Please don't take this wrong, but....

[Tazar]

Then that is a problem for EA to fix. We all pay for the same game, same content. Some people don't pay extra for access to EM events. WE ALL PAY. Therefore, access should be available to everyone without restricting it to those who happen to know where to look. And it should be in ONE location for ALL shards for anyone who wants to participate in them.

Sorry - but I disagree... it is not EA's problem to fix the bandwidth of the internet routers in their server locations so that no one will lag at events. Access is not limited to "those who happen to know where to look" - the Atlantic Info sites have been published for a long time and are public knowledge for anyone willing to take the time to look. With many guilds - that is one person who spreads the word to the rest of the guild. And one location for all shards will be too cumbersome for many to sort through - and many will not.

 

[RuSini Neb]

Sorry - but I disagree... it is not EA's problem to fix the bandwidth of the internet routers in their server locations so that no one will lag at events. Access is not limited to "those who happen to know where to look" - the Atlantic Info sites have been published for a long time and are public knowledge for anyone willing to take the time to look. With many guilds - that is one person who spreads the word to the rest of the guild. And one location for all shards will be too cumbersome for many to sort through - and many will not.

and what about situations when you are the last active member of your 'guild' ...
IMO - some centralized area for all UO information is much needed, instead of this scavenger hunting, Hodge podge mix of stuff they make us dig through currently.

 

[Woodsman]

And one location for all shards will be too cumbersome for many to sort through - and many will not.

And yet Mesanna considered it important enough to post something at Coronation of Lord Blackthorn | Ultima Online

If Stratics, UO Guide, and Ulitima Codex can do it, and they don't even have people getting paid to it, unlike UO with Rowland Cox, Kai Schober, Tim Chappell, and whoever else, then UO.com can do it.

If the Ultima Online Japan team does it on a weekly basis, then UO.com can do *something*.

This kind of stuff is a selling point of UO, and it needs to be advertised, and players don't need to be chasing all over the place for the information. There needs to be a UO.com/em page or something along those lines, and they can even embed some of the videos from Stratics and elsewhere to show this kind of stuff off - Exodus' fight, coronation, etc.

UO needs new players, and this is the kind of stuff you want to show off.

 

[startle]

..... If the Ultima Online Japan team does it on a weekly basis, then UO.com can do *something*.

This kind of stuff is a selling point of UO, and it needs to be advertised, and players don't need to be chasing all over the place for the information. There needs to be a UO.com/em page or something along those lines, and they can even embed some of the videos from Stratics and elsewhere to show this kind of stuff off - Exodus' fight, coronation, etc.

UO needs new players, and this is the kind of stuff you want to show off.

I knew that there was a good way for me to express how I feel about having an up-to-date game information system that would be known by all players, but I think I can stop trying to find the right words... Now I don't have to... Woodsman says it all: ^^^^^^^^^

Imagine if UO.com's main page had an image-link to player videos posted to YouTube or wherever... Wow! What a great way to both KEEP and RECRUIT all at the same time...

 

[startle]

What is beginning to really gnaw at me is why anyone would be opposed to this? Why - really?

 

[Woodsman]

There is a reason why a lot of us check the UO Japan site fairly often, even if we have to run it through Google Translation, and there is a reason why a lot of us miss the old UO.com when they used to promote events, player-run stuff, story arcs, etc.

They have a new website with UO.com. They are increasing the communication, now would be the perfect time to show off the community, especially since they told us they would earlier this year. Honestly they should have been doing this stuff back in August/September when gaming sites were writing a lot of articles about UO's 15th Anniversary and interest was high, but it is what it is.

Producers Letter
January 31, 2012

"We also will start doing spotlight articles on some of our most passionate fans and their love for Ultima Online. It's amazing what some of you have done and I'm happy to share it. "

Interview with Jeff 'Gryphon' Skalski - UO Producer Part 1
April 5, 2012

We plan to start running spotlight articles in the near future on the herald about both passionate players and fansites.

We only got two examples before they gave up on it - one in February, one in April.

 

[startle]

Heck, all they have to do is link to a different player video every week... That would take what, 3 minutes to insert the code/link? And it would be great! Then - you just watch... Everyone that wants his 15 minutes of fame will scramble to record his or her UO video coolness...

It would go on and on and on... Free advertising for potential players to see and old players to enjoy... Come on EA, do it!

 

[NuSair]

Sorry - but I disagree... it is not EA's problem to fix the bandwidth of the internet routers in their server locations so that no one will lag at events.

This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of how things work. The lag that is suffered at events has nothing to do with bandwidths and all to do with the servers that the game is being run on.

I work/have worked on the internet backbone for years. Given the size of the packets being sent to/from the servers, bandwidth is not the issue for lag at large events. It is completely on the side of the servers.

Occasionally, there will be an issue with a router that causes lag in normal game play for people, but when you get large groups of people together and there is lag like at huge events, that is nothing but server lag. Next time there is an event like that, try running a trace route and you will see.

 

[Tazar]

This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of how things work. The lag that is suffered at events has nothing to do with bandwidths and all to do with the servers that the game is being run on.

I work/have worked on the internet backbone for years. Given the size of the packets being sent to/from the servers, bandwidth is not the issue for lag at large events. It is completely on the side of the servers.

Occasionally, there will be an issue with a router that causes lag in normal game play for people, but when you get large groups of people together and there is lag like at huge events, that is nothing but server lag. Next time there is an event like that, try running a trace route and you will see.

Alternet ring any bells?

 

[NuSair]

When a router or provider is having issues that causes lag even during normal game play, you cannot use that as an argument saying that they cause lag in large events. It causes lag all the time because of their issue.

If the lag was only during a large volume event and that lag was through a provider, then you would have evidence. The problem is that people with connections that don't have lag, still get severe lag from the UO servers.

I hate to tell you, but in my experience, the traffic that UO generates, even during their 'large' events is nothing in terms of bandwidth on the backbone. Even on local ISPs. You have your opinion, which is great, but when checked against the facts and how things really work, it just doesn't hold up.

 

[startle]

Alternet ring any bells?

Tazar - you are correct in that Alternet nodes/servers do present some fairly nasty lag on an altogether to frequent occurance, but the "lag" that is caused by any server/node will be present in game no matter where you are in game. What NuSair is trying to get across to you is that you'll have the same degree of lag on the beach off Vesper as what's at Blackthorn's Castle - and that the additional lag that is present at places where there are a lot of people gathered is caused by the game servers themselves.... Ok?

Just sayin......

 

[Tazar]

I know what my own eyes and systems tell me... I rarely ever lag anywhere except at events... and when I've run those trace routes that NuSair suggested during events - the problem is Alternet.