What happend to the multi-thread server code comming Q2 2023?

LarsS · April 2023

In the Studio Director's letter Dec. 2022 he wrote this;

Our multi-threading work continues, as we announced a month or so back. Just to remind everyone, this is the initiative that will result in better overall server performance. As we already announced, we will be phasing these changes in over the course of 2023, starting with the Chapter in Q2. We’ll keep everyone updated in patch notes going forward.

@ZOS_Kevin will we get the first batch of this code update, with the Chapter in Q2? I see nothing in the patch notes.

gariondavey · April 2023

They mentioned it is a gradual release, with improvements each patch behind the scenes. This was said in a thread several months ago.

LunaFlora · April 2023

the chapter is still ~2 months away
this doesn't seem like something that would be on pts to be tested but instead for when the chapter actually gets released.

LarsS · April 2023

The Studio Director stated in the December message that we should get the first part of the new code in Q2 as I posted above. He said that this would be in the patch notes, nothing new is added in the incremental patches before release, there is only bug fixes and tweaks. So if there is any multi-thread code in the update it should have been mentioned in the patch notes.

Lebkuchen · April 2023

You have to be careful how you read their announcements. If you see a lot of "might", "should", "could", "maybe", "hopefully"... it's a sign that it probably won't happen for a while.

LarsS · April 2023

Let me repeat the Studio Directors december statement again!

As we already announced, we will be phasing these changes in over the course of 2023, starting with the Chapter in Q2. We’ll keep everyone updated in patch notes going forward.

I say that there is no if and when there.

Here is a link to the complete post. https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-gb/news/post/63363

ajkb78 · April 2023

LarsS wrote: »

In the Studio Director's letter Dec. 2022 he wrote this;

Our multi-threading work continues, as we announced a month or so back. Just to remind everyone, this is the initiative that will result in better overall server performance. As we already announced, we will be phasing these changes in over the course of 2023, starting with the Chapter in Q2. We’ll keep everyone updated in patch notes going forward.

@ZOS_Kevin will we get the first batch of this code update, with the Chapter in Q2? I see nothing in the patch notes.

I don't think I've ever seen patch notes mention server code changes. They'll just happen in the background.

Aardappelboom · April 2023

I do agree a statement would be helpful, they specifically said they'd communicate about it in the patch notes.

Since it's also the main reason they give for not adding new PVP content (Ama live event) I'd be nice to get some info on this. @ZOS_Kevin or @ZOS_GinaBruno

React · April 2023

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_Kevin @ZOS_MattFiror @ZOS_BrianWheeler @ZOS_RichLambert

Any update on this? You told us that we would not get ANY pvp content or mechanics changes until this work was finished at the beginning of 2022. At that point in time, you told us it would be done before the end of 2022.

We're now approaching the 2023 Q2 DLC and this rewrite is still nowhere to be found.

When this chapter launches, it will have been four and a half (4.5) years since we last received pvp content, in the form of one single BG map. How are you justifying this???? How is it okay to COMPLETELY ignore this side of your game?

Lebkuchen · April 2023

LarsS wrote: »

[...] I say that there is no if and when there. [...]

Yes, this letter was a bit unusual. Sometimes you have to read between the lines and remember what happened in the past. Maybe reading Matt Firor's letter from January 2022 will help:

Matt Firor: "It’s long past time to give everyone an update on where we are with PvP improvements. As many of you know, we did a series of tests over the last year to give us more data. These tests were successful and gave us the information we needed. We now have a plan going forward - but heads up: it is going to take some time.

In short – just like we did for the client a year or so back when we introduced multithreaded rendering to increase client frame rates – we are going to rearchitect our server. The version of ESO in 2022 is many magnitudes larger and more complex than the ESO that launched in 2014. So, in order to give everyone a good play experience in high-intensity situations like PvP and Trials, we need to essentially rewrite some of the foundational server code to account for it. This should dramatically increase server performance, but obviously we will need to test and evaluate as we go along.

We’ve been planning this for the last quarter and we’re starting work on it right now. But, as you can imagine, changing the fundamentals of a huge live game such as ESO is a delicate and multi-stepped process, so expect this to take up much of 2022. Much of the early work is going to happen behind the scenes and we are definitely not going to rush it. A re-architecture of this magnitude will require the entire game to be re-tested and evaluated, as this particular code is the foundation on which the game is built. It will take tons of QA and testing time as well, and I’m sure that when the time comes, we’ll do as large a test as we can on the PTS.

In the meantime, we’ll consider additional ways to keep Cyrodiil and Battlegrounds interesting and exciting (for example, potentially special rulesets or weekend events) and will continue to work on bug fixes affecting combat, but we won’t be adding any new features to PvP until the work mentioned above is complete. Doing so would not only prolong the fixes we want to implement but would also exacerbate the issue of poor performance.

We completely understand the frustration many of you are feeling, especially with lack of information about our PvP plans. This was a huge decision to make and we needed to make sure we had exhausted all other possibilities before announcing this. Thanks for bearing with us, and we will give you periodic updates about the re-architecture progress over the course of the year."

Here is the link to the forum discussion:
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/595442/eso-pvp-update-updated-june-2022/p1

A lot of people were excited and thought by the end of the year 2022 this project would be done. Performance would be fixed and bugs would be gone. Some are still waiting for "interesting and exciting" special rulesets for PvP. I don't remember how many "periodic updates" we got in 2022, was it 1 or 2, maybe 3? Some people say 2022 was one of the worst years for ESO. Would you have expected that after reading such a nice announcement at the beginning of the year?

In the years before there have been plenty of similar announcements and projects that raised hopes, but couldn't deliver. Including better communication.

I am not trying to bring anyone down or anything, but we all have to manage our expectations.

Aardappelboom · April 2023

Lebkuchen wrote: »

In the years before there have been plenty of similar announcements and projects that raised hopes, but couldn't deliver. Including better communication.

I am not trying to bring anyone down or anything, but we all have to manage our expectations.

Well I can honestly say my expectations are managed, but there was a clear commitment on giving info around q2, a quick reply on whether it's coming would be appropriate and not a lot of work.

EramTheLiar · April 2023

LarsS wrote: »

Let me repeat the Studio Directors december statement again!

As we already announced, we will be phasing these changes in over the course of 2023, starting with the Chapter in Q2. We’ll keep everyone updated in patch notes going forward.

I say that there is no if and when there.

Here is a link to the complete post. https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-gb/news/post/63363

OK, but why would they put those in the PTS notes?

Improvements for the live servers would have to be specific to those live servers, wouldn't they? Unless the test environment is an actual hardware reproduction of the production environment -- which I don't think is the case -- then I'd tend to think the multi-threading improvements would be added directly to the live servers. Which, erm, is an activity that is fraught with peril, but I can't think of another way to do it offhand.

React · April 2023

EramTheLiar wrote: »

LarsS wrote: »

Let me repeat the Studio Directors december statement again!

As we already announced, we will be phasing these changes in over the course of 2023, starting with the Chapter in Q2. We’ll keep everyone updated in patch notes going forward.

I say that there is no if and when there.

Here is a link to the complete post. https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-gb/news/post/63363

OK, but why would they put those in the PTS notes?

Improvements for the live servers would have to be specific to those live servers, wouldn't they? Unless the test environment is an actual hardware reproduction of the production environment -- which I don't think is the case -- then I'd tend to think the multi-threading improvements would be added directly to the live servers. Which, erm, is an activity that is fraught with peril, but I can't think of another way to do it offhand.

I'm not at my computer to find the exact post to quote, but they word-for-word said they would be testing this work on the PTS as soon as they're able.

LarsS · April 2023

End 2021 or possibly Jan 2022 they informed us that they would rewrite the server code based on the tests a year earlier, they also spoke about testing on pts. December 2022 Matt Frior specified what they were working on namely multi-thread server code, first part to be impemented with the chapter Q2 2023, there were noting about PTS testing. It's natural that they know more after having worked on the new code the whole year of 2022. I dont think the new step by step change of the server code will need an extensive PTS testing.

Finally this is a software improvement, ZOS have always informed us about code uppgrades like the change from 32 bit to 64 bit and the multi-threading of the clients some years ago.

Lebkuchen · April 2023

I stumbled over an interview where Rich Lambert was asked about plans for PvP. The full version is only availabe for channel members of the german content creator who did the interview, and the audio quality is extremely bad. (It's sooo bad) But there was one sentence that might be interesting for you. I hope i did not misunderstand what they were talking about.

"When hopefully all of that should get done, that should make a marked(?) improvement in Cyrodiil. We have small optimizations(?) that went in in 37, which seem to be working well. We have some more(?) coming in 38, 39...

Starting at 13:55 in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLdEr1AC7ic&t=837s

React · April 2023

Is there any update on this? Many of us are anxious to hear what progress has been made on this now 1.5 year long project, which is supposedly what the future of PVP content hinges upon.

@ZOS_GinaBruno

RagnarSw · April 2023

Well we are still waiting on the better communication they promised us a year and a half ago, so magic 8 ball says doesn't look good.

blktauna · April 2023

There aren't ice cubes forming in the deadlands yet so my guess is we won't hear anytime soon.