Realm Issues - Vindication &Ruin Battlegroups

Afternoon, all.

We are currently looking into the realm issues affecting both the Vindication and Ruin battlegroups. Please remain patient as we work to bring these realms back online as soon as possible. Should any additional information become available, we will be sure to update you along the way. Unfortunately, no ETA is available at this time; however, please feel free to check back in this thread for the latest information.

To ensure that each of our players are up to date with the latest information, we humbly request that you refrain from creating multiple threads regarding this issue. Please keep all discussion of this topic in this thread.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

To update you all:

Our Realm Technicians are already looking into this, and have begun troubleshooting this issue. Should any more information (such as an ETA) become available, we will let you know as quickly as possible.

Thanks again for remaining patient, all.

If you are having difficulties keeping up with this thread, we have created a post on the Service Status Forum (http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=12891375252&sid=1) and have posted Breaking News (http://launcher.worldofwarcraft.com/alert). As is stated therein, we will be providing updates in each of these locations as soon as more information becomes available.

Thank you all for your patience.

Q u o t e:
Argent Dawn is STILL down, and STILL not on the list of affected realms.

Please add Argent Dawn to the list.

PLEASE.

Thanks for the heads up, Kithert. To eliminate any confusion, we have added Argent Dawn to the Breaking News and Service Status Forum post. To be clear, our Technicians have been working on both Battlegroups in an effort to bring them online as quickly as possible -- Argent Dawn included.

Many apologies, Kit.

I am in contact with the parties looking into this issue in an effort to acquire an update; however, no such update is currently available. I can assure you that updates will be provided as soon as I receive them.

I appreciate your patience despite the obvious frustration this issue is causing each of you. We hope to make these realms available as soon as possible.

As you may be aware, we attempted to bring the realms online following the initial downtime; however, an issue presented itself which we are now looking to resolve. With that being said, our Technicians believe they have identified the source of this issue, but we must keep the realms offline until a potential resolution can be implemented.

Q u o t e:
Yay! another update with the same info, that had been circulating since we started filling this thread with more useless garbage!

The newest information we've available is that our Technicians believe to have isolated the source of the issue; this knowledge was previously unshared.

In order to fully resolve today's complications—that is, in order for our Technicians to address the identified issue—we are keeping realms offline until a fix can be implemented. Realms are not merely offline for the sake of being offline.

Once more information becomes available—news regarding our Technician's progress or a time frame during which realms may again be brought online, for example—it will be provided herein.

Q u o t e:
LOL! I love that they quoted the 'useless garbage' thread.

One man's garbage is another man's useful information.

Q u o t e:
If you know whats wrong how can there not be atleast a rough ETA

Investigation and implementation of this nature is fluid and dynamic. As work and efforts are made, further issues or additional complications may be unearthed. It's thus problematic to provide an ETA, as it may change at any given point in time—effectively breaking a "promise" to you, our players.

Should we provide information, we wish to be as reliable as possible.


With that said, we are currently conducting internal testing of all offline realms at this time. This basically means that we've brought up Vindication and Ruin realms internally (not accessible yet to players) and will be verifying proper functionality of NPCs, instances, and the like before making them live to you all.

Q u o t e:
Isnt there a way to have the servers up without the BGs? I know the server can function without the battleground....anyone in Ruin or VIndi knows that...the reason we know that is the days after patch 3.0 when the BGs were NOT working.

This issue is not isolated solely to battlegrounds; rather, each realm is affected in its entirety. :)

You may be confused by the term "battlegroup." A battlegroup is simply the word we use to identify realm clusters. More information can be found here: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/battlegrounds/battlegroups/

Q u o t e:
you and your big words... you guys have broken numerous and i mean NUMEORUS etas in the past.. why not do it some more?

In short: Because that's not our goal.

It's unfortunate that ETAs have been missed in the past, yes, but that's no reason to just toss caution to the wind. It is because of those prior occurrences that we will refrain from providing ETAs in most situations until a conclusive time frame is established.

Q u o t e:
While you're here Syn, can you shed any light on if a long term solution to these Battlegroups is being investigated?

Of that, I have no precise information. I can assure you, however, that stability is monitored and reviewed on both the micro and macro levels.

Q u o t e:
1) Can the two battlegroups affected not have server maintenance tomorrow? Considering the amount of downtime today, with a restart, and a fix applied- your techs may as well apply any fixes that are planned for tomorrow and get it over with.

Should Ruin and Vindication be the only two battlegroups available during tomorrow's scheduled maintenance, it's nigh-guaranteed that your game play would be severely impacted. Population would dramatically increase and it's quite likely many realms would be effectively "camped" by those who are dissatisfied with their own realm's offline status.

Regardless, the processes that occur during scheduled maintenance are wholly different than the investigative work being conducted at this time.

Q u o t e:
2. No one has a problem with downtime on tuesdays, it's expected. No one is going to mass create new characters

You're new here, aren't you? ;)

Q u o t e:
reaallyyy loonnggg waaaay offff sayyyinnnggg...........No =)

Correct. :)

As a non-update update: Testing is still ongoing at this time. No ETA is yet available.

Q u o t e:
Syn. What steps do we need to take to resolve this gold issue.

Our Database Administrators are still working to address the restoration of all currency lost within players' mailboxes. This is a very complicated resolution and so will require a bit of time to fully complete.

Q u o t e:
Also, I too (seriously) wouldn't mind applying for a Blizz CS job as I was laid off 2 1/2 weeks ago ... who would I contact?

All information regarding job opportunities within our Customer Support division may be found here (under Customer Support—bottom left side of the page: http://www.blizzard.com/us/jobopp/

Q u o t e:
On one hand..... pretty funny


On the other... It's a good way to say "Hey customers your frustrations with not getting information are a big funny joke to us here at Blizzard. Please update your credit card information. Hail Satan"



Which is something I have learned to accept so.... One point for you!! pretty funny!

On the contrary.

I realize that information is the most valued currency at this point in time for those players affected. With this, I also know that simply receiving timely reports—even if containing no new information—are relevant, as they show that the issue and, by proxy, this thread are being reviewed and shown deserved attention.


Also, a real update: Our Technicians are working to bring all offline realms online at this time. This is typically a staggered process, so if you're realm is not immediately accessible, or is one of the last to come online, please remain patient. This is normal.

Q u o t e:
You're absolutely right. A new blue post saying the same as the last is better than none at all.

As this thread's audience is consistently changing and growing, yes. :)

Q u o t e:
So when will the sever be back ONLINE?

Realms are being brought online slowly.

As I noted previously, this will be a staggered process; not all realms will be brought online at once. This allows to continue to monitor the progress and efficacy of our implemented resolution.

For reference, our Breaking News page will note when all realms have been brought online (the current message simply notes our progress). You're welcome to check there or here for this information:

http://launcher.worldofwarcraft.com/alert

Q u o t e:
WHAT was the problem? would it kill you to let us know?

Not it. They.

Q u o t e:
I am still waiting for a blue response on why these servers ALWAYS go down more than the others. Can you guys fix the underlying problem, please? Make it your number one priority, it is getting retarded.

As has been pointed out, we are down today, going to be down tomorrow, and I am betting we have - on these groups - extended maintenance above and beyond the norm.

As stated before, though this information and consideration is outside of the purview of the Game Master department, I can assure you that realm stability (or instability, depending) is reviewed on both micro and macro levels. Overall downtime is consistently analyzed.

With this, population, functionality, and progression balances are continually reviewed with measures taken to relieve any notable incongruities. If there's an identified and confirmed issue, it will be both resolved and addressed.

All realms should be online at this time.

Please keep me updated of any continuing issues. :)