# Blizzard is getting nailed atm (D3 launch)



## LuchadoreBob (May 15, 2012)

Diablo III's servers can't handle the load being put on them.
battle.net is mostly down (D3 portion at least).
I expected this to happen.

Anyone else exited to play Diablo III in six hours? lol


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## Aetius (May 15, 2012)

Welp that's what happens when millions of people try to log on at once.


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## Rilvor (May 15, 2012)

LuchadoreBob said:


> Diablo III's servers can't handle the load being put on them.
> battle.net is mostly down (D3 portion at least).
> I expected this to happen.
> 
> Anyone else exited to play Diablo III in six hours? lol



Saw that Blizzard was getting nailed in the thread title and felt compelled to see what was going on. I stopped liking Blizzard a long time ago. Good to see they're as unreliable as ever.


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## LuchadoreBob (May 15, 2012)

http://www.error37.com/ <-someone made a site ten minutes into launch.

I think Im having more fun inducing nerd rage online about this than I would be playing the game atm, so I don't really mind.


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## Zaraphayx (May 15, 2012)

Playing right now, shit is so cash.


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## CerbrusNL (May 15, 2012)

Rilvor said:


> Saw that Blizzard was getting nailed in the thread title and felt compelled to see what was going on. I stopped liking Blizzard a long time ago. Good to see they're as unreliable as ever.



I'd like to see you try to host a flawless login system (even with Blizz's resources), that doesn't shit itself when confronted with that many login attempts.

Blizzard effectively set up a voluntary botnet that DDOS's the shit out of their login servers when D3 went live.
This has nothing to do with reliability.


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## Rilvor (May 15, 2012)

CerbrusNL said:


> I'd like to see you try to host a flawless login system (even with Blizz's resources), that doesn't shit itself when confronted with that many login attempts.
> 
> Blizzard effectively set up a voluntary botnet that DDOS's the shit out of their login servers when D3 went live.
> This has nothing to do with reliability.



I won't pretend I have the faintest idea, really. I merely wonder why after all of these years, nothing has changed with them and server issues on releases.


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## CerbrusNL (May 15, 2012)

Then, next time, please don't make ignorant assumptions.

The scale Blizzard has to deal with is massive. There's just no way they can get it right, right from launch.
They did have a stress-test weekend, but I doubt the amount of players there is anywhere close to this.


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## Rilvor (May 15, 2012)

CerbrusNL said:


> Then, next time, please don't make ignorant assumptions.
> 
> The scale Blizzard has to deal with is massive. There's just no way they can get it right, right from launch.
> They did have a stress-test weekend, but I doubt the amount of players there is anywhere close to this.


Alright, then allow me to ask what's on my mind:

Why exactly is it that they still have this issue with every launch? Surely they understand the scale of their fanbase by now. Is it truly impossible to have a way to manage the traffic that they can certainly expect? Obviously one makes assumptions when one is ignorant of the fine details of the tech, so please do inform me.


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## CerbrusNL (May 15, 2012)

Rilvor said:


> Alright, then allow me to ask what's on my mind:
> 
> Why exactly is it that they still have this issue with every launch? Surely they understand the scale of their fanbase by now. Is it truly impossible to have a way to manage the traffic that they can certainly expect? Obviously one makes assumptions when one is ignorant of the fine details of the tech, so please do inform me.



The problem is that almost every single person that has bought D3 tried to login at exactly the same moment. I guess there's hardware that could handle that, but then what? It's not like that same spike is going to happen again.
I think blizzard has enough hard/software to efficiently host the D3 services, with "some" backup, but enough to handle that initial spike would be cost-inefficient.


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## Rilvor (May 15, 2012)

CerbrusNL said:


> The problem is that almost every single person that has bought D3 tried to login at exactly the same moment. I guess there's hardware that could handle that, but then what? It's not like that same spike is going to happen again.
> I think blizzard has enough hard/software to efficiently host the D3 services, with "some" backup, but enough to handle that initial spike would be cost-inefficient.



Hm. I see the money-logic there, at least. So it isn't an impossibility, it is merely wiser from a financial standpoint to not bother yes? In that light, I still feel they are unreliable on launch days. Obviously that's the reality of the situation and it'd be the same with any other company. If I remember correctly, TOR was the same.

With the rest of the internet spread about any big game one hears, I'm also hearing that Blizzard has decided upon heavy DRM that forces Online Single Player. You don't suppose this might be a strong contributing factor to the problem with their servers?


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## CerbrusNL (May 15, 2012)

The online singleplayer might be related, but that's hosted on completely different servers.

Yes, it is some heavy DRM, but it does allow friends to join your game with 1 click after the login screen (literally (Or was it 2, one to select your character also?)). It also allows Blizzard to change NPC AI, without people having to update the game, change item stats, etc etc etc. It's also the best way of preventing piracy, that I know of, since mob AI (etc) is stored server-side. It will take forever for emulators to come even close to replicating D3.

Imo, it has more advantages than disadvantages, if your internet connection is at least somewhat stable.


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## Rilvor (May 15, 2012)

CerbrusNL said:


> The online singleplayer might be related, but that's hosted on completely different servers.
> 
> Yes, it is some heavy DRM, but it does allow friends to join your game with 1 click after the login screen (literally (Or was it 2, one to select your character also?)). It also allows Blizzard to change NPC AI, without people having to update the game, change item stats, etc etc etc. It's also the best way of preventing piracy, that I know of, since mob AI (etc) is stored server-side. It will take forever for emulators to come even close to replicating D3.
> 
> Imo, it has more advantages than disadvantages, if your internet connection is at least somewhat stable.



I'll have to take your word for it with a grain of uncertainty about the online single player being on different servers; No one else in the storm has mentioned it so far, an important fact that bears repeating if true.

It is indeed very heavy DRM. But, I don't support Activision-Blizzard so I doubt my opinions wish to be heard any further. Have fun when the hubbub dies down.


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## CerbrusNL (May 15, 2012)

I'm absolutely certain the login servers are seperate. This is so people can keep playing, even if login is down.


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## Bipolar Bear (May 15, 2012)

Played Diablo II like a mother-humper for 2 years straight when it came out. All the loot, all the leveling, all those hours, days, weeks, months and years spent collecting stuff and selling it off for money so I can buy more meaningless crap. Can't wait to do it all over again! XD

And... Along with Diablo III, I shall be playing Guild Wars 2 along side it and kicking arse as a Charr Engineer.


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## Ibuuyk (May 15, 2012)

I've preordered it so I still have to wait to get it.

Y'all are cheating with yer silly digital versions >:'(


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## DragonRift (May 15, 2012)

Well, this is what happens when millions of people are trying to sign on and create new characters at the exact same time.  Once the rush subsides, the servers will be fine.  This is why I order my Blizzard games online and refuse to pick them up right at midnight.  By the time my copy arrives in the mail, the initial rush is gone, and I won't be one of those folks constantly re-entering their password every 40 seconds just to get an error message for hours on end.

This happened with *StarCraft II*.  This happened with *World of WarCraft*.  Hell, this even happened with the Blizzard STORE in 2008 when Blizzcon ticket sales crashed THAT server for several hours.  It sucks, but at least Blizzard is quick to address the problem, unlike EA.  This mishap was inevitably going to happen.  It's the price we pay when you release one of the most anticipated games in years.


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## Batty Krueger (May 15, 2012)

Omg EA,  those mother fuckers are the ones that can't get shit done.


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## Greyscale (May 15, 2012)

Looking forward to actually playing the game when I'm not busy with school or working. I had a lot of fun the one day I played the open beta.

I also see Rilvor is still an angry goth kid who hates the world.


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## Alastair Snowpaw (May 16, 2012)

o my gosh, a game has server issues on realease? How unheard of!




....
Seriously any game with online servers will generally have problems and it's generally to be expected >.>


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## Anubite (May 16, 2012)

I am enjoying every second of the game, just like Diablo 2, pm me with your blizzard tag thing if you want to play.


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## Captain Howdy (May 16, 2012)

I'm just enjoying reading the reviews (Both critics and fans alike) professing that it is SO MUCH like D2, then they go into detail...and they inadvertently explain how it's significantly different. v: Thankfully I get to skip this one, and just live on with great memories of the better 2 games outta the series :d


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## Digitalpotato (May 17, 2012)

DragonRift said:


> Well, this is what happens when millions of people are trying to sign on and create new characters at the exact same time.  Once the rush subsides, the servers will be fine.  This is why I order my Blizzard games online and refuse to pick them up right at midnight.  By the time my copy arrives in the mail, the initial rush is gone, and I won't be one of those folks constantly re-entering their password every 40 seconds just to get an error message for hours on end.
> 
> This happened with *StarCraft II*.  This happened with *World of WarCraft*.  Hell, this even happened with the Blizzard STORE in 2008 when Blizzcon ticket sales crashed THAT server for several hours.  It sucks, but at least Blizzard is quick to address the problem, unlike EA.  This mishap was inevitably going to happen.  It's the price we pay when you release one of the most anticipated games in years.




You'd think both parties woud have expected it, but nooooo it's always the big bad game dev's fault.


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## Alastair Snowpaw (May 17, 2012)

it's not just big dev's that have this problem generally when any new server game comes out and is open to the public the huge amount of traffic tends to fuck the servers up a fair amount.


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## Grimfang (May 17, 2012)

Beyond just the initial log-in traffic, I've been hearing that, as a result of single player going through Blizzard's servers/DRM, a lot of people are experiencing lag of some sort. It's not too bad of an issue for everyone, but some people live a further distance from these servers or don't have great internet connections, so the game is not playable.

Because of anti-piracy efforts, many can't play a _single player game_ without lag issues. I'm curious if Blizzard/EA will do anything to fix this. That just seems like a horrible disservice to their supporters.

edit: Blizzard/*Activision*.. not EA.
I don't know how I could confuse the two so easily. 9-9


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## Aden (May 17, 2012)

Grimfang said:


> Because of anti-piracy efforts, many can't play a _single player game_ without lag issues.



Required internet connection to play single-player is the biggest reason why I have not and will not buy this game


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## Ozriel (May 17, 2012)

I got that shit for free, so I am not complaining. :V

This is also a reminder of SWTOR when it hit lauch and the many bugs following it months after launch.


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## Rilvor (May 17, 2012)

Aden said:


> Required internet connection to play single-player is the biggest reason why I have not and will not buy this game



Don't forget that hilarious auction house.


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## Ozriel (May 17, 2012)

Rilvor said:


> Don't forget that hilarious auction house.



Hey! I like the fact that you can take the allowance of Manchildren in exchange for an item that you may or may not replace in the future! :V


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## Grimfang (May 17, 2012)

Rilvor said:


> Don't forget that hilarious auction house.



Is that the opportunity for players to "make money"? I heard something about players being able to (_in theory_) make money, although Blizzard gets a lot of cuts of cash along the way.


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## Aetius (May 17, 2012)

The DRM gives me terrible nightmares of Assassins Creed 2 on the PC.


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## Arshes Nei (May 17, 2012)

I end up buying a lot of humble games these days. I just don't have the patience to deal with a lot of these big game companies and DRM.

It's not even bugs that bother me *too* much, even old school games like back to Atari had their share of bugs  

I just don't want to "Sign up here" "wait for this" each time I just want to waste my free time on a game. Due to that I still just play games on a PS2 or Dreamcast. Or old emulated games.


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## Aetius (May 17, 2012)

Even cracked made an article about this mess. 

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-diablo-iii-represents-gamings-annoying-future/


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## Kahoku (May 17, 2012)

Rilvor said:


> Saw that Blizzard was getting nailed in the thread title and felt compelled to see what was going on. I stopped liking Blizzard a long time ago. Good to see they're as unreliable as ever.



Guild wars 2 needs to be released already I have been in all the beta events, its glorious.


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## Arshes Nei (May 18, 2012)

http://www.1up.com/news/diablo-iii-always-on-reaction-surprised-blizzard-fighting-piracy-not-goal


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## Tango (May 18, 2012)

Ozriel said:


> Hey! I like the fact that you can take the allowance of Manchildren in exchange for an item that you may or may not replace in the future! :V



Sounds like when i used to be an escort on SecondLife. Those lonely man-babies just throw money at you.


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## Hakar Kerarmor (May 18, 2012)

Arshes Nei said:


> http://www.1up.com/news/diablo-iii-always-on-reaction-surprised-blizzard-fighting-piracy-not-goal



I had this same issue with Tropico 4 during the free-to-play weekend on Steam. The moment I started it up for the first time and saw that I *had to* register a username and email adress I quit and uninstalled.
I don't care what wonderful features and gubbins and butterflies are included with 'online options', the fact that I did not get the simple option to say "no thanks" to all of that and play the bloody single-player game without any online hoohaa cost them a sale.
Off course, I went to the Steam forum for the game and saw that anyone who expressed the same position was labelled as a whiner, because "it's just a few clicks and what are you complaining about?".


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## Ozriel (May 18, 2012)

Tango said:


> Sounds like when i used to be an escort on SecondLife. Those lonely man-babies just throw money at you.



Did they solicit you for sex or did you sell digital coke bottles for $2.50 RL currency?


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## Fenrari (May 18, 2012)

I'll give it another 2 or 3 weeks before the servers really stabilize. Not to mention the Koreans already got to 60 a few hours after release :/


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## Arshes Nei (May 18, 2012)

http://www.amazon.com/Diablo-III-Standard-Edition-Pc/dp/B00178630A/

60 bucks for a game you can't even take with you since you have to log in?
Yeah and seeing the reviews about little to no replay value, and it is like the second one that plays like a dumb blond. Pretty graphics but constrained and dumbed down experience.

Wow.


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## Grimfang (May 18, 2012)

Apparently my partner started a game on hardcore, so if you die, your game is over. Before too far in, his connection to the server broke. He logged back in and it seems that he died at some point while the connection was timing out.
So much for that.

Ahhh, this game.. it's fascinating and painful at the same time, just hearing about this.


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## Digitalpotato (May 19, 2012)

Alastair Snowpaw said:


> o my gosh, a game has server issues on realease? How unheard of!
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Yes, that reminds of why I don't go to theatres. 

Because every time I go see a movie on opening weekend, they're sold out and if I do get in, it's crowded and full of people spoiling my viewing experience.

Btw guys, if you're really against this game so much, there's one thing to do: Boycott it. 

And don't pirate it - you want to *DENY* arguments in favour of DRM, SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, and CISPA, don't you? Well do just that and simply *go without* playing Diablo 3. Yes, going without a hyped game...it's going to be okay. Take a deep breath. Got it? Good.


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## Arshes Nei (May 19, 2012)

I agree with the not pirating, but purchases for games is a lot harder. Many pre-ordered the damn thing and others bought it with hoping it would work. Others bought the game because they waited 12 years...and it's not like you can easily return it. And while I understand the difficulties in software purchases, there should be more consumer rights ... because some stores practice a return policy that is just...blah. So not only do you have to deal with a bad product, you have to be careful where you buy it so you don't get a messed up return policy. 

If Diablo was an MMO game, and yeah the servers being overloaded is one thing. However, people enjoy Diablo for being OFFLINE and requiring people to log in for even offline mode is extremely stupid. Because while the servers were being overloaded, people who had the game should have been like "no big deal, I can play offline and wait for the loads to die down". Since they made this "intelligent" decision, I feel they deserve all the bad press they get.


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## Kesteh (May 20, 2012)

The problem is with all vendors you can't return a *physical* copy of D3 because the key was used and activated. All retailers will say "NOPE. You're fucked!" while you keep a dusty box on your shelf.
Or you could risk a few kinds of hell by selling your account if you don't happen to play any other blizzard game.
You can get a refund off the *digital* download, meaning you bought it via battle.net. Blizzard can simply tick a few things and make it look like D3 never existed. No loss.

Bottom line is the negatives are quickly outgrowing the positives.
At one time blizzard said that an online connection was only required to start playing (You know... Log in: "You are legit. kthxbai." and you're done.). They supposedly changed that late last year and most of the devoted diablo fans are calling people retarded for not knowing this.


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## Lobar (May 20, 2012)

CerbrusNL said:


> I'd like to see you try to host a flawless login system (even with Blizz's resources), that doesn't shit itself when confronted with that many login attempts.
> 
> Blizzard effectively set up a voluntary botnet that DDOS's the shit out of their login servers when D3 went live.
> This has nothing to do with reliability.



Kinda their own damn fault with the always-online bit, yeah?


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## JackRussel (May 20, 2012)

I was annoyed because I have the damn thing.


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## Abundance (May 20, 2012)

D3 lol. If I wanted to play the same Diablo game again, I wouldn't bother paying 60 bucks for it.


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## Arshes Nei (May 20, 2012)

[yt]I43GUnZN_s4[/yt]


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## Grimfang (May 21, 2012)

I really need to stop bashing this game, but I saw a new one last night. It's hard to just leave it alone, when I continually see someone being screwed over in it.

So after Arc/Sonatatata beats a boss or something in the game, a cut-scene started. When it went back to the game from the cut-scene, on his screen is something to the effect of:
"YOU HAVE DIED. ALL YOUR ARMOR LOST 10% DURABILITY. [more words]"

So I guess, while the cut-scene was playing, the server decided he was just standing around with mobs.


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## Arshes Nei (May 21, 2012)

Eh, it's understandable. I mean I'd probably be like "doth protest a bit much" back in the golden 20 dollar games because I always figure someone will play play a game 4-5 times because they enjoy it. Gaming replay value has dropped a lot. Watching someone spend nearly 60-70 bucks for a game and can't even get through it astounds me.

I think I'll go with Torchlight...I like the kind of hack n slash kind of gaming since the original Gauntlet (I miss that being in the arcades - you made so many friends or enemies that way lol). Torchlight remembers that games should be fun first of all and people will be willing to support and pour more money over to companies for gaming development.


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