Drat! Extended maintenance!
by Krystalle Voecks 
Jul 3rd 2007 at 2:32PM
Sure enough, I go to log in to poke around with macros and numbers for tomorrow's Encrypted Text column, and what am I greeted with on the login screen? The dreaded message indicating that the downtime has been extended further. Per the login screen:
Extended Maintenance
We will be extending our regularly schedule Tuesday maintenance for an estimated two hours in order to resolve an issue with our authentication system. We anticipate the realms will be available at approximately 1:00 p.m. PDT, and will provide an update to the situation in approximately 1 hour.
Thank you,
Blizzard Entertainment
Yep. I'm an addict. I love Roguing it up, and I'll admit I was really looking forward to getting back on and playing around with macros and different settings -- as well as checking out a different damage meter mod I just snagged. Is there anything you're looking forward to when you can get back in? Gotten a particularly tasty piece of loot lately that you didn't get to really take for a spin before the server shut down? One of your auctions going to make you a lot of money when you log back in? Or is the ability to log in just the symbol of the end of a day of work, and the start of relaxation time for you? (Hey, that's more than enough of a reason right there!)
Filed under: Realm Status, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Scott Jul 3rd 2007 2:41PM
This is simply unacceptable. They constantly have issues with the servers we pay 15$ a month to keep up. Personally if anything were to drive me away from WoW it is the maintenance. When I played guild wars they never had any maintenance that I can remember. Even if their was I don't remember it! Also what is with screwing over my buddies down in Australia. Every for one night a week they can't play what is with that! /rant over
bill gates Jul 3rd 2007 2:42PM
why do they constantly have authentication issues? hasn't this game been out forever dont they have a zillion dollars? why cant they fix stupid crap like this
Burkkake Jul 3rd 2007 2:48PM
Yeah this is a bummer. I left work early to get home in time for the sever start and now theres nothing to do at home but watch bad tv or surf the net.
Zomgdethcoil Jul 3rd 2007 2:48PM
Bah!! I agree.... I hate the maintenance but at least they have made it to where it is on a "scheduled" downtime now instead of random crashes like the old days.
Jacob Marley Jul 3rd 2007 2:51PM
Really? A few extra hours of downtime will get you to quit? Then you are on the verge of quiting anyway and this is just an excuse.
Seriously. Cut them some slack. Does downtime suck? Yes, of course. But come on, the servers are rarely down. They crash on occasion, but I'd like to see another system that supports as many concurrent users stay up and as stable as WoW is.
No complaints from me. And bravo Blizzard. You continue to do a great job and keep me playing when I want to. A few hours of downtime to avoid constant crashes, bugs, etc. . . I'm fine with that.
Scylloga Jul 3rd 2007 2:53PM
You guys dont know what down time is. I use to mess around in Second Life that place is broken more than it is fixed. Be glad you only have to deal with downtime once a week.
Nitroz Jul 3rd 2007 3:26PM
YESSS!!! Keep em down, I don't feel like raiding tonite!
Someone has to be on the other side, might as well be me!
James Jul 3rd 2007 2:55PM
@1
Yes, unacceptable that they are nice enough to schedule maintenance on a regular schedule; nice enough to attempt to only do down time every other Tuesday now; and nice enough to, when it comes down to it, notify us if the extended maintenance is going to take even longer.
You've got several options if you want to quit WoW: go outside and see that thing called the sun, read, watch TV, or, if you must, go get a different computer game or MMORPG. If you do that, I highly recommend City of Heroes/Villains. There, you can experience the joy of never, ever having a regular maintenance schedule (they do maintenance when things break. The term 'Preventive Maintenance' is not in their vocabulary.). You can also enjoy random crashes and downtime that may last 30 seconds or 3 hours. Also, they'll never tell you the why's or the how long's. Oh, and random map server disconnects that occur even on good days.
You have no idea how good you have it.
epsilon343 Jul 3rd 2007 2:56PM
I'd prefer if they pushed the server downtime earlier in the mornings. I understand that everything is on the West Coast, but it's a little frustrating for East Coast players when the downtime is happening during (for me) prime playing time. Even more so when they tack on an extra three hours of maintenance for something that seems like it shouldn't even be an issue this late in the game.
TenaciousT Jul 3rd 2007 2:57PM
@1
t's true though, why don't they have people testing their authentication system before the maintenance goes underway on a separate server, so they can just maintain the normal server wear and tear and not have to waste time with problems like this. With all of their money, it seems very plausible.
Wiggie Jul 3rd 2007 2:58PM
LOL my realm was down till 8pm last week! Now THATS unacceptable.
I'm REALLY hoping the same doesn't happen this week.
Nightwatch Jul 3rd 2007 2:59PM
I don't mind the downtime as much as I am tired of patches that seem to break as much as they fix.
Woot! Jul 3rd 2007 3:01PM
Why the outcry over downtime once a week, actually every other week now? I play plenty of hours every week, my girlfriend would say too many. There have been a few times when I would have played if not for the down time, but come on now. People are so upset over a couple of hours? Please...
Those steps you see lead out of the basement and into the sun....try them sometime.
Jon Jul 3rd 2007 3:02PM
People calling things 'unacceptable' is unacceptable.
shadowsoul Jul 3rd 2007 3:06PM
Ended up waking up at 7:30 this morning FTL. And all i could think about was getting my season 2 Gladiator's War Staff. So i end up lying in my bed for a couple ours and finally get back to sleep.Because of my uber leet wow senses i woke up at 10:30 ready to pwn it up. 30 min goes buy and to my dismay Aegwynn is still down. I say to myself, "Maybe it will come up in a few". 10MIN PAST AND WTF i still cant feel the power of my new weapon. NOW we WAIT
Gazoo Jul 3rd 2007 3:06PM
omg... are you all server techs working in a huge server farm, multiplexed several times over?
What in god's name makes you think you are qualified to even begin saying utter crap like 'why cant they just do this'..or 'why can they just do that'...
You have no idea what the complications of their server architecture are so just shut the hell up.
ben1778 Jul 3rd 2007 3:08PM
Responding to the questions posed in the actual blog entry....
I'm eager to log in to purchase my Season 2 Arena shoulders for my warlock. I've been drooling over them for a while now.
I also want to check out the new threatmeter making its rounds. Usually logging into warcraft after work is like Mr Rogers when he switched his clothes at the beginning of his show. It relaxes me.
Woot! Jul 3rd 2007 3:09PM
"And all i could think about was getting my season 2 Gladiator's War Staff."
This sums up the problem nicely.
RealityRunner Jul 3rd 2007 3:10PM
@5
It's not an excuse to quit, this cuts into our primetime on the east coast, and especially since some us can only play two or three days out of the week, I would've never bought the expansion if I would've realized how many "extended maintenance" times they would need and I know I'm not the only casual east coast player who feels that way. They make an obscene amount of money on a monthly basis, they could at least hire people to prevent these "authentication issues"
potatowedge Jul 3rd 2007 3:10PM
For me, it's a good day for more downtime. I just got a telecommuting job, and I've got oodles of homework to catch up on.
Sucks that I can't check my auctions, though.