Australian Players and Maintenance Times

Wortlok

I understand that the USA has the largest player base on the NA server and maintenance times are scheduled to reduce the down time for these players, but those of us who are in Australia are severely disadvantaged by this timing this week in particular.

My time zone is +9.30 GMT - Australian Central Standard Time, and all time references will be made according to my local time. I work a full time job, so my gaming time is in the evenings

* Monday 9 April - the server was taken down at approximately 5.00pm (before I got home) and was still down when I went to bed at 9.30pm - so no game time that night.
* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.
* Wednesday 11 April - I have other commitments on Wednesday nights so once again no game time.
* Thursday 12 April - I arrive home from work (5.00pm) expecting to spend some time playing this game, and low and behold the server is down for maintenance once again. It is now 8.30pm and still down, so looks like another night of no game time.

What makes me really cranky and has prompted me to write this post, is that my three monthly subs were auto paid via Steam today. So I am questioning whether I am getting value for money, particularly that the prime time for myself and all other Australian players is when the servers are down for maintenance.

So the point of this post is to make ESO developers aware that there are a lot of Australian players do work a day job and cannot be up at all hours of the night to make up game time, many of us are dedicated to the game by paying subs.

Are there any Oceania players who feel the same way?

DoTHurts

Same for me, get home from work at 5 and only get an hour or 2 before the wife gets home and life takes over. Once a week is bad enough, but this is getting ridiculous.

Lantian_Doco

I can understand your feeling absolutly. I my self hail from germany but due to my worktimes as an ambulance man in a 12 hour rythm... i didnt had much game time either this week. Sadly this week came many different problems together, from the infrastructure shut down to the seemingly errors the reported in the last maintenance post. I can only hope for you and me that it will change now.
Normaly the Maintenance is monday and it should only last from 1 to 2 h.

Turelus

There are others who feel the same, there's quite often threads from players in your TZ who are effected.

The sad truth (and it's not a nice one for you) is that ZOS do the times when they effect the least number of players. Non EU and NA prime times are generally going to take priority.

Tigeracer

I feel you, Melbourne player here, but I don’t think the development and maintenance teams can really do much about it. If the majority of players are offline during those times, we just have to live with it.
Sometimes I do wonder though, how would our experience differ if we had joined the EU server? Do you think we would experience as much lag/high ping?

biminirwb17_ESO

Unfortunately they have to do maintenance, I assume they don't really want to do it a 3-4 am US time, they do it so the least number of players are affected.

It is annoying for me sitting in Qld seeing if the in progress status has changed, but maintenance time is not going to change. So I guess I will have to watch us kick bottoms in the Commonwealth Games on TV.

Wortlok

Lantian_Doco what you said about 'maintenance should only last from 1 to 2 h'.

Since becoming addicted to playing this game on 01/01/18, maintenance has never been that short... I really wish it was!!!

yiasemi

Hong Kong too. All of Asia is on your time. We need some love, I've been paying my subs since launch. I see all those Russian guys too out in Vladivostok etc. And EU server works better for me.

AndyMac

Agree - the maintenance almost always takes the entire evening for me in Melbourne. Whether planned or otherwise, once the servers go down for maintenance, that's it for the night. Today was earlier than usual which IS irritating

I realize that maintenance is essential, but if they could hold off for a couple of hours or so, there would be some time to do writs, pledges etc.

I think that would be a big improvement.

DoTHurts

Tigeracer wrote: »

I feel you, Melbourne player here, but I don’t think the development and maintenance teams can really do much about it. If the majority of players are offline during those times, we just have to live with it.
Sometimes I do wonder though, how would our experience differ if we had joined the EU server? Do you think we would experience as much lag/high ping?

I am on the EU server (and in Melbourne), recently got onto a VPN which reduced my lag from 450-480 down to 320-350 which now means vMA is almost doable. I understand the player base numbers and reasons for downtime, just gets frustrating sometimes...

MickeyBN

Completely agree OP. Most NA players would argue “it’s a few hours a week get over it” but as you’ve demonstrated, this whole week has been a huge shamozzle. In total this week I’ve been able to play for a handfull of hours and it does make me question the developers competency.

Yes there is an event going on, but why can’t ZOS create an in-game event that doesn’t (virtually every time) have the added side effect of increased downtime.

Personally I dgaf about the event, I just wanted to play this week.

Vrox

I just start playing at end of Feb this year and has been quite frustrated at the irregular maintenance.

Why can't they keep it on Monday? I only can play 2 to 3 nights per week and with my luck the schedule play time always fall on to the irregular maintenance night.

I don't think ZOS really care as to them, we, in Australia, are always "second class players".

I start kicking myself for pre ordering SummerSet.

Seri

Wortlok wrote: »

* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.

The Tuesday one on the launcher did explicitly mention the European Megaserver (as you're not logged into a server then, the launcher doesn't know which you want).

Tigeracer wrote: »

I feel you, Melbourne player here, but I don’t think the development and maintenance teams can really do much about it. If the majority of players are offline during those times, we just have to live with it.
Sometimes I do wonder though, how would our experience differ if we had joined the EU server? Do you think we would experience as much lag/high ping?

I play from Adelaide. NA for me is 260ms while EU is 380ms. There isn't much (cheap) internet bandwidth through the middle of Asia, so most AU traffic to EU goes via the much cheaper NA pipes. Exception was when I had a BattlePing sub and forced an 'Asia (EU)' server in gateway, in which case I could get 320ms or so. I don't actively use any VPN now though.

Azurya

Wortlok wrote: »

I understand that the USA has the largest player base on the NA server and maintenance times are scheduled to reduce the down time for these players, but those of us who are in Australia are severely disadvantaged by this timing this week in particular.

My time zone is +9.30 GMT - Australian Central Standard Time, and all time references will be made according to my local time. I work a full time job, so my gaming time is in the evenings

* Monday 9 April - the server was taken down at approximately 5.00pm (before I got home) and was still down when I went to bed at 9.30pm - so no game time that night.
* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.
* Wednesday 11 April - I have other commitments on Wednesday nights so once again no game time.
* Thursday 12 April - I arrive home from work (5.00pm) expecting to spend some time playing this game, and low and behold the server is down for maintenance once again. It is now 8.30pm and still down, so looks like another night of no game time.

What makes me really cranky and has prompted me to write this post, is that my three monthly subs were auto paid via Steam today. So I am questioning whether I am getting value for money, particularly that the prime time for myself and all other Australian players is when the servers are down for maintenance.

So the point of this post is to make ESO developers aware that there are a lot of Australian players do work a day job and cannot be up at all hours of the night to make up game time, many of us are dedicated to the game by paying subs.

Are there any Oceania players who feel the same way?

come to EU server, problem solved

Bbsample197

we really cant do anything about it,moving the main will upset alot of ppl and asking for a third server is way out of the line, were just a minority on ZoS lists

yiasemi

Lantian_Doco wrote: »

I can understand your feeling absolutly. I my self hail from germany but due to my worktimes as an ambulance man in a 12 hour rythm... i didnt had much game time either this week. Sadly this week came many different problems together, from the infrastructure shut down to the seemingly errors the reported in the last maintenance post. I can only hope for you and me that it will change now.
Normaly the Maintenance is monday and it should only last from 1 to 2 h.

Thanks for what you do first, and secondly absolutely, but we risk making the server engineers shift workers too lol.

jedtb16_ESO

Lantian_Doco wrote: »

I can understand your feeling absolutly. I my self hail from germany but due to my worktimes as an ambulance man in a 12 hour rythm... i didnt had much game time either this week. Sadly this week came many different problems together, from the infrastructure shut down to the seemingly errors the reported in the last maintenance post. I can only hope for you and me that it will change now.
Normaly the Maintenance is monday and it should only last from 1 to 2 h.

why?

AndyMac

come to EU server, problem solved

Only if I could transfer my toons - but AFAIK, that's not possible.

I've been playing since beta and I REALLY don't want to start again

yiasemi

jedtb16_ESO wrote: »

Lantian_Doco wrote: »

I can understand your feeling absolutly. I my self hail from germany but due to my worktimes as an ambulance man in a 12 hour rythm... i didnt had much game time either this week. Sadly this week came many different problems together, from the infrastructure shut down to the seemingly errors the reported in the last maintenance post. I can only hope for you and me that it will change now.
Normaly the Maintenance is monday and it should only last from 1 to 2 h.

why?

I'm guessing he means it usually lasts that long. Give second language posters a break.

Azurya

Vrox wrote: »

I just start playing at end of Feb this year and has been quite frustrated at the irregular maintenance.

Why can't they keep it on Monday? I only can play 2 to 3 nights per week and with my luck the schedule play time always fall on to the irregular maintenance night.

I don't think ZOS really care as to them, we, in Australia, are always "second class players".

I start kicking myself for pre ordering SummerSet.

poor guy, hoefully you don´t hit to hard on yourself.
what should the EU player base say?
way harder for us, the server always goes down during prime time, due to certain issues...........
but still waiting for Summerset, I like it anyway, so let the game continue!!!

ThePlayer

I do not know if it is possible to do it but they should create an extension of European service in Asia; a merger with the European server or the one in America that does not create too much latency for players.

Wortlok

Azurya wrote: »

Wortlok wrote: »

I understand that the USA has the largest player base on the NA server and maintenance times are scheduled to reduce the down time for these players, but those of us who are in Australia are severely disadvantaged by this timing this week in particular.

My time zone is +9.30 GMT - Australian Central Standard Time, and all time references will be made according to my local time. I work a full time job, so my gaming time is in the evenings

* Monday 9 April - the server was taken down at approximately 5.00pm (before I got home) and was still down when I went to bed at 9.30pm - so no game time that night.
* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.
* Wednesday 11 April - I have other commitments on Wednesday nights so once again no game time.
* Thursday 12 April - I arrive home from work (5.00pm) expecting to spend some time playing this game, and low and behold the server is down for maintenance once again. It is now 8.30pm and still down, so looks like another night of no game time.

What makes me really cranky and has prompted me to write this post, is that my three monthly subs were auto paid via Steam today. So I am questioning whether I am getting value for money, particularly that the prime time for myself and all other Australian players is when the servers are down for maintenance.

So the point of this post is to make ESO developers aware that there are a lot of Australian players do work a day job and cannot be up at all hours of the night to make up game time, many of us are dedicated to the game by paying subs.

Are there any Oceania players who feel the same way?

come to EU server, problem solved

How can the problem be solved by going to the EU server? They take both down together so still the same issue.

abigfishy

I am in Melbourne so experience the same thing. It is unfortunate but I totally understand that they take the game offline when it affects the lowest number of people.

TheRealPotoroo

Azurya wrote: »

Wortlok wrote: »

I understand that the USA has the largest player base on the NA server and maintenance times are scheduled to reduce the down time for these players, but those of us who are in Australia are severely disadvantaged by this timing this week in particular.

My time zone is +9.30 GMT - Australian Central Standard Time, and all time references will be made according to my local time. I work a full time job, so my gaming time is in the evenings

* Monday 9 April - the server was taken down at approximately 5.00pm (before I got home) and was still down when I went to bed at 9.30pm - so no game time that night.
* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.
* Wednesday 11 April - I have other commitments on Wednesday nights so once again no game time.
* Thursday 12 April - I arrive home from work (5.00pm) expecting to spend some time playing this game, and low and behold the server is down for maintenance once again. It is now 8.30pm and still down, so looks like another night of no game time.

What makes me really cranky and has prompted me to write this post, is that my three monthly subs were auto paid via Steam today. So I am questioning whether I am getting value for money, particularly that the prime time for myself and all other Australian players is when the servers are down for maintenance.

So the point of this post is to make ESO developers aware that there are a lot of Australian players do work a day job and cannot be up at all hours of the night to make up game time, many of us are dedicated to the game by paying subs.

Are there any Oceania players who feel the same way?

come to EU server, problem solved

The ping to EU is unplayable and I'm not throwing 2.5k+ hours in the bin anyway.

This maintenance is heading for 6 hours now, from 4pm AEST (which is most of the population).

drkfrontiers

I feel your pain - I'm South African

AzraelKrieg

TheRealPotoroo wrote: »

Azurya wrote: »

Wortlok wrote: »

I understand that the USA has the largest player base on the NA server and maintenance times are scheduled to reduce the down time for these players, but those of us who are in Australia are severely disadvantaged by this timing this week in particular.

My time zone is +9.30 GMT - Australian Central Standard Time, and all time references will be made according to my local time. I work a full time job, so my gaming time is in the evenings

* Monday 9 April - the server was taken down at approximately 5.00pm (before I got home) and was still down when I went to bed at 9.30pm - so no game time that night.
* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.
* Wednesday 11 April - I have other commitments on Wednesday nights so once again no game time.
* Thursday 12 April - I arrive home from work (5.00pm) expecting to spend some time playing this game, and low and behold the server is down for maintenance once again. It is now 8.30pm and still down, so looks like another night of no game time.

What makes me really cranky and has prompted me to write this post, is that my three monthly subs were auto paid via Steam today. So I am questioning whether I am getting value for money, particularly that the prime time for myself and all other Australian players is when the servers are down for maintenance.

So the point of this post is to make ESO developers aware that there are a lot of Australian players do work a day job and cannot be up at all hours of the night to make up game time, many of us are dedicated to the game by paying subs.

Are there any Oceania players who feel the same way?

come to EU server, problem solved

The ping to EU is unplayable and I'm not throwing 2.5k+ hours in the bin anyway.

This maintenance is heading for 6 hours now, from 4pm AEST (which is most of the population).

Maintenance started at 5pm AEST

Reaver-Stormhamre

Wortlok wrote: »

I understand that the USA has the largest player base on the NA server and maintenance times are scheduled to reduce the down time for these players, but those of us who are in Australia are severely disadvantaged by this timing this week in particular.

My time zone is +9.30 GMT - Australian Central Standard Time, and all time references will be made according to my local time. I work a full time job, so my gaming time is in the evenings

* Monday 9 April - the server was taken down at approximately 5.00pm (before I got home) and was still down when I went to bed at 9.30pm - so no game time that night.
* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.
* Wednesday 11 April - I have other commitments on Wednesday nights so once again no game time.
* Thursday 12 April - I arrive home from work (5.00pm) expecting to spend some time playing this game, and low and behold the server is down for maintenance once again. It is now 8.30pm and still down, so looks like another night of no game time.

What makes me really cranky and has prompted me to write this post, is that my three monthly subs were auto paid via Steam today. So I am questioning whether I am getting value for money, particularly that the prime time for myself and all other Australian players is when the servers are down for maintenance.

So the point of this post is to make ESO developers aware that there are a lot of Australian players do work a day job and cannot be up at all hours of the night to make up game time, many of us are dedicated to the game by paying subs.

Are there any Oceania players who feel the same way?

plays small violin upsidedown

ThePlayer

They give us 1 week + event but 6 hours of maintenance is really too much

AzraelKrieg

Reaver-Stormhamre wrote: »

Wortlok wrote: »

I understand that the USA has the largest player base on the NA server and maintenance times are scheduled to reduce the down time for these players, but those of us who are in Australia are severely disadvantaged by this timing this week in particular.

My time zone is +9.30 GMT - Australian Central Standard Time, and all time references will be made according to my local time. I work a full time job, so my gaming time is in the evenings

* Monday 9 April - the server was taken down at approximately 5.00pm (before I got home) and was still down when I went to bed at 9.30pm - so no game time that night.
* Tuesday 10 April - upon log in a pop up appeared informing me that the server would be taken down. So expecting it to be offline for a time, I did other things for a while, when I did come back to check my friends said the server had not gone down at all. I then saw the announcement in the forum saying it was the EU server only. Why was the notification on the NA server? So game time was approximately one hour.
* Wednesday 11 April - I have other commitments on Wednesday nights so once again no game time.
* Thursday 12 April - I arrive home from work (5.00pm) expecting to spend some time playing this game, and low and behold the server is down for maintenance once again. It is now 8.30pm and still down, so looks like another night of no game time.

What makes me really cranky and has prompted me to write this post, is that my three monthly subs were auto paid via Steam today. So I am questioning whether I am getting value for money, particularly that the prime time for myself and all other Australian players is when the servers are down for maintenance.

So the point of this post is to make ESO developers aware that there are a lot of Australian players do work a day job and cannot be up at all hours of the night to make up game time, many of us are dedicated to the game by paying subs.

Are there any Oceania players who feel the same way?

plays small violin upsidedown

I bet it sounds horrible that way

ankeor

We need seperate maintenance timers for each server.

AzraelKrieg

@ankeor we did have those at launch. That was when the launch clients were separated. Since they combined the clients and made the server toggle as part of the log in screen they can't do it anymore.