Hak-related updates during peak hours

[Oaks]

I'm very grateful that you work so hard on updates, it's really what has been keeping this community alive for so long.

What I'd like to ask if "big" hak-related updates could be done in less frequented hours. Because - and this is an assumption - I can't be the only one who always keeps disconnecting and failing to update for about an hour per update (45 minutes so far for this update!), because everyone is trying to download the content at the same time. It's friday night, after all.

That said, I understand if it's those hours that are the ones when you volunteers have the most time on your hands to actually push these updates. Then that hour is an inconvenience to be tolerated. I mean, I don't know how many hours you put into making the update happen, so, thanks.

[Marsi]

Yeah, it's generally good practice for down-time to be had in less frequented hours.

I humbly submit the Australian twilight zone of 12pm UTC as the sacrificial lamb.

[Kuma]

Yeah, it's generally good practice for down-time to be had in less frequented hours.

I humbly submit the Australian twilight zone of 12pm UTC as the sacrificial lamb.

/tp "Marsi" !

[Dr. B]

On the other hand, being able to experience the brand new content is something of an event, and enjoyable when there are a lot of people to share it with.

[Skarain]

In my humble opinion, an update should be rolled out when it is ready. Arelith is player by all kinds of different people, across various timezones. Also, if the problem is people downloading at the same time... Even if the 'update' itself was rolled during off-hours, it's at the beginning of hot hours that all that people will want to download it, so in the end was it an improvement?

[Kalopsia]

I wish preloading NWSync content was still a thing, but as far as I know, Beamdog has removed the feature :(

[Best Rich Face]

Isn't it common practice for large, multi user online games to have a 'patch tuesday' or other scheduled downtime at a regular interval where such patches are uploaded?

I realize there's not a regular release date for stuff, but it really doesn't seem like it'd be that hard to say, "Hey guys, be warned, on Tuesdays at 7pm PST the servers go down for a bit to release a patch" rather than a five minute warning. And if the patch becomes ready after this window? Well. Hold it until next week, there's no downtime. Bam.

[xanrael]

I believe you can logon to the PGCC and download the update while servers are rebooting.

This next part could be my imagination, but I thought for the last update I had the latest stuff from the PGCC while the servers were yet to be updated and could play on both without needing to download anything. Then when the live servers updated I didn't need to download anything. If true and your connection is not the greatest then you could just login to the PGCC every once in awhile when you're going to be stepping away from your computer and be ready to play as soon as the live servers come back up from an update.

[Wuthering]

Isn't it common practice for large, multi user online games to have a 'patch tuesday' or other scheduled downtime at a regular interval where such patches are uploaded?

I realize there's not a regular release date for stuff, but it really doesn't seem like it'd be that hard to say, "Hey guys, be warned, on Tuesdays at 7pm PST the servers go down for a bit to release a patch" rather than a five minute warning. And if the patch becomes ready after this window? Well. Hold it until next week, there's no downtime. Bam.

This is all volunteer by an unpaid small crew who presumably also have full-time jobs. They patch when they have the time to do it. I don't know specifics but presumably it involves quite a bit of time and maintenance before and attention after to make sure it worked. I think you expect too much for them to have a set time for patches and it might not work with their schedules either.

I say "just deal with it." It's an hour of downtime, at most, usually not more than once or twice a month, if that.

[Best Rich Face]

Isn't it common practice for large, multi user online games to have a 'patch tuesday' or other scheduled downtime at a regular interval where such patches are uploaded?

I realize there's not a regular release date for stuff, but it really doesn't seem like it'd be that hard to say, "Hey guys, be warned, on Tuesdays at 7pm PST the servers go down for a bit to release a patch" rather than a five minute warning. And if the patch becomes ready after this window? Well. Hold it until next week, there's no downtime. Bam.

This is all volunteer by an unpaid small crew who presumably also have full-time jobs. They patch when they have the time to do it. I don't know specifics but presumably it involves quite a bit of time and maintenance before and attention after to make sure it worked. I think you expect too much for them to have a set time for patches and it might not work with their schedules either.

I say "just deal with it." It's an hour of downtime, at most, usually not more than once or twice a month, if that.

If anything, I suspect having a single time during the week where a patch is uploaded would make things easier, that way scattered patching isn't breaking the game and requiring multiple unplanned resets, crashes, etc.

I also have a fulltime job, and yet, my playtimes (and most other folks' playtimes) have relatively consistent windows. By the by, my job is to work with an IT department smaller than arelith's staff, and coordinate regular patching cycles.

I am admittedly ignorant of the exact process of deploying a hak patch to arelith works. If a developer can correct any misunderstandings I have, please do so, but I can't imagine it being that much work to do the following:
1. Finish the 'thing' that's being done.
2. Send the 'thing' to whoever it needs to be sent to, or upload it to whatever place it needs to be uploaded to.
3. Wait until Appointed Time, where it's low traffic and a dev can be present to pull the update/deploy trigger and initiate any reset needed.

[Spyre]

I wish preloading NWSync content was still a thing, but as far as I know, Beamdog has removed the feature

Its still a thing and people can still preload. They just need to follow that thread.

Updates are done when they can; often we try to minimize impact to players. However, the pandemic has placed us in a unique situation where no matter the time, we will be impacting a larger population. It also revolves around when particular staff members are on - I would not want to change their normal schedules to just log in to do an update.

We will continue to try to minimize impact during peak hours though. Thanks.