Let us speculate on when the servers will be back online

[Elaguila]

Initially I never would have thought that an earthquake could have affected the operations of a server farm, but I should have been more realistic.

With 4 of Japan's 53 nuclear reactors permanently offline (sea water, which they have used to cool down the fuel, permanently breaks a reactor), the country is now facing a shortage in power. And the question is, when will this situation be remedied?

Several of those 53 reactors were at the time of the EQ not even in operation, but under yearly inspection and maintenance. Which means that it is possible to get back to original power output by speeding this process up and getting a few of them back online earlier than scheduled, which is what will happen, eventually.

Additionally, the last thing Japan needs right now is businesses not being able to function due to the power shortage. It will be very damaging, financially, in the long run.

I believe that getting businesses up and running is not something that's currently "on ice," but something that the Japanese are working very hard towards, while also working on containing the situation at Fukushima 1, and cleaning up after the tsunami.

At first I guessed that we would have had to wait at least 3-4 weeks before we would see the servers back online. But that was when I thought that they would have the Fukushima 1 situation under control within a few days. And those of you who watch/read the news should now that it is still a very serious situation that's not even remotely under control (in fact, it seems to escalate in seriousness).

When I read the Letter from the producer (@ http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/3465-Letter-from-the-Producer-VI-%2803-16-2011%29), however, it said that we would be looking at a 1-2 week delay in the March update. A 1-2 week delay would mean that the SE team would be 1-2 weeks delayed in working on the patch, and the only way that they are able to work on the patch, is with power.

So what do you think, fellow forum writers? Are we actually looking at a 1-2 week downtime?

I try to always stay realistic rather than optimistic, and it still feels like we are looking at at least 3 weeks of downtime, in total.

[Galamantyl]

I am in favor of hamster-wheel-powered-generators.

[Jacob]

It might be the case, but still even if they delayed the patch for 2 weeks that doesnt mean they will delay the operation of the servers as well since its not related

I hope they pass their tragedy soon

[whoopeeragon]

I am in favor of hamster-wheel-powered-generators.

And who'll power them? Poor personnel already tired from dealing with the impacts of the disaster? Or get a few horses and cows to run around in circles around a generator with leashes tied to them?

I'll estimate at least 3-4 weeks before the servers will be put to right again.

[Kaboushi]

next week it's back. Monday.

[Seif]

Why can't they fire up a new server in the EU or US? It's a roomful of computers how much can something like that cost to SE?

[Abraxai]

I am in favor of hamster-wheel-powered-generators.

All your replies are in this format! It's delightful!

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I don't think it's gonna be as long as the pessimists think. Once they get the Nuclear Reactors under control they should be alright to roll back in with the servers.. TO my knowledge Tokyo wasn't that massively hit that they're even being affected by blackouts.. They're just re-routing the conserved energy elsewhere? So.. By that logic as soon as they get some temporary substitute in order we should be back in business. Which I doubt will be too long. Japans stock exchange is falling, they're losing work time, money, etc.. It's another crisis coupled with what's already occuring so I'd have thought they'd want Tokyo back up and running ASAP.

So long as the people fleeing like a WHM1 from a HNM come back

[whoopeeragon]

Please then, Seif, offer your living accommodations to them so they can move them over to where ever you are and provide the necessary accommodation for the personnel that need to come along with them. Oh, and you may want to also go over to Japan yourself and help with the crisis there when these people have relocated into your residence.

[whoopeeragon]

@Abraxai: Yea, they're building a new power-line, and they're also working on the line which got disabled by the earthquake as well. But with 4 plants nuked, there's only so much Japan's power-grid can support without those to supply energy as well.

EDIT: Argh, I keep writing your name as Abrazia. Sorry!

[Abraxai]

@Abraxai: Yea, they're building a new power-line, and they're also working on the line which got disabled by the earthquake as well. But with 4 plants nuked, there's only so much Japan's power-grid can support without those to supply energy as well.

EDIT: Argh, I keep writing your name as Abrazia. Sorry!

<3 :P

I don't think 4 reactors is that much in the scale of how many Japan actually has.. However their location is just devastating.. But I'd assume they could re-route from elsewhere, or re-rereoute less make-shift-ly once they're not under the pressure of avoiding Chernobyl Mark II.

I could be wrong, but I'd say a week on monday max.