Speculation - Blizzard testing out new breed of server?

[Deleted]

So the 300,000 invites over two days got me thinking. Are Blizzard testing out new servers for the release of MoP? They've just thrown 300,000 people across 4 servers in a short space of time. In a blue post some time ago, they said they had ideas about low population realms and faction imbalance, "big" plans apparently.

So are they trying out possibly higher capacity, higher tech servers to accomodate some mass transfers and merges?

Everyone knows it's a problem that really, really needs fixing. Maybe now is the time, and MoP beta/annual pass was a strategy all along?

"Let's throw a million people on these servers in less than a week, see what happens."

Perfect stress test for new tech.

Discuss!

(P.S. I know nothing at all about gaming servers so if I sound naive, it's because I am, I don't claim to know anything about the technology involved!)

[Sarynn]

Pure speculation imo, but if you ended up being right, it would be pretty friggin amazing...

[Scrumps]

300,000 beta invites does not mean 300,00 more people on the beta. I would estimate at least 40% of those bought it only for d3. another 25-30% will play the beta for about 5 hours total, then once or twice after major changes.

[Joeydivision82]

300,000 beta invites does not mean 300,00 more people on the beta. I would estimate at least 40% of those bought it only for d3. another 25-30% will play the beta for about 5 hours total, then once or twice after major changes.

Can you show me where you got your numbers from?

[Deleted]

300,000 beta invites does not mean 300,00 more people on the beta.

Hence the reason they did 300,000 in 3 waves, in a short space of time, to make sure they get the numbers they need to "test".

[Deleted]

Its more like 200.500. The first wave certainly didnt contain 100.000 invites. And I doubt that even the half is playing... the half of the people who're actually willing to play games on weekends is desperately trying to bypass the queue for one of the servers.

[Deleted]

I can tell you first hand that with around 200 (random off the top of my head guess) Panda's in the starting area on the EU server this morning, it was completely unplayable. I went off to play on one of the US servers for a while while awaiting my character copies.

[Arrowstormen]

Can you show me where you got your numbers from?

http://www.mybrain.com/home/leftside...=8123812315680

[Deleted]

Its more like 200.500. The first wave certainly didnt contain 100.000 invites. And I doubt that even the half is playing... the half of the people who're actually willing to play games on weekends is desperately trying to bypass the queue for one of the servers.

Check blue posts, there were 3x 100,000 invite waves over the past couple of days.

[Deleted]

The said something about testing new server structure in one of the interviews.

http://wow.gamona.de/mists-of-pandar...om-chilton-de/

"Außerdem versuchen wir damit auch noch neue Serversetups auszuprobieren, mit welchen wir eine größere Menge Spieler beherbergen können,"

We try to test new server setups [in the beta], which can handle more players


Mera

[Deleted]

The said something about testing new server structure in one of the interviews.

http://wow.gamona.de/mists-of-pandar...om-chilton-de/

"Außerdem versuchen wir damit auch noch neue Serversetups auszuprobieren, mit welchen wir eine größere Menge Spieler beherbergen können,"

We try to test new server setups [in the beta], which can handle more players


Mera

From Google Translate on that quote, Chilton says they're trying out a new server setup which can accomodate a lot more players.

[Ratyrel]

I can tell you first hand that with around 200 (random off the top of my head guess) Panda's in the starting area on the EU server this morning, it was completely unplayable. I went off to play on one of the US servers for a while while awaiting my character copies.

Seconded; if this is indeed new tech, its just the same as the old one. I see no reason to jump to such conclusions on the basis of this beta test.

[Xeraxis]

Hence the reason they did 300,000 in 3 waves, in a short space of time, to make sure they get the numbers they need to "test".

Yes but 300k invites does not mean 300k players playing. A large amount of those people won't check their email to know they were invited, won't care and thus won't join the beta, will have no clue how to install the beta client so will give up within the first 2-3min of downloading it, won't realize there is a download associated with it and will be too impatient to wait it out, plus who knows how many other factors.

[Deleted]

Yes but 300k invites does not mean 300k players playing. A large amount of those people won't check their email to know they were invited, won't care and thus won't join the beta, will have no clue how to install the beta client so will give up within the first 2-3min of downloading it, won't realize there is a download associated with it and will be too impatient to wait it out, plus who knows how many other factors.

Never said 300k would be playing, but 300k is a decent number to at least pull tens of thousands, possibly a hundred thousand from.

Plus that's your opinion, please don't talk like it's fact.

[Deleted]

300k and im not one of them. Typical I bought the pass 3 sec after announcement >_>

[mjolnir1122]

The OP is most likely right. They're probably testing the waters to see what kind of volume the servers can handle. That's why this is being done so early on most likely. Beta isn't just about testing content, it's about testing all sides of the client as well.

If they are planning to deploy servers with larger capacities, then we may very well expect to see some server consolidation in the near future

[Deleted]

That was brand new content, with a brand new race, and brand new class, on 1 realm. Unplayable, sure, but on live there will be a lot more servers.

I'm simply trying to point out that, just like the good old South Shore battles, lag kicks in at a certain player number in an area. I'm not complaining, just commenting on the server architecture rumour from the OP.

[DetectiveJohnKimble]

300k and im not one of them. Typical I bought the pass 3 sec after announcement >_>

You are the 70%

[Xeraxis]

Never said 300k would be playing, but 300k is a decent number to at least pull tens of thousands, possibly a hundred thousand from.

Plus that's your opinion, please don't talk like it's fact.

Did I say it was? Is this not a speculation thread itself? If you don't want opinions please stop spreading yours.

[Deleted]

It just seems to me that, why would they do something such large scale, with a beta, if it wasn't to really stress test servers in an environment where people can't complain? They certainly couldn't do this on live, there would be murder.