Addressing Login Issues

ZOS_MattFiror

Just a quick note to give everyone an update on our ongoing server/login issues. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a large increase in the number of players logging into the PC EU server. This caused some congestion and the issues you saw on that server including long load screens and guild traders not updating, to name a few. Now that things are more stable, we are continuing to very closely monitor server performance, especially during peak play times on our North American and European PC servers.

We are taking this very seriously, especially as our player logins have increased substantially over the last two weeks - this increase is normal during this time of year as we go through our Anniversary event in the run up to the annual Chapter launch. Additionally, we have the Free Play Event starting today on all platforms. So, if needed, we will institute a login queue on servers that are experiencing particularly heavy load due to the combination of the Anniversary and Free Play events. Doing so will throttle the number of players loading in at one time to help avoid issues once in-game. We anticipate this to be primarily on the PC servers, and if needed, just during prime times for each.

Please note there is an issue occasionally affecting the login queue where it will show you have 1 second left but will never actually progress – simply log out and back in which will get you to character select.

We will keep you posted if we have to take additional action other than login queues as we get through the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience and for being part of this amazing community.

Epona222

You absolutely should not be running a free play event if it results in regular existing players being put into login queues in order to access the game that they have paid for, and may be paying a subscription for.

NettleCarrier

Thanks for the update, it would be nice to fix that 1 second queue bug though. Some days I can run into this three or four times in a row and it is beyond frustrating.

MachineGod

ZOS_MattFiror wrote: »

Just a quick note to give everyone an update on our ongoing server/login issues. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a large increase in the number of players logging into the PC EU server.

No it hasn't because as of last year comparing percetage numbers at a minumum the player base DECREASED 30% from last year's launch because of a number of factors with data pulled from a number of sources.

No real Apology either. Admit to the mistakes. Do better. Live up to the promises of updating the base code and bring people back. Free to play events and giving out chapters is putting a plaster on a large bleeding out wound. ESO managed to peak with the introduction of the morrowind based chaperts and then has been on a decline ever since and with the amount of potential this game has it's a waste to see what's been happening this past year.

The3sFinest

Please delay the free play event if it will result in putting paid players in a queue, please!

heinousmoz

You're, you're having a "Free to Play" Event when you just admitted the servers can't cope with the load as it is?

That doesn't seem like that's the best idea, neither does throttling the heck out of the severs because they can't handle the additional load you've just deliberately subjected them to...

PapaJester

Making an effort to provide an explanation - Good.
Lack of apology, no conciliatory gesture - Bad.
Starting a Free Play event on the heels of the problems, during an event - ...questionable, to say the least.

On the one hand, Free Play events are a nice way to try and bring new players in, which is good for the ongoing health of the community. On the other hand, showcasing login problems, laggy gameplay, and bugs galore is a weird, "Best foot forward."

TechMaybeHic

I'm assuming all these extra logins impact performance more than just login queues?

I guess I'd add to that; what good can you do by monitoring it? Not exactly in good shape prime time as it is for many years before some increase of players.

redspecter23

It's nice to see an admission that the login queue will occasionally break and be infinite at 1 second.

If you have the power to do so, please change the text on that queue message in game to read, "If this 1 second queue lasts longer than 10 seconds, please cancel and attempt to log in again."

You have a pile of new potential customers trying out your game and the absolute first thing they might encounter is an infinite load screen with no indication that it's broken. In the interest of not angering brand new customers, update the message on that login in queue splash screen to mention the bug. Ideally, you could just fix the bug, but changing the text should be a VERY easy band aid solution that will help new paying customers access your game.

Dukar_Duck

Thanks for the update! I hope the team can address the issues quickly!

NettleCarrier

redspecter23 wrote: »

It's nice to see an admission that the login queue will occasionally break and be infinite at 1 second.

If you have the power to do so, please change the text on that queue message in game to read, "If this 1 second queue lasts longer than 10 seconds, please cancel and attempt to log in again."

You have a pile of new potential customers trying out your game and the absolute first thing they might encounter is an infinite load screen with no indication that it's broken. In the interest of not angering brand new customers, update the message on that login in queue splash screen to mention the bug. Ideally, you could just fix the bug, but changing the text should be a VERY easy band aid solution that will help new paying customers access your game.

This precisely! Same goes with the launcher issues, claiming it cannot download the patch manifest or requesting repair. New players don't know you can just exit and try again and then they fall into the trap of trying the repair and spending half their day trying to get in. Doubly worse if they also get the queue issue.

helloelli

we’ve seen a large increase in the number of players logging into the PC EU server.

yeah, all the na players logging in to eu when we couldnt log to na

jokes aside, hope all goes smoothly!

redspecter23

NettleCarrier wrote: »

redspecter23 wrote: »

It's nice to see an admission that the login queue will occasionally break and be infinite at 1 second.

If you have the power to do so, please change the text on that queue message in game to read, "If this 1 second queue lasts longer than 10 seconds, please cancel and attempt to log in again."

You have a pile of new potential customers trying out your game and the absolute first thing they might encounter is an infinite load screen with no indication that it's broken. In the interest of not angering brand new customers, update the message on that login in queue splash screen to mention the bug. Ideally, you could just fix the bug, but changing the text should be a VERY easy band aid solution that will help new paying customers access your game.

This precisely! Same goes with the launcher issues, claiming it cannot download the patch manifest or requesting repair. New players don't know you can just exit and try again and then they fall into the trap of trying the repair and spending half their day trying to get in. Doubly worse if they also get the queue issue.

I was considering adding that one as well. The false repair prompt wastes so much player time when you can usually just close the launcher and reopen it. Again, ideally it would be fixed, but simply turning it off and on again works here as well as with the infinite queue bug. Players don't know and throw away potentially hours of time on an unnecessary repair.

MageCatF4F

Some of your new players may experience very poor in-game performance in the form of graphic stuttering, audio stutter and lag freezes, depending on their hardware specs. This can be somewhat ameliorated by manually adjusting Set MaxCoresToUse.4 "-1" to Set MaxCoresToUse.4 "2".

Although it would be far better if you had your team fix whatever they broke in U33 that caused this issue.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/599878/fps-after-patch#latest

Destai

PapaJester wrote: »

Making an effort to provide an explanation - Good.
Lack of apology, no conciliatory gesture - Bad.
Starting a Free Play event on the heels of the problems, during an event - ...questionable, to say the least.

On the one hand, Free Play events are a nice way to try and bring new players in, which is good for the ongoing health of the community. On the other hand, showcasing login problems, laggy gameplay, and bugs galore is a weird, "Best foot forward."

I'd take them learning from their mistakes rather than doubling down and putting out another event. I really don't understand their decision making.

ZOS_MattFiror wrote: »

Just a quick note to give everyone an update on our ongoing server/login issues. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a large increase in the number of players logging into the PC EU server. This caused some congestion and the issues you saw on that server including long load screens and guild traders not updating, to name a few. Now that things are more stable, we are continuing to very closely monitor server performance, especially during peak play times on our North American and European PC servers.

We are taking this very seriously, especially as our player logins have increased substantially over the last two weeks - this increase is normal during this time of year as we go through our Anniversary event in the run up to the annual Chapter launch. Additionally, we have the Free Play Event starting today on all platforms. So, if needed, we will institute a login queue on servers that are experiencing particularly heavy load due to the combination of the Anniversary and Free Play events. Doing so will throttle the number of players loading in at one time to help avoid issues once in-game. We anticipate this to be primarily on the PC servers, and if needed, just during prime times for each.

Please note there is an issue occasionally affecting the login queue where it will show you have 1 second left but will never actually progress – simply log out and back in which will get you to character select.

We will keep you posted if we have to take additional action other than login queues as we get through the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience and for being part of this amazing community.

What are you taking seriously precisely? Aren't you guys tired of going from one crisis to the next? The first things these new customers might see are issues - is that what you want? Is that the vision you guys have? Jesus, slow down with the events and make sure people can log into the game without issue first. How any of this is acceptable to you, Matt, is beyond me. It really is.

kilroy5250

Absolute garbage. Why should I have to queue so others can play for free? Maybe I stop paying...

FluffyBird

All these questionable decisions are getting entertaining, but each new post from Mr. Firor sound less and less honest. How many empty promises we had at this point? How do we see that you really care?

All I see is technical problems and slow but steady decline in quality. We get more animations to embellish shallow dialogues, we get more outrageously priced cosmetics with gaps and flaws, we get more inconsequential "communication".

I love TES games dearly, but since Greymoor I don't have much hope for ESO. I still enjoy this game a lot, but when a cheap pixel-y game is more fun to replay and an f2p gacha is more generous with compensations and rewards - then I'm starting to question my choices.

coletas

Yeah, show the new people how do paying customers play PvP...
... In any other game

Photosniper89

MachineGod wrote: »

ZOS_MattFiror wrote: »

Just a quick note to give everyone an update on our ongoing server/login issues. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a large increase in the number of players logging into the PC EU server.

No it hasn't because as of last year comparing percetage numbers at a minumum the player base DECREASED 30% from last year's launch because of a number of factors with data pulled from a number of sources.

No real Apology either. Admit to the mistakes. Do better. Live up to the promises of updating the base code and bring people back. Free to play events and giving out chapters is putting a plaster on a large bleeding out wound. ESO managed to peak with the introduction of the morrowind based chaperts and then has been on a decline ever since and with the amount of potential this game has it's a waste to see what's been happening this past year.

This 100000%

"We are taking this very seriously"... proceeds to explain how they are going free to play during an event when the servers already couldn't stay up.

Arunei

So tell me how having a Free Play event during some of the worst performance the game has experienced is a good idea. Many new players' first impressions of the game will be a laggy buggy mess, assuming they can even get passed the queue. How is that good? Wouldn't it be a better use of resources to get some of these things fixed first?

FeedbackOnly

What about the legit login queues? I got a 2 second queue today

kamimark

ZOS_MattFiror wrote: »

Please note there is an issue occasionally affecting the login queue where it will show you have 1 second left but will never actually progress – simply log out and back in which will get you to character select.

Could you maybe fix that *before* allowing everyone in the world into the game? How is doing this now a good idea?

sarahthes

Arunei wrote: »

So tell me how having a Free Play event during some of the worst performance the game has experienced is a good idea. Many new players' first impressions of the game will be a laggy buggy mess, assuming they can even get passed the queue. How is that good? Wouldn't it be a better use of resources to get some of these things fixed first?

Harrowstorm was worse than this...

ArchangelIsraphel

Parrot1986

How can throttling players who can log in who have suffered with issues for weeks to accommodate a free to play event even be a sensible solution?

For years we have heard “EU has the highest concurrent players” as an excuse for EU generally having the worst of the performance for PC but this never seems to get fixed and instead of fixing it you put on a new event which will further impact performance at the expense of existing paying customers.

I’m amazed at how different this stance is to making PvP changes. You state there you don’t want to add new features or changes until you can get performance right but for the overall game you are happy to throw events like this on whilst you have such recent high impacting issues. But hey crowns are on sale so that makes it all good!

bachpain

I see why you put the content creators with their High Isle preview on a private server, so it will actually work. I am so glad I got a refund on my High Isle purchase. This kind of "transparency" is very telling as to what Zos has in store for the future. I will keep my ESO free to play. I was looking at the crown sale going on and trying to make up a reason to invest money into some crowns. I just can't find one.

The way that the game, the community, and the servers have been handled over the past few months has been literally shameful, and the beat goes on...

Gythral

Scale the servers (and everything else) up to match the demand & dont offer freebies until the systems can cope with existing demand! (at the very least)

Gythral

Seems like PC-EU is PC-ins not working again atm!
307 (6:£:1561:126)
Booted FRom Server...

neferpitou73

Parrot1986 wrote: »

How can throttling players who can log in who have suffered with issues for weeks to accommodate a free to play event even be a sensible solution?

For years we have heard “EU has the highest concurrent players” as an excuse for EU generally having the worst of the performance for PC but this never seems to get fixed and instead of fixing it you put on a new event which will further impact performance at the expense of existing paying customers.

I’m amazed at how different this stance is to making PvP changes. You state there you don’t want to add new features or changes until you can get performance right but for the overall game you are happy to throw events like this on whilst you have such recent high impacting issues. But hey crowns are on sale so that makes it all good!

I believe it when I see it that those PvP changes actually go into effect and that entire post wasn't just putting out fires from the "wahwahwah" controversy. I get the same feeling from this post.

acastanza_ESO

We can see the numbers in Steam, now admittedly that's only a subset of users, but there is no reason it shouldn't be representative. The only conclusion that I can draw from these numbers is that this statement is blatant misinformation.

SammyKhajit

Not a good way to treat your ESO+ customers.