Can't log in to PC NA after maintenance

JR_Returns · March 2023

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hi All, we had a hotfix that has added a 3 minute timer between megaserver logins depending on your platform. That is most likely why you are hitting the 103 error. This is intended. If you wait out the 3 minutes, you should be able to login no problem. We updated here for consoles and PC.

I'm sorry but I fail to see how adding another 3 minutes to changing servers can lead to a better playing experience, it takes long enough as it is without another 3 mins. I also have to point out that I play on both servers all the time and it's the first time that I've ever had an error 103.

I'm sure you'll say its has nothing to do with the fact that it occurred immediately after the game was patched, however I've been playing this game for far too long to believe anything like that.

FluffyBird · March 2023

Fixing some internal problem with stability timeout at the expense of your customers. Noice.

Aelthwyn · March 2023

WOW... this is EXTREMELY ANNOYING.

just... what?!?! WHY?!?!! This makes NO sense. I have played on both servers since the game launched, constantly switching back and forth and NEVER experienced any issues - till Now.

Please, I BEG you, take it Away!!!! This is not a good change. This is not helpful.

I hope this doesn't screw me over sometime in the future when I can't get back in to the other server in time to squeeze in a last event ticket, or grab something that's about to leave the crown store before maintenance. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

code65536 · March 2023

Obs1dian wrote: »

@code65536 as a kludgy workaround (but maybe less annoying than the three minute wait) you can make a shortcut for the eso64.exe file (default folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\game\client) and run that, switch megaserver, then close it before launching from the launcher.

Yea, I have both Steam and non-Steam accounts, so I do that sometimes (launching the non-Steam client to change the region), but it's a hassle and if I forget, then it's a 3-minute penalty.

elinien · March 2023

code65536 wrote: »

show previous quotes

Obs1dian wrote: »

@code65536 as a kludgy workaround (but maybe less annoying than the three minute wait) you can make a shortcut for the eso64.exe file (default folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\game\client) and run that, switch megaserver, then close it before launching from the launcher.

Yea, I have both Steam and non-Steam accounts, so I do that sometimes (launching the non-Steam client to change the region), but it's a hassle and if I forget, then it's a 3-minute penalty.

I have both Steam and non-Steam accounts as well. I'd worked out a routine where I'd get my non-Steam login rewards on NA first (it's only NA), switch over to EU, then login to steam on EU. Then I could switch back to my Steam NA and when done be all ready to start over.

I don't get to actively play everyday, but I do like to take a few mins to get my login rewards. They've really been messing with my routines lately with all the different changes, alas.

ghost_bg_ESO · March 2023

/facepalm

.

kringled_1 · March 2023

I guess the solution for me is simple, I'll just stop logging into my pc/EU characters regularly. Probably not the outcome intended.

Lydawobbles · March 2023

It’s only 3 minutes you guys. Calm down 😂

TaSheen · March 2023

Well, that's nice to know - but half of the error 103s I got earlier were logging BETWEEN ACCOUNTS on PC EU; and then when I finally got logged in on PC NA, again I had trouble swapping between accounts, getting the error 103 as well.

I have three accounts; I have a lot of characters; I play on both PC megaservers. I'm not very happy about this new kludginess.

WyndStryke__2 · March 2023

I suspect that the problem is due to account synchronisation between the two regions, and someone has managed to find a way to exploit it in some way. Just a guess but seems the most likely scenario.

a) Error message needs to be clear, and I see that is on the list now. Maybe even a timer bar which shows as soon as the user selects the other server.

b) Ideally timer should be less than 3 minutes. I'd say 90 seconds would be a good target (heck, 90s is how long it takes me to log into a character anyway).

kringled_1 · March 2023

Lydawobbles wrote: »

It’s only 3 minutes you guys. Calm down 😂

3 minutes is actually longer than I spend logged into EU most days. I don't really play there actively, it's just habit to pick up login rewards and do craft writs on weekends. So I'll just retire them unless someone I know from NA wants me to do something over there. If I had any actual community I played with on EU I'd have to live with the wait.

Tandor · March 2023

Par for the course these days I'm afraid. An annoying change that isn't given a proper error message let alone being mentioned in the Patch Notes, and which when raised on the forum produces a poorly detailed explanation referring to working around a playing experience issue that no-one has experienced, and a vague commitment to pass on players' views which will very probably be ignored.

Wholly unsatisfactory on all counts, but like I said - par for the course these days.

elinien · March 2023

Lydawobbles wrote: »

It’s only 3 minutes you guys. Calm down 😂

Sometimes when you crashed on one, to where it didn't recognize you as logged out, you could login to the other to force it to kick you... allowing you to log back in faster than it would take to time you out. Especially important in group content where you're trying to get back in before you miss stuff.

lonewolf26 · March 2023

I'd be curious on knowing more about what the issue underlying the fix was. As a person who gets frequently crashed out of Cyrodiil I have historically used logging into EU as a way to force log out my character on NA. This was a workaround to the situation where the client would indicate you were still logged into the realm from which you crashed. Now seems like I would be stuck waiting for the shorter of either 3 minutes or until NA decides that my link is dead and force logs out my character.

blktauna · March 2023

ninibini wrote: »

a better technical experience? I have a different definition for that.

that's a very annoying change for someone who plays on both servers.

Indeed this. [snip] is this even in aid of?

[going around profanity filter]

KlauthWarthog · March 2023

... why?

I_CraftwithPntButter · March 2023

I have to agree with the above, I play on both servers and the execution of this change was done poorly and not seeing the need for it.
If you happen to want to do dailies .... for oh say jesters and jubilee , this log in change could impact players from doing them in a timely manner. That also doesn't even take into account the players ( the few that are left after the glorious patches from 2022) that still run trials/dungeons on both servers ( cause gear has to be farmed somewhere) or the few that still brave cyrodiil .

For the record :

1) Didn't see any mention or explanation in the patch notes for said change.

2) Incorrect/misleading error message when attempting to log in.

3) Not even a timer to show or atleast give hint as to wait time.

2023 is the year your supposed to be doing better , remember ?

Advice for the future :

com·mu·ni·ca·tion (noun)

the imparting or exchanging of information or news.

baratron · March 2023

This is extremely frustrating. I am confused why this change was needed in the 9th year of the game?

I currently have three accounts on PC-NA and one on PC-EU, and swap between accounts and servers frequently. One 3-minute wait isn't too bad, but they will really add up over the day.

Please ask one of your senior systems administrators for the real reason this has been implemented. "A better technical experience" just isn't going to cut it for people like me who've lived with a sysadmin for over two decades.

AlmaPerdido · March 2023

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

Hi All, we had a hotfix that has added a 3 minute timer between megaserver logins depending on your platform. That is most likely why you are hitting the 103 error. This is intended. If you wait out the 3 minutes, you should be able to login no problem. We updated here for consoles and PC.

Uuuhmmm...

WaywardArgonian · March 2023

This is a pretty annoying change and I'll explain why:

At least for me, as a Steam player, it is not possible to select which server I'd like to join before the game makes a login attempt.

So for example, if I quickly want to start up my game to login to my NA acct for daily rewards (the reset timer for that is different than EU after all), but the login is still set to my default EU acct, I will first have to log in to EU, log out, wait 3 minutes, log in to NA, claim my rewards, and hope I don't forget to set the account back to EU before I close the game to avoid experiencing the same issue next time.

Another disadvantage is that relogging to the NA platform was a reliable fix for whenever I got the 'this account is already logged in' bug when I lost server connection on EU. Now I'd have to wait 3 minutes both ways so that is no longer a viable option.

Is there any insight into why this was added?

Valgar0r · March 2023

Why to add a timer when it worked fine during the last 9 years ? That's really annoying and "Error 103" is really confusing

TimeViewer · March 2023

Edited after reading thread:
ZoS I believe you people are confused, the old saying is:

"If it aint broke don't fix it"

Not:

If it aint broke unfix it.

You people have been screwing with us for playing both servers, you screw with the reset times just to mess us up now you stick THIS in?? THERE WAS NO ISSUE.

I started playing EU because YOU PEOPLE ASKED US to make characters and help EU shore up their numbers back when we were doing the Psijic Villa event, what did you honestly think some of us would just leave it and never play there again? You don't know your own, and online players. I've spent good money on two accounts in both NA AND EU and now you want to pull this annoying garbage.

BTW, for the record, stop saying "we never intended" and "we always intended" because frankly "we never believe it"

PapaJester · March 2023

I'm curious, if this is a, "Feature," and not a bug, why is it still buried in the Bug Reports forum? Shouldn't it be moved back to General ESO Discussion?
@ZOS_Kraken @ZOS_Kevin

Gegensmith · March 2023

I am particularly frustrated to discover the timer was the problem with being able to log in. I submitted a ticket to support to explain that I'd followed the steps in the advice about "unknown error", only to receive a reply giving me exactly the same advice I'd told them I'd followed and not mentioning the timer that had caused the problem! If you're going to introduce that, you needed to let us know in advance and explain that this is what's happened when we report a problem logging in.

LatentBuzzard · March 2023

ZOS_Kevin wrote: »

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redspecter23 wrote: »

All fair and good if that's a needed change, but perhaps update the error message to reflect that. It would save a lot of hassle both here in the forums, in game and in the customer service departments.

Thanks for the feedback here on the error message. We will be updating the error message in a future release. When we have an ETA for that, we'll be sure to update everyone.

Could you also feedback to your dev team that they've implemented a solution to a non existent problem and that solution is now causing more issues than were supposedly caused by the non existent problem ?

Granamere · March 2023

For my vote I also switch from EU to NA. I only found out about this change from coming here looking. I am not a fan of this but at minimum it needs a better message so the end users can understand what is happening. I would prefer this to go back to as it was so I can quickly switch between EU and NA.

I_CraftwithPntButter · March 2023

@ZOS_Kevin

What I would also like to know is , how was the 3 mins determined ?

Could a 30 sec not accomplish the same task ?

If adding a login timer was part of a hotfix, how long will this last ?

virtus753 · March 2023

I_CraftwithPntButter wrote: »

@ZOS_Kevin

What I would also like to know is , how was the 3 mins determined ?

Could a 30 sec not accomplish the same task ?

If adding a login timer was part of a hotfix, how long will this last ?

The hotfix is permanent. It is a hotfix, meaning (in ZOS parlance) it is not a client-side update and does not require a download. It is not a stopgap.

ZOS_Kevin · March 2023

I_CraftwithPntButter wrote: »

@ZOS_Kevin

What I would also like to know is , how was the 3 mins determined ?

Could a 30 sec not accomplish the same task ?

If adding a login timer was part of a hotfix, how long will this last ?

It will be the experience going forward. As we noted before, timers can be adjusted in the future. But the team has settled on three minutes for the time being. We have been passing this information along to the team for their consideration and we will continue to do so.

I_CraftwithPntButter · March 2023

virtus753 wrote: »

show previous quotes

I_CraftwithPntButter wrote: »

@ZOS_Kevin

What I would also like to know is , how was the 3 mins determined ?

Could a 30 sec not accomplish the same task ?

If adding a login timer was part of a hotfix, how long will this last ?

The hotfix is permanent. It is a hotfix, meaning (in ZOS parlance) it is not a client-side update and does not require a download. It is not a stopgap.

Thank you for the clarification