ETA Account to Account Transfers

Discussion in 'Player Support' started by Tizim, Feb 20, 2018.

  1. Tizim New Member

    Looking to see if there is an ETA for account to account transfers? I just resubbed on one of my old accounts to do a move and found out it has been disabled.
  2. Fohpo Augur

    Was wondering about this too, not sure we'll get anything other than "at a later date" because I don't think they really know yet either.
  3. Kedra Leafwalker Lorekeeper

    Yeah, we are all in the same boat, I have two chars I am looking to move.
  4. Roxxlyy Augur

    Unfortunately I still don't have an ETA to give at this time. We're likely still a couple of months away, but that is a very rough estimate which is subject to change.
  5. Fohpo Augur

    Thanks for the update Roxxlyy
  6. Eonan Journeyman

    What happened to cause them to be disabled?
    fransisco likes this.
  7. Roxxlyy Augur


    We are no longer able to support the old transfer process We are working on the tech needed to re-enable them, but are a ways out from this solution.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  8. Kedra Leafwalker Lorekeeper

    Thank you for the update

  9. Gyurika Godofwar Augur


    I am glad to hear you are working on it and I think it's also past time to lower the cost as $25 per character is way too much for an 18 year old game.
    slayerofbats and Yinla like this.
  10. Hadesborne Augur

    Untill this service is available I will not create my new account I want to move my character to. So, it really is in Daybreak's best interest to get this service up and running ASAP. You guys are missing out on potential subscription fees.
  11. blueyes1181 New Member

    there was a problem with the old transfer process where sometimes people would get duplicate characters and no one was checking in on it.. example.. account to account transfer one character and then both accounts have said character.. and then one also gets a free name change.. not surprised they pulled it
  12. Mizoo New Member

    Anyone know how long ago was the service pulled?
  13. Gio-Cefalu Augur

    Thanks. I was really wondering "why" we lost the account to account transfer (which I am really looking forward to). I thought it was either an issue where it was a manual process by CS reps where a typo in a SQL query could poof your character or something like hackers stealing accounts and then transferring characters.

    I know you can't share details on the technology behind this process, so I really appreciate the response.
  14. Krrill Journeyman

    if it is just account to account transfer, how can both accounts have a toon with the same name on the same server? I can see this being an issue with a server to server transfer but not an account to account transfer.
  15. blueyes1181 New Member


    I never personally experienced it. This is what I was told. If it is arising server to server as well, then they need to check that out.
  16. Jato New Member

    As customers are inconvenienced whilst they wait for you to automate the process, one would expect a fix around. In the interests of customer satisfaction, why not just manually do the current transfer requests? The time expended in dealing with dissatisfaction would surely exceed the time involved in just going ahead manually with the requests. It is not as if Daybreak are not being reimbursed for this process. As a customer, I am most thwarted by this lack of service and it is very disappointing. As players we put our time and effort into engaging in a service that you provide. It is not fair that you provide a service and then you take it away with no "fix around" to cover the gap. Corporate responsibility would normally dictate this matter as protocol.
    toodlem likes this.
  17. Pugn New Member


    "It is your corporate responsibility" is your argument? That's not gonna work :p If it was true, then they'd already be doing it.

    You can't just "manually" do the transfer request - there is no such thing. The process that is broken already had a lot of manual effort in it. In other words, that IS the manual process.

    Let's break it down. I'll show you why it is in their best interest NOT to do this until the technical issue is solved. A customer support rep typically costs about $15/hr. Let's say a transfer takes 30 minutes to execute, when the technology is working, including communication with the player, verification after its done, and a small margin of error. That costs about $7.50 per transfer, and explains why transfers cost around $25. Cool.

    Now imagine this process doesn't exist, and instead you need a developer who has strong knowledge of the database to perform the transfer "manually" (as you put it). Developers typically cost around $75/hr all-in (benefits, etc. - not mentioning opportunity cost on time lost on other priorities, which CS reps do not incur). Since there is no automation, they'd have to copy and update data from every table individually. Do you know how many tables this is? The source is available - go check it out. Its not a small number. Folks that have tried this (and failed, by the way) in the past have spent 4+ hours on it. Let's say an experience EQ dev can do it in half that time.

    So now, DBG has spent $150 on a transfer, and that's only if there were no errors made, which is a much larger possibility without automation. So for each transfer, DBG loses $125 AND loses progress against their timeline on current development priorities.

    If I was a shareholder, I'd be calling my IR rep every single day to point out that the corporation has a fiscal responsibility NOT to do this.
    Niskin likes this.
  18. Jato New Member

    An interesting response Pugn, however it does not fully reflect the actual cost / benefit analysis.
    You are assuming that this is the only request which is being made for this service, however since this service is one that DBG advertise there will no doubt be multiple other people who would be willing to pay the $25 fee.

    Using your assumption of it taking four hours for a developer to write the SQL script to do the transfer, it would be sensible for the developer to have written the script using a test character on a test server. So the SQL will include where clauses like following (or a parameterised version):
    · server = ”dev”
    · from_character_name = “Jato”
    · to_character_name = “Fred”
    So once they have written the script, done their unit tests and had it peer reviewed it can then be used on the appropriate production server to fulfil the request.

    If the developer hadn’t made this a repeatable process, they are not suitable to be working in an environment like this.

    As you wrote, this will have cost around $150. BUT for DBG to fulfil and further requests to use this server, the cost will be perhaps 10 minutes of a CSR person to run the SQL script having passed the parameters / updated the script to reflect the appropriate server / from / to names. With your estimate of a CSR costing $15/hour, the cost for DBG is under $2.

    The break-even point will once about 6 transfers have happened and it would be a reasonable assumption that the demand for this service will be higher than that.

    Clearly people who will be spending $25 on a character transfer are likely to be highly committed players who are likely to be subscribing and purchasing other services, potions, etc. So these are people who should be kept happy and playing a game they love plus results in money being paid to DBG.


    So if I was a shareholder I’d be calling my IR rep to point out that DBG should be doing this.
  19. Derd Augur

    I think you highly under value how much time a manual transfer takes as your not including the time for investigation of is this really the account holder of both accounts. Is there a chance of a fraudulent move or a rmt occurring which is not the reason for having account to account transfers. Along with the time to check character names on the server and account the character is to move to. Along with the simple fact that we don't have that many people that aren't knee deep in work everyday just with the normal day to day operations of everquest.

    If your highly commited, just level up or heroic on the other account and get on with your gaming.
  20. ravenshade32 New Member

    You wouldn't leave a job if you didn't have another ready to go too and if you do you're stupid. Cancelling the transfer service when you don't have another ready to replace it is just as stupid.

    A little forward thinking goes a long way. Leaving so many people in the lurch like this is very unprofessional but then again in all honesty I think we have come to expect it from DB.