Please, Fix Labyrinth Timer

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Rhys wrote:

I understand your frustration and sympathize, but the problem is that such a fix is not easy, not fast, and not cheap.

Behind the scenes, there is no timer. Just a couple of time-stamps. We already went with the "easy, fast, cheap" solution. Making it track in-game time across multiple servers is much harder. It would be nice, yes, but unfortunately it's actually quite a lot of work. Sorry.

Using a time-stamp on load is easy, but using a time-stamp when the Grace Period ends is hard?

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Rhys wrote:

I understand your frustration and sympathize, but the problem is that such a fix is not easy, not fast, and not cheap.

Behind the scenes, there is no timer. Just a couple of time-stamps. We already went with the "easy, fast, cheap" solution. Making it track in-game time across multiple servers is much harder. It would be nice, yes, but unfortunately it's actually quite a lot of work. Sorry.

RIP the dream.

You can make ~30 minutes timer counting back from 30 mins like Zana timed missions, just code it so it will work for couple ща zones&grace periods and record results at the end of lab, you can even get NPC to give you this quest, so non-competing people wont see it.

look up RamDisks if you have high enough ram... even better than SSDs

Why bother using the development time to create a whole expansion revolving around labyrinth if it can't even truly put to its potential?

Wasn't this something that was discussed before this expansion was coming to life?
Seems like the nail in the coffin that makes labyrinth's intended use 100% pointless, and once again, wasted dev time.

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Rhys wrote:

I understand your frustration and sympathize, but the problem is that such a fix is not easy, not fast, and not cheap.

Behind the scenes, there is no timer. Just a couple of time-stamps. We already went with the "easy, fast, cheap" solution. Making it track in-game time across multiple servers is much harder. It would be nice, yes, but unfortunately it's actually quite a lot of work. Sorry.

But you guys log Izaro, right? I mean, we know you must. So we know you have the ability to have a time-stamp in there.

Why not put a gatekeeper mob at the start of the labyrinth. Gatekeeper must be killed to start the timer (and a literal gatekeeper, door opens after gatekeeper dies). Log the Gatekeeper's death.

Or heck, as they do in World of Warcraft Challenge Modes, just have an orb at the start of the instance. Challenge Modes are basically same-type concept of speed running. The "orb" starts the timer and literally unlocks a wall/gate allowing you to continue on.

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Hercanic wrote:

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Rhys wrote:

I understand your frustration and sympathize, but the problem is that such a fix is not easy, not fast, and not cheap.

Behind the scenes, there is no timer. Just a couple of time-stamps. We already went with the "easy, fast, cheap" solution. Making it track in-game time across multiple servers is much harder. It would be nice, yes, but unfortunately it's actually quite a lot of work. Sorry.

Using a time-stamp on load is easy, but using a time-stamp when the Grace Period ends is hard?

This. Even event on granting character Grace period can be used (just add 30 sec to it or even when character leaves grace period - it has to be noted because the grace period buff is disabled then).

The idea was discussed a lot on Reddit. There were plenty of approaches presented that are better than current "Junior Developer" approach.

This solution is easiest and ASAP kneejerk reaction. If you are parsing timestamps to know the time of player run (which is really bad architecture design), just add logging to grace period if its not there yet, or use already existing logging...

Im not familiar with (forgot the eng equivalent) "distributed system" used by GGG, but there must be some event handling for characters (zoning/grace period) that can be used to simplify or at least bring more accurate measurement possibilities. If such event handling exists, it does not really matter on which machine the instance currently used by player is located on...

we are in 2016, SSD are now cheap and became a standard in any non potato-pc.

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Rhys wrote:

Behind the scenes, there is no timer. Just a couple of time-stamps.

having the server make a log entry for the first player action in a instance and grep for this event is not solving it?

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Rhys wrote:

Making it track in-game time across multiple servers is much harder.

yep, consecutive lab areas doesn't neccessarily have to be on the same gateway.

but doesn't the need to sync the "time needed for individual instances" also apply to your current approach where you grep the logfiles on each gateway?

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Rhys wrote:

Behind the scenes, there is no timer. Just a couple of time-stamps. We already went with the "easy, fast, cheap" solution. Making it track in-game time across multiple servers is much harder. It would be nice, yes, but unfortunately it's actually quite a lot of work. Sorry.

Why not tie the start time log to something other than the big lab door which makes people load?

Add one more door after entering the lab. You'd need to open it to actually get into the lab, but it wouldn't require more loading (much like silver / gold doors work).

True, this is "one more step" users need to make to actually get into the lab, but I doubt someone will be angry because there is a door he needs to open (even more so if you just make it a regular looking door).

This should give you the necessary user event needed for the time log and allows everyone to actually have loaded lab before starting the run timer.

(Figured this might not work if you need the user event from all players, but maybe you can counter-interact that with logging the timers for everyone in the party if someone touches the door).

Also I'm sure you've gone through all the possibilities you have and the system works like it does right now for a reason. Still worth throwing my idea out here.