This is the fifth time today that an Official PVE-C server has crashed during a Tier 10 purge, so I suspect the purge is what is crashing it.
If the servers are unable to handle the load of your added features, then STOP adding them and concentrate on fixing the core gameplay. If the servers are already marginal for running the game and have rubberbanding, collision detection, crashing, lag, etc problems from the core game then why TF on earth are you adding resource-hogging feature after resource-hogging feature? Spammable NPC taverns? AlâMerayah? Spammable Golems? The new spammable Purge system? Have you stopped to consider the impact of these new systems on server performance? While you try to solve the great mystery of entire server populations falling through foundations or constant server crashes have you once considered that these content updates haphazardly hacked onto the core gameplay are the cause?
I can hardly wait to see what new amazing feature you add in the next age that makes the already pitiful server stability even worse. Thrall revamp with customizable crafting thralls in the game world? Hmm, I wonder how that will impact the already overwhelmed servers. Lets add spammable interactive petting zoos while weâre at it.
Players are leaving in droves because of the bugs and poor server performance but it just doesnât seem to get through into your stubborn heads that the recent updates are directly responsible.
Multiple starcallers from T9-10 purges.
Because having one NPC spamming dozens of star metal meteors on a packed server isnât enough, letâs have several of them because why not?
Are you even aware that this is happening? Was this a deliberate change or another unintended consequence of people who have no idea what they are doing touching the game code? Half the time when the second starcaller starts casting the entire server crashes.
The game was working fine. They should never have added a system that taxes already marginal server hardware to a level that the entire server crashes, or stops calculating collisions so every player on the server drops through their buildings.
Iâm convinced that these âfeaturesâ they come up with are tested (if theyâre tested at all) on their own isolated private intranet and they have absolutely no clue how they actually run on official servers.
The game would be in a much better state if every single dev responsible for these content updates was actually forced to play them - Clockwork Orange style with their eyelids propped up by toothpicks - for one week on official servers, and experience the absolute buggy f**king horror that they created.
Every person involved in this game should be required, weekly, to play the game on standard settings for 4 hours.
And, before the "OH NOOOOZE, THEY WILL BE HARRASSEDEDED BY PLAYERZ! folks chime in, playing on standard settings can be done on a laptop, behind their firewall, accessible only to the folks on their network.
Itâs one way I test all new major releases. Spin up a new playthrough, experience it from ground zero.
This method really shows a player how the game has changed and exposed horrific decision since you are starting over.
I think thatâs their problem. The minimal amount that they play their own game is likely limited to quick demos of their new content on their own local intranet.
This content needs to be tested under the same conditions and on the actual server hardware that the playerbase has to play on.
Iâm sure AlâMerayah resets and T10 purges run buttery smooth on their in-house server with 1-2 people connected, and they havenât the slightest clue how this actually plays out for us on Officials.
All I needed was 2 minutes, not even kidding, logging into the game after the AoW Ch 4 update released to realize how difficult it was to do the most basic of things in my inventory.
That actual answer is that server crashing during the purge is associated with an overabundance of anything complex AI related.
Golems.
Zombies.
Archers.
Incoming force melee guy numbers.
Doors.
Building complexity within render range of the coffer.
I have debugged this to where literally adding two more archers or one more door is the difference between succeeding and crashing the server every time.
Some variability exists based on where the purge base spawns. If it spawns very close to the coffer the server has a much higher chance of crashing because guys spawn in, run 10 meters, and immediately pile up at your defenses.
As the purge goes up in level and the attackers have more hitpoints, it takes longer to kill them and server crashing is more likely. Youâll need to get better defenders or more efficient slaughter tactics to keep up.
Purge is resourse heavy, yes.
Just too many enemies - a sea of enemies.
I think cutting down their number to 1/10 and increasing their health by 10x could retain the same challenge but release the burden at the same time.
So you say we shouldnât get fun stuff to play with then?
I love my tavern, and my golems, and i even had some fun with the new Purges (though i really miss the old ones: brutal, inevitable and random)
I think the real problem is that Funcom wants to run dirt cheap servers when they need to scale up with the content. Considering the Bazaar prices they definitely could afford better hardware and more server traffic.
And I was on a server where someone was steadily crashing the server by running purges till it crashed. As soon as the server was back up they went right back to running purges till it went down again.
Donât forget about the events.
I like to assume updates are at least tested before they go out, but far too often I have to question that. Testlive might as well be close down, itâs worthless for testing being 3 builds behind, and the servers are empty. Why waste time there, weâre not making promotional videos.
They was cool of course, but i think the nerfed thralls could not handle the old purges anymore, i had full geared leveled thralls falling to wolfs purge, after the first great nerf, could not imagine it after the second big nerf, an avalanche of rocknose for example would wipe all the thralls we have even before the king.
Like @EduMariano said they were cool when they worked.
I canât tell you how many times Iâd sit in the event log waiting for a purge that didnât show. Sometimes my bar would be full for weeks and nothing would happen. And this was with my base at Riverâs End not built in the water.