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STATUS UPDATE AND KNOWN ISSUES
OG POst Nov 22nd
1st UPDATE Nov 25tH
2nd update Dec 1st
2ND UPDATE DEC 1ST:
Hey everyone, I just wanted to provide another update as we head into the weekend. I appreciate everyone voicing their thoughts on the forum and understand the frustrations that can grow from an unreliable gameplay experience. I know communication and transparency can go a long way to ease those tensions, so with that in mind, here is the latest update.
We have spent the last few days testing both the current build and the "Great Bolt-On ID Cull" build, and we are happy to report that we are optimistic about moving forward with this change next week. I will explain why we are waiting until next week, but first, here is some interesting information about this change.
Currently, MWO has 22,288 items in the database. These item IDs encompass Mechs, Engines, Weapons, Equipment, Patterns, Colors, Decals, Titles, Badges, Cockpit Items, and Bolt-ons.
Here are the stats for the current live item ID Database:
- Total Items: 22,288
- Total Bolt-on Items: 12,381
Of the 22,288 item IDs, 12,381 are bolt-on IDs. That is around 55.5% of the items in the database.
This is why bolt-ons have been targeted as the best possible optimization.
Here are the stats for the new optimized Bolt-on ID Database:
- Total Items: 10,431
- Total Bolt-on Items: 529
Bolt-ons now make up 5% of the items in the database.
What I find interesting is the majority of the Bolt-ons were added in the original release of the bolt-on system in April 2018. The patch that released the bolt-on Faction Flags was probably the second-largest addition of bolt-ons. Here we are 5.6 years after the addition of bolt-ons, and we appear to have hit a theoretical item cap of 22,288 items in the database (using the current system).
Another interesting stat is we only added a total of 706 new Item IDs to the Database this entire year. Again, these 706 item IDs encompass EVERYTHING we added this year: Mechs, Weapons, Patterns, Colors, Decals, Titles, Badges, Cockpit Items, and Bolt-ons.
So with this optimization, we have given ourselves lots of room to continue to add content to the game for the foreseeable future!
So let's get back to the fix. We are waiting until next week for the fix for a few reasons.
- We want to continue to test both the Current and New Build to make sure the patch is safe to deploy.
- The change is significant as it will affect many areas of the Database, not just the Item IDs. Player Inventory, Player Loadouts, Player Purchase Trail, and more all have to transition and align with the new Item IDs so the systems that rely on them can continue to function properly (Events rewards systems, Customer support tools, etc.). This requires testing those systems as well.
- We prefer to patch early in the week to have support available to address individual player issues before the weekend.
We haven't got a date and time locked in yet, but we will let you know as soon as we do.
CURRENT EVENTS:
We have both the Free Mech Event and The Longbow Challenge event running right now. Both events will receive an extension once the patch is live. I am currently thinking of adding a 10-day extension to both.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
The compensation event and all the Holiday events will not be posted or started until the patch is live, and we can confirm on the live environment that everything is back to normal.
UPCOMING PATCH:
The December Patch is still on track for December 13th; we will let you know if this changes.
Keep sharing your thoughts on the forums (I am reading all the posts), and we are truly grateful for your passion for MechWarrior Online.
I can't wait for this fix to be out so we can look toward the future and all the great stuff coming next year to MechWarrior Online: Legends, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, and MechWarrior 5: Clans.
Again we want to thank you for your patience and understanding,
The MechWarrior Online Team
P.S. It has occurred to me that we will need to update players on how bolt-ons will behave post-patch - that information will come with the Patch notes for the bolt-on changes next week.
1ST UPDATE NOV 25TH:
We understand that the ongoing situation is less than ideal, and we want to assure you that we are actively addressing the issues. We have allocated the necessary resources to resolve these issues promptly and are committed to providing a confirmed fix at the earliest opportunity. Given the complexity of the problems, we are approaching the resolution methodically.
Here's a brief overview of the current plan:
Server Disconnect Issue:
We suspect that the disconnect problem stems from an excess of items in the game. The server loads the database of items that players can potentially equip, cross-referencing it with player loadouts. Due to the growing number of items, servers are timing out during attempts to load both the database items and player loadouts.
Our current best solution involves consolidating bolt-ons. Each bolt-on currently has a unique ID for each Mech it works with, resulting in tens of thousands of IDs. We have reduced this to fewer than 1000 IDs, allowing players to equip certain bolt-ons across multiple mechs for a more flexible system. Testing for this fix is currently underway.
Testing the Fix:
One challenge we face is replicating the issue during testing. The original problem did not surface in our pre-release testing on the staging environment. Our QA team is actively working to reproduce the issue reliably with the old version to confirm the fix in the new version. This process is ongoing but progressing slowly due to build times and deployment processes.
Deploying the Fix:
Before deploying the fix, player items need reconfiguration to align with the new bolt-on systems. A database script is being created and tested to ensure the integrity of player items. We are working efficiently on the potential fix, and if possible, we will implement a hotfix. If needed, we may consider a slight delay in the December patch to ensure a thorough resolution.
Side Note:
The Centurion crash has been confirmed fixed, though integration into the bolt-on fix is uncertain. Our priority remains addressing server disconnects. If the Centurion Fix cannot be integrated, it will be included in the December patch.
Closing:
We want to emphasize that we are diligently working to resolve all critical issues, prioritizing your ability to enjoy the game. Your experience is as important to us as it is to you. We have exciting plans for December, but none of it matters if the game isn't functioning reliably.
Compensation:
Once the fix is deployed, we plan to host an event with compensation as a gesture of appreciation. We look forward to celebrating together.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
ORIGINAL POST:
Greetings MechWarriors,
Matt Newman here wanted to give you a status update on MechWarrior Online post-Nov Patch.
We have a few known issues occurring intermittently.
Errors preventing players from connecting to games which results in an error message
- We originally thought this was an issue with EU servers only.
- We are continuing to investigate this issue and will update you when we have a solution.
- This issue is having a knock-on effect of locking Mechs in match until the match terminates
Mechs not visible post-match
- on occasion, players' mechs will not be visible in their account post-match
- They are not lost and will reappear upon re-logging into the client
Intermittent Crashes
- We have identified an issue with Centurion variants that were causing crashes and the fix is confirmed
- The Variants Casuing the issues are CN9-AH(L), CN9-A(NCIX), CN9-D(P)
- The Onyx is safe to use :)
Bolt-on and Decal Sale
- The bolt-on and Decal sale was causing long connect times due to downloading the Sale stats
- This happens anytime we put a large set of items on sale
- We disabled the Bolt on and decal Sale Earlier last week
- We are working to optimize the Bolt-on system to make sales possible in the future.
Other Issues:
- If you are aware of other issues please contact: support@mwomercs.com
As we work towards fixes we are also completing the work on the December Patch which is scheduled to release on Dec 13th.
Depending on where we are in the patch cycle and the continuing severity of the Issues we may not be able to Hot Fix before Dec 13th as Hot Fixes tend to block Patch progress on multiple fronts. Our #1 goal is to resolve the issues and deliver the Dec patch content.
One last update is we will be continuing our tradition of an event-filled holiday Season this year so keep a look out for upcoming announcements for:
- Advent Event Daily Challenges
- The Holiday Bonus Mech Event
- The Holiday Christmas Card Email
- New Years XPerience
- In-Game Sales and MWO Sales on Steam and MWO Store
- MW5 Sales on Various Storefronts
See you on the Battlefield,
The MechWarrior Online Team
