Consider changing maintenance time?

[Jetstream_Fox]

I know this has been said before mainly back in 2.0 when the game was growing, but now in 3.0 the game has undoubtedly grown in the NA servers. However, currently NA maintenance is scheduled in PST like it was in 2.0 but the problem is the server gets shutdown during peak hours. Back in 2.0 I could understand since there was less people so the population would dwindle down a bit more quickly. I can only speak for Jenova, but the server is very much alive during 9pm PST as well as the duty finder for Aether. Wouldn't it be more feasible as the game grows to look at population data and adjust to do all non major patches during early morning PST? Say roughly 2am? I mean we've already seen a data center be created for EU players, so would a simple change of hours really be out of the question?

[Zazriel]

All i can say i was really into playing tonight, of course i forgot about the maint.

[Dualblade]

As someone who's play time usually happens at times that maint will happen...no. Right now, while its night for us (and yes, a time many of us play here in NA.), its midday over in Japan, making it not just a good time to do it for the players, but for the staff as well since they are, ya know, working at that time.

[Jetstream_Fox]

As someone who's play time usually happens at times that maint will happen...no. Right now, while its night for us (and yes, a time many of us play here in NA.), its midday over in Japan, making it not just a good time to do it for the players, but for the staff as well since they are, ya know, working at that time.

That's understandable, but right now in Japan it's 3pm according to Google, I'm sure there is a lot of players locked out of the game and ya I know, can't accommodate us all. Something like 5am PST would translate into 10pm in Japan, I don't think it would hurt the team that much to do all non patch maintenances around that time.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

That's understandable, but right now in Japan it's 3pm according to Google, I'm sure there is a lot of players locked out of the game and ya I know, can't accommodate us all. Something like 5am PST would translate into 10pm in Japan, I don't think it would hurt the team that much to do all non patch maintenances around that time.

If 9pm your time is a prime hour, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume it's also one over in Japan? This also means the game is down from 8am to 12-1pm for East Coast players.

[Jacosta]

Something like 5am PST would translate into 10pm in Japan, I don't think it would hurt the team that much to do all non patch maintenances around that time.

Why should they have to work late into the night, just so you can play when its more convenient for you? The reason the maintenance happens at this time, is because that time is more convenient for them in Japan. They built the game, and should be able to choose the time most convenient for them. And yes, we pay our subs.... but us NA players are not the only player-base that pays for subs.

[Jetstream_Fox]

Why should they have to work late into the night, just so you can play when its more convenient for you? The reason the maintenance happens at this time, is because that time is more convenient for them in Japan. They built the game, and should be able to choose the time most convenient for them. And yes, we pay our subs.... but us NA players are not the only player-base that pays for subs.

Same reason police work in the night, as well as myself in the casino business, fast food workers and every single person who's in medical and retail work environments. Customer satisfaction. If shutting the game down at a different time whether or not it benefits me, which in this case it doesn't, would put them out of business it would have already happened since they prefer to do business within their time rather an accepted international time.There is no reason they can't shut down NA at a certain time to update, close off character creation for all other open servers, as well as transfers and then repeat for the EU and JP servers. EU and JP could even go first, honestly it doesn't bother me.

Not once have I stated my time is more valuable then someone else, we all overpay for this game each month, we should all be looked at as equal customers when it comes to something like this and I'm well aware they can't just pick a time that magically works for everyone. But that doesn't mean they couldn't look at their current ways of operation and see there could be more effective ways to handle non important hot fixes.

At the casino we don't turn off our games all at once and cash out or update them all at once, we would legitimately run out of business so quick if we did that. We shut down certain sections at a time that hasn't seen many players. Different level of work here I know but the concept is the same. I'm not saying players are leaving because the game is down to presumably give tweaks to diadem and thordan. All I'm saying is, which people are oddly only reading what they want, is there should be away for a company, that has a international product, to offer maintenance times within those other areas that better reflect each areas lowest population times.

[Dualblade]

snip.

Police and Medical are not something I would compare work hours on due to how their jobs work honestly. I don't know much about the casino buisness to say anything there, and as for fast food and retail, many of those types don't stay open 24/7 (though they do work later then many other buisnesses.) That said many non-retail/food buisnesses close up before 6 pm here in the US.

[Nix]

Same reason police work in the night, as well as myself in the casino business, fast food workers and every single person who's in medical and retail work environments.

Medical signing in!


I'll never bitch about the maint times, even if late night // early morning hours are my usual playtimes.
Want to know why? (Of course you do! )

Because For as long as MMOs are around, there will be maintenance. Someone, somewhere will get shafted regardless of when that maintenance is.

I typically work graveyard, and maintenance does eat into my playtime, but I know that maintenance that happens late at night suits the 9-5 crowd who I'd like to think makes up the majority of the workforce. (I say 9-5, but it's a catch-all term for those who are generally asleep at a humane hour, unlike me... QQ /sadface)
If this maintenance time was to shift to earlier in the day, it's going to jack someone else over. Someone, somewhere will be shafted... We drew the short straw.

Maint times will not change, right now they do suit a lot of people, more specifically the guys doing the maintenance. And I'm fine with that! They have a home life, kids, families, pets etc.

Can you imagine if someone walked into my ER and I refused to treat them because it was past 9pm and I wanted to be home in my slippers, eating nutella from the jar without a spoon?! Aw hell naw. People would pitch a fit. And probably sue me...

tl;dr: Maintenance will screw someone over regardless of when it is. Go get yourself some nutella, it's good.

[Raist]

snip

When I was in IT, calls outside of normal operating hours were billed at a premium....sometimes 2x the normal rate or higher. Plus, I got mileage if I had to go on-site.

Just saying... you are comparing the normal business hour schedule model against a 24/7 model or an extended hours schedule.