My idea of Nexon's update process.

[Cheez]

Lots of people complain about the patch times, specifically extensions. But they don't even really know anything of what goes on. They seem to think it takes the blink of an eye to have something happen. That's not how it works. Here's my interpretation of what goes on. I might be wrong, but I don't work for Nexon. I also have no idea how flow charts work. Start from the bottom.

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/1143/chartzr3.png (http://imageshack.us)
By somebodeh (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/somebodeh)

[IsaacGS]

Well, we do know a few things. For example, they used to put the patch files up as soon as the patch started. Sometimes they even put them up before the patching began. This means that, as I'm sure we all expect, they have the client patch more or less complete before the servers go down. The only reason they don't put them up so early is because of the prepatchers. :p

The other thing we know is that the servers aren't necesarily off for the entire patch period. I'm sure they do take them offline when they're first making the modifications, however they also go back up and do testing, as proven when someone connected to the servers using the Tespia client during a patch.

Given those two things, your chart there looks fairly accurate. Sort of simplistic but it gets the point across, I suppose.

[Cheez]

Well that was my main point, to just give people a general idea of what I think goes on. People think that Nexon can be 100% prepared for unforeseen snags, or that they don't actually need to do anything on the server side. They definitely need to modify their server software and, I would believe, restart all of that. That stuff takes time. It's not like they test it, can make a fix in 2 minutes and then it's done.

[Lana♥]

Well I think people are expecting Blizzard type service (only assuming here..last Blizzard game I played was Diablo II) and since Nexon is running a game free of charge they are allowed to suck :< I for one didn't know it takes so much steps though.

[Sinnuendo]

Well I think people are expecting Blizzard type service (only assuming here..last Blizzard game I played was Diablo II) and since Nexon is running a game free of charge they are allowed to suck :< I for one didn't know it takes so much steps though.

That just doesn't make any sense. Nexon makes plenty of money by selling NX and merchandise (somewhere in the hundred millions). They aren't "allowed to suck"; a company should make it their top priority to give the best service they can, which Nexon has only recently started doing (and even then, they're still slacking a bit).

The chart makes it a lot clearer what they have go through just to get a patch up, though.

[Lana♥]

^ It doesn't matter how much money they are making. If I needed to pay a required fee to play MS, you better believe I expect top service. Maple is free and for me personally, that type of dodgy service is expected. It seems to work too seeing as Maple shows no signs of losing popularity despite their questionable service over the years.

[Sinnuendo]

^ It doesn't matter how much money they are making. If I needed to pay a required fee to play MS, you better believe I expect top service. Maple is free and for me personally, that type of dodgy service is expected. It seems to work too seeing as Maple shows no signs of losing popularity despite their questionable service over the years.

I can see your point; you don't have to pay them, so they don't really "owe" you top service. But still, they shouldn't be "allowed to suck". I don't care if it's a free game, I want the best service I can possibly get, and if I don't get it, I'll take my business elsewhere.

[Tamekii]

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/9213/hownexonpatchesgp4.png

Thats the REAL way nexon patches =O

and ignore the 'Another hour' thing =)

[tDizzle]

i believe it. that seems logical, and like nexon.

[Cheez]

Nobody's even seen sucky. Try Tibia. You have to pay to go to more than 70% of the world, and big updates with new content/graphics/whatever are anywhere from annually to bi-annually. Or Runescape, where NO content since the free game existed has been added for anyone but payers. And the curse filter filters 99% of a sentence at any given time. Or maybe [insert other games here]

[Combattente]

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/9213/hownexonpatchesgp4.png

Thats the REAL way nexon patches =O

and ignore the 'Another hour' thing =)

I laughed hard. That made my day.