Poll for selective down time

[JCatano]

Is there is a reason why the downtime have to be everyday? Can it be 2 times a week? Or 1 time a week?

Games with large, seamless maps are the ones that usually need daily maintenance, although ones with zones still need it if they have large clusters. Not having a daily maintenance for these games would be like refusing to defrag your home PC for about 5 years.

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[Kinslayer]

All I can say is that I will be pretty pissed off if it stays at the time it is now, every night. I only get to play a few hours a day, like 2-3, 3 if Im lucky, and to lose 1 hr out of that, really just isnt on. I will have to seriously question whether its worth my $15/mth if I cant play when I want, every day of the week.

If the time was staggered so that I only have to put up with this interruption for say 2 nights per week, then I wouldnt be so pissed off, and could learn to live with it. I dont see why a select group of players should be punished for server maintenance endlessly, it should be shared around to other off peak times as well. There's not that many of us playing constantly afterall, so spread the love.

[joexxxz]

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Games that have bad design......, is that what you ment???
The reason why u need to defrag is because of this kind of design.

All I can say is that I will be pretty pissed off if it stays at the time it is now, every night. I only get to play a few hours a day, like 2-3, 3 if Im lucky, and to lose 1 hr out of that, really just isnt on. I will have to seriously question whether its worth my $15/mth if I cant play when I want, every day of the week.

If the time was staggered so that I only have to put up with this interruption for say 2 nights per week, then I wouldnt be so pissed off, and could learn to live with it. I dont see why a select group of players should be punished for server maintenance endlessly, it should be shared around to other off peak times as well. There's not that many of us playing constantly afterall, so spread the love.

Good point +1

[Sirius]

Is there is a reason why the downtime have to be everyday? Can it be 2 times a week? Or 1 time a week?

I think that if they don't bring the server down every day, the server will bring itself down every day. So it's better this way

[joexxxz]

I think that if they don't bring the server down every day, the server will bring itself down every day. So it's better this way

Lol. You made me laugh.

[MrDDT]

All I can say is that I will be pretty pissed off if it stays at the time it is now, every night. I only get to play a few hours a day, like 2-3, 3 if Im lucky, and to lose 1 hr out of that, really just isnt on. I will have to seriously question whether its worth my $15/mth if I cant play when I want, every day of the week.

If the time was staggered so that I only have to put up with this interruption for say 2 nights per week, then I wouldnt be so pissed off, and could learn to live with it. I dont see why a select group of players should be punished for server maintenance endlessly, it should be shared around to other off peak times as well. There's not that many of us playing constantly afterall, so spread the love.

I will say this again clearly people have no clue as to what it will do.
PUT THE SERVER DOWNTIME AT WHATEVER TIME THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE PLAY!

Using your own data. Lets just say 1000 people are playing at your time. If they move it back 1 hour, 1500 people are playing then, if they move it forward, 1500 people are playing then.

They have a choice. Piss off 1500 people, or piss of 1000 people. Hmm let me think what would be better for the game?

What I keep seeing in posts like this is "I" "I" "I". Remove yourself from the problem and think for a min. What is best for the game? Best is to put it at the time the LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ARE PLAYING!.

If that's at 8PM EST then put it at 8PM EST. If thats at 7AM EST, then put it at 7AM EST.

What part of this dont you understand? I can cry all day "OMG I come home from work at XYZ time and I only can play XYZ+1hour, if this doesnt change Im quiting" SO WHAT??? Its better than having MORE people quit because you put it at THEIR TIME!!!

[joexxxz]

@MrDDT. Why are u a guest and not a Subscriber???

[MrDDT]

@MrDDT. Why are u a guest and not a Subscriber???

Because Im special.

[JCatano]

Games that have bad design......, is that what you ment???
The reason why u need to defrag is because of this kind of design.

No, although it could be part of the issue. Here is fact:

Even the best developed MMO code would need a daily when the map/cluster/system is seamless/dynamic/huge. All of the processes going on are being swapped around at massive rates. They will get disorganized even with the best code. Go tell CCP their code sucks and they just might tell you to fuck yourself. :P

[Book]

Okay, so let's say we completely disregard the compassionate/empathetic standpoint and focus on the business standpoint only.

Perhaps there are fewer players at the current downtime, which appears to be Australian prime time, than at any other time. Business logic would tell some to do it then since it will anger the fewest.

On the other hand, it appears that this is what many game companies are doing currently. Perhaps it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are the fewest number of players at that time because the downtimes are organized in such a way that wouldn't facilitate there being more customers at this time.

Again, purely from a business standpoint, might it not make sense for an indie game company to buck the trend? Would NG attract a greater number of players in Australia and other locations in that part of the world if it offered a service that did not interrupt their prime time? I would imagine any company willing to try this approach may in fact attract more players from the region in question.

I'm not suggesting NG should accommodate a single individual working the night shift. I'm merely pointing out that we're talking about an entire demographic. A demographic that seems to have been overlooked by bigger game companies that have numbers allowing them to do so. If one is to make the argument that this is purely a business question, all variables should be taken into consideration and opportunities not overlooked by jumping at the simplest and quickest thought that comes to mind.