Why is Maintenance so long?

[Naliee]

Sunglasses son, sunglasses.

[Teslo]

Unlike some other companies I could name, SE seems to like using longer down-times in order to ensure everything goes according to plan the first time. Then, if they finish beforehand, they get to say "Hey look! We're done early! Isn't that awesome!?" The alternative is, of course, shorter downtimes followed by incredibly buggy additions that piss people off for a week, followed by a series of downtime/uptime/downtime periods while they try to fix each problem as they find it.

[Blazer]

And if you have trouble thinking what to do while maint, I suggest you go outside.

Every maint someone asks this very thing on the forums. There's always "that guy" who tells them to go outside. Isn't it fair to say that the guy who only glimpsed at the patch notes, having no idea that the "usual" down-time is 24 hours, already goes outside?

[Alex_Lenderson]

I don't get why it takes that long to update. I've seen major content patches for other games that only had 10 hours of Downtime.

[Naliee]

I don't get why it takes that long to update. I've seen major content patches for other games that only had 10 hours of Downtime.

This isn't "other game" though, this is Final Fantasy we're talking about.

[Moonleg]

I don't get why it takes that long to update. I've seen major content patches for other games that only had 10 hours of Downtime.

Kirk: How much refit time before we can take her out again?
Scotty: Eight weeks, sir. But ye don't have eight weeks, so I'll do it for ye in two.
Kirk: Mr. Scott. Have you always multiplied your repair estimates by a factor of four?
Scotty: Certainly, sir. How else can I keep my reputation as a miracle worker?

[Gilraen]

Scotty: Certainly, sir. How else can I keep my reputation as a miracle worker?

Hah, there was an episode of Next Generation where Scotty pretty much admitted to flubbing his numbers on time estimates. On subject... why does it matter how long it takes? Why does any time frame matter? This isn't like a doctor telling you to come in for dialysis then telling you to wait in the lobby for a day while they set up the machine... this is a game! Your life is not hanging in the balance. In fact, I wish the industry in general would stop riding schedules like 'a well tuned violin'. Maybe then we'd have more games that aren't glitchy messes on launch. Take all the time you need Square, we'll be here waiting.

[Ketsuyame]

I don't get why it takes that long to update. I've seen major content patches for other games that only had 10 hours of Downtime.

Well SE doesn't operate like those "other major content from other games". They go at their own pace. Stop whining. It just shows immaturity and impatience. Its a day. Bitching isn't going to make the timeframe any shorter. Go play something else, hit the gym, take your significant other out, etc. Its not the end of the world.

[Kit-Kat]

I don't get why it takes that long to update. I've seen major content patches for other games that only had 10 hours of Downtime.

A maintenance isn't just an update. They have to make sure what they added works fine on servers and didn't conflict with other important main tasks in the game, bugging them.