Entries Tagged 'DDO US' ↓

Last night was an interesting night for DDO here in the States.  A hardware upgrade that was scheduled for 3 am to 5 pm (EDT), but unfortunately due to some unforeseen problems, it wasn’t finished until about 9 pm (EDT).  At the same time, there was a test of the Hirelings on Risia where Tolero would ask trivia questions over a world broadcast and the first to respond with a tell that had a hireling in party would win a free 30 game card.  Between these two events, Risia was flooded with players.  So much so that the server completely filled up and prevented new people from joining.

Unfortunately, I was only able to participate in the tail-end of the event but it seemed like it was a success.  While I was on, I did not see many people in the public instances, which indicated that most were in the quests, likely with new-found hireling pals.  While the trouble with the hardware upgrade was unfortunate, it did provide the development team with loads of data on how the hireling were working on a large scale.  Over-all things went pretty smoothly, as I didn’t notice any significant extra lag from it, although that does not appear to be the universal case.

After the main servers went up other problems appeared.  Most noticeably on Khyber and Thelanis.  Khyber’s chat problems actually required a server restart at around 12 am, although Thelanis’s problems with people being stuck on a loading screen cleared up without resorting to a restart.  At last report the issue with trial accounts not being allowed to log in has not been resolved yet, but given that the team started at 3 am and Tolero was still responding at 1:23 am, it is likely that it was put off for today, and the team will be taking a late start.

As of right now, there are no details as to what exactly caused any of the issues, but in any case it was one of the most eventful event nights in DDO history.

enjoy

• Tolero has indicated that mod 8 for Risia is a possible go for Monday, and that she is inclined to release the notes on Monday either way.
• Friday’s reboots have caused serious lag on several servers, with Argonesson, Ghallanda and Sarlona appearing to be worst hit. Tolero started posting last night and has been giving regular updates as to the search for the cause. So far there is no resolution.
• The lag on Argonesson has caused some unusual behavior in the shroud, with some people reporting that the Pit fiend has a new ability called mindfire, an AOE atack that dispells all buffs on those around him. Tolero has confirmed that Friday’s reboot contained no changes to the game.

Tolero was kind enough to give me some information on the update that is scheduled to come to Risia next week. The update will not be a feature-complete version of Mod 8.  Instead it will include the New Player Experience and the Hireling mechanics.  This was done so that it could be released sooner so that those more risky mechanics could be tested by a larger population, as well as to make sure that the players didn’t get side-tracked by the new high-level content.  Like previous updates, the high-level content is planned to be made available on Risia closer to the release of Mod 8 for it’s own wide-audiance testing.

She also said that Mod 8 is still on track, and barring any unexpected issues creeping up on Risia, is scheduled to be released in mid October.

The other day we were treated with a new community rep without much introduction or fanfare.  Tarrant has been working for Turbine for a little over a month, although he has been silent up until now and staying behind the scenes.  He’s finally stepped out of the shadows and made himself known.  Since everyone wants to know more about the new face on the scene, I took the opportunity to send him some questions, and he was kind enough to answer them so that we can get to know him a little better.

Ustice: What is your position with Turbine?
Tarrant: My position is that of Online Community Representative. Essentially I do all things Community-related.

Ustice: What is your background? What sort of jobs have you done in the past?
Tarrant: I have had several community-esque positions, so dealing with the customer is not a new experience for me.

Ustice: How long have your been with Turbine, and how long with this project/position?
Tarrat: I have been both with Turbine and at this position for about a month and a half.

Ustice: What interested you in this position?
Tarrant: I could write a book to answer this question, but I’ll try and keep it brief for you. There were two facets of this job that caught me, which were the community aspect and the “game” aspect.

To start with community, working with people has always been something I was interested in. I enjoy advocating on behalf of the customer, and working to make the product, and the products’ service, as strong as possible for those who are using it. In short, I work for our players.

As for the game part - every male (and some females) decides at some point in their life that they want to make video games. I decided to turn that thought into a reality. I consider myself a gamer, I know what I like in gaming, so using my skills and interests in my working life seemed like a logical choice.

Ustice: Are you a gamer in your personal time? If so, from what end of the spectrum? If not, what are your hobbies?
Tarrant: Like everyone at Turbine, I am a gamer. Possibly less-so than some of the players here, but gaming is a passion for me.

I consider myself a hardcore gamer that games casually. When I find the time to get in any game, I love it, but I also try to find room in my life for other activities as well.

I am an avid RPG fan, and I think that Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Melee are two of the best games to ever be released.

Beyond that, I enjoy reading, primarily fantasy and science fiction, but anything really. I like TV (I am human,) and I’m also a big English soccer fan. I also like fishing and skiing, but I don’t really find enough time to pursue those hobbies too much anymore.

Ustice: What excites you most about working for Turbine?
Tarrant: This is a tough one… but, I’d have to say it’s the attitude of people here. While I’m sure many players won’t believe me, I can say with all honesty that every single person here cares a tremendous amount about what they do, and how it impacts the players. We are a company of gamers, and it is very important for us to make the best possible product for our players (and for ourselves.) The players and their enjoyment of the game factor into every decision we make. I’ve thrown this word around a few times I think (and if I haven’t, randomly insert it where it seems appropriate,) but I’m going to say it again. Passion. Turbine is a company of passionate people, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Ustice: Tell us a little about what you are working on. What is your typical day like?
Tarrant: Currently, one of my main jobs here is gathering feedback. I focus mostly on LOTRO and DDO, and I take the input of the players and bring it to the developers and others within the company. This ranges from things the players like, dislike, and feel would enhance the game.

I also do forum moderation for both games, which is always fun!

I don’t really have a typical day - another thing that I love about this job. Every day is an adventure.

Ustice: What was your favorite job prior to this one?
Tarrant: I ran a lemonade stand once when I was 8. I raked in 60 bucks in an hour. I’m not sure why I don’t do that anymore.

Thanks, Tarrant, for taking the time to introduce yourself.  Welcome to the community! We look forward to hearing lots more from you in the future.

While trying to log in to http://myaccount.turbine.com, I got this error message.

While there is still no word from Turbine, I am sure that they are very aware of this problem. This is affecting the forums, billing, and the game. No word on how is this affecting the game if you are already logged in.