Delay when selling - deliberate?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

I'm just trying out a demo of WoW and quite enjoying it,
though it's not as slick as CoH. One thing I've noticed
is that when I sell an item to a merchant, it takes a while -
anything from 5 seconds to as long as 30 seconds. My latency
isn't that high, ranging from 150ms to 500ms at worst. Is this selling "lag"
a bug or a feature??

--
-pm

http://oceanclub.blogspot.com

"Life is like a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Very popular and
not as bad as some would have you believe. That is unspeakably
awful but mercifully brief."

 

[damon]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

888 wrote:
> since the actual game doesn't lag I presume they have a separate server to
> handle the transactions - a very slow one. Blizzard should really update their
> servers and telecommunications equipment - using our subscription funds.

That and looting maybe as on Saturday, even though I had a solid green
bar and less than 200ms latency (UK location to US server
Bronzebeard)looting took an age and often my soul drain would keep
casting long after the beasty was dead or I would open a chest and be
stuck on my knees sliding about the floor.

Or the latency indicator is just not a good indicator of connection.
Good connection to the server and quick reply but it is slow at
processing the actions.

It has been good since.

 

[user]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

"Paul Moloney" <paul_moloney@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4326b368$0$91199$892e7fe2@authen.white.readfreenews.net...
> I'm just trying out a demo of WoW and quite enjoying it,
> though it's not as slick as CoH. One thing I've noticed
> is that when I sell an item to a merchant, it takes a while -
> anything from 5 seconds to as long as 30 seconds. My latency
> isn't that high, ranging from 150ms to 500ms at worst. Is this selling "lag"
> a bug or a feature??

It's a lag on the server. Seems like they're still using a Pentium 2.

I actually believe that when an item is transferred the process does several
checks to ensure that the transaction is legal, such as:

- validating that the seller does not have the item anymore.
- validating that the buyer has received it.
- validating the type of item is transferrable.
- checking that money is also transferred safely as above.
- logging the transaction for records.

If a few hundred thousand players do this simultaneously then it would lag. Also
since the actual game doesn't lag I presume they have a separate server to
handle the transactions - a very slow one. Blizzard should really update their
servers and telecommunications equipment - using our subscription funds.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

"Damon" <google@dshawcross.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1126613457.313937.16960@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> 888 wrote:
> > since the actual game doesn't lag I presume they have a separate server
to
> > handle the transactions - a very slow one. Blizzard should really update
their
> > servers and telecommunications equipment - using our subscription funds.
>
> That and looting maybe as on Saturday, even though I had a solid green
> bar and less than 200ms latency (UK location to US server
> Bronzebeard)looting took an age and often my soul drain would keep
> casting long after the beasty was dead or I would open a chest and be
> stuck on my knees sliding about the floor.
>
> Or the latency indicator is just not a good indicator of connection.
> Good connection to the server and quick reply but it is slow at
> processing the actions.
>
> It has been good since.
>
I've had huge problems with server lag recently, i've played for some months
now and the server problems since last patch have become much worse for me.
It seems each new patch further degrades performance.

 

[user]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

"JohnR" <repro007@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4326d88a$0$6289$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...
>
> "Damon" <google@dshawcross.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1126613457.313937.16960@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> 888 wrote:
>> > since the actual game doesn't lag I presume they have a separate server
> to
>> > handle the transactions - a very slow one. Blizzard should really update
> their
>> > servers and telecommunications equipment - using our subscription funds.
>>
>> That and looting maybe as on Saturday, even though I had a solid green
>> bar and less than 200ms latency (UK location to US server
>> Bronzebeard)looting took an age and often my soul drain would keep
>> casting long after the beasty was dead or I would open a chest and be
>> stuck on my knees sliding about the floor.
>>
>> Or the latency indicator is just not a good indicator of connection.
>> Good connection to the server and quick reply but it is slow at
>> processing the actions.
>>
>> It has been good since.
>>
> I've had huge problems with server lag recently, i've played for some months
> now and the server problems since last patch have become much worse for me.
> It seems each new patch further degrades performance.
>

Why can't Blizzard buy better servers? Surely they can afford this.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

"888" <none@space.com> wrote in message
news:4326fe8b$0$22952$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
>
> "JohnR" <repro007@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4326d88a$0$6289$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...
> >
> > "Damon" <google@dshawcross.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:1126613457.313937.16960@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> >>
> >> 888 wrote:
> >> > since the actual game doesn't lag I presume they have a separate
server
> > to
> >> > handle the transactions - a very slow one. Blizzard should really
update
> > their
> >> > servers and telecommunications equipment - using our subscription
funds.
> >>
> >> That and looting maybe as on Saturday, even though I had a solid green
> >> bar and less than 200ms latency (UK location to US server
> >> Bronzebeard)looting took an age and often my soul drain would keep
> >> casting long after the beasty was dead or I would open a chest and be
> >> stuck on my knees sliding about the floor.
> >>
> >> Or the latency indicator is just not a good indicator of connection.
> >> Good connection to the server and quick reply but it is slow at
> >> processing the actions.
> >>
> >> It has been good since.
> >>
> > I've had huge problems with server lag recently, i've played for some
months
> > now and the server problems since last patch have become much worse for
me.
> > It seems each new patch further degrades performance.
> >
>
> Why can't Blizzard buy better servers? Surely they can afford this.
>
I watched a finance program recently not computer related and they talked
about the parent company vivendi and their hugely lucrative WOW subsidiary.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/01/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm?section=money_commentary

"The revenue that's coming in is very meaningful and we are extremely
profitable," said Paul Sams, vice president of business operations for
Blizzard. "I think we're going to get even more profitable as we learn more
and streamline our services."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

Paul Moloney wrote:
> I'm just trying out a demo of WoW and quite enjoying it,
> though it's not as slick as CoH. One thing I've noticed
> is that when I sell an item to a merchant, it takes a while -
> anything from 5 seconds to as long as 30 seconds. My latency
> isn't that high, ranging from 150ms to 500ms at worst. Is this selling "lag"
> a bug or a feature??

The delay you're seeing is database related (Blizzard's problem) rather
than connection related. I usually have latency of around 190ms, but
will occasionally encounter delays such as you describe, not just when
selling, but also when sending mail, looting, and sometimes even
casting spells. It's infrequent enough that I don't consider it a
chronic problem.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

"Josh Mayfield" <ultibloo-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1126671576.769399.36710@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Paul Moloney wrote:
>> I'm just trying out a demo of WoW and quite enjoying it,
>> though it's not as slick as CoH. One thing I've noticed
>> is that when I sell an item to a merchant, it takes a while -
>> anything from 5 seconds to as long as 30 seconds. My latency
>> isn't that high, ranging from 150ms to 500ms at worst. Is this selling
>> "lag"
>> a bug or a feature??
>
> The delay you're seeing is database related (Blizzard's problem) rather
> than connection related. I usually have latency of around 190ms, but
> will occasionally encounter delays such as you describe, not just when
> selling, but also when sending mail, looting, and sometimes even
> casting spells. It's infrequent enough that I don't consider it a
> chronic problem.

It's chronic enough that anyone you ask about it is not surprised at all.
Mostly mail and AH, occasionally vendors, and infrequently looting.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

"JohnR" <repro007@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4327041b$0$4505$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...
>
> "888" <none@space.com> wrote in message
> news:4326fe8b$0$22952$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
> >
> > "JohnR" <repro007@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:4326d88a$0$6289$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...
> > >
> > > "Damon" <google@dshawcross.co.uk> wrote in message
> > > news:1126613457.313937.16960@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > >>
> > >> 888 wrote:
> > >> > since the actual game doesn't lag I presume they have a separate
> server
> > > to
> > >> > handle the transactions - a very slow one. Blizzard should really
> update
> > > their
> > >> > servers and telecommunications equipment - using our subscription
> funds.
> > >>
> > >> That and looting maybe as on Saturday, even though I had a solid
green
> > >> bar and less than 200ms latency (UK location to US server
> > >> Bronzebeard)looting took an age and often my soul drain would keep
> > >> casting long after the beasty was dead or I would open a chest and be
> > >> stuck on my knees sliding about the floor.
> > >>
> > >> Or the latency indicator is just not a good indicator of connection.
> > >> Good connection to the server and quick reply but it is slow at
> > >> processing the actions.
> > >>
> > >> It has been good since.
> > >>
> > > I've had huge problems with server lag recently, i've played for some
> months
> > > now and the server problems since last patch have become much worse
for
> me.
> > > It seems each new patch further degrades performance.
> > >
> >
> > Why can't Blizzard buy better servers? Surely they can afford this.
> >
> I watched a finance program recently not computer related and they talked
> about the parent company vivendi and their hugely lucrative WOW
subsidiary.
>
>
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/01/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm?section=money_commentary
>
> "The revenue that's coming in is very meaningful and we are extremely
> profitable," said Paul Sams, vice president of business operations for
> Blizzard. "I think we're going to get even more profitable as we learn
more
> and streamline our services."
>
>


4 million subsribers x $15 per month x 12 months per year = $720 MILLION

I know that hardware and staffing and bandwidth and paying back any loans
and legal fees cost money, but DAMN, there is no way they can't afford to
spend more on better bandwidth, servers and CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!!! (includes
an army of bug fixers and video card compatibility testers....yes I have a
nvidia 5200, and patch 1.7 brought me back to the stoneage of graphics with
this card)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.warcraft (More info?)

"Andrew E. Wiggin" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
news:4UMVe.2467$U_5.1251@fe03.news.easynews.com...
>
> "JohnR" <repro007@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4327041b$0$4505$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...
> >
> > "888" <none@space.com> wrote in message
> > news:4326fe8b$0$22952$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
> > >
> > > "JohnR" <repro007@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > news:4326d88a$0$6289$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...
> > > >
> > > > "Damon" <google@dshawcross.co.uk> wrote in message
> > > > news:1126613457.313937.16960@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > > >>
> > > >> 888 wrote:
> > > >> > since the actual game doesn't lag I presume they have a separate
> > server
> > > > to
> > > >> > handle the transactions - a very slow one. Blizzard should really
> > update
> > > > their
> > > >> > servers and telecommunications equipment - using our subscription
> > funds.
> > > >>
> > > >> That and looting maybe as on Saturday, even though I had a solid
> green
> > > >> bar and less than 200ms latency (UK location to US server
> > > >> Bronzebeard)looting took an age and often my soul drain would keep
> > > >> casting long after the beasty was dead or I would open a chest and
be
> > > >> stuck on my knees sliding about the floor.
> > > >>
> > > >> Or the latency indicator is just not a good indicator of
connection.
> > > >> Good connection to the server and quick reply but it is slow at
> > > >> processing the actions.
> > > >>
> > > >> It has been good since.
> > > >>
> > > > I've had huge problems with server lag recently, i've played for
some
> > months
> > > > now and the server problems since last patch have become much worse
> for
> > me.
> > > > It seems each new patch further degrades performance.
> > > >
> > >
> > > Why can't Blizzard buy better servers? Surely they can afford this.
> > >
> > I watched a finance program recently not computer related and they
talked
> > about the parent company vivendi and their hugely lucrative WOW
> subsidiary.
> >
> >
>
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/01/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm?section=money_commentary
> >
> > "The revenue that's coming in is very meaningful and we are extremely
> > profitable," said Paul Sams, vice president of business operations for
> > Blizzard. "I think we're going to get even more profitable as we learn
> more
> > and streamline our services."
> >
> >
>
>
> 4 million subsribers x $15 per month x 12 months per year = $720 MILLION
>
> I know that hardware and staffing and bandwidth and paying back any loans
> and legal fees cost money, but DAMN, there is no way they can't afford to
> spend more on better bandwidth, servers and CUSTOMER SUPPORT!!!!!
>
Exactly....