Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Sleuth Talk

Jun-20-2006 10:44

Over the past six months, we've been struggling to maintain a decent level of Sleuth server performance, despite increasing numbers of simultaneous players.

This is a great problem to have! It means there are lots of new people trying out Sleuth, but it's a bit of a losing battle logistically. There has been some success making software changes to improve things, but those gains are quickly eclipsed as traffic continues to increase. There is only so much the current hardware can handle.

New server machines will be purchased in the next couple of months. This will help, but if Sleuth continues to grow, it won't be long before capacity is reached on the new machines as well, and things will slow down again.

This situation is unfair for paying subscribers, who cannot enjoy the game at peak hours due to the lag of the servers. So, in the interest of fairness there will be a rule change that will limit when unsubscribed players will be able to access the game.

Starting later this week, detectives who are unsubscribed and older than 7 days, will not be allowed to login if there are already 60 or more detectives online.

You will not be allowed to login to the game if all three of the following conditions are true:

1) There are already 60 or more detectives logged in
2) Your detective is not currently subscribed
3) Your detective is older than 7 days

Sleuth has always been as welcoming as possible to non-subscribed players. We also recognize that in some countries, the monthly subscription price is not affordable to everyone, but this rule change is necessary for the well-being of the game. Paying subscribers deserve to have access to a game that is playable, accessible and fun.

Thanks,
The Sleuth Team

Jun-25-2006 19:39

I have to admit that the slowness of the site was a major factor in letting my subscription lapse, but now that I'm back in action, I'm glad for the new rule, because I've seen a VAST improvement....so, I'll be subscribing tomorrow!

Jun-26-2006 00:11

Speed is much better!!!
Game was only slow for few minutes when change over occured. Great!

Jun-26-2006 07:40

For subscribers it may be better this way. For people like me, who can't pay for one reason or another, it's sooooo annoying... I'm used to it since it's the same with Sryth, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. Especially when the number of people online is over 60 and keeps going UP every time you refresh the page...

In any case it is no longer possible for me to have a look at the boards, see a question I can answer, then log in and answer it.

Jun-27-2006 07:27

I may have spoken too soon, lol....very slow this morning...

Jun-27-2006 21:58

Yes, it was odd, it was very slow this morning til about 1 pm.

Jun-28-2006 00:35

Yes, we had quite heavy traffic this morning. It's tough to keep things even enough.

Jun-29-2006 18:04

I don't know how anyone else feels about this, but it wouldn't be so bad if we had unlimited file space so we could at least save our cases when the site is moving slowly. It's tough trying to get them all done and help others with theirs when you're 'against the clock' so to speak. A bit frustrating, too. (Then some of the suspects decide to run and hide....ARGH!) :-)

Jun-30-2006 07:16

It would be a bad thing for unlimited file space in my opinion.

It would allow agencies to store huge ammounts of solved cases and then blow through hunts with ease. Single city hunts would go to agencies that store the most solved.

Jun-30-2006 10:08

Not everyone is concerned with only hunts. Until the 'server lag' situation is truly rectified, I think it's an option that should be seriously considered. As for hunts, the favors still need to be completed and there's no guarantee that any agency, no matter how many cases they store, is going to win. My agents have expressed to me the issue that they have limited amount of time to play, and when the site is slow, they lose cases because they can't complete their daily allotment.

Jul-1-2006 08:28

Hopefully the server lag problem will never be truly rectified. If the game is to grow it needs more people subscribing. More people means more traffic, which leads to slow downs. I do hope that the critical mass of subscribers that allows the purchase of new hardware happens soon, so that the current lag issues will temporarily abate.

I agree that not all agencys are interested in hunting, but any rule change has to be looked at from all points of view.

It seems we have two different points of view on it. I think I am paying for better access to the site. Because I do not have time to do all 10 cases, I loose the chance to do them.

You seem to be saying (not trying to put words in your mouth) that you are paying for 10 cases per day and want to do them when you want. So if you did not log in for 3 days you would have 30 cases waiting for you to do. Or at least the abilty to log in and put the 10 cases each day into the files so you had the 30 later on to do.

It seems to me to be a huge rule change you are proposing.