How could PSNA run past PSEU overnight?!

GeneralGrundmann · November 13

Okay, adjusting numbers is one thing.

But seven hours ago PSNA was far behind PSEU and now PSNA has completed Phase 2 with 100% while PSEU is at 95%?!

That's not adjusting, that's cheating.

Rohamad_Ali · November 13

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Auberon1983 · November 13

Yeah I play on PS/NA and it's a bit odd. I wouldn't go so far as to call it "cheating", because that would mean ZOS wanted PS/NA to "win the race", so to speak. Instead I think it's more along the lines of the percentage just wasn't very accurate to begin with.

Still weird, though. PS/EU should have hit Phase 3 first, especially considering it's 11:31PM (2331) where I am, not even close to primetime, whereas EU is 8+ hours ahead.

iGuavaTH · November 13

Adjusting the progress bars this close to the end was a bad decision in my opinion. They should have kept it as it was until the first server reached 100%, be that PSEU, XboxEU or PSNA. THEN they could have made the adjustment to speed up the grind.

Now it just feel like PSNA was handed the "victory" when EU was in bed.

Aliniel · November 13

Just another proof this whole "race" is one huge scam and failure on the ZOS part.

KalevaLaine · November 13

ZOS_Kevin wrote:

Writhing Wall update. We are pleased to see so many players jumping in and contributing to the effort to bring down the Writhing Wall. While progress has been steady, we have heard the feedback that the event feels like its taking a bit too long. With that in mind we are going to make an adjustment to speed up contributions across all realms so that players can experience the Writhing Fortress and Eastern Solstice as soon as possible. This has been a tremendous effort for everyone involved and we appreciate those that have dedicated the time to the event. Player contribution still matters but your contributions going forward will matter more. Thanks!

GeneralGrundmann · November 13

KalevaLaine wrote: »

ZOS_Kevin wrote:

Writhing Wall update. We are pleased to see so many players jumping in and contributing to the effort to bring down the Writhing Wall. While progress has been steady, we have heard the feedback that the event feels like its taking a bit too long. With that in mind we are going to make an adjustment to speed up contributions across all realms so that players can experience the Writhing Fortress and Eastern Solstice as soon as possible. This has been a tremendous effort for everyone involved and we appreciate those that have dedicated the time to the event. Player contribution still matters but your contributions going forward will matter more. Thanks!

Yeah, that is known.

But "to speed up contributions" doesn't/shouldn't mean to suddeny cross the finish line first after being on second place with quite some distance to first place the whole race.

Streak for the win, as sorcerers already knew and now all Storm Caller users as well, at least in PvP.

GeneralGrundmann · November 13

iGuavaTH wrote: »

Now it just feel like PSNA was handed the "victory" when EU was in bed.

Exactly

MISTFORMBZZZ · November 13

What is your price to be first ?

frogthroat · November 13

I guess ZOS wanted the event over a few days before Thanksgiving and adjusted the numbers again. I further guess that this whole event is a test of how much we are willing to grind, so that they get data to see how much of story content they can replace with much cheaper-to-do repeatable grind quests and still drive player engagement. The better we do, the more grind fests we get.

fizl101 · November 13

Why do ps eu need to wait 10 hours to get to phase 3? We have the wall down and now a long timer

Eliahnus · November 13

ZOS, If you can't play fair and just want to favor US players and let them win without the required effort, just leave out the percentages next time.

twisttop138 · November 13

I think your mistake was believing that the progress bar meant anything to begin with. They just wanted the event over. Imagine the huge amount of public anger and outcry over this event that was needed to make them actually publicly announce this and do this. People at zos probably took notice in a big way. Whatever plans they had for the winner, the end of the event all that went out the window. Oh and don't worry. We got 100% and the walls broken. Like you can't go through broken. There was a 19 hour timer last night east Coast US time. So to cap all this crap off, we can't even go through cause they couldn't get that right.

scrappy1342 · November 13

too many ppl posting that the progress bar was a scam and zos wanted xbox eu to win it and would win it long before event even started. can't let that be true right? kidding... mostly...

only logical fair thing that comes to mind is that psna participation was so low that they adjusted it more there back when they did the first adjustments and now that they are ending it more ppl jumped in to do quests. but with it adjusted for the low participation, it really jumped. no clue, just what looks like happened to me.

like others have said over and over and over... pitting servers against each other was a horrible idea. this entire event has been pitting players against each other. not even just the basis for the event but the way the quests work had us all fighting each other for quest completion even. we've known for years the bars were made up and they adjust them as they go... it was just blatantly obvious this time.

GeneralGrundmann · November 13

scrappy1342 wrote: »

we've known for years the bars were made up and they adjust them as they go... it was just blatantly obvious this time.

That's the part that makes me furious about ZOS behaviour in this matter. I am aware of the bar adjustments.

And I wanted to play along anyway!

But it's impossible to play along if the result of the server race is sooooooo obviously manipulated.

twisttop138 · November 13

scrappy1342 wrote: »

too many ppl posting that the progress bar was a scam and zos wanted xbox eu to win it and would win it long before event even started. can't let that be true right? kidding... mostly...

only logical fair thing that comes to mind is that psna participation was so low that they adjusted it more there back when they did the first adjustments and now that they are ending it more ppl jumped in to do quests. but with it adjusted for the low participation, it really jumped. no clue, just what looks like happened to me.

like others have said over and over and over... pitting servers against each other was a horrible idea. this entire event has been pitting players against each other. not even just the basis for the event but the way the quests work had us all fighting each other for quest completion even. we've known for years the bars were made up and they adjust them as they go... it was just blatantly obvious this time.

I was in camp they had the winner picked the whole time. Still feeling like the progress bar was fake. Whoever is right or wrong never really mattered. It speaks to larger things. That many people had no faith in Zos from the outset. Why and what do they do about that. This event was so largely disliked that they did a very un-zoslike thing. They couldn't pretend the dislike wasn't there, couldn't just keep their heads in the sand like usual and they ended it. What can be learned from this. Kudos to Zos for trying something new, but it seems they're outta quarters over there, something's missing that they would think people would like this.

They did way too much to hype this up only to massively under deliver. It was easy. 2 phases. A week or 2 to do the quests. Reskin some other stuff and make the boxes more rewarding. Then bring the wall down. 7 days of the dungeon and then give everyone the worm cult castle as the capstone. Your reward for beating the cult again, you set up shop in their headquarters. Make sure it's done and everyone can hit Eastern Solstice that they paid money for and boom.

Why did they think turning the servers against each other was a good idea? We've seen people trash talking other servers and turning on people from their own server. Calling them lazy, telling them the reason for the wall not being down was staring at them in the mirror. Super cool attempt at a community event Zos lol. As if the customers can be blamed for pointing out that the product is sub par and unfun.

And to cap the entire thing off, we get to 100% and there's no way through the wall. I mean, really? How do we explain this one?

I'd love to know what Zos's take away from this event is. As we go into next year, we already know there will be much less content then even this year. Zos has been clear on that. I think the community deserves some reassurance that they're going to get what they pay for next year. Q4 dlc was broken animations and the ability to drink potions while beaming. Remember when we used to get a solstice sized dlc in Q4?

DenverRalphy · November 13

PSNA and PSEU have both been advancing up pretty steadily over the past couple of weeks. While PSEU was leading, PSNA had been gradually closing in on PSEU as well. When they sped up the progress yesterday PSNA was not "far behind" PSEU. The difference was only a few percentage points.

The accelerated progress rate hilighted what was already happening.

spartaxoxo · November 13

The time the adjustment happened probably also made a big difference.

Izanagi.Xiiib16_ESO · November 13

Molag Bug found some extra % hidden behind his lag switch.

Four_Fingers · November 13

Still, it is funny how most thought it didn't matter who finished first in the beginning, now it's they cheated!

DenverRalphy · November 13

Four_Fingers wrote: »

Still, it is funny how most thought it didn't matter who finished first in the beginning, now it's they cheated!

A few weeks ago because ZOS being owned by MSFT, the fix was in favor of Xbox because MSFT wouldn't allow otherwise.

Defatank · November 13

PC NA Players for the past month watching all other servers "fighting for first" knowing none of it matters...

twisttop138 · November 13

Four_Fingers wrote: »

Still, it is funny how most thought it didn't matter who finished first in the beginning, now it's they cheated!

Right? I thought it was us Americans who aren't supposed to accept the outcome of contests.

twisttop138 · November 13

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Four_Fingers wrote: »

Still, it is funny how most thought it didn't matter who finished first in the beginning, now it's they cheated!

A few weeks ago because ZOS being owned by MSFT, the fix was in favor of Xbox because MSFT wouldn't allow otherwise.

Hey, wrong is wrong. I don't mind saying it.

Eliahnus · November 13

twisttop138 wrote: »

Your reward for beating the cult again, you set up shop in their headquarters.

SilverIce58 · November 13

What does the winner get again? Bc everyone's (who purchased) getting the chance to take on the Worm Cult in Eastern Solstice, so there must be something so cool to have people up in arms like this.

GeneralGrundmann · November 13

DenverRalphy wrote: »

The difference was only a few percentage points.

Last time I looked at midnight EU time, PSEU was 3% ahead, 95% PSEU to 92% PSNA.

7 hours later PSNA 100% and PSEU still at 95%.

On average 24 hours playtime generated between 1.4% to 2.0% progress.

The 8% from 92%-100% PSNA should normally take around 100 hours/4 days.

They did it in 7! hours while EU was sleeping.

Even if it's not cheating, it's stealing.

GeneralGrundmann · November 13

SilverIce58 wrote: »

What does the winner get again? Bc everyone's (who purchased) getting the chance to take on the Worm Cult in Eastern Solstice, so there must be something so cool to have people up in arms like this.

Nobody gets anything extra.

The server competition was described as a race for winning. With studio members betting who reaches 100% first.

To "decide" who wins is against the idea of competition ZOS created as advertising of this event.

Ingenon · November 13

The rate adjustment (how much the percentage increases for each activity completed) was made while PS/NA was just starting evening/prime time. Instantly all of the players on PS/NA that were still doing this event were contributing much, much, much more percentage progress with activity completed. Players were calling out the current percentage complete in zone chat. I went around with the mob of players who were closing siege camps for awhile. It felt like Alik'r dolmens with dozens of players taking down enemies. By the time the west coast of North America went to bed the progress bar was at 100%.

And yes, most of Europe was asleep while this happened.

Four_Fingers · November 13

Sleep is no excuse, EU manages to PvDoor Cyro all night. (Just kidding)

DenverRalphy · November 13

Ingenon wrote: »

The rate adjustment (how much the percentage increases for each activity completed) was made while PS/NA was just starting evening/prime time. Instantly all of the players on PS/NA that were still doing this event were contributing much, much, much more percentage progress with activity completed. Players were calling out the current percentage complete in zone chat. I went around with the mob of players who were closing siege camps for awhile. It felt like Alik'r dolmens with dozens of players taking down enemies. By the time the west coast of North America went to bed the progress bar was at 100%.

And yes, most of Europe was asleep while this happened.

Actually, the rate adjustment came in right around 2pm-ish Eastern. Mid-day for most of PSNA. At least, that's around the time @ZOS_Kevin posted the announcement IIRC.