Server-Maintenance
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Elite: Dangerous server goes haywire, creates instant billionaires [Updated]
The Elite: Dangerous server has had a relatively smooth launch since it released just over two weeks ago, but all that changed last night when the server went absolutely haywire. A suspected transaction server failure caused a whole slew of bizarre bugs for those playing the game last night, from benign errors like players getting disconnected to catastrophic failures like deleting a ship's entire cargo, rolling back ship upgrades, and deleting credits. The worst problems involved players having ghost cargo that could be sold over and over again, allowing them to rack up millions of credits in minutes. Though the problems were reported promptly, the server wasn't rebooted until its usual maintenance period over six hours later. In a feat of remarkably bad timing, the server problems happened on a national holiday in the UK, and so the developers at Frontier were taking time off to celebrate the new year. There has been no official announcement on the problems yet, and players are speculating on the damage that would be caused or reversed if Frontier performed a server rollback. Reports from the Elite forum suggest that developers may not be back to work until as late as January 5th, at which point it's unlikely that developers will roll the server back. The damage from last night's errors continues to cause problems today. One player was left shipless and unable to log in when the server reversed a ship purchase transaction, and another's ship teleported back across the galaxy and is being held hostage at a station with no shipyard. Dozens of players have reported broken cargo holds or missing cargo and credits, and one player logged in this morning to find 5 billion credits sitting in his wallet. These events have naturally prompted a resurgence of complaints about Elite's always-online gameplay, as players have found themselves unable to play without problem even in solo mode. We have reached out to Frontier for comment.
Maintenance extended until 4pm Pacific (updated)
If you're sitting around waiting for the servers to come up, you have a bit longer to wait - the roll out of patch 6.0.3 is continuing apace, and the servers will be down for a while longer. My apologies for the mis-Tweet. Our #WoW Maintenance will be extended until 1 pm Pacific time: http://t.co/RGk4GAalZD - BlizzardCS (@BlizzardCS) October 28, 2014 This is apparently due to last minute issues with the new patch, so it may or may not be the final say in terms of delays. Don't get too overexcited either way - things could end up resolved earlier than expected, or they could be delayed past 1pm Pacific. Just know that currently the call is that maintenance has been extended past the 11am PST point. Updated - Server Maintenance has been extended until 4pm PST.
Nintendo eShop going offline until tomorrow morning to fix connection woes
Nintendo is pulling its eShop services offline today starting at 4:00PM Eastern (1PM Pacific), the company announced on its Facebook page. The decision follows a rocky Japanese debut for Pokemon X and Y's Pokemon Bank service, which was part of the blame in crippling Nintendo's servers. The publisher postponed the launch of the Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter services in Europe and North America for the time being. The Wii U and 3DS eShops will resume activity at 4:00AM Eastern (1AM Pacific) tomorrow morning, at which point Nintendo expects to have rectified the connection issues users are having.
The Daily Grind: Does major downtime impact your opinion of a game?
If you haven't noticed, Lord of the Rings Online has been offline for a while. Like, a long while. It's the sort of thing that can produce a lot of ill-will from players despite the fact that technically the game itself hasn't changed in the slightest. The fact that the game has been down solely to address back-end issues is irrelevant -- players can have long memories and can be quite bitter about not being able to play their favorite games. Back when World of Warcraft first launched, many players were equally angry about the game's long periods of unexpected maintenance. Obviously it didn't have a long-term effect on the game's overall popularity, but it was an early blow to the game's population. So do extended downtimes impact your opinion of a game, or do you understand that it's a real possibility in any genre with so many moving technical parts? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Patch 5.0.4 maintenance extended by two hours
According to this tweet from BlizzardCS, scheduled maintenance on all servers has been extended by two hours from 11:00 a.m. PDT to 1:00 p.m. PDT. Of course, this is fairly common for large patches. It could be extended further, so keep an eye on this post, and we'll update with any further information as it is warranted. In the meantime, while you're waiting, you could always look at our Patch 5.0.4 coverage or find a book on the Kindle store (I know of a good one) to read. Edited to add: maintenance has been extended until 3:00 p.m. PDT. As of 2:50 p.m. PDT servers appear to be coming up. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
PSA: Battlefield 3's Battlelog offline tomorrow for server update
Battlefield 3's Battlelog system will be offline tomorrow, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. CET for server maintenance. That's 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. EST, for those wondering what "CET" stands for. You can find your relevant time zone here.The downtime will be spent enacting the following updates to the Battlefield 3 server and Battlelog, as provided by EA:
Diablo 3 app for Android checks server status
Those dying to play Diablo 3 online don't need to sit by their PCs to see if the servers are up and running anymore. A Diablo 3 server-checking app, aptly named "Diablo 3 Server Checker," is now available for free (ad-supported) on Google Play for Android devices.Developed by Eluamous, creator of other server-checking apps for games like World of Warcraft, the app pulls status messages from US.Battle.net to view updates from Diablo 3 servers in the US, Europe, and Asia. The app also includes a widget for use on the home screen of Android devices.The app is in obvious response to the recent server issues Blizzard has been dealing with.
Servers are now up, but Newfoundland is forever
Well, servers are up early, it seems. I'm standing in Dalaran right now. Why am I in Dalaran? I don't remember. The important thing is to note that yes, Newfoundland, there is a Blizzard Claus. Server maintenance, which had been extended to 3 p.m. PDT due to database updates, has apparently been finished slightly earlier than expected. Check to see if your server is among the ones that have come up. I'm gonna go get ready for raid and keep reading about Newfoundland. I suggest you do too. Yes, both of those things. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
Tuesday Morning Post: Third time's the charm edition
For the past few weeks, Blizzard's toyed with us just a bit. Monday night bought a posted announcement of extended downtime, only for the morning to feature naught but rolling restarts. As of this writing, we're once again starting with a 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST downtime announcement. Will it stick this time? I suppose by the time you read this, we'll know. Still, it's a win-win situation. If I'm right, I'm right. If Blizzard changes back to rolling restarts, we get to play the game again sooner. In the meantime, there's still stuff to read while the game's down. The biggest news we've gotten out of Blizzard thus far has been one of negatives: BlizzCon is gone, at least for this year. This means we'll have to party even harder in 2013, but what do we do in the meantime? For now, I suggest we catch up on reading. We've kept busy even with the dearth of news, offering guides and opinions you'll want to read. While you wait for the servers to come back up, why not read on? Our usual roundup of the best stuff from the past seven days awaits.
Tuesday Morning Post: Are we there yet?
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The steady trickle of blue posts hinting at the possibility of maybe kind of sort of somewhat having some new news about Mists of Pandaria keep coming, but they also speak of a long time before we get something like an alpha test or any meaty updates. And so we are in something of a drought, and it looks like we'll be journeying toward Pandaria for some time yet. Of course, that's not say we've had no news at all. The Dragon Soul nerf news came down the pipe this week, for example, and as you might expect caused a whole lot of uproar. In addition, the Lunar Festival has started up for the year, and we have our usual achievement guide ready to guide you. We even have an interview with a guy who made 1 million gold and gave it all away. Realm maintenance this morning is a nice, extended 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST, so you'll have plenty of time to get caught up on everything. Read on for our usual roundup.
Tuesday Morning Post: Raids with friends edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The big news of this week is probably patch 4.3.2, which is on the PTR. For the most part, it's bringing us minor balance changes and bug fixes, but there are a few big things in there, including a 64-bit client and the advent of raiding with your cross-realm friends. You still can't raid Dragon Soul with your friends from that PvP server you refuse to roll on, but you can at least do Raid Finder runs, as well as any classic raid your heart desires. Now you can sucker even more people into those legendary farming runs! With a new patch on test the servers and the last of the post-holiday doldrums more or less shaken off, you better believe there's plenty of good news and interesting stuff to read from the past week. Downtime this week is a series of rolling restarts at 10 a.m. PST, which of course gives you time for a nice mid-morning or early afternoon break to catch up on the news. Read on for the usual run-down.
Tuesday Morning Post: Good night, sweet corgi edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. This week has had its share of silence, for sure. I'm not sure if the folks at Blizzard's just enjoying the last bit of the holidays or secretly playing that other game, but either way, they didn't have much to say this week. That's not say there wasn't activity and stuff to discuss, not at all. The Darkmoon Faire's back in town, for one, and we've all been looking back at some of the best and worst stuff to come out of 2011. This is also the week we had to say goodbye to that freaking sweet corgi in the picture above. We can only pray Blizzard gives him back to us a pet some time in the future. If they do not, it shall surely go down in the annals of history as one of the greatest MMO tragedies of all time. Downtime this morning is a series of rolling restarts starting at 10 a.m. PST, so you should have time to dig in to all the retrospectives and guides we have ready for you. Read on for the usual roundup.
Tuesday Morning Post: Vacation's over edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! Hopefully everyone has successfully roused themselves from their holiday food comas and dug themselves out of piles of wrapping paper. For most of us, today probably marks a return to the good old-fashioned work grind, but hey. We still have a few more days of Winter Veil, and think of it this way: Now that the holidays are over, we can go back to focusing on the important stuff, like figuring out when Mists of Pandaria's going into beta. Downtime this morning is limited to a series of rolling restarts at 10 a.m. PST, but hey, you should still have time to get caught up on the news from the past few days. Don't let the holiday season fool you -- there was a lot of it. Read on to catch up.
Tuesday Morning Post: On the first day of Winter Veil edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everybody, and a very merry Winter Veil. Hopefully you've been celebrating, either by entering our 12 Days of Winter Veil contests or by going for in-game achievements. Then again, maybe you just don't care for that stuff and want to keep doing what you normally do -- and hey, that's cool too. No matter how you celebrate, you'll have to take a short break this morning as Blizzard applies rolling restarts to the servers starting at 10 a.m. PST. Don't worry though, we got lots of stuff for you to read while you wait. Read on after the break for our usual roundup of the last week's content, including some awesome Warcraft gift ideas for you last-minute shoppers.
Tuesday Morning Post: Kiss From a Rose edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. I would just like to make it known that I agree with Sacco. In fact, just to show solidarity, above please find the most awesome karaoke rendition of the song yet distributed via mass media. As far as WoW news goes, the post-patch 4.3 world has been, as expected, a bit tumultuous. Paragon was sorry they cheated by exploiting the Raid Finder, but Blizzard handed down some hefty bans anyway. Still, don't let all that drama that dampen your spirits. Patch 4.3 is pretty awesome, and Blizzard's even offering some sweet deals if you want to buy it for a friend or get yourself a second (or even first) account. It's a great Christmas gift idea, right? Maintenance this morning is short, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. PST, but there's plenty of stuff to catch up on, from hotfixes to raid boss guides. Read on after the break for a full roundup.
Tuesday Morning Post: Darkmoon's back edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. It's Darkmoon Faire week this week, and since this is also the first week of patch 4.3, that means it's a brand new faire. There are new games, new quests, and new mount and pet rewards to get excited over. If you haven't visited yet, I strongly suggest you do. I don't think you'll regret it, unless you hate fun or something. If you're still trying to get a grip on the wide, wide world of patch 4.3, be sure to check out our patch 4.3 guide. I've also put a pretty awesome fan-modified version of the patch 4.3 trailer above for your amusement. If you're in the midst of pugging those new dungeons, you'll also definitely want to check out our 5-second guides to each of the new bosses. They're perfect for pasting into chat just to make sure the other newbs in your group know what's up. We also have a 5-second guide for the bosses of Dragon Soul's Raid Finder version. Scheduled maintenance today is from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST, so you should have time to read up. Check out our usual roundup after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: On the edge of patch 4.3 edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. CM Bashiok has already confirmed that patch 4.3 will going live today, after the traditional 3 a.m.-to-11 a.m. Pacific downtime. The patch may even be downloadable by the time you read this. With that in mind, it may be a good idea to spend this downtime getting ready and reading up on some of the week's news. To start, I'd strongly suggest you check our guides to the three new 5-man dungeons: End Time Well of Eternity Hour of Twilight You'll probably be queuing up soon to get your first valor points, so make sure you're in the know. Beyond that, we'll have more patch 4.3 FAQs and guides for you as the day goes on, and you'll want to check our guide to patch 4.3 as well. Our usual roundup of the past week's news awaits you after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: News delivery smorgasbord edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The biggest news we're likely to see in a while, is, of course, not coming this week. Patch 4.3 will remain on the test servers for at least one more week, as Nov. 29 marks the projected end of the latest PvP season. That said, there's plenty of new to be had this week, from Black Friday sales to more ways to earn conquest points. We have the usual roundup after the break -- but hey, if reading bulleted lists isn't your thing (or even if it is), why not try it in video form? Right up there, our own Mat McCurley delivers the big headlines of the past week, and he looks and sounds prettier than I do while doing it. You can catch him every Friday right here on the site. With that, we pretty much have a way to deliver the news to whichever sense you like. Want to watch it? We have video. Want to hear it? We have a podcast. Want to read it? That goes without saying. We're still working on tasting it, but give us a few years. Whatever way you take your news, downtime today is a quick set of rolling restarts starting at 10 a.m. Pacific, so you'll have at least a little time to get caught up.
Tuesday Morning Post: Guy On A Buffalo edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. While we received notice this past week that PvP season 10 could end as early as today, a later tweet from Bashiok confirmed the actual end date will be Nov. 29. Alas, this means we can't expect patch 4.3 until at least that date, meaning this will end up being the longest half a month ever, and I won't be able to spend my Thanksgiving vacation running End Time until my eyes bleed. In an effort to keep myself entertained in the meantime, I've turned to one man: the Guy on a Buffalo. This man is the paragon, nay, the pinnacle of what humanity can be. Let his power and majesty inspire you, with dreams of his ruggedness filling the nights and days until patch 4.3 drops. ... Also, the song is pretty catchy. Buffalo riding aside, there is a lot of cool stuff going on in WoW news, right from the class balance Q&A to WoW Insider's first children's book and first weekly WoW news vidcast. Downtime today is a quick series of rolling restarts starting at 5 a.m. Pacific, so why not take some time and get caught up? Our usual roundup awaits after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: Faire enough edition
The big WoW news this past week was probably the new Darkmoon Faire that just debuted on the patch 4.3 PTR. It has tons of stuff to see and do, and you'll want to attend. Need a tour? We've got a video tour. There are new replica gear sets and new ways to buy heirlooms. There are new pets and mounts ready to bolster your collection. And that's just the beginning. There are new dailies, new ways to level your professions, and more. The Darkmoon Faire's so amazing, the other four weeks of the month are going to be sort of sad. There was also some interesting news from GuildOx. They sent us a list of the most popular WoW character names by both race and class. As a lapsed RPer, you will excuse me if I trudge off to this corner and cry. I swear, my panda shaman will not have a "bear" or a "shock" anywhere in its name, with God as my witness. ... Then again, Bearshock is pretty catchy ... Scheduled maintenance today is from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST, so you'll have plenty of time to catch up on all the news from the past week. There's a lot of it, from supporting the squish to Guardian Cub price wars, and we have it all for you after the break.
