[NEWS] Producers Update

[IanJames]

Producers Update - Datacenter Maintenance Next Week
Calvin Crowner
09 Jul 2010 16:57:04 EST
Hello all!
I will try to write a more extensive producer's update to discuss the current plans for publish 67 next Friday, as well as status on live events and core system updates next week.
In the interim it's essential we catch you up on an important update to the Ultima Online network.
For the last three months our engineering team in concert with EA World Wide IT, and the Net Engineering group have been working on upgrading our character databases and warehouse (read that "Housing") as well as login server applications to a new version of Oracle.
What does this mean to you?

It means a more consistent and predictable infrastructure. More simply? Account age, housing information, and the backup process for user data
will be on a more stable platform.
Why is this significant for us the team at Bioware Mythic? Because while we have worked on it in the background for months, and planned for it for a couple of years, UO has needed it for much longer than we'd like to admit.
While we do understand that game bugs, skills and object balance, and live content are important to the longevity of Ultima Online ... the foundation on which all this is supported was at a critical level. We want you to know we are in this for the long haul! 
Supreem (Derek Brinkmann), Yvette Aarons, Brandon Williams, and last but certainly not least Stephen "Bleak" Brown have worked long hard hours to bring you this major update to our systems.
Plan on server downtime early to the middle of next week across all shards.
We thank you for your patience, and I'm certain you understand the significance of this update as we continue to improve the service of UO
Have a great weekend,

Calvin Crowner
Producer, Ultima Online

 

[Kat]

Great, but as usual, no mention of anything forthcoming for Siege. Apparently Cal doesn't quite get how "in trouble" Siege really is.

 

[Zebediah]

or he does and doesn't care!

 

[IanJames]

Well, he did say he will have another update this week regarding the publish that's due out on Friday...

Have you guys not heard from him since you sent him the low hanging fruit list?

 

[Cal_Mythic]

Well, he did say he will have another update this week regarding the publish that's due out on Friday...

Have you guys not heard from him since you sent him the low hanging fruit list?

Hijacking this thread to let you know I have not forgotten about our last discussion over a month ago.

We are looking into trying to get something small into this publish.
Bruin got an email

Be well and enjoy your weekend.

 

[Kat]

Hijacking this thread to let you know I have not forgotten about our last discussion over a month ago.

We are looking into trying to get something small into this publish.
Bruin got an email

Be well and enjoy your weekend.

Thats the thing, Cal, we came to you and explained that Siege was in serious trouble. "On life support", was I believe, how we put it so that you would get just how bad things were here. Today, its even worse. We need serious attention... Not just a tweak to RoT or Advanced Character Tokens... Serious, serious help!! Some small token change [and thats exactly what it feels like] isn't enough... to keep the existing player base.

I know you and your team have been busy plugging away at things you had planned months ago, but if you had fully grasped the seriousness of the situation here, I think you would or should have put some of that on the back burner to attend to the needs of a shard in trouble.

Sadly, the majority of my guild, a good 15 of us, have moved onto a freeshard. We are hoping to come back at some point, but we aren't holding our breath that your team will put in enough effort to save our shard. Siege is where we really want to play. Siege is where our hearts are, but you can't really expect us to hold on forever, playing alone and paying for multiple accounts forever.

Two of my 5 accounts are currently active and holding my belongings. The others have been shut down indefinitely. We'd like to come back, but you're going to have to get on the ball and put in some serious time in on helping Siege. We have given you tons of suggestions and you've shot down most of them...Mainly the ones that require some actual effort. Its your turn now. Show us that you are serious and show us what you've got.

I realize I have been rather blunt and that you probably aren't caring much for what I have said, but I think a lot of Sieger's are probably feeling the same way. Either way, it comes with no apologies. I am ticked off that the shard that we love has been neglected for so long that it has come to this. That it has taken the shard dwindling down to nothing before anyone even bothered to take notice... if that.

We'll be waiting to see what happens.

 

[IanJames]

I have to echo Kat's sentiments. This is not the first time we have tried to get your attention. For the past three years we have been sending suggestion, holding polls on the boards and coming to consensus so we could present YOU with a united Siege front on what we wanted and needed for the shard to keep thriving.

You finally paid attention when it was really too late, and now we feel like we're being strung along.

We need better communication from you.