So this explains the reason for that annoying message. Well thanks for the heads up!

I certainly hope that you'll be able to find a better way of managing the instance problems than the artificial instance numbers cap. This seems like a crude way of fixing what is, based on your earlier reports on problems with Lake Wintergrasp, essentially a problem with the code optimization... Sorry that it had to come down to such solutions :/

EDIT: Look, first!

Ooh good. Its a real pain in the proverbial when you're just trying for a quick VH.

Is it a possibility to get some sort of queuing system? Perhaps even like the battlegrounds queue system (obviously still have to venture to the instance in the first place), but something to stop us having to bounce off the portal door for however long we have to wait.

i think thats a great idea.

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Q u o t e:
To ensure stable and positive performance in raid and dungeon instances, an instance performance balancing feature was implemented which limits the total number of instances that can be created on a realm. Prior to this change, we were seeing serious issues in instances which greatly degraded instance performance, and in some cases, caused them to crash entirely.

This update instituted a load check that limited opening of additional instances. This will result in throttling of some instance creation where users receive the following message: "Additional instances could not be launched. Please, try again later." Ultimately, we felt that some wait time for players attempting to create a new instance was better than causing bad performance for all players in instances.

We are continually monitoring the realms affected by this, and use the data we gather to implement further optimisations. Our ultimate goal is to work toward the removal of the limit.

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i do not totatlly understand this.

1) when i got that message while trying to enter an instance, i just keep bashing my head against the instance portal till i finally get in. this usually doesn't take more than 5 tries.
so... in the end nr. of instances created at same time are the same than without this change, you are just making that some people create their instance 15 seconds later. and this is suposed to fix anything?

2) does this apply to raid instances too?

3) we've been seeing this "Additional instances could not be launched. Please, try again later." for quite a while now. minimum a week i'd say maybe even more... but it didn't improve perfomance at all on the servers that hast most instance lag problems. at least while raiding.

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Q u o t e:
1) when i got that message while trying to enter an instance, i just keep bashing my head against the instance portal till i finally get in. this usually doesn't take more than 5 tries.
so... in the end nr. of instances created at same time are the same than without this change, you are just making that some people create their instance 15 seconds later. and this is suposed to fix anything?

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You'll find its a one out one in type affair. But if it only takes you 5 tries to get in, consider yourself lucky, on other servers people can be waitiing anywhere up to half an hour and beyond.

http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=8053387758&sid=1

So instead of a real solution you come up with this ?
Seems to me you need to invest in more capacity instead of limiting it :/
Seems to be a major flaw somewhere in the testing done if servers can't cope with this , same goes for ie winterlag .

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Q u o t e:


i do not totatlly understand this.

1) when i got that message while trying to enter an instance, i just keep bashing my head against the instance portal till i finally get in. this usually doesn't take more than 5 tries.
so... in the end nr. of instances created at same time are the same than without this change, you are just making that some people create their instance 15 seconds later. and this is suposed to fix anything?

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You have it wrong. If you get the message, it means the instance is full. You can get in as soon as someboddy resets their instance. How long this takes depends on the server. for exampple, if the limit is 1000 instances and your server has around 1100 groups tryin to instance (ie only 100 humping the portal) then you will not have to wait long (everytime someone logs out one of the 100 gets in).

If you are on a busy server however, and have like 3000 trying to get in, you will have to wait much longer, as although people are logging out at the same rate, the 'window of oppurtunity' to log in is greatly reduced as many more people are humping the portal.

Just to clarify, I made those figures up to illustrate a point.

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Q u o t e:
You'll find its a one out one in type affair. But if it only takes you 5 tries to get in, consider yourself lucky, on other servers people can be waitiing anywhere up to half an hour and beyond.

http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=8053387758&sid=1

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i see.

well, seeing how blizzard thinks it's a good idea sleeplessly farming an NPC for 50h straight and thx to RNG still fail the achievement (not my case, but other ppl. had this) i really don't wonder that they now implemented this "timesink" rather than fixing the real problem

at least put some frigging queues on there, so people can see how long it will take, and not stay there mindlessly bumping their heads against a instance portal for 35 minutes as if it was a "love fool" NPC

Instead solve the problem, you just say "work as intended" :(

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Q u o t e:
To ensure stable and positive performance in raid and dungeon instances, an instance performance balancing feature was implemented which limits the total number of instances that can be created on a realm. Prior to this change, we were seeing serious issues in instances which greatly degraded instance performance, and in some cases, caused them to crash entirely.

This update instituted a load check that limited opening of additional instances. This will result in throttling of some instance creation where users receive the following message: "Additional instances could not be launched. Please, try again later." Ultimately, we felt that some wait time for players attempting to create a new instance was better than causing bad performance for all players in instances.

We are continually monitoring the realms affected by this, and use the data we gather to implement further optimisations. Our ultimate goal is to work toward the removal of the limit.

---

The problem with the solution as it stands is that a group that was unable to create an instance has no indication of when they might be able to successfully get one. What that leads to is a group of 5, 10 or even 25 people dancing in and out of the portal, hammering your server with dozens of useless requests per second. This must be creating yet more traffic for the servers.

If you don't get to the stage where you can remove the cap, would it not be better to implement a queueing system as you do for battlegrounds and arenas? That way, once an instance has been requested for a group, they'll (a) have an idea of how long they'll be waiting and (b) won't need to keep hammering the portal waiting for the lucky window when the next instance can be created.

It would also be fairer. Currently, you can be waiting at the portal for half an hour, poking the entrance once a second, and yet still see a fresh group turn up and get straight in, just because their request hit the crucial window of instance creation and yours didn't.

I dunno, how about you actually SOLVE the performance problem by adding new and/or better hardware to the server pools instead of implementing a "solution" which is going to piss off your customers in a whole new way?

Stop hoarding our cash and sort the issue out. This "workaround" is complete and utter BS.

11 MILLION subscribers, paying ~8ukp per month......I am sure you can buy some servers or upgrade your network (whichever is the issue).

Stop treating your customers like fools.

While I understand your decision and support it, wouldn't it be a good idea to launch more instance servers?

Is there some kind of priority of who gets in first or so? Like Raids > Deadmines?
Or a queue system, so that it's not just a matter of luck when 5 full raids are constantly jumping into the portal to try to be the first?

Second the queueing suggestion.
I have no problem with slightly more limited availability on the instance servers.

However, it is demoralising to be presented with a "please try again later" message that really doesn't help much.

How much later? Do I have to keep trying to zone? If I don't keep trying to zone, and I come back "later", am I more likely to get an instance spot?
These are the questions which are naturally asked.

In reality, you get a mob of players spamming the zone portal, which is probably not great for the server either.

Ideally, we'd be presented with "All available instances are taken at the moment - your group is currently #23 in the queue - your group will be zoned in when you turn arrives in approx 13~ mins"

Less hassle for everyone at playtime, and presumably a smoother server experience also.

Are instances in groups similar to how battlegroups are? For instance (get it?), trying to enter sethekk halls at prime time is impossible, but entering several other instances at the same time is no problem at all.
(note, there are never more than 10 people inside sethekk halls checking /who)

---

Q u o t e:
To ensure stable and positive performance in raid and dungeon instances, an instance performance balancing feature was implemented which limits the total number of instances that can be created on a realm. Prior to this change, we were seeing serious issues in instances which greatly degraded instance performance, and in some cases, caused them to crash entirely.

This update instituted a load check that limited opening of additional instances. This will result in throttling of some instance creation where users receive the following message: "Additional instances could not be launched. Please, try again later." Ultimately, we felt that some wait time for players attempting to create a new instance was better than causing bad performance for all players in instances.

We are continually monitoring the realms affected by this, and use the data we gather to implement further optimisations. Our ultimate goal is to work toward the removal of the limit.

---

Euhm, the community has been aware of this for months already, but ok, thanks i guess.

Interesting.


Created daily quest - and then launching WotLK made this problem come to us.

Does alliance and horde use the same instance's ?

If so - create instance servers for each side , on a totaly balanced realm --- you will have halfed the problem and you can keep making code that doesnt perform with the actual numbers of players on the realm.


But unitl you figure out a solution that doesnt cost you so much money - you could make a queue system - you could extend the information in LFG - so we can see which instances are full.

If we are going for several instances - mainly for the badges - and arent caring which one - we just might go for a place without queue.

O maybe just implement so, that when number of instances are nearing the cap (lets say 900 out of 1000), then instance can't be created by 1-3 man parties (raids).
As right now very often instances are created for:
- entering RFC (horde), Stockages (Alliance) to get free HS, when HS is on CD.. Can be solved by allowing to use HS from major cities even if that is on CD. Or adding portals to Dalaran from major cities but limiting them to lvl 74+ (and Shattar, but limit to 58+). As many do HS to Dalaran then taking portal to visit trainer or check AH and then need to HS back to Dalaran/Shattar in order to continue leveling there.
- high lvl entereing any instance for achievements
- high lvl(s) entering Onyxia, ZG for mount farming or gold farming.

I believe blizzard has exact statistic, but I think those 3 cases are responsible for creating like 70% of all instance or maybe even more. First case could come closely to 40-50% of all instances creation. Personally I am doing RFC HSing with my chars like 3-4 times per day. Even if empty instance is reset after 30min, that means quite long period of time when instance slot is taken, however noone is being inside, only monsters moving around.