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

KaironBlackbard

LaintalAy wrote: »

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.

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.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Gaming

Microsoft Gaming shut down three development studios on May 7, 2024: Alpha Dog Games in Canada, Arkane Austin in the US, and Tango Gameworks in Japan. Additionally, Roundhouse Studios will merge with ZeniMax Online Studios in the US.[60] According to Microsoft Gaming, this move is a part of a larger "reprioritization of titles and resources" that Microsoft's gaming division is carrying out. The intention is to boost investment in their library of games and new intellectual assets while focusing on high-impact titles. Some teams have been reassigned to other projects inside Bethesda and ZeniMax, and production on some games has stopped as a result of these companies closing.

Tango closed? They partnered with Bethesda to make Ghostwire: Tokyo. It's a fun game. I'm sad to hear they've closed down.

LadyGP

Crashed 2 times tonight but it has been better (on a vpn)

thinkaboutit

ZOS network issue.

LadyGP

thinkaboutit wrote: »

ZOS network issue.

I tried running wireshark but tbh I'm not smart enough to know how to read it.

thinkaboutit

thinkaboutit

The messages in black/red are all related to the possibilities of either packetloss getting across to zos servers or them running out of bandwidth and not prioritizing gameserver->client traffic

Their line could be getting consumed by backups, someone updating .. anything really.. ddos is also a possibility i suppose...

Just_Attivi

You know what ESO needs? more crashes. Ive only had 4 in the last hour, can we get those numbers up? I really just want to log in repeatedly, not actually play.

Sambucca1973

This is so pathetic.

Two days with no event and things seemed a lot better.

Tonight, PCNA, in a group doingWest Weald world bosses? LO friggin L. The ESO gaming experience is just so degraded fro, when I started several years ago.

Walking from Skingrad wayshrine to in-town quest givers? Loading screen.

Walking back to wayshrine? Loading screen. Even got two loading screens once,

Travel to group lead? Long loading screen.

Oh. Except that one time when I couldn’t travel to player or even exit a city gate.

Finally, the game crashed. So I threw in the towel.

So nothing has improved in all this time. It really gives me the feeling that ZOS just doesn’t care any more about player experience. Going without ESO+ will be a challenge. But I can’t, in good conscience, financially support a game that apparently doesn’t give a darn.

Seravi

It is so bad this morning I cannot even retrieve my mail! For over two weeks this is all I have done, except the ONE time I was stupid and tried to play for five minutes but stopped because of being kicked.

This is getting worse by the day now. Do I need to walk over and wiggle some wires???

thinkaboutit

Just disconnected again in IC dungeon... timestamps are in EST timezone

LadyGP

thinkaboutit wrote: »

Just disconnected again in IC dungeon... timestamps are in EST timezone

@ZOS_Kevin lots of info here that network admins might want to see.

If you're able to ask them... see if there is anything we could run along side eso (like WireShark) that would be helpful to them. I don't mind providing this information to the team.. just need to know what would be helpful.

LadyGP

thinkaboutit wrote: »

I don't have QoS enabled FWIW so we can take the "client side issue" off the table from this list.

KaironBlackbard

LadyGP wrote: »

thinkaboutit wrote: »

I don't have QoS enabled FWIW so we can take the "client side issue" off the table from this list.

Doesn't have to be your QoS, could be ZOS's. Perhaps their system is overloaded, or not properly prioritizing packets and thus dropping many player packets, causing lag and disconnects.

thinkaboutit

KaironBlackbard wrote: »

LadyGP wrote: »

thinkaboutit wrote: »

I don't have QoS enabled FWIW so we can take the "client side issue" off the table from this list.

Doesn't have to be your QoS, could be ZOS's. Perhaps their system is overloaded, or not properly prioritizing packets and thus dropping many player packets, causing lag and disconnects.

yeah this is what i was getting at, ZOS end QoS due to high bandwidth usage or straight up incorrect prioritization of traffic.

It could be something as simple as update servers are using the same internet line as gameservers.... but I would hope that isn't the case.

thinkaboutit

There's a concept of bandwidth microbursts where in short intervals of time ZOS is maxing out their connection but the duration at which its maxed out is lower than the window their monitoring tools can 'graph' this maximum. Could be the case here, maybe it's a network device that is high CPU, it could really be a lot of things. The ISPs on ZOS end may also be to blame.

thinkaboutit

LadyGP

I've long thought some how packets are becoming jumped and Akami is thinking they are a DDoS attack or is blocking them in general and this is what is causing people to get kicked.

CrazyKitty

ZOS doesn't need to investigate this issue because they've known for years and years exactly what's causing these problems. The real question is why is this issue not getting fixed after all these years?

LadyGP

CrazyKitty wrote: »

ZOS doesn't need to investigate this issue because they've known for years and years exactly what's causing these problems. The real question is why is this issue not getting fixed after all these years?

@ZOS_Kevin already said the network team is working on this.

CrazyKitty

LadyGP wrote: »

CrazyKitty wrote: »

ZOS doesn't need to investigate this issue because they've known for years and years exactly what's causing these problems. The real question is why is this issue not getting fixed after all these years?

@ZOS_Kevin already said the network team is working on this.

Different ZOS reps have been saying exactly this since at least as far back as 2018. This issue has been impacting PvP players for more than 5 years and it's just now creeping into the PvE portion of the game. Maybe they'll drop the PvE pop cap too just like they have for PvP. Who knows. I'm sure the PvE community wouldn't mind a hour long queue during prime time to get into the game......

twev

Just_Attivi wrote: »

You know what ESO needs? more crashes. Ive only had 4 in the last hour, can we get those numbers up? I really just want to log in repeatedly, not actually play.

Maybe you've been participating in a stealthed achievement they haven't listed in the patch notes yet.

At this point, almost anything is possible.


Maybe we need a 'kicked' badge.
I'd love to see the title we earn that could be associated with it.
(I'm reduced to random attempts at subtle humor, at this point... it's sad, I know.)

LadyGP

CrazyKitty wrote: »

LadyGP wrote: »

CrazyKitty wrote: »

ZOS doesn't need to investigate this issue because they've known for years and years exactly what's causing these problems. The real question is why is this issue not getting fixed after all these years?

@ZOS_Kevin already said the network team is working on this.

Different ZOS reps have been saying exactly this since at least as far back as 2018. This issue has been impacting PvP players for more than 5 years and it's just now creeping into the PvE portion of the game.

Good point, all of this is true.

IDK... I haven't had any luck talking about the lag over the years. @ZOS_Kevin is the first one I've felt like who has made an honest attempt to help.

thinkaboutit

I would say this is a step up from previous complaints about PvP, but I could be wrong. Unless PvP lag as previously not distributed to other zones and now it is.

KaironBlackbard

CrazyKitty wrote: »

LadyGP wrote: »

CrazyKitty wrote: »

ZOS doesn't need to investigate this issue because they've known for years and years exactly what's causing these problems. The real question is why is this issue not getting fixed after all these years?

@ZOS_Kevin already said the network team is working on this.

Different ZOS reps have been saying exactly this since at least as far back as 2018. This issue has been impacting PvP players for more than 5 years and it's just now creeping into the PvE portion of the game. Maybe they'll drop the PvE pop cap too just like they have for PvP. Who knows. I'm sure the PvE community wouldn't mind a hour long queue during prime time to get into the game......

Doesn't solve the issue in dungeons and archive, and other small instances.

Just_Attivi

twev wrote: »

Just_Attivi wrote: »

You know what ESO needs? more crashes. Ive only had 4 in the last hour, can we get those numbers up? I really just want to log in repeatedly, not actually play.

Maybe you've been participating in a stealthed achievement they haven't listed in the patch notes yet.

At this point, almost anything is possible.


Maybe we need a 'kicked' badge.
I'd love to see the title we earn that could be associated with it.
(I'm reduced to random attempts at subtle humor, at this point... it's sad, I know.)

lmao being humorous nearly 5 months into this is all we really can do

Id love a badge for kicked, log in attempts, lobby connection lost, time spent standing still.... I think a lot of people would have these achievements filled out real fast

LadyGP

Any updates @ZOS_Kevin ?

Xandreia_

LadyGP wrote: »

CrazyKitty wrote: »

LadyGP wrote: »

CrazyKitty wrote: »

ZOS doesn't need to investigate this issue because they've known for years and years exactly what's causing these problems. The real question is why is this issue not getting fixed after all these years?

@ZOS_Kevin already said the network team is working on this.

Different ZOS reps have been saying exactly this since at least as far back as 2018. This issue has been impacting PvP players for more than 5 years and it's just now creeping into the PvE portion of the game.

Good point, all of this is true.

IDK... I haven't had any luck talking about the lag over the years. @ZOS_Kevin is the first one I've felt like who has made an honest attempt to help.

kevin is honestly great an i feel so bad for him that we are so naggy haha

Theist_VII

Getting sick of crashing?
Play a different game.

That simple, if ESO isn’t working, don’t waste your time. I’m a few days from uninstalling it, myself.

Xandreia_

Theist_VII wrote: »

Getting sick of crashing?
Play a different game.

That simple, if ESO isn’t working, don’t waste your time. I’m a few days from uninstalling it, myself.

wish i could but id be letting 11 people down in the last stages of a trifecta, i cant quit and make them reprog with a new healer lol

LadyGP

Theist_VII wrote: »

Getting sick of crashing?
Play a different game.

That simple, if ESO isn’t working, don’t waste your time. I’m a few days from uninstalling it, myself.

With Throne and Liberty and AoC coming out this month... this is about the last month I give ESO a chance to fix the issue.

I already stopped buying crowns and cancelled my sub and I know a handfull of people in my guild who did the same.

If this issue doesnt get fixed quick.. I'm sure ZoS can expect a massive player drop.