Why is there a timer at the end of a dungeon?

Diminish · April 28

tomofhyrule wrote: »

It's because each dungeon is an instance, and the goal is to get that server space back.

Yes, people run dungeons solo and then the timer doesn't trigger, but I think that's an edge case that was not considered when the timer was implemented. But in general, the original idea was that people would run the dungeon and get out so the instance could be freed, and not have one person AFK in the instance holding it open for eternity.

Finn made a post on the PTS forum talking about how more smaller instances actually make performance worse for the overall game, so the idea is that one person is not able to essentially hold the game's performance hostage. I'm sure they could increase the timer, but the exact thing they don't want is for one person to make a permanent instance of an empty dungeon (times hundreds of players) which would start to degrade performance over the whole game.

Which makes zero sense. 4 people run a dungeon, 3 leave at the end, remaining player gets a timer. 1 person runs a dungeon, still spins up a new instance, and you can remain there indefinitely.

The timer makes no sense. Perhaps it is just their way to push players out of an instance at the end to get them to do other activities. You don't even get a timer after the last boss if you go in solo... which if it was a way to free up server resources one would think you would.

How it's currently designed makes zero sense. 500 people could port into the same dungeon solo and spin up 500 unique instances of that dungeon. The timer serves zero purpose when it only activates when you initially go in grouped.

jle30303 · April 29

YffresTrill wrote: »

Agreed! I have often wished for this. It used to be much worse, however -- the timer used to be only a few seconds and there would not even be time to turn in the quest often, if everyone else immediately left.

On a related note, I would also like the option to opt out of getting immediately pulled to a boss as soon as the speed runner arrives at it. I often get pulled away from a chest I am opening, loot I am collecting, or trash mobs I am fighting. I am glad the option for the pull exists (so you can still get credit for the last boss even when there is a speed runner) but it should not be obligatory.

What I would like is:

If one player runs ahead and starts the boss fight... the 3 other players get an immediate double option pop up: (1) jump ahead to him, or (2) pull him back to last player in the group. With the option of doing neither. Majority vote wins, and the result happens to all players.

zaria · April 29

tomofhyrule wrote: »

It's because each dungeon is an instance, and the goal is to get that server space back.

Yes, people run dungeons solo and then the timer doesn't trigger, but I think that's an edge case that was not considered when the timer was implemented. But in general, the original idea was that people would run the dungeon and get out so the instance could be freed, and not have one person AFK in the instance holding it open for eternity.

Finn made a post on the PTS forum talking about how more smaller instances actually make performance worse for the overall game, so the idea is that one person is not able to essentially hold the game's performance hostage. I'm sure they could increase the timer, but the exact thing they don't want is for one person to make a permanent instance of an empty dungeon (times hundreds of players) which would start to degrade performance over the whole game.

The timer only happens if you enter with the dungeon finder, random or specific dungeon. If you port directly to it or walk in it will not close as long as your logged in. Same if your grouped with someone from the finder, even if they log out or switch character as i understand

And an empty instance with nothing happening should to take much performance. Its lots of quest instances after all, same with houses, here they have to populate the house before loading while I assume dungeons are optimized so faster to load.

killians66 · June 1

allochthons wrote: »

Another request to increase the timer, to 5 or 10 minutes. For all the reasons given above.

Screw that. Delete the timer altogether. The timer is ***. I want to explore the dungeon at my own pace AFTER the speed runner pushed me to run through at 90 miles an hour! Why can't I go through and look at the decor? find all the chests? why not put some resources in their to collect and harvest. How about some cool rare stuff that can be picked up off tables or the ground? ESO could have the best game on the market, yet they choose to have just an OK game. If they would listen to their player base.

killians66 · June 1

valenwood_vegan wrote: »

killians66 wrote: »

tomofhyrule wrote: »

It's because each dungeon is an instance, and the goal is to get that server space back.

Yes, people run dungeons solo and then the timer doesn't trigger, but I think that's an edge case that was not considered when the timer was implemented. But in general, the original idea was that people would run the dungeon and get out so the instance could be freed, and not have one person AFK in the instance holding it open for eternity.

Finn made a post on the PTS forum talking about how more smaller instances actually make performance worse for the overall game, so the idea is that one person is not able to essentially hold the game's performance hostage. I'm sure they could increase the timer, but the exact thing they don't want is for one person to make a permanent instance of an empty dungeon (times hundreds of players) which would start to degrade performance over the whole game.

This opinion doesn't hold water.

You might not like it, but Tom literally linked to an official dev statement explaining how instances can degrade server performance. It's actually the only thing I see in this thread that isn't just someone's "opinion".

No one here can "know" why zos included the dungeon timer, unless a dev wants to pop in here and answer.

Regardless, this issue has been brought up for years and I'm sure zos could extend the timer as they did once before (see https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/493691/removing-from-area-timer-will-be-adjusted-to-2-minutes/p1 ) and maybe this is something they can consider for players who'd like to explore.

Or perhaps now that they are actually making solo dungeons, this will be less of an issue in the future as more solo dungeons are added.

[Edit to fix link].

So this dev post is from 2019 and you telling me they couldn't fix this issue and increase server space or spend some money on server space and fix issues? This is BS. Players are sick of speed runners and sick of not being able to spend time in dungeons. So blow it off if you want, just atleast be honest and tells players they don't mean crap, it's just the money we are after.

frogthroat · June 1

tomofhyrule wrote: »

Finn made a post on the PTS forum talking about how more smaller instances actually make performance worse for the overall game, so the idea is that one person is not able to essentially hold the game's performance hostage. I'm sure they could increase the timer, but the exact thing they don't want is for one person to make a permanent instance of an empty dungeon (times hundreds of players) which would start to degrade performance over the whole game.

This reminds me of the ending of Liu Cixin's book Death's End. (Book 3 of Remembrance of Earth's Past, aka The Three-Body Problem.) No hogging mass in micro-universes, please. We need it for the next real universe.

...that goldfish, tho.