Realm Maintenance - 5/19/2009

Update, 1:35pm PDT

We are concluding the final steps of the extended maintenance and all realms should be online and playable by about 2:00PM PDT. Thank you for your patience.

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Update, 12pm PDT

We are still working through the issues preventing Battle.net accounts from logging in. We are continuing to make all realms playable except for the realms listed below that are undergoing extended maintenance which is scheduled to complete at approximately 1:00PM PDT. We will provide another update by 1:00PM PDT.

Area 52
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dawnbringer
Exodar
Fizzcrank
Galakrond
Ghostlands
Grizzly Hills
Shattered Halls
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
Velen
Zangarmarsh

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Update, 11am PDT

The realms listed below are continuing to undergo extended maintenance and are still scheduled to be made playable at approximately 1:00PM PDT. All other realms are now concluding maintenance and will be made playable in about the next hour. We are also continuing to troubleshoot some issues with the Battle.net authentication system that we encountered during the maintenance which are preventing players from logging in using Battle.net accounts at this time. We will provide further updates on these issues by 12:00PM noon PDT. Thank you for your patience.

Area 52
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dawnbringer
Exodar
Fizzcrank
Galakrond
Ghostlands
Grizzly Hills
Shattered Halls
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
Velen
Zangarmarsh

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Gooooooooooood Morning CSF!

Ahhh, another week, another maintenance!

Are we ready? ARE WE READY? You....in the back - I can't HEAAAAR you!

That's better :)

Please note that some realms have a later estimated return time due to additional work being done. Also, web services and forums may be periodically unavailable.

From our helpful Service Status Forum:

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17223064081&sid=1

Q u o t e:
We will be performing extended maintenance to complete some hardware configuration on the realms listed below. This extended maintenance will begin at 3:00AM PDT on Tuesday, May 19th and we expect them to be playable by approximately 1:00PM PDT. All other realms will be undergoing our regularly scheduled maintenance which will begin at 3:00AM PDT and end at approximately 11:00AM PDT.

Thank you for your patience!

Area 52
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dawnbringer
Exodar
Fizzcrank
Galakrond
Ghostlands
Grizzly Hills
Shattered Halls
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
Velen
Zangarmarsh

As always, this is an excellent time to catch up on security sweeps. Make sure your software is updated, do deep scans and standard maintenance on your system so that you are ready for the wonderful week ahead.

Tuesday Recommended Reading List:

Computer Security Recommendations
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=1778038509&sid=1

Why the Downtime Every Tuesday?
https://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=89429867&sid=1

As well as our standard recommended Tuesday reading material, I also recommend catching up on the 3.1.2 notes, as well as our recent fixes thread.

Recent In-Game Fixes
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=16474158165&sid=1

3.1.2 Patch notes
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/test-realm-patchnotes.html

Equipment Manager FAQ
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17222904530&sid=1

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Q u o t e:
Well boy howdy there Mrs. Panda.

/tip hat

Morning Sippy!

Are you prepared?

Hmmmmm?

Realms are on their countdown now.

Q u o t e:


This sounds ominous, as if to say you are planning on actually destroying them. O_o

So do we get 3.1.2 at last?! Ever since I first saw the notes I've been really looking forward to this patch.

<.<
>.>

*ummmmm, maybe :)*

Q u o t e:
I haven't been at this for as long as some of you have, but just out of curiosity...has anyone ever tried to possible think of a better situation for the servers all being down at the same time? I realize that patch days are difficult, but on the minor maintenance days with rolling restarts it seems that maybe having 1 or 2 realms down at teh same time would be better for all than having everything down and not having anyone playing.

Although I suppose then we all wouldn't get together in this wonderful chat room and get to talk to each other huh?

=)

Think of it this way Deathsass.

My realm is down, yours is up.

Where do you think I - and the residents of the other 200+ realms are going to be?

IF you could get in, it would not be somewhere you'd really want to be, I promise.

Q u o t e:
The problem when you bring down than less than all the realms at once is that players flood to and overload the servers that have not been taken down. Staggering rolling restarts has been done though and as far as I know went just fine.

When it's only 5 - 15 minutes, this doesn't tend to happen. Hours, it's a whole nuther ballgame :)

Q u o t e:
Hey Orlyia, do you know if they're mailing out the Arena Tournament pets today for those who played 200 games fairly?

Not heard anything yet, Symphonic.

Q u o t e:


Oops. My bad, yes, a sign I really do need to go to bed. I'll leave the post up so people can have a good laugh at me. :'(

*snicker*

I knew what was meant, but yeah - still haven't heard anything.

Good morning, everyone!

As a reminder, our Tuesday maintenance schedule is noted in PDT, or Pacific Daylight Time. If you do not live within PDT, please ensure that you are converting our schedule appropriately to fit your local time zone.

For assistance with time zone conversion, you may wish to visit one of many online sites dedicated to the provision of times based on location. As a quick reference, however, please feel free to refer to the below table. :)

HST = PDT - 3 hours
MDT = PDT + 1 hour
CDT = PDT + 2 hours
EDT = PDT + 3 hours
ADT = PDT + 4 hours
Newfoundland = PDT + 4.5 hours
GMT = PDT + 7 hours
AEST = PDT + 17 hours

Cheers!

Making an addition to the Tuesday Recommended Reading List:

Equipment Manager FAQ
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17222904530&sid=1

Check it out!

We're still conducting maintenance on our Battle.net systems; so, should you possess a B.net account, you may encounter difficulty accessing our client at this time. We're working diligently to conclude maintenance as quickly as possible for these sytems and will work to update you along the way. :)


Also, just in case some of you missed this:

Update, 11am PDT

The realms listed below are continuing to undergo extended maintenance and are still scheduled to be made playable at approximately 1:00PM PDT. All other realms are now concluding maintenance and will be made playable in about the next hour. We are also continuing to troubleshoot some issues with the Battle.net authentication system that we encountered during the maintenance which are preventing players from logging in using Battle.net accounts at this time. We will provide further updates on these issues by 12:00PM noon PDT. Thank you for your patience.

Area 52
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dawnbringer
Exodar
Fizzcrank
Galakrond
Ghostlands
Grizzly Hills
Shattered Halls
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
Velen
Zangarmarsh

Q u o t e:
As usual incomplete Info, The down realm list is many more than what you list

Maintenance has not yet concluded, so many realms do remain offline at this time. The list provided simply indicates which realms are scheduled to receive extended maintenance.


On this note, when we bring realms online, we do so in a staggered process. This helps us monitor realm stability with greater ease and more clearly identify potential issues. :)

Q u o t e:
Any word on when the realms will be back up? I am not here to complain, just would like to know.

We hope to bring all realms live—save for those listed below—within the next hour, Gjin. We're working diligently to get you all back in the game. :)

Area 52
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dawnbringer
Exodar
Fizzcrank
Galakrond
Ghostlands
Grizzly Hills
Shattered Halls
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
Velen
Zangarmarsh

I understand many of you are frustrated; that's absolutely appreciated, and you're welcome to post herein as a means of catharsis. I ask, however, that you please remain constructive. This environment is a shared one, after all, so let's work to keep it civil.

Thanks. :)

Q u o t e:
I'd like to know why those of us with b.net accounts perpetually get the short end of the stick when it comes to issues? Downtime for the auth server during primetime playing, maintenance above and beyond that of other servers, seemingly on a weekly basis, issues logging into forums on account renewal days.

How much longer will the system be undergoing maintenance?

Fixed. :)


While I've no ETA to provide at this time, Murannan, please know that we wish to conclude maintenance on our B.net systems as quickly as possible. Should I receive any updates, I will work to note them herein.

Q u o t e:
I can't be as constructive as I could due to the fact that I'm not sure how close you and the developers are geographically, but I will say that missing updates on ETA is a matter of communication, or a lack thereof, on your part. We cannot make your developers inform the blues when an ETA will be missed, nor can we make you blues verify with the developers that the ETA will be met. We cannot make you blues post an update about the ETA before it's missed, and we cannot make sure that consistent updates are placed in the different forums before the ETA is missed.

It's YOUR job. You proved you can do it. Work on consistency.

I'd also suggest you sit down with your supervisors and create an action plan that's focused on timely and menangful customer service updates. Set time-based, measurable and achieveable milestones until you and your supervisor are convinced that it's been resolved.

We cannot always see all ends, Kapowder. It remains our goal, however, to provide as much forewarning as possible. Regrettably, we were unable to do so this morning; for this, you've my most sincere apologies.

I understand your point of concern, though, and do appreciate it. As always, thank you for your feedback. :)

Should any of you herein possess ideas on how we may improve our maintenance schedule or process, please do not hesitate to post them within our Suggestions Forum. While I do indulge in the reading of your ideas, I fear the Game Maser department does not possess purview over the implementation of them. :)

Q u o t e:
Syndri I cant still log in with my bnet account. Im starting to get very crappy

That's absoluely understandable, Linkeen, and I thank you for the patience you've displayed thus far. Our technicians are actively working to address those issues affecting B.net login and concluding that particular portion of maintenance.


Also, this just in:

Update, 12pm PDT

We are still working through the issues preventing Battle.net accounts from logging in. We are continuing to make all realms playable except for the realms listed below that are undergoing extended maintenance which is scheduled to complete at approximately 1:00PM PDT. We will provide another update by 1:00PM PDT.

Area 52
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dawnbringer
Exodar
Fizzcrank
Galakrond
Ghostlands
Grizzly Hills
Shattered Halls
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
Velen
Zangarmarsh

Q u o t e:
I have a wonderful idea. LET US UN MERGE OUR BNET/WOW ACCOUNTS.

Pretty simple.

While I'm unable to provide any form of guarantee, our Billing representatives may be able to assist you with this, Kraimer. It's best to give them a ring and see. :)

Live Representatives Available Mon-Fri, 8am to 8pm PST
For phone assistance please call: 1 (800) 592-5499 || 1 (800) 59-BLIZZARD

• Players in Australia should call 1-800-041-378
  
• Players in Singapore should call 800-2549-9273
  
• Players in Chile should call 1230-020-5554
  
• Players in Mexico should call 001-888-578-7628
  
• Players in Argentina should call 0800-333-0778
  
• All other international players should call: (949) 955-0283

Q u o t e:
ah yes, the old 'post it in the suggestions forum' response

Ah, yes. The old "thank you for directing me to the appropriate party and ensuring that my time and efforts are as efficient as possible" response.

You're welcome. ;)

Q u o t e:
Has there been a rough ETA on the Battle.net accts being able to log back into WoW yet? I'm rather eager to farm up some honor to grab my weapon today :D

We're operating on the timeline of as "ASAP, Mnementh. Beyond this, no; no ETA is available at this time. For this, you've my sincere apologies. I'll work to update you all as best I can, though.

Q u o t e:
if your 'programmers', and i use the term losely, were as efficient at doing correct coding and installation as the blues are at passing the buck (to the suggestions forum), none of us would be having these conversations

this happens week after week after week

when will Blizzard do something about it?

I am unable to spend the "buck," Gandrol; thus, it is in your best interest that it be passed to those who can. Our developers are always looking for ways to improve the player experience, though, and are happy to listen to your thoughts, ideas, and considerations within the Suggestions Forum. Whether or not you choose to take them up on this offer is completely up to you.

As for the "when"—we're always working to enhance game play and reduce down time. This is an organic, evolving world and so progress is usually an organic, evolving process. We're not washing our hands of anything, though; instead, we're consistently willing to get them dirty and work towards a better gaming environment for everyone. It's not always an instantaneous, clearly discernable event, and so change and efforts may be difficult to spot. Again, if you've any thoughts on what we could do better at any level, please let us via the Suggestions Forum. :)

Q u o t e:
Will my bnet account still be active in case I want to associate anything with it in the future?

Absolutely!

Q u o t e:
Yeah uh....


1. I merged my account at YOUR request. /regret So now I go to unmerge....
2. The 800 number above (800 59 Blizzard) is not working

I get "the wireless customer you are contacting is not available".

How about some useful, and at the very least, accurate information please.

May I ask what you mean by "request," Synapses? While we've encouraged our players to merge their accounts, this process has not yet been mandated. Were you asked, specifically, by a representative to merge your account? If so, may I ask also the reason why (the reason the represented gave)? The more I know about the nature of your merge, the better I can understand your concerns and perhaps pursue them further.

The number itself is indeed working; I was just able to get through myself using a landline. May I ask if you're dialing in from outside the United States? Or perhaps using a cell phone? I may be able to offer you a more successful route if I know the conditions surrounding your phone call. :)


*editing in clarity

Q u o t e:
Syndri, are they working on Ysera too? It is not on the list that comes up at the login page and yet I am unable to connect and I have a battlenet account. Thanks!

The issue you're experiencing is actually associated with our B.net systems and not with Ysera, specifically. We're presently working to resolve those issues affecting these systems just as quickly as possible, though; once we do, you should not experience any further difficulty.

I fear I do not yet possess an ETA to provide you currently, my dear Shaman. I'll work to keep you and those in similar positions as updated as I can, though. :)

Q u o t e:
well I have been trying to call this number for some time now and have yet to even get it to ring. Since I have been using a phone for near 50 yrs now I think I am dialing correctly.

Are you receiving any noises after the call is placed, Trazzud? Repetitive, fast paced beeping or a "Your call cannot be placed as dialed" message?

We are receiving a heavy volume of calls at this time, so it's possible that some attempts may not make it through if our allotted "on hold" spots are filled.

Thanks for any information you can provide, Trazzud. :)

Q u o t e:
Syndri, I'm not as interested in debating the semantics of my post with you. I was 'prompted' to merge my account when doing some account maintenance stuff.

The 'nature' of my merge is that it's done, and I want it undone. The information provided by YOU is not leading to any type of a solution. Perhaps that should be your focus, and not the semantics of my post.

I'm dialing from inside the US, from a landline and a cellphone. Neither work.

Your attempt to dissect the verbage of my post, instead of focusing on the problem at hand, is at the very best, disconcerting

The semantics are indeed important, though I understand why you may believe otherwise. You've my apologies that my intent was not more transparent. :)

The reason I asked was to ensure that you were not forced to create a B.net account and merge your WoW account with it without due cause. Such a process is indeed not mandatory at this time and if you were informed otherwise by a representative I would want to address that matter further. You seemed very concerned about the request or our messaging and I wanted to ensure that nothing was occuring that shouldn't be.

With that said, thank you for answering my questions, Synapses. I do appreciate it. For clarity, you receive the "the wireless customer you are contacting is not available" message each time the number is dialed or do you encounter any other errors?

Q u o t e:
there is no difference between cellphone and landlines (I work for a phone company) when it comes to making calls to any number (land lines do not get a priority or anything)... and i doubt you are speaking truthful when u say u just got though just now... for some magic reason you just picked up the line and called and got though, just like you were able to log into game with ur bnet account... again magically...

We've received numerous reports that players are often able to get through more successfully on a landline than a cell phone. This is was the sole reason for my inquiry. :)


On this note, those issues affecting B.net login should be resolved at this time. Those who still encounter any difficulty, please let me know so that I may relay the information on as quickly as possible.

Q u o t e:
Same message, each time.

Understood, and thank you for the confirmation. Our "on hold" queue is presently at full capacity, so this may be a standardized message your service provides when encountering a similar situation. I've forwarded on your report for further review, though.

As B.net login is again available, Synapses, do you still wish to potentially unlink your WoW account at this time? Perhaps there's options yet available beyond call in. I'd like to explore them with you if it still your desire to unlink.

Q u o t e:
again i am calling bull!!! I was told that bnet was mandatory if you choose to use a token

Mobile Authenticators require a B.net account, Napi. Blizzard Authenticators do not yet possess the same requirements, though.

I apologize sincerely for the confusion. May I ask whether it was a Billing or an in-game representative which provided you with this information?

Q u o t e:
Any ETA on those servers that had extended maintenance syn?

No ETA at present, but we have pushed by the current time frame until 2pm. We'll reevaluate the state of realms at the time and provided for you all herein.

Here's the latest from our Breaking News page:

Q u o t e:
[12:55PM PDT, May 19, 2009]

We are continuing to perform extended maintenance on the realms listed below. We have encountered some issues and currently have no estimate on when the realms will be available. All other realms are now online and playable and all issues with the Battle.net authentication are now resolved. We will provide further updates by 2:00PM PDT. Thank you for your patience.

Area 52
Auchindoun
Azuremyst
Blade's Edge
Blood Furnace
Coilfang
Dawnbringer
Exodar
Fizzcrank
Galakrond
Ghostlands
Grizzly Hills
Shattered Halls
Terokkar
The Scryers
The Underbog
Velen
Zangarmarsh

I know this is frustrating for many of you, so please feel free to continue to post herein. All I ask is that you remain civil and constructive. :)

Q u o t e:
I still get the "unable to connect" problem when I try to connect with my battle net account :( how can i fix this?

Thanks for the report! Does this occur even after you exit out of the client completely and then try to relog?

Q u o t e:
While this issue is now resolved, I really hope Blizzard keeps this in mind and works on it. They need infinitely better customer support, and the CSRs need a serious kick in the butt. Feel free to delete this or modify it as you see fit, because I know you will.

You guys aren't treating your customers very well. I've worked in retail, in customer service; I've had people blame me for things that weren't even bought in my store. I know how crappy CSRs can be treated. That said, you need to clean up your act(s)--badly. You're being snarky and smartass with the people who are paying your paycheck, and if I acted like that at any of my previous jobs, I would've been fired on the spot. Get with it.

I definitely appreciate the feedback, Netolia; thank you so much for taking the time to provide it, even though you are frustrated and likely anxious to play. My managers would likely be equally as appreciative, so, if you are willing, I'd be obliged if you could email your thoughts and concerns to [email protected], as well.

Thanks again. :)

Q u o t e:
Hey Syndri, I still can't connect and my account is merged.

Roger that, and same question to you, my good sir (just for clarity):

Q u o t e:
Does this occur even after you exit out of the client completely and then try to relog?

Thanks!

Q u o t e:
Now getting "The login server is currently busy."

Assuming that's just high traffic right now.

Likely so, but is this still occurring for you, Charity?

Awesome, Øwñ—thanks!

Q u o t e:
Bro and about us who dont live on your country ?

Like i live on brazil, play from here on Us realm AKAMA.

no i´m not doing a international call for blizz... how do i suposed to be able to UNMERGE my acc ?

Hey Darkmessiah, I just saw this message now, so apologies for the delay!

If you are unable to use our international line and do not possess access to a program like Skype, you may wish to contact our Billing department via email first ([email protected]) to discuss your contact options further. :)

Q u o t e:
Yes, still happening. Closed client completely and restarted.

I keep trying every minute or so

Q u o t e:
I still get the login server is busy :-(

Alright, I've a few additional questions for both of you. :)

1) Does this occur at client login or realm login?
2) If the latter, which realm are you each attempting to access?

Thanks!

2pm PDT is the next scheduled update, Terionx. :)

Charity, Warla, Wushi—Thanks, I'll look into this further!

Q u o t e:
Syndri,

I don't know if having more confirmed cases helps or not, but I am having the same issue. I've restarted the game after patching, and receive the error that the login server is busy after entering my Battle.net account name and password, but before it asks for my Authenticator code.

The more information, the better. :)

Just in case I am asked, what's your default login realm?

Hey folks, we're currently purusing this issue within Tech Support. If you're experiencing the "Login Server Busy" message, go ahead and try out those troubleshooting steps provided here: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17223044926&pageNo=1&sid=1#2

If these do not restore your ability to log in, go ahead and let Mikepl know. :)

Update, 1:35pm PDT

We are concluding the final steps of the extended maintenance and all realms should be online and playable by about 2:00PM PDT. Thank you for your patience.


And thank you again, Kapowder; hopefully, this one step backwards gives us the vantage to take two steps forward. :)

To better assist with our investigation into this issue, please continue to post any findings within our Tech Support thread: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17223044926&pageNo=1&sid=1#2

This will help us help you more expediently. :)

Thanks, all!