The server lockout, and the (unpopular) solution.

[Prometheius]

What about a clicks per minute limit in the 2 hours before and the 2 hours after server update?

If you are legitimately trying to do things in CN, you don't need more than a set amount per minute. 12 per minute is one every 5 seconds. 6 per minute is one every 10 seconds.

[Kn1nJa]

I like the idea of having troops need a "recovery period". Just like in RL where you need to sleep for 8 hours, your troops also should need time to recuperate. I do think this would not only help alleviate the server load issues, but would help even the playing field for those of us that stay up till 1AM or later just for update.

[Locke]

One option that may help would be to disable some or all of the methods of attack for everyone at midnight update similar to the way some of the stat pages in the game are taken offline to conserve system resources. In this way players would be able to login at 12:00 midnight, collect taxes, pay bills, and prepare their military and then around 1:00 AM or whenever things slow down enough the war system would be switched back online so that players could perform their attacks. This would help spread out the load and hopefully prevent or reduce the update lockout. I wonder if there are parts of the war system that could be brought back online at separate intervals so as to further spread out the update load or would it all (ground attacks, cruise, nukes, aircraft, spies, etc...) have to be brought back online at the same time?

The primary problem with this is that different planners have different strategies of orders of attacks. Setting multiple updates could majorly screw with that.

What we need is a counter that lets people know how much more the database can handle, and a method to que users trying to get in. This way, lockout can be measured and people know just how long they have to wait in order to get in, as opposed to just sitting on the F5 button and thereby only adding to the problem.

[Magnum T. Gundraw]

Imposing restrictions in response to a restriction isn't exactly a great solution.

[Michael the Squirrel]

my idea was the same but with a 24 period. I like this idea though. Or they could edit the game to go of the defenders time zone, their update is when attacks can be doubled up on. something like that.

[Taishaku]

@Michael the Squirrel

The thing about 24 hours though is that even in the current state, wars are not fought over 24 hours. You log on an hour or two before update to avoid the lag, attack; one or two hours later, repeat.

[Lartize]

I would be far more inclined to have it where whenever you declare your attack, that is your 24 hour update time for the war.

So say you declared at 5:46pm, well you could save your first attack and attack at 5:45pm the next day, then attack again at 5:46pm.

This would allow us to keep our blitz's just the way the are, but also add a bit of a surprise to it.. since they can come any time during the day.. but it would also keep everything at midnight from being clogged together because everyone else won't be on trying to counter the blitz, as well as everything else that happens at update.

[Taishaku]

@Lartize

Why are we so obsessed with 24 hours? Why not 12, 16, or 20?

[Comrade Tiki]

I would be far more inclined to have it where whenever you declare your attack, that is your 24 hour update time for the war.

So say you declared at 5:46pm, well you could save your first attack and attack at 5:45pm the next day, then attack again at 5:46pm.

Oh my... This is, quite succinctly, the perfect solution.

[Viluin]

Oh my... This is, quite succinctly, the perfect solution.

I disagree. What if you're in 4+ wars, each on different times of the day? In order to fight at maximum strength you will then need to spend A LOT of time on this game. I like to leave the house during wars..

[Taishaku]

I disagree. What if you're in 4+ wars, each on different times of the day? In order to fight at maximum strength you will then need to spend A LOT of time on this game. I like to leave the house during wars..

...You can send out two at 5 PM, then at 5 PM the next day do it again.

But I don't think it should be 24 hours. I think 18 would be good.

[Lartize]

Eh.. 24 hours allows the war to last a week and not have to be on at different times every day since some peoples time online is limited.

Personally, I would prefer to see it switched to 12 hours, or 6 hours... But this is a discussion for fixing the server lag out, not discussing decreasing the boredom between updates

[energizer]

There really is now way to fix this unless you introduce a new battle system, one in which the blitz tactic remains untouched.

EDIT: Why not a system in which an 'update' is based on when the war was made? And just increase the time of the attack by an hour for when all the attacks are reset.

So nation A attacks nation B at 12:00 PM

Nation A does their attacks

1:00 PM

Nation A has a new set of attacks and uses them

Thus, 1:00 PM is the update time of when those two can exchange attacks.

Edited April 27, 2009 by energizer

[Viluin]

...You can send out two at 5 PM, then at 5 PM the next day do it again.

But I don't think it should be 24 hours. I think 18 would be good.

It's not about sending, it's about receiving. If you are receiving attacks at 4, 5 or even 6 different times of the day you have to be a damn hermit to defend against them all. Not to mention that certain tactics require you to send your attacks while you are receiving them. If this change is made, it promotes spending basically the entire day on Cybernations, whereas this game (not the politics) has always been known to be casual. This isn't Travian where you wake up twice in the middle of the night so you don't get rolled.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Viluin

[Taishaku]

@Viluin

Please explain to me how it is any different than if 4 people today decided to attack at intervals of 6 hours starting at 12 AM (12 AM, 6 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, rinse and repeat). People can attack at any time they want.

[Viluin]

@Viluin

Please explain to me how it is any different than if 4 people today decided to attack at intervals of 6 hours starting at 12 AM (12 AM, 6 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, rinse and repeat). People can attack at any time they want.

Because most people don't do that. Most attacks happen at the update so they can coordinate with their friends. However, if this change is implemented they will be forced to attack at different times.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Viluin

[Drake]

I oppose this. It would just slow down things in CN.

[Lartize]

There really is now way to fix this unless you introduce a new battle system, one in which the blitz tactic remains untouched.

EDIT: Why not a system in which an 'update' is based on when the war was made? And just increase the time of the attack by an hour for when all the attacks are reset.

That is exactly what I just suggested, thanks for agreeing with me

It's not about sending, it's about receiving. If you are receiving attacks at 4, 5 or even 6 different times of the day you have to be a damn hermit to defend against them all.

Why again is it, that you have to be online to defend against the attacks? Oh.. it is because we are totally used to there being no suprise attacks, because they always happen at update.. your right.. wait, !@#$, that's what got us into this problem with the server crash.. nevermind.

@Viluin

Please explain to me how it is any different than if 4 people today decided to attack at intervals of 6 hours starting at 12 AM (12 AM, 6 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, rinse and repeat). People can attack at any time they want.

It isn't really . He just wants to be able to more easily defend against a blitz, someone isn't secure in the thought that they can not get rick-rolled if they don't rebuild troops

[Comrade Tiki]

Because most people don't do that. Most attacks happen at the update so they can coordinate with their friends. However, if this change is implemented they will be forced to attack at different times.

Completely wrong. If the friends coordinate at midnight, they can all attack at the same time, as currently. If those attacking you instead decide to attack at noon, then they will still be able to attack at the same time, and you will be able to actively defend against them at noon instead of midnight.

You're confused because you're imagining people who declare wars at different times. And currently, there's nothing keeping people from attacking together at 10am. The one change is that one nation might have a blitz then. In that case, what's the problem? You can't expect to be online for every single attack. If you expect to be, then you're violating the "casual" nature of this game which you spoke of.

[Duncan King]

I don't like the idea of disabling certain methods of attacks because it will result in an advantage to certain people. If cruise missiles are disabled at update, then a nation with no airforce and only ground troops won't be able to use cruise missiles in its attack. Some members of Gremlins may think CMs are useless, but to a smaller nation, they may be useful and taking them away would be unfair.

I like the OP. Make it an 18 hour period between attack periods.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Duncan King

[Taishaku]

@Viluin

Your strategic thought is astounding (that was sarcasm).

You assume people can only coordinate at the update? You do realize the Europeans have NEVER coordinated at the update? Primarily because it's 5 AM there?

It seems rather naive to assume everyone only attacks when you can defend. No, the reason why they attack on updates is because you can do 2, then another 2 within a few hours. This means you can wait an entire day without doing anything.

@Comrade Tiki

Here here!

Why is it that the same people who whine about server crashes are also the same people who whine when people want to change it?

I mean technically, there shouldn't be any problem whatsoever if people quit being idiots and attack earlier in the day and repair their damage after update.

@Duncan King

Actually the OP said 20 hours. But I said before that 24 is too long, 12 is too short, so 18 is just right. ^^

Edited April 27, 2009 by Taishaku

[enderland]

I am strongly opposed to the idea of making it even more turn based than it already is.

[arentak]

Maybe some stuff, like data on other players, alliance stats, etc, could be exported with a web service independant of database connectivity, so no DB action is taken, those exports could update every 5 or 10 minutes (except between 11PM and 1AM).

[Blacky]

Simple solution. Updates every 12 hours.

Split everything down the middle.

Nukes stay the same, 1 GA/AS/CM/Spy Op per update.

Collect 50% of taxes, pay 50% of bills.

Days are still normal.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Blacky

[KingEsus]

Not being able to get up ay 5 / 6am for update is a disadvantage. Getting up only to be locked out is, well, frustrating.

Option: as stated above have two 'updates', players can choose whcih one applies to them. They are allowed the same amount of actions per 24hr period. However are prone to attacks on their non update... could that work?