Announcement: State of the Game

[Kyp [LDEV]]

Hi all,

 

I promised an announcement in another post, I started writing last night but failed to post it. This is about the state of things, as it were. I am writing to let you know all about this. After we made the launch to the live state, we discovered the nature of our problems due to load.

 

This was not foreseen because we did not have the load of players to show the problem. We knew that there would be fits and starts as the population grew, but the sudden load of reaching our preset cap showed us some flaws in our base level architecture of the server's code. Specifically, this was that because of the way games work, they must be run in constant code loops until the server shuts down. This being said, what is happening is that with each additional player, you take up a spot in a special queue of player 'objects'. These objects which represent you also represent everything about you. Your toon's ship, equipment, vaults, and inventories. 

 

As has been hinted by a few of our content developers in posts, due to them hearing us discuss it, the problem is that these objects are accessed by different areas of the code at the same time. When this happens, it can corrupt the memory that is reserved for your toon. If that happens, you enter a disrupted state, so to speak, and things called 'pointers' which are basically like a street sign that points to a section of memory that represents that part of you get knocked off their post. This is what we mean if you hear the reference of a 'null pointer'. 

 

I have been silent thus far because we've been discussing the best way to fix it. We have tried implementing some more queues for certain things and what are called 'mutexes' which are locks that keep the memory from being accessed at the same time. When this happens, the process thread that attempts to look at this must wait until the mutex is released. This caused the lag you've been seeing over the course of the past week. 

 

We have decided that what this means is for the future of the game and the project, we are going to fix this, but the method by which we have to do it is to do what amounts to basically duct-taping the server together so you can play in the meantime. We are going to rebuild the base architecture, this is going to take us about two months or so. In this time, I will have the content team updating and building new content as well, but you will not be seeing it released until we're done with the re-build. The only fixes that will be released to the live server will be those that are game breaking for players in the interim.

 

This is the base cause of a great many of the bugs we've experienced over the course of the last few years that related to memory problems and null pointers, and yes even lag. We're going to fix this but I wanted to let you know what's going on. Please be patient with things, and please understand that because of the nature of what is happening, the GM team will not be able to replace lost items, experience, loot, or missions. They cannot do this as there is simply no way for them to verify you had these things and as such leaves it open to exploitation. This is because the logs are not written until such time as the data is saved. I apologize on behalf of the team for this problem but there's nothing to be done except a re-build.

 

That being said, if you have any questions, please do feel free to post and I will try to answer them as best as I can if possible.

 

Over and out,

 

Kyp

[Klyde]

Thanks Kyp, explains a lot of what we are experiencing. Good luck on the rebuild, order in lots of pizza and beer. :)

[rodsmith3510]

Nice Kyp i think we can handle a 2 or even 3 month wait on the new rebuilt code. Should give us a nice stable foundation to reach the stars as it were after it's in place. Great work figuring out the main problem.

[Stanig[IS]]

I just hope everyone keeps on being as patient and understanding as they have been.  The problems we have been seeing arent going to just magically disappear overnight as the SDEVs do this either.  For these two months expect more crashes and bugs and etc.  What can ya do though right?

 

But do please keep posting your bug reports to the bug tracker forum, a good deal of bugs are related to this core issue, but some are not and can be fixed in the meantime.  Like mission related, item stuff, some things.  It all depends and has to be evaluated on a per issue basis.

 

=D 

[Bellatrixxe]

You guys are awesome, take the time, do it right and we'll look forward to smoother sailing in the Spring!  

 

And...in case I haven't said it in the last day or so....I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! TY ty TY ty TY!!!!!!!    :wub:

 

Open up the donate button again so we can send pizza and beer funds to the team!

[jrichards7]

I think that this info is great and I believe players will be willing to deal with the issues knowing that the dev team is working on the fix....even if it takes a while

 

EMU Devs FTW!

[uban [Fmr. ADV]]

Ok i have 1 question . Lets say someone is doing the agrippa missions and  they finish and all of a sudden boom they stuff disappears and when the players sumits a bug report about it ,how is that going to be solved?

[Canman]

Thx for letting us know whats going on.

 

I do have a question about missions. If for some reason you finish a mission that can not be repeated and something happens that you can not get credit for it will you at the least restart the mission. Example aggrippa missions.

[Kyp [LDEV]]

Ok i have 1 question . Lets say someone is doing the agrippa missions and  they finish and all of a sudden boom they stuff disappears and when the players sumits a bug report about it ,how is that going to be solved?

 

Its not, you'll have to do it again, or hold out. Byakhee is implementing a way for higher level players to go back and do Agrippa so it isn't a huge concern other than the visitation of those missions at a higher level may make them much much easier.

 

Thx for letting us know whats going on.

 

I do have a question about missions. If for some reason you finish a mission that can not be repeated and something happens that you can not get credit for it will you at the least restart the mission. Example aggrippa missions.

 

If this happens, I will have GMs remove it from your completed log only so that you can repeat it, but I can only do this in instances where it can be verified that you have completed and not received the rewards.

[Canman]

Thanks Kyp!

[Trapt]

Hats off to all of the people involved in what makes this game tick.  Regardless of what needs to be done, I'm glad you're there willing to do it.  Also thank you to the family members (wives, husbands, children) of all the Net-7 Staff that gives us your time and takes it from your family.  Nothing says "i care" enough then doing something like you do, for free.  

[VonBon]

Thx for the update , we appreciate it... :D

[Terrell [BT]]

Thanks for the info Kyp.  We can make lemonade out of this, in that if there are any "limited time only" missions, we have more time to complete them.

[Shadz]

you guys never cease to amaze me at how awesome you are. Good Luck! Shadz

[Riz]

Do what you have to do, you have my full support for whatever it is worth.

[wmtyrance]

Great post and i'm sure you have most of us in your corner. Do what you have to do to make this a better game than it was in old live. I can see it now ..In three or four months people wil be saying man do you remember the bugs when the game fist came out? Its so great now.

[Taluna6]

Thanks for the update Kyp, we all are waiting for the new code and if the team needs funds just reopen the Donate button i think it will be full again in 0 time. Take your time and make a stable code we will be there when its done.

[KevinH2013]

I have all the patience in the world. You guys have brought back a great game and I am super excited to be able to even enter the EnB universe again. Great job.

[pugfug2]

Thanks for letting us know what's going on.  Take your time and do what you need to do.  The Dev team is doing a great job so far, keep it up!

[SiSL]

Thanks Kyp. I had one of the greatest losts in 1 hour server not-saving things, I talked to Blacklung and I moved on.

 

As long as you don't keep silent and keep us informed & updated about status, no problems...  We are all behind you guys...

[MrMichaels]

<3 u guys!

[efialtis]

You guys are the best. We appreciate the info and effort that is going into this marvelous game.

We will be around through the rough times and the good ones.

[Flesson]

Awsome Kyp thanxs for the info, so can everyone work on new content and fixing of bugs and stop the dumb nerfing please.

[Stanig[IS]]

The "dumb nerfing" you are referring to is class/stat balance along with the raid/combat system to actually improve it and remove exploits.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Zurra]

My god! I never knew about this post until someone showed me the link to here. Thank you kindly Kyp. Really looking forward to newly recoded game.

 

Please don't rush, also try to ensure stablity most of all. 2 month of working? Kinda thinking maybe more like a year of working to ensure stablity? I like to be pessimisc of sorts. Haha...though really do like this game. Man I can't stop myself trying to get online EnB anytime I see server is up.  :blush:

 

If there is something I can help, will let you know! :wub:  Just ask!

Edited February 9, 2013 by Zurra