say that as a community, we kinda *** ourselves by forcing ZoS to go to P2P system. On the other hand, ZoS has done little to appease server issues over the years.

klowdy1

Why is this an actual poll, I thought it was in rhetoric? For sure the servers need some attention outside of the player population.

D0PAMINE

I still get the invisible group bug. The number of loading screens in Cyrodiil in the middle of a fight is really frustrating tho.

Vizier

They've been saying they were going to improve the servers. They even promised new servers for Morrowind...but..well...that didn't happen. In fact they just keep getting worse not better. After launch game used to run smooth as silk. Battles of 200 plus in Cyrodiil? No problem. 60fps 100 ping. It was magical. Then came the Lighting and FX patch around 1.2 and ever since it's been *##% and getting worse. (that close to being done with my sub.) I guess they could care less since they get about the same amount for cheesed up dress in crown store or a re-textured mount.

You'd think making Cyrodiil like it's supposed to be would be a priority but obviously it's not.

Twenty0zTsunami

Zbigb4life wrote: »

Katahdin wrote: »

Devilhand wrote: »

The game has more then 3 years now and no improvements what so ever have been made to the game servers, every day that passes the lag in both PvE and specially PvP is getting worse and worse. Do you think Zenimax should invest in improving the servers and deal with the lag, which cant be tolerated in an online game.

Do you have a spy in ZOS to know that they have never upgrade any hardware to support this conspiracy theory?

Despite claims to the contrary, they know this is a problem and have made changes and tests to try and improve it.

I rarely have crippling lag in Cyro now. Used to happen in every big battle and ESO is not the only game this happens in.

I'm pretty sure the servers are high end equipment. It would be pretty stupid to run the game, as big of an investment as it is, on a server equivalent of a hamster on a wheel.

It may very well be a coding problem which is not easy to fix or it could be they underestimated the strain the game would put on hardware and Internet infrastructure.

Also people are always so quick to blame the server. If it's the server then how is it that we are on the same server at the same time, right next to each other; you have lag and I dont?

If it was the server, everyone would lag at the same time

Do you have a spy in ZOS to know they actually have upgraded their hardware and to claim their servers are high end equipment. Probably not but anyways you feel you need to critizise this player.

I had constant lag (on console btw) for the last 3 years as soon as there are more then 10-15 players fighting (everytime you try to take or defend a keep).

Fact is these issues are going on for 3 years by now and still they haven't improved of solved any of it. What do you think it could be... ignorance from their part or they just don't know how to fix it.

Also your claim that if it was the server, everyone would lag at the same time is wrong. The server can handle only a limited actions going on at the same time; so if multiple people casting spells/attacks the server gets overloaded causing lag for some but not everyone.

upgrade your console-- Oh wait!

JackDaniell

It would seem the polsters have spoken

Elsonso

Vizier wrote: »

They've been saying they were going to improve the servers. They even promised new servers for Morrowind...but..well...that didn't happen.

I assume you mean Campaign, not server?

Integral1900

Servers are bad today, having to log back in after every dungeon and every time I cance zones

The_Protagonist

Not only do the servers need improvement, ZOS needs to add servers in Asia....

Gorgoneus

Loadings between locations lasts like downloading. Oh, and invisible teammates living in parallel reality aka mirror/instance/phase - dat stuff ZoS "deleted" with Tamriel unlimited release.

Daedric_NB_187

I'm wondering how in the heck somebody could vote no to this?

Integral1900

ZOS as someone who has worked in mmo games I can tell you this, you absolutely need more capacity on the servers before the next update hits, the servers as they stand today will not cope with the load!

Gorgoneus

Daedric_NB_187 wrote: »

I'm wondering how in the heck somebody could vote no to this?

Hypocritical "white knights" of ZoS who really belive they wil lbe rewarded by their master for this dog's loyality.

Elsonso

Daedric_NB_187 wrote: »

I'm wondering how in the heck somebody could vote no to this?

Because the question was:

"Instead of wasting more time (3 years now) in new mounts, skins, and decoration. Please improve what the game needs the most, new or better servers so we players can enjoy the game, specially in primetime..."

They need better software. Servers are hardware. I voted "NO" because I think that the hardware is not the problem.

Devilhand

lordrichter wrote: »

Daedric_NB_187 wrote: »

I'm wondering how in the heck somebody could vote no to this?

Because the question was:

"Instead of wasting more time (3 years now) in new mounts, skins, and decoration. Please improve what the game needs the most, new or better servers so we players can enjoy the game, specially in primetime..."

They need better software. Servers are hardware. I voted "NO" because I think that the hardware is not the problem.

Well, the hardware might not be the problem. Yet, there is lag and performance issues on their end. Thats what has to be fixed. The main reason I go with hardware/servers is because they keep asking more and more information packages and it seems the servers has never been updated or can handle the amount of information.

So, I will take you vote as a Yes actually. Game performance needs to be improved.

Devilhand

Over 90% of votes are asking for a improvement in performance, it has been in your agenda since the game was launched yet nothing has been done. Actually everyday that passes is getting WORSE!!

Last year (2017) improvement of Cyrodiil lag was the main thread/objective you said. Any solutions? Beside limiting the campaign servers to 1 of each, huge queues and... even more lag, loading screens and losts of connections?

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom @ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_Wrobel

Please give a official response, we the community are NOT happy with the performance of the game at the moment. The forums population is limited, yes, but if you go and see the constant comments in Cyrodiil or everywhere else IN GAME, no one happy as performance is. Need a response and solution ASAP.

Kram8ion

Bhaal5 wrote: »

Id liked to know who put "no"??

Aha yes it’s probably employees or applicants of current job opportunities

Malmai

This topic needs to be on top to shove them to devs faces... This went too far and people will leave till game is dead, they started milking like hell and we didnt get single performance gain...

Malmai

Just dont buy and dont sub and they will be soon doing something or nothing...

CrazyCleatus

Would be awesome if they took an extended break from new content just to work on performance upgrading. Pretty sure most other players would prefer it as well.

Ydrisselle

CrazyCleatus wrote: »

Would be awesome if they took an extended break from new content just to work on performance upgrading. Pretty sure most other players would prefer it as well.

Pretty sure that the people who are working on new content have nothing to do with performance upgrading. Probably they don't even know how to do it.

Bhaal5

Ydrisselle wrote: »

CrazyCleatus wrote: »

Would be awesome if they took an extended break from new content just to work on performance upgrading. Pretty sure most other players would prefer it as well.

Pretty sure that the people who are working on new content have nothing to do with performance upgrading. Probably they don't even know how to do it.

If thats the case, the team on "performance control" should be doing their jobs, IF there is a team actually in that departed and not just Geral the zos hampster

frausty

Apache_Kid wrote: »

vamp_emily wrote: »

I'm sure most of you are not aware of this but we do have professionals who created and maintaining this game. I'm not trying to be rude, but i'm so glad most of you are just users. I've seen very few suggestions that would make this game better.

From my experience I do lag sometimes when they have the test server up, but most times i'm lag free. Even when i am in the middle of 50 enemy players.

If you are lagging all the time then there is a good chance it is not Zeni's fault. It could be your super cheap computer or bad connection.

Tell that to my Xbox One X with ESO on a SSD and my 50Mb/s download speed.

I have all of those things and my performance in Cyrodiil and Trials along with many other console players is beyond horrid.

I have the most top of the line specs for console gaming. It is not my "super cheap computer or bad connection."

If the most powerful console on the market with an external SSD cannot run the game properly then it shouldn't even be marketed for consoles.

You have 100% missed the point here. It's most likely not the client side, as far as consoles are concerned at least.

frausty

Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers - god this is boring.

Look, there is a performance issue - everyone, including us as players, ZOS, hardware and console manufacturers will accept this as a fact. I speak from experience here that if you have an inherent performance issue, just throwing more servers at a problem is unlikely to fix the issue. I design large infrastructure and cloud systems for a living for one of the top 3 IT outsources in the world. I am repeating other posts I have made on this issue but it's not just a case of money. The main component required is time, patience and some very clever people to dissect every element of the game to understand the multiple issues that will be causing the performance issues, (and there is likely more than one). It may be that it simply can't be fixed. Take Microsoft Windows. They patch and release service packs but eventually, to fully address the issues, they have to release a new version. The same applies here. The same when Nvidia release driver updates and so it goes on.

Offer something constructive or stop posting and blaming forum moderators for not giving you an answer. I wouldn't necessarily tell a client how something is designed if it lived in our private cloud so why are you expecting ZOS to do the same. There are a number of ethical, legal and commercial reasons why this wouldn't happen in the real world. I personally would love to know to see if I could offer some constructive advice but I am being disingenous with this thought as they probably already have people giving them this.

If you hate the gameplay so much stop playing. The mods came on here and said the issues are being worked on - do you think there are patch and maintenance windows for no other reason than to annoy you? If everyone who moans stops playing either the game will fold, the game will remain but will not be developed or they will eventually crack the issues. Whichever one of these scenarios happens if you are not playing you will have nothing to be upset about and if they fix the issues then you can come back to the game we all want to see.

There is nothing constructive in any of the posts on this subject and to be honest I don't know why I respond. You don't exactly spend a vast sum of money to play this game, compared to how much you spend on your PC, Console, Internet link etc and I firmly believe you should take that in to consideration - even as a subscriber, (as I am). In total I spend £8.99 a month plus £20 for the game. Given that a new version of Windows will likely cost you over £100 on release day, a new graphics card will cost £300+, your Starbucks coffee costs almost £5 then are you really getting bad value for money?

95% of the time the came works fine for me. The bits that don't currently I simply either avoid or play at a non-peak time. This is a small compromise I make to enjoy the game whilst the issues persist. Shame we all can't be so considerate.

DieAlteHexe

Jade1986 wrote: »

Rev Rielle wrote: »

They really do.
I get 350-450 ms latency playing ESO, all other MMOs are around 250-300 ms.

Yep, I live less than 30 mins from the datacenters here in Germany

ESO avg - 65- 150 ms latency depending on situation.

SWTOR avg - 35-45 ms , Servers and datacenters in IRELAND

Wildstar was a whopping 25 MS

Wow 25

Diablo -30

Seeing a trend here?

I'm also in Germany and see fluctuations like you show here. That's when I get out PingPlotter and it's almost always due to my route. I had horrible pings to SWTOR due to one hop. When I came back to ESO and average 40-60 I was sooooo happy.

Elsonso

People do need to understand that ZOS had a normal conditions latency target for the server. All of them do, and they are probably all different. While it is amusing to compare games, for it to make sense, we really need to compare the games that have the same, or similar, latency target. Then we can remove the internet latency and find out how they are doing, compared to what they want to be doing. That, to me, is more meaningful than random "ping" or "latency" numbers for various games, presented like they are all the same thing.

Devilhand

frausty wrote: »

Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers - god this is boring.

Look, there is a performance issue - everyone, including us as players, ZOS, hardware and console manufacturers will accept this as a fact. I speak from experience here that if you have an inherent performance issue, just throwing more servers at a problem is unlikely to fix the issue. I design large infrastructure and cloud systems for a living for one of the top 3 IT outsources in the world. I am repeating other posts I have made on this issue but it's not just a case of money. The main component required is time, patience and some very clever people to dissect every element of the game to understand the multiple issues that will be causing the performance issues, (and there is likely more than one). It may be that it simply can't be fixed. Take Microsoft Windows. They patch and release service packs but eventually, to fully address the issues, they have to release a new version. The same applies here. The same when Nvidia release driver updates and so it goes on.

Offer something constructive or stop posting and blaming forum moderators for not giving you an answer. I wouldn't necessarily tell a client how something is designed if it lived in our private cloud so why are you expecting ZOS to do the same. There are a number of ethical, legal and commercial reasons why this wouldn't happen in the real world. I personally would love to know to see if I could offer some constructive advice but I am being disingenous with this thought as they probably already have people giving them this.

If you hate the gameplay so much stop playing. The mods came on here and said the issues are being worked on - do you think there are patch and maintenance windows for no other reason than to annoy you? If everyone who moans stops playing either the game will fold, the game will remain but will not be developed or they will eventually crack the issues. Whichever one of these scenarios happens if you are not playing you will have nothing to be upset about and if they fix the issues then you can come back to the game we all want to see.

There is nothing constructive in any of the posts on this subject and to be honest I don't know why I respond. You don't exactly spend a vast sum of money to play this game, compared to how much you spend on your PC, Console, Internet link etc and I firmly believe you should take that in to consideration - even as a subscriber, (as I am). In total I spend £8.99 a month plus £20 for the game. Given that a new version of Windows will likely cost you over £100 on release day, a new graphics card will cost £300+, your Starbucks coffee costs almost £5 then are you really getting bad value for money?

95% of the time the came works fine for me. The bits that don't currently I simply either avoid or play at a non-peak time. This is a small compromise I make to enjoy the game whilst the issues persist. Shame we all can't be so considerate.

So you "suggest" to sit back and do nothing because "they looking into the issue".
I tell you, you sit back and do nothing if you want to, with that attitute you wont get anywere in life.
We pay for this game hence we can demand a solution to such an important issue like is performance. What ever is the reason, there has to be a solution to it. 3 years into the game, it has been in their "top priorities" and yet only has gotten worse and worse.

So no, we wont sit back with that coward attitute you have.

Lysette

phileunderx2 wrote: »

Performance right now on ps4 is terrible for me. Doesn't matter which server I am on or am I trying to play pre or pvp. Anytime I try to play during busy times I am plagued by constant disconnects. The problem isn't my Internet as I check my network and it is fine. The game plays fairly well on pc and I almost never get disconnected. So something is messed up.

Hm, I am on PC and I get like 2 disconnects within an hour - what is pretty annoying, especially when I am on a stealth mission.

Edit: otherwise I have no fps issues at all - plays fairly well between 37 fps (wayrest wayshrine) and 75 fps to me.

frausty

Devilhand wrote: »

frausty wrote: »

Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers, Servers - god this is boring


So you "suggest" to sit back and do nothing because "they looking into the issue".
I tell you, you sit back and do nothing if you want to, with that attitute you wont get anywere in life.
We pay for this game hence we can demand a solution to such an important issue like is performance. What ever is the reason, there has to be a solution to it. 3 years into the game, it has been in their "top priorities" and yet only has gotten worse and worse.

So no, we wont sit back with that coward attitute you have.

Moderators - please note that I save my vitriol to the last paragraph, (and then, as I am British, it is only a mild "dig" at the person responding to my post).

This type of response is the problem. You obviously didn't read what I said. What I actually said is that there is a problem, ZOS have said they are trying to fix it and your choice is simple - either believe them and sit it out or come back when it is fixed, or go and play, (this is the important word here - PLAY), something else. Every game that is released is released with bugs - that is the nature of Dev Ops which is where the entire IT sector is moving to - think how many fixes apps get on the Apple App Store.

You have no rights to "demand" anything for your tiny little outlay. I'm not sure where you live but, as an example, in the UK I pay 40% Income Tax and also "Council Tax" every month. This relates to well over a £2000 per month. Given I give the Government all of this money, surely, (using your logic), I have the right to demand whatever I want from them as well. The reality though is that I am one person in a population of 70,000,000. Now even if 52% of the population say that they want something, (i.e. Brexit), they have no say about how that is brought about. Until you understand the real world you will get nowhere with your requests as you are currently making them.

Calling me a coward is comical in itself. I'm not sure why you need to sink to this childish behaviour, but as you have let me point out, (again), that you offer nothing constructive to the argument. If you did this, as did everyone else who is suffering from the performance issue we may, with ZOS's help, be able to offer meaningful constructive feedback to improve the performance, (think crowdfunding). I have offered my technical skills to ZOS, if they want them or I can offer them the expertise of the company I work for. Each of these though comes with a significant cost, much more than you £8.99 a month for ESO+. As I have said in another post, ZOS makes significant profit, (I know as I read their financial statements), but they made significantly less last year than the year before. Given ESO isn't their only project, what do you expect them to do, drop everything else they are working on to devote everything they have to fix a problem that doesn't affect 100% of the player base and only 5% of the content? This is why the issue takes time, if it can be fixed at all. If this is a major coding issue then it will likely need ESO 2.0 - the point I was making with my Microsoft Windows analogy.

I'm sorry you misinterpreted my post, as it will likely mean you misinterpret this one as well. Next time I will try and add some pictures to help explain my point.

Kind Regards