WoW is crap, buy EQ2

Now I'm joking but the current issues with the download of the WoW patch let me really appreciate how much, MUCH better is SOE's support.

It's from early beta that Blizzard decided to distribute game and patches through Bittorrent to spare on the bandwidth. Problem is that their client is total crap and for very simple reasons. I can use Bittorrent without a problem but the Blizzard's version is completely broken for me. It was broken during beta and it still is. Two years have passed and ZERO improvements have been done. At that time I ranted on their forums explaining the problems and they said they were going to fix it in time for launch. Yeah, sure.

There are two problems with that crap-program.

The first is that it doesn't save partially downloaded "parts". Basically a Bittorrent client chunks a large file in smaller parts and then downloads them from peer connections to then recombine to form the full file. Let's say a "part" is 256kb (as in this case). Other, better Bittorrent clients save even partially downloaded parts, so that even if you have downloaded 128kb of the 256kb, it isn't lost and then it is resumed seamlessly. Blizzard's client doesn't do this. If you go look at the connection details you could see that you have downloaded a total of 15Mb but completed only 8Mb. If you restart the client the 7Mb partially retrieved won't be saved and will be lost.

The second problem is an issue with certain network cards and connections. While other Bittorrent clients allow you to set the max number of open connections, Blizzard's downloader opens them up at will till your connection gets totally swamped and cannot keep up anymore. In my case (ISDN line) I can keep open forty different connections without a problem. It's way, way more than enough to cap both my upload and download bandwith. But if I go above that cap my connection gets completely swamped till it dies. It stops completely to upload and download and I cannot open even a webpage. Basically it kills my connection till I shutdown that program and all those useless open connections. So if your network card doesn't like an insane number of connections open the Blizzard's download is simply unusable since it doesn't allow you to set a cap. It just continues till it kills your connection.

Recently Blizzard got the "smart" idea to keep the downloader up while you play the game to download the patch in the background using "spare" bandwidth and ease the load during patch day. Well, if I don't disable it I last two minutes in the game before that FUCKING SHIT of a program lags me to a disconnection. Again because it happily goes to open connections to other PCs at will till my own drowns in despair. You idiot of a program, I'm on dialup, what the fuck you expect when you open more than *eighty* connections to other PCs?

So two years later I'm still waiting Blizzard to fix those two trivial problems or at least provide a standard .torrent file so that I can bypass that shitty program they have.

And one has to praise SOE at this point. SOE doesn't rely on peer to peer to support their game. In fact their patch program is so smart that verifies and keeps up to date ALL the files. You can go in the game directory and delete a random file and the patch program will deal with it. With a fast, reliable connection. Add to this the mini expansion packs that are distributed completely online. Add to this the possibility to download the FULL game if you need to. Hell, add to this even that they forgot to include the expansion in the expansion DVDs. No problem. I downloaded *all of it* directly from their servers. And if I want I can buy the expansions directly online without bothering to drive to a shop or wait a few days for a shipment to arrive.

Even SOE now supports the possibility to download optional content packs in the background while you play the game as Blizzard tried to do recently. Differently from Blizzard's crap version, it works. I can play the game even with my poor connection and the background downloader does it work smoothly without lagging me at all.

So some praises, at least when it comes to a good support, are well deserved.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

When it comes to the technical aspects of WoW, Blizzard comes off as hilariously incompetent. Their server infrastructure has been a disaster since before launch. My primary realm was Khadgar, which was in the first batch to receive the "new" hardware a few months ago, which resulted in about two days of downtime for the actual upgrade plus the inevitable crash the next day, and no real performance improvement (if anything, the instance servers were worse than before). The amount of downtime that their realms experience *period* is obscene.

Their patching system, as you said, is a total mess. A half-assed bittorrent client, their "background downloader" (which they installed without warning, no mention in the patch notes), and now from looking at the forums it seems as though their brilliant plans backfired, everyone's patcher is stalling from lack of seeds. Instead of having a million clients needing 100% of a file, so the Blizzard seeds can spread the love around properly, they have a million clients all screaming for the few megabytes that had changed since the last push.

Unfortunately, much like the endgame "raid or quit" mess, Blizzard tends to come off as having a "so what?" attitude about it. They are king of the hill, raking in millions in subs per month, so who cares if patch day means 36 hours of downtime? Everyone keeps paying anyway.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

Their server infrastructure has been a disaster since before launch.

That's not really a strong argument since the popularity of Warcraft went out of scale. They made some poor, newbie decisions that forced them to backpedal at full speed (like binding server names to the timezones) but it's still sort of unfair to compare them with other mmorpg companies that do not have to deal with a similar daily load.

Everyone keeps paying anyway.

Till there isn't anyone with more clue than them. Which is not simple nor anything we'll see in the next few years.

SOE can have a superior support, but a much better support doesn't make a better game.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

That's not really a strong argument since the popularity of Warcraft went out of scale. They made some poor, newbie decisions that forced them to backpedal at full speed (like binding server names to the timezones) but it's still sort of unfair to compare them with other mmorpg companies that do not have to deal with a similar daily load.

This is certainly true to an extent. However, they've had almost two years now to fix the problem. Cost is obviously not an issue, so really, what is there to justify such sub-par service? It's a lot like their LFG system, or lack thereof. People have been screaming, crying, begging, and pleading for a *real* LFG system, ala CoH/CoV or EQ, since the original one was removed in the first patch. Instead they've been given one half-assed solution after another; the LFG chat channel, the Meeting Stones, and now a global LFG channel that by all accounts is nothing more than a server-wide Chuck Norris forum and IGE sales channel.

Why do they continue to refuse to acknowledge, must less fix, such fundamental problems? Forget the endgame debate and whatnot for a moment, we can't even get a real LFG system implemented.

Till there isn't anyone with more clue than them. Which is not simple nor anything we'll see in the next few years.

SOE can have a superior support, but a much better support doesn't make a better game.

I want to be clear that I like the game, a lot. It really is an excellent game, pre-60. I wouldn't get so irritated about things if I didn't like it.

The reality is, there are only a few areas that, if fixed, would really take WoW to the next level. Obviously the raid-or-die endgame, and the associated itemization debacle, is an unmitigated disaster that will be the game's biggest liability (and weak point to be exploited by another game). Both casual and hardcore non-raid content needs to be added to the endgame, along with green and blue quality items to fill the gap between raid and non-raid loot.

Another is accessibility fixes, such as implementing a real LFG system. Although lately it seems as though the raid-centric development is designed to kill off the PuG (and by extension, unguilded players, and the very concept of socializing with and meeting new people). The lack of a real LFG tool, the reduced hard caps on level 60 instances, and the constant attempt to herd players into MC and beyond is very anti-social and is a real detriment to the game.

Lastly is the service area. Obviously what I said about server stability, but also player feedback. Between raid loot, battlegrounds, and the honor system, PvP has been castrated. 1.12 will hopefully fix this, but it doesn't change the fact that Blizzard has ignored player feedback on PvP (like not allowing ex-Rank 14 players access to the newly added weapons...as if anyone could be realistically be expected to make that grind twice). The LFG system, as I've said. Also there's the keyrings, another feature people have been begging for since release, and what happens when they are finally added? Half of the keys that people are carrying (Onyxia, UBRS, ZF, Mara, etc.) don't "count" as keys for purposes of the keyring, even though Blizzard was made quite aware via the forums that people expected those items to go on the keyring along with the SM key, SG key, etc.

The TLDR version is Blizzard more and more comes off as content to rest on its laurels, untouchable, detractors-be-damned, to the point where they are needlessly jeopardizing the future of WoW and irritating paying customers at the same time.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

That's what I find most funny. All the money in the world and it's like they evolved into some futuristic civilization that forgot how to make such pedestrian things as fire.

Or they could like the extra bling they probably collect back from Fileplanet doing for them what they should open their OWN friggin' wallets to do: host patch for download.

Cheapos.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

The first is that it doesn't save partially downloaded "parts".

Mine does.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

Um, stay away from EQ2 its a crappy old engine with its pig dress on. Just go to thier tech support forums and look at the crap people have to go through to get that slow engine to run. Even the UI, as simple as it is take a huge chunk of FPS away from it. They continulally have to put a PR/CR spin on it to keep people from leaving.

But yes, their patcher system is nice.

They should charge an extra USD 1.99/mo. for it. (haha, man :) )

Learn to use an offsite download source for WoW for sanities sake.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

People, people people...
Everquest 2 is a good game, but it isn't unique to D&D, lotr, SWG, matrix etc. SOE make the same crappy style game all the time... blizzard have made WoW extremely unique e.g. the graphics are a work of art, you fall in love with them in an instant AND they dont require a good graf card for a smoother performance! I'm bored with everQ and SWG. Now i have found WoW i am happy, PVP is intense, graphics are addicting and combat style is fun. WoW may have really bad community but blizzard is trying its best. They make the game for people to enjoy not for more money! But at least it isnt as bugged as SOE games.
EQ2 is crappy buy WoW!!!

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

Nice contradiction there mate.

Everquest2 is a good game.......

then

EQ2 is crappy.

Make up your mind.

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

You use ISDN? I'm surprised telcos still offer that :)

Re: WoW is crap, buy EQ2

I cannot agree more with the inadequancy of the WoW downloader. It is frustrating for me everytime I use it. It always tells me that there is something wrong with my setup that the download speed is extremely low (at times just halts and have to restart again). Hence, that downloader never works for me.

So what do I do? Visit mirror sites to manually download the patches. And when everyone is trying to download the patches in the first night (some patches are big), the download speed can be really low for me.

Also, at times I need to reformat my machine and need to reinstall WoW. So what I will need to do is the manually patch up the non-incremental patch (like 1.10 or 1.11) and then manually copy those "client patches" (those that when you sign onto WoW, it says download complete and ask you to push restart ... what I did was to go to WoW directory and copy out that patch.mpq file before it is "consumed" by the updater) and do manual update.

I mean, really, people ... patching a game shouldn't be that painful at all. You may say games like DAoC is an old MMORPG (sorry, haven't tried EQ2 yet) but patching that game was no fuss. Just start the downloader and go to shower, make tea, and viola, it is done.

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