I wouldn't call it the smoothest launch ever. But that's an impossible achievement for a game with this many players at launch.
1) The waves of invites meant some preorders had to wait days after the first wave. That's not really ideal or close to it.
2) The huge queues are a serious issue and I'm not sure it's going to improve once people convince their friends to play and join them. If you disconnect due to a server bug you get thrown back into the queue.
3) It remains to be seen what happens tonight at midnight and the rest of the week.
I'm having a lot of fun, but this isn't the type of launch I want to see in the future.
TECHNICALLY the game hasnt launched yet, but we all know that early access is a soft launch, and bioware have already let in many times more players than most mmos could dream of at launch.
I have to agree with the OP that this is the smoothest launch I have ever been involved in, and ive been in a lot! No Lag, No disconnects, very few and minor bugs, no unsceduled downtime for the whole week of early access - how is that not a resounding success?
Yes, there are queues on several servers, but there always are at launch. Most of the queues are less than 15mins although there are some that are over an hour! I originally rolled on Bloodworthy and levelled a BH to 10 in one sitting....and have not been able to get back on that server again...HOWEVER that is the busiest EU server there is.
Bioware are also intentionally capping the population limits on servers, then slowly upping them, to make people spread out more evenly..and it seems to have worked!
Now that they have ironed out any of the issues they had and have got their eye in on server populations, they can roll out for a completely flawless official launch. BW will be adding a whole raft of extra servers during tonights downtime to accomodate the new players, and im sure they will use the same server capping tricks to make sure the new players dont all jump on and bork existing servers.
IMO so far the launch has been a triumph and all signs are pointing to the official launch tomorrow being just as perfect
Cluck Cluck, Gibber Gibber, My Old Mans A Mushroom
Don't want to be negative but launching your standard themepark based off a well known and polished model shouldn't be a problem for anyone these days..
random disconnects (like as bad as 10 mins in game time)
BW sweeping posts under the rug about it
Its not even really launch yet but the game has been broken since midday Friday.
Queues are to be expected, disconnects (and time-outs) are to be expected, long wait times for CS are to be expected. If you don't expect them you're fooling yourself. The more there are trying to get in, the longer that wait will become; as well as the strain it causes on login systems will also increase and disconnects will become more frequent..
"Smooth launch" should be about performance in game, not the natural aspects and going ons outside the game (inevitable issues posted and ranted about). The only way to handle queues is to add more servers, block servers, force placement (which they've already done a considerable amount of with guilds). If this were the case there would be just as many complaints about not being able to play with friends/guilds/communities..
How many MMO's have launched in the last 12 years? What has been a constant in that time? What has increased over and over with every launch? Why do MMO fans still rant about the inevitable?
Queues are here to stay folks, they'll get worse before they get better, do what I am doing if it's such an issue for you. Wait a few weeks.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
I agree with the OP. Excellent launch so far. Yes there are wait times but i havent had to wait mor than 20 minutes.....not a big deal. I have had no video issues but im smart enough to update drivers. Well see how the "mass effect" the waits.
The only issue i have with the game is the people in it who want someone to give them the answer instead of listening, reading and exploring for it. Its all explained very well and your guided very well. But that really isnt a major concern.
i was part of the first wave to get in, i have had a few spikes here and there of server lag never got me killed or even inconvenienced me really, a couple of archeology nodes i have come across are bugged its a known issue they know why etc.
i do play on a crowded server and the wait times have sucked but no one is putting a gun to my head i can change servers anytime i want the wait times have gone down in the sense that i am getting in faster than i was. They have oppened 6 new servers since the soft launch started, so clearly they are working to correct this issue.
I think the bulk of complaints come from gamers who are either new and don't know any better or have gamer entitlement syndrome. I think they have done a phenominal job of handling a staggering amount of people that wanna play this game. I have not crashed one time , i have not died one time because of a bug i have not had a single quest i could not finish because of a bug. As long as they address the server issue in a resonable amount of time and clearly they are working hard to do so, i say great job
* can we stop debating if the game is launched its called a soft launch we all know what early access is ....come on people
Comments
This.
I cant even access my toon in Dark Reaper. Ticket has been unanswered for awhile.
Aion's launch a lot smoother.
I wouldn't call it the smoothest launch ever. But that's an impossible achievement for a game with this many players at launch.
1) The waves of invites meant some preorders had to wait days after the first wave. That's not really ideal or close to it.
2) The huge queues are a serious issue and I'm not sure it's going to improve once people convince their friends to play and join them. If you disconnect due to a server bug you get thrown back into the queue.
3) It remains to be seen what happens tonight at midnight and the rest of the week.
I'm having a lot of fun, but this isn't the type of launch I want to see in the future.
Not being a TOR fanboi here, but Hitler disagrees with you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ3dcOujY_g
TECHNICALLY the game hasnt launched yet, but we all know that early access is a soft launch, and bioware have already let in many times more players than most mmos could dream of at launch.
I have to agree with the OP that this is the smoothest launch I have ever been involved in, and ive been in a lot! No Lag, No disconnects, very few and minor bugs, no unsceduled downtime for the whole week of early access - how is that not a resounding success?
Yes, there are queues on several servers, but there always are at launch. Most of the queues are less than 15mins although there are some that are over an hour! I originally rolled on Bloodworthy and levelled a BH to 10 in one sitting....and have not been able to get back on that server again...HOWEVER that is the busiest EU server there is.
Bioware are also intentionally capping the population limits on servers, then slowly upping them, to make people spread out more evenly..and it seems to have worked!
Now that they have ironed out any of the issues they had and have got their eye in on server populations, they can roll out for a completely flawless official launch. BW will be adding a whole raft of extra servers during tonights downtime to accomodate the new players, and im sure they will use the same server capping tricks to make sure the new players dont all jump on and bork existing servers.
IMO so far the launch has been a triumph and all signs are pointing to the official launch tomorrow being just as perfect
Cluck Cluck, Gibber Gibber, My Old Mans A Mushroom
I would agree with the OP but for one glaring fact...
The game has not launched yet.
The venom is dripping from this one.
Queues are to be expected, disconnects (and time-outs) are to be expected, long wait times for CS are to be expected. If you don't expect them you're fooling yourself. The more there are trying to get in, the longer that wait will become; as well as the strain it causes on login systems will also increase and disconnects will become more frequent..
"Smooth launch" should be about performance in game, not the natural aspects and going ons outside the game (inevitable issues posted and ranted about). The only way to handle queues is to add more servers, block servers, force placement (which they've already done a considerable amount of with guilds). If this were the case there would be just as many complaints about not being able to play with friends/guilds/communities..
How many MMO's have launched in the last 12 years? What has been a constant in that time? What has increased over and over with every launch? Why do MMO fans still rant about the inevitable?
Queues are here to stay folks, they'll get worse before they get better, do what I am doing if it's such an issue for you. Wait a few weeks.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
I agree with the OP. Excellent launch so far. Yes there are wait times but i havent had to wait mor than 20 minutes.....not a big deal. I have had no video issues but im smart enough to update drivers. Well see how the "mass effect" the waits.
The only issue i have with the game is the people in it who want someone to give them the answer instead of listening, reading and exploring for it. Its all explained very well and your guided very well. But that really isnt a major concern.
i was part of the first wave to get in, i have had a few spikes here and there of server lag never got me killed or even inconvenienced me really, a couple of archeology nodes i have come across are bugged its a known issue they know why etc.
i do play on a crowded server and the wait times have sucked but no one is putting a gun to my head i can change servers anytime i want the wait times have gone down in the sense that i am getting in faster than i was. They have oppened 6 new servers since the soft launch started, so clearly they are working to correct this issue.
I think the bulk of complaints come from gamers who are either new and don't know any better or have gamer entitlement syndrome. I think they have done a phenominal job of handling a staggering amount of people that wanna play this game. I have not crashed one time , i have not died one time because of a bug i have not had a single quest i could not finish because of a bug. As long as they address the server issue in a resonable amount of time and clearly they are working hard to do so, i say great job
* can we stop debating if the game is launched its called a soft launch we all know what early access is ....come on people