Continuing to investigate server issues

Discussion in 'Official News and Announcements' started by d_carey, Dec 18, 2013.

  1. TintaBux

    Then you need to use the test server for testing the actual patches before they go live, which has been obvious many moons ago. Its good having the test server to test for new game features/weapons etc, but like other development teams, you need to test the full patch on a test server before you put it straight to the live servers, to insure no problems like this keep arising as they do.

    On the test server if you actually released the patch, for the users to test, you would have enough people to test that it don't cause stability problems for the server and that these problems don't arise again (Baring you get a test server that is setup exactly the same as the live servers)

    Without this test method the problems keep coming up when patching onto the live servers.
  2. Piestro Community Relations

    This bug was on the test servers but wasn't discovered because the conditions on the test server were not sufficient to replicate it (even with identical hardware). The one thing we can't replicate on the test server is player behavior and impact, it's a set of variables that are unique to live servers. Players don't behave the same way in the same numbers.

    It's the kind of thing that is easy to think. The reverse is almost true though, the PS4 version has helped speed up and improve the release of optimization (because we were able to draw in additional help).
    • Up x 6
  3. Snoozzzer

    Thanks for tweaking NC's blue on vehicles. It somehow was changed to a hideous shade and appears to be back to being dashing.

    ...if nothing was actually changed, well, damn. I'm seeing things.
  4. Giggily

    So a lot of people (and by a lot I mean almost every single person I've talked to in multiple outfits on multiple servers on multiple factions) has been reporting that animations are bugged this patch, and that hit boxes/hit detection is so dysfunctional that the game is becoming unplayable because of how unreliable it is.



    This video got posted onto Reddit this morning clearly showing that something is wrong at the moment. So far I haven't seen anyone at SOE acknowledge that this is a problem, but, honestly, I can't play the game until this is fixed.
    • Up x 5
  5. sagolsun


    If I understand the problem correctly, it only occurs under high load. Indicating it may be something like a live lock or other async threading issue.

    Those can be hair-pullingly hard to fix because under controlled conditions they don't happen so you can't recreate the problem.

    Suppose the problem only happens when you've got 9000 or more grenades at any one time and the thread responsible for those needs to take an extra tick to check whether the grenade ought to explode or not. Since there's so many grenades it takes a while and the physics solver, responsible for making 'em bounce, sees the grenades aren't ready so just skips over. Next tick the solver tries to make all 9001 grenades bounce around, but in the meantime 20 of those have exploded. The solver updates the 8979 grenades then while attempting to update the missing 20 changes your armor decal to a door texture, your ammo count to "warpgate" and crashes the server.

    And everything keeps working perfectly fine until there's over 9000 grenades at which point it breaks.

    So it's not something that could be helped by more people on the test server, unless it was filled to the brim with players actually fighting and chucking those 9001 grenades.
    • Up x 1
  6. blueangleofdeath

    Thanks for the extra info, Piestro :). In other words there should be WAY more people on test server. If we had more people on test this may never had happened.
  7. VorpalBunny

    I just signed in to chime in for the the first time...
    Because its good to see the real issues being addressed...

    I have seen that grena'de bounce glitch...often at a "triple crossroads"... i didnt think it could take down the game...
    have rockets ever bounced???... i use them frequently, but it seems to land solid from my point of view. on all trains planes and automobiles...

    i often think there needs to be a better admin that can be accessed via the game in some way, i have tried reporting players whom obviously have hacked the ammo systems in some way, i have been a gunner in tanks that are refilled on a hill nowhere near refills points...i think afew moderators need to be in the game, i used to see reports on the screen" REPORT TO ____ on ___SERVER".... dunno now?.. but could pc hacker ruin the ammo across many platform...

    Good Fortune To Yall on Your Bug SEARCH... good timing... see'ing as its close to the date on which the first bug was found
    [IMG]
  8. Serafine

    If they want more people on the test server they should make it more attractive for people to play on test. Like getting things for their live server characters like some decals and fancy stuff (i.e. they could give the freeze gun or the flare gun for free to people who participated more than 10 hours on test server during December).

    It shouldn't even be announced like "play 10 hours get X" (because there are people who would abuse this) but just given to them like "Notification: You get this for playing X hours on test server/You get this for starting X topics on the test server forums/whatever. Thank you for your help at making this game better!". So there would be no abuse and test players would just think "hey that's nice, I got a reward for testing stuff, the devs actually care about us, look how nice they are to us".
  9. BigBooty

    Amazing.
    • Up x 1
  10. blueangleofdeath

    They actually do reward you for testing. They did a 3day xp boost for those who tested. Also if you would only test just to be rewarded says a lot on what you think about the game. You should help test to help discover bugs like this one so this doesn't happen when it goes live.
  11. DLL2

    Server lag . I dodge rockeys with my lighning but i receved domage of this one. They are really problem about netcode.
  12. Daniel10

    You really don't get it: The only reason it can be free is because a percentage of the players are buying boosts and subscriptions.
    If it wasn't for that people buying stuff, Planetside wouldn't exist, unless SOE is into charity.
    You have to keep the paying players happy since they keep PS alive.
  13. Flyaxl

    please fix the player animation when in sniper scope, its not very funny to fire at "teleporting" people
  14. SnipersUnion

    So far the bugs I have seen are...

    Sniper scope reverts us to clip art
    Headshots are not OHK's, and Bodyshots are registering as headshots
    NS7-PDW has a generic VS reload animation instead of its unique cassette player
    Hit detection in general - or lack thereof I should say
    Decimator's taking three hits to kill an ESF
    C4 massively nerfed (neither of the previous were in the patch notes)

    Basically everything the patch had something to do with is now bugged in some shape or form. I understand it is near xmas, and SOE works very hard on this game and its community, my two requests however are very simple.

    1) Don't put out content or servers that are blatantly not finished or not up to standard because of the amount of whine or pressure from people in the community. Server's go down for 3 hours and suddenly everyone has an account here and is asking why their characters have been erased. Sale's can be rescheduled, a new players first impression of PS2 cannot...

    2) Acknowledge the problem. Of course you can't give us an ETA on certain bugs being fixed and I wouldn't expect you too if you tell me you can't.... But over the last 24 hours I have seen no word until coming here of any recognition of the current server state. Even if its just on twitter or something, it's really hilarious when all these things mess up to go on the PS2 twitter and see the last post being, "How do you guys ride into battle" or whatever! Just say, "Servers are back up but game-play experience is still not up to standard. We are working on it" or SOMETHING...

    But to be perfectly honest its dangerously close to Christmas and I wouldn't have blamed you all for say "*rude* it I'm going home!" lol

    Lets hope it gets fixed for this weekend!
    • Up x 1
  15. i4PLAY

    And please, please have a look if the player animations at distance can be fixed.
    [IMG]
    I think it has to do with this part from the patchnotes: "per-player animation costs are reduced for players at a distance"
    • Up x 2
  16. RainbowDash9

    i have yet to see this problem...
  17. Justanormalperson


    DUDE i got that problem too! it hard to snipe people when the animation is like that plus i`ve been seeing headless people`s and tank`s too... sometime from 150-200 meters away this is SUCK!!!!
    • Up x 2
  18. AgentRed

    they are dancing for you guys XD
  19. Inu


    Seriously? Was assuming everyone had this problem... wonder if its a setting. Or a miscellaneous random net problem.

    But ya i won't play just because of this. They made sniping funner but made it impossible at the same time, since this gets worse the farther someone is from you.
  20. GeneralChaos

    I put in a support ticket because the problem is still occurring for me.