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Author Topic: Server Resets  (Read 2189 times)

Miuo

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Server Resets
« on: February 14, 2017, 04:31:46 PM »
Rather than just voting whenever players feel the need to reset it, would it be possible to move away from the whenever reset, to a set reset time? That occurs during non-peak times. Allowing for the server to stay fresh, but gives structure to the process, minimizing the number of upset players who are in the middle of things but forced to end what they are doing for such.

If a set time is put in place it allows all players to work around such and have a clear knowing when to expect such. Between a daily, or even bi-daily reset should cover most general things. Coupled with the activity of various DM's to decide if another reset is warranted or to help anyone who may need it. Should cover all the bases.

While it's far from perfect I think it may be a better solution to a whenever a majority number says so.

Thoughts?

CashMeOutside

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2017, 04:39:30 PM »
I don't see an issue with the current set up.  I DO think that a scheduled daily reset is needed very badly, but players being able to vote is also helpful.  The server was lagging horribly today and a vote was cast for reset.  I think it was 2-3 minutes before the reset took place that the server then crashed, and still remains down.  I don't see an issue with majority voting as to whether or not the server should reset.  In fact, I think that the 20 minute countdown should be reduced to 5-10 minutes to move things along a little quicker.  I know it can be disruptive to roleplay, but so can a lengthy server crash that causes it to remain down for long periods at a time.

APorg

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2017, 04:45:20 PM »
I think a set daily reset at sometime around the early hours of the morning EST would be a good "server hygiene" habit to combat some of the excessive lag/crashing we've had of late, maybe...
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qwertyuioppp

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2017, 05:52:25 PM »
I don't really like this. Off peak time is invariably going to inconvenience our EU and Oceanic players. Nobody's going to want to start RP or commit to an adventure if they know a reset is incoming at a set time every day. It kills enthusiasm.

APorg

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2017, 06:08:48 PM »
Well to some degree that's unavoidable; I think the real question is whether a planned daily reset offers a more manageable disruption. In my mind, it'd be easier to plan RP/dungeons around a daily reset...
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Darkside of Heaven

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2017, 06:26:46 PM »
I dont think there is anything wrong with the voting system currently in place

Ambrosius

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2017, 06:41:51 PM »
I like the current system, I think it also helps the community when something bugs out or someone gets themselves
stuck and a DM isn't at hand; so they can reset the server themselves.

Nemesis 24

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2017, 08:24:20 PM »
Also keep in mind that our dungeons need time to populate.  Due to the way that they work, this does mean some of them need a fair amount of time.  This is a good way to either set up max spawn camping, or making certain dungeons difficult to use.  I vote keep the same system as present.

snowfox

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2017, 08:37:16 PM »
As someone who is most often around during these non-peak hours, and already hampered by the respawning system more often than not, I would be enraged if there was a scheduled downtime and the dungeons would have to repopulate over again.

julienchab

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2017, 08:44:45 PM »
Dungeon spawns aren't affected by resets, unless you are halfway through a dungeon during the reset. I think having a daily reset is not a good idea at all, as it would always be the same players who would experience the resets and it would hurt they possibilities to RP and dungeon. I really don't see the problem with the current system.

Iluvatar / Madness

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2017, 08:51:41 PM »
There are much more player during those none-peak hours than there used to be to be. I often saw around 10 people online and less than that before during the non-peak hours. But these days when I login during the non-peak hours I see twice as much people as there used to be in average. Yeah, it's the time of the day when there are the less player online, but there are quite a few people on during these hours now. It would be fair for those people to always have the reset happen during their playtime no matter how low or high the number of people playing during those hours is.

And I like the current system as well, I don't see any dire need to implement a system like that.
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Miuo

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2017, 09:13:36 PM »
More than a few times during early EST hours, iv come on to at times be only one of three or five people on. And even a few times the only person on for a short while. It's around these times that most are suggesting for a scheduled reset I believe. The span of time when there is a high chance there may be no one or nearly no one on. Rather than when there are 20-30 people on.

Edited: Since resets don't take that long, there is also a good chance of no one being affected, or just 3-5 compared to times where several people have dungeons ruined or have to pause rp.

As some said, a comprise between the two may be worthwhile as well. A daily set respawn to remove the need to reset because of lag and cut down the need for player initiated ones. Which would cause less interuption.
« Last Edit: February 14, 2017, 09:18:30 PM by Miuo »

Nemesis 24

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2017, 10:53:47 PM »
There are many more than 3-5 people on generally.  I've been online at all hours as of late and I can recall but one period of time when the players were less than 15, which was about the lowest I can recall seeing it in quite some time.

Iluvatar / Madness

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2017, 11:22:48 PM »
A daily set respawn to remove the need to reset because of lag

Keep in mind that a lot of the lag right now is due to problem with the Hosting Service, reseting won't help with that sort of lag unfortunately.

Unless there is an absolute need of reseting the server everyday, which I don't think is the case, having a system like that isn't necessary. The current system is doing its job and DM often initiate reset when they think its needed and there are DM who login everyday. Implementing an automated daily reset isn't necessary in my opinion as we already have all the needed tool to reset the server when it is needed.

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DrXavierTColtrane

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #14 on: February 14, 2017, 11:27:35 PM »
It likely wouldn't be too difficult to write a script that checked two conditions: how many people are online and how long since the last reset.

If both boundary conditions were met, it could start a reset countdown.

I agree, however, that I haven't noticed the server having fewer than about 10 people ever lately...except immediately after a reset when people start logging back in.

Regarding a set time restart, I wouldn't like that to occur every day. IMO server resets are a necessary evil. It's not true, after all, that time by itself causes a server crash. Rather:

1) Crashes are a somewhat random event that gives the illusion of time as the cause; as time goes to infinity the probability of the random event occurring reaches 1. (A subtle, catastrophic bug or bugs in a piece of seldom accessed code.)

2) Crashes are attributable to gradual degradation of performance and resources, most likely due to something like a memory leak.

If case 1 is true, then periodically resetting the server does no good. The consensus, however, is that case 2 is the problem. If that is true, then we should be able to predict server crashes as performance will get worse and worse before they happen.

IMO, therefore, the suggestion that the time after  a positive server reset vote be shortened makes some sense. If users believe a crash is imminent, better to reset voluntarily and quickly.

The ideal time limit is debatable. Moreover, at least by signalling a plan to reset, some players will already be saving and logging out. Those who choose to stay in to the bitter end assume greater risk, but at least it's of their own free will.

So after all that thinking out loud, my conclusion is that the status quo is fine. I'd rather spend resources figuring out what causes crashes than tweaking something that we can control because we can control it but we have no idea how much good the tweaking will do.

FWIW, I've long suspected that something with crafting contributes a lot to crashes because of the simple reason that so many times when we crash someone says they lost uber crafting effort.
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MAB77

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Re: Server Resets
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2017, 01:01:00 PM »
I don't think we need an automatic daily reset. But maybe we can have an automatic voting process whenever the server has been up for a straigth 24 hours? Less disruptive and still up to the players to agree or not.

I would also like to see, whenever a reset is requested, how long it's been since the last one.
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