Maintenance

[Avenger]

It's a numbers game, you can either inconvenience 10% of the player base 100% of the maintenance times, or 100% of the player base 25% of the maintenance times.

If you're in that 10%, then you probably prefer the fairer solution, even if it increases the total (and average) inconvenience across the entire player base.

[StouterTaru]

If you're in that 10%, then you probably prefer the fairer solution, even if it increases the total (and average) inconvenience across the entire player base.

Everyone would like to have the game up every time they want to play it. They do things the way they do to create the least amount of inconvenience, including the IT staff managing the upgrade.

I would love to see the reaction of the staff after being told "Hey I know you were here for 17 hours yesterday because we decided to do the patch at an oddball time, but I'm going to need you to come in at an ungodly hour tonight to install a hotfix, because we got to spread the maintenance times around to be fair to all our players." A regular maintenance routine and schedule leads to shorter maintenances.

[Anapingofness]

Oh lordy, this thread again... =\

Look OP, I'm sorry that your playtime is cut but you really must learn to roll with the punches.

You have 5 posts, all 5 posts are complaining about maintenance times. Make 5 more or 500 more, it will not change anything. Maintenance is scheduled when there are historicaly fewer people playing. It is not a personal attack on you, it is not a personal attack against any timezone, region or group of people. It is unfortunate for you that your prefered play time is a during normal maintnance times. I myself find my normal play schedule cut in half when we have maintnance.

As far as rotating maintenance times, how does that make sense from a buisness perspective? People seem to forget that SE is a buisness, and FFXIV is their product. When you have to make a product unavailable, you do it when it effects the fewest number of people. If you have 1,000 customers and have to take your product away for repairs, would you do it when 50 of your customers are using it, or when 500 of your customers are using it? The correct answer is when 50 are using it. Is it "unfair" for those 50 customers that have the product taken away? Maybe, but if you must be unfair you do it to the fewest number of customers.

The vast majority of maintenances are anounced before hand, so here is a sugestion for you. Talk with your core group of friend that play during the same time as you and have a "backup" game so you can still socilize with your friends on the few days a month where you can not play FFXIV.

and

Everyone would like to have the game up every time they want to play it. They do things the way they do to create the least amount of inconvenience, including the IT staff managing the upgrade.

I would love to see the reaction of the staff after being told "Hey I know you were here for 17 hours yesterday because we decided to do the patch at an oddball time, but I'm going to need you to come in at an ungodly hour tonight to install a hotfix, because we got to spread the maintenance times around to be fair to all our players." A regular maintenance routine and schedule leads to shorter maintenances.

put it very eloquently.

Bottom line- Is it "fair"?
Maybe- heck, I'll throw you a bone and say, probably not- but thems the breaks. Life isn't fair and there is no use in getting upset over something you can't change.
My advice, go find something else to do during maintenance time- read a book, draw a picture, or rearrange your sock drawer so that there is a gradient of colors from light to dark.

Just know that when you do get back to the game it will be a better place than it was when you left it. We have maintenance for a reason and it is to improve and fix things.