How can you justify this? Maintenance on a FRIDAY NIGHT?

valen741 · April 2014

So we all payed good money for this game, including a LOT of people in the Oceanic region.

How the HELL do you justify taking the game down for maintenance at 10PM on a Friday night for us?

I just can't describe how disappointed I am in you right now Zenimax. I would've thought you'd actually look after your customers and actually allow them to have a decent play session on a Friday night.

This NEEDS to be addressed and I can't see the oceanic population backing down on this one guy's. Seriously... Get it together before you lose a whole bunch of subscribers... Really pathetic...

Vlas · April 2014

It is the North American server bud, not Oceanic.

valen741 · April 2014

err... so where's the oceanic server? There is no other option for us... bud...

thefreezingvoid · April 2014

Relax, maybe there is a good reason for it.
Maybe the server desperately needed maintenance, maybe there was an issue that required bringing the servers down, who knows maybe they finally came up with a fix for the bug that has been halting thousands of peoples progression to veteran rank content.

oeb17_ESO · April 2014

Oceanic is a minority, and there is no oceanic server. I think its great as it is now.

valen741 · April 2014

unfortunately not.. this is now regular weekly maintenance, announced yesterday.

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/75114/regular-maintenance-days-times

And we're on NA not EU - Latency on EU makes it virtually unplayable

merlo · April 2014

Vlas wrote: »

It is the North American server bud, not Oceanic.

Nice attitude.
Surely its not that hard to have maintenance done in a time when it doesn't impact on Oceanic or North America. Friday night is kinda a peak period for the oceanic player base that have to share the NA Megaserver. If its a once off that's fine, but this better not become a regular thing.

GreasedLizard · April 2014

7pm here and ya .. I'd like to play. Sunday was last maintenance, so are both on weekends ? lol

Vlas · April 2014

merlo wrote: »

Vlas wrote: »

It is the North American server bud, not Oceanic.

Nice attitude.
Surely its not that hard to have maintenance done in a time when it doesn't impact on Oceanic or North America. Friday night is kinda a peak period for the oceanic player base that have to share the NA Megaserver. If its a once off that's fine, but this better not become a regular thing.

How are letting someone know the facts an "attitude"?

You realize I didnt take down the server right? you realize I dont work for ZOS or know their reasons, right? Im just stating the obvious in an attempt to clarify for rage poster what is what.

I mean, if you get stopped by a cop for speeding, you dont yell at them for doing their job, thus delaying your important life, do you?

SK1TZ0FR3N1K · April 2014

merlo wrote: »

Vlas wrote: »

It is the North American server bud, not Oceanic.

Nice attitude.
Surely its not that hard to have maintenance done in a time when it doesn't impact on Oceanic or North America. Friday night is kinda a peak period for the oceanic player base that have to share the NA Megaserver. If its a once off that's fine, but this better not become a regular thing.

That's the problem, it's only early Friday morning here, not a peak time. When would you have them do it? It's during off-peak hours where a majority of the player base is located for this server.

MysticAura · April 2014

So you (OP) think that they should change the time of maintenance to suit Australia and ignore the majority of players, so that you aren't inconvenienced?

I admit it'd be nice if they had a 3rd mega-server set to your time frame, but I don't see that happening any time soon. They could do maintenance 5 hours earlier and somewhat solve the issue, but they're probably in bed at that time.

babylon · April 2014

oeb17_ESO wrote: »

Oceanic is a minority, and there is no oceanic server. I think its great as it is now.

*edited by @ZOS_LenaicR*

valen741 · April 2014

There's a difference between rage posting and a company doing the wrong thing by it's customers...

thefreezingvoid · April 2014

My mistake, I forgot about the change in maintenance times.

North American Megaserver
Tuesdays at 8:00am EDT (12pm GMT)
Fridays at 8:00am EDT (12pm GMT)

European Megaserver
Tuesdays at 6:00am CEST (5:00am BST)
Fridays at 6:00am CEST (5:00am BST)

It was on sundays, but there was a huge back lash from the NA and EU communities about having it on weekends when most people in these zones are off work.

Unfortunately someone has to take the bullet for maintenance, and since NA and EU are likely their biggest audience, they sort of set the schedules, like it or not.

valen741 · April 2014

MysticAura wrote: »

So you think that they should change the time of maintenance to suit Australia and ignore the majority of players, so that you aren't inconvenienced?

Having maintenance times that don't screw your customers is a start...

Gotta love the 'as long as I'm OK' attitude here...

Somehow it's always Oceanic that gets screwed here... If you sell a game worldwide, accommodate your audience...

Basil_oz · April 2014

As usual, the Oceanic area will cop a majority of maintenance time during our prime playing time. The nature of the beast when the servers are in the US or Europe.

It is a shame that the initial plan wasn't to run a server in the Oceanic area. It would have assisted so much with crowding and maintenance timing. I would have thought that the numbers of players throughout Australia, New Zealand and all of Asia would have warranted one. But, alas, it wasn't deemed that way! And, I guess, it isn't as simple as just running a server. A third server provides for larger costs and this is a business that has to make decisions on costs.

I did note that the Europe server was only down for two hours so, hopefully, the US server will only take the same. Two hours in the scheme of things, isn't too bad.

Halefire · April 2014

They need to let everyone know how long it's going to be down for, to their server status posts.

Vlas · April 2014

Halefire wrote: »

They need to let everyone know how long it's going to be down for, to their server status posts.

Look at the European downtime... then you will know

SK1TZ0FR3N1K · April 2014

valen741 wrote: »

MysticAura wrote: »

Gotta love the 'as long as I'm OK' attitude here...quote]

It's not, it's just that there is no time window that covers every area in the world during off-peak hours. Someone is going to get left feeling angry. As a business they have to decide to make the majority happy, or the minority.

thefreezingvoid · April 2014

Halefire wrote: »

They need to let everyone know how long it's going to be down for, to their server status posts.

It will take as long as it takes to perform it. I suppose they could give a rough estimate, but if they run into complications and have to extend the time people will be screaming bloody murder.

Rippah · April 2014

New Maintenance times based on player feedback.. ???

You must be joking Zenimax!!!

What gamer would actively choose friday-sunday?
Or to have a fellow gamer effected during their weekend timezone ???

I don't believe it.

Credibility here is almost zero.

valen741 · April 2014

Lots of valid points and I do understand...But... There are 4 other non-peak days in the week. Why Friday of all nights? Surely there would be other options...

Shanna · April 2014

Vlas wrote: »

Look at the European downtime... then you will know

I can't tell from that (already tried it) because the time stamp just lists yesterday's date by now (no actual time.)

Darkro · April 2014

I am rather amused on how oblivious you are to the reality. Basically you say you are connecting to the NA servers to play; yes ...I understand, the lack of Oceanic servers is forcing you to do this.
However, where I start and fail to understand is when you expect a MINORITY of 2-5% oceanic (aussies) of the NA player-base population, if even that, to be prioritized over more than 90% of the real player base that's actually in U.S timezone. It's quite mind boggling that your even consider it.

So unless you get oceanic servers, please come to your senses and realize that the only way to not get a zilion rage posts from N.A and europe players is to have it early morning U.S. and early morning EU. Unfortunately you can never make everyone happy, and in this case Australia and east Asia will bite the proverbial bullet regardless of their server choice.

As a side note: most people usually go out and have fun on Friday and continue with gaming, slacking and what-not on week-end.
Give it a try man, you'll feel better.

Regards,
Darkro

pavelcherepanskyrwb17_ESO · April 2014

How are letting someone know the facts an "attitude"?

Being arrogant is an attitude. Maybe you should know that this is North American Megaserver which is for most of players outside Europe including all Asia and Oceania. Were there any other option I wouldn't play on American server but there isn't.

valen741 · April 2014

Wow Darkro, who's oblivious to reality? Get off your high horse...

So essentially you're suggesting that companies shouldn't consider a "minority" of their customer base... Good one!

Srugzal · April 2014

valen741 wrote: »

Somehow it's always Oceanic that gets screwed here... If you sell a game worldwide, accommodate your audience...

Are you having trouble understanding? The servers need to be taken down for maintenance. Are you disputing that, or just the schedule? How would you like it to be done, since it has to inconvenience somebody? I happen to prefer to play in the AM EDT, but you don't hear me screaming about my entitlements.

There's a case to be made for inconveniencing the fewest customers. Can't you get over that? Chill.

Syndiaan · April 2014

OMG it never ends, whenever there is maintenance there is always some little kid that has to cry about it....

babylon · April 2014

Darkro wrote: »

I am rather amused on how oblivious you are to the reality. Basically you say you are connecting to the NA servers to play; yes ...I understand, the lack of Oceanic servers is forcing you to do this.
However, where I start and fail to understand is when you expect a MINORITY of 2-5% oceanic (aussies) of the NA player-base population, if even that, to be prioritized over more than 90% of the real player base that's actually in U.S timezone. It's quite mind boggling that your even consider it.blahblahblah

Don't overdramatise things. Nobody said "prioritise OVER"...just make it Monday and Thursday instead of Tuesday and Friday.

Hietala217 · April 2014

Why not play on the EU server if this is such a huge issue for you?

6am CEST is 12am EST, meaning you would be at work when it underwent maintenance. In every game, even those WITH Oceanic servers, there is always this 'outrage' because the NA server was taken offline at an 'inconvenient' time. I typically play a lot late night, early morning... so I lose play time too, oh well. But, hey, EU server is up... go have fun on it. :P

Mawgrim · April 2014

thefreezingvoid wrote: »

My mistake, I forgot about the change in maintenance times.

North American Megaserver
Tuesdays at 8:00am EDT (12pm GMT)
Fridays at 8:00am EDT (12pm GMT)

European Megaserver
Tuesdays at 6:00am CEST (5:00am BST)
Fridays at 6:00am CEST (5:00am BST)

It was on sundays, but there was a huge back lash from the NA and EU communities about having it on weekends when most people in these zones are off work.

Unfortunately someone has to take the bullet for maintenance, and since NA and EU are likely their biggest audience, they sort of set the schedules, like it or not.

Yes, someone has to take a bullet for maintenance. Yes, it is usually going to be the Oceanic player-base due to population proportions.

But why a Friday?

Why not have the regular maintenance periods be on Monday and Thursday, when the majority of Oceanic players still have to be awake for work/school the next morning? It's still the same period of time between maintenance days, without causing as many issues for peak playing time.