With the exception of the messageboards, I'm having incredible difficulty doing anything on the Paizo website right now. Most store pages are taking thirty seconds to a minute to even load, and anything behind the sign-in wall (e.g. 'My Downloads'), in addition to my shopping cart, simply errors out when I try to sign in.
I was really hoping to order a few more things from the non-mint sale before it ends today. If this is not isolated to me (doubtful, considering the rest of the web seems to be doing fine from my vantage), is it a known issue? You guys getting DDoSed or something?
System Administrator
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Yeah, we updated some of our software and it's been a bit temperamental since we did the update. It's mostly been good but once it starts to go bad it goes bad in a much more hardcore way than it used to, so we're working through figuring out what's causing that but it's kind of frustrating.
Any update on this? It doesn't appear to be fixed.
My issues have been with the forums, Play by Post in particular.
While I am not quite as steamed as this guy - It is frustrating, and I think he has several valid points.
I like these boards. I like play by post with the friends I have made. I don't want to see people go because of reoccuring issues like this. Can we get some inkling of warm and fuzzy feelings that things will get better? Please don't scare off my GM!
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Heya, I can provide an update: our team believes they've isolated the issue and it's getting worked on. The timing has aligned poorly, but they're endeavoring to keep the site up and running as normal as much as is possible. This is *not* related to any spam activity, but rather is server software related as Lissa mentioned above. We're just as frustrated by these problems as you all are, and appreciate the patience our users have had while we work through them.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Posting in this thread since it might be a related issue (not that I would know, though).
Every now and then, I see the "(X new)" by a thread, click it, and discover that the "new" post(s) is/are ones that I've already seen. Maybe that's part of what's already being worked on, but I thought I should bring it up just in case.
Posting in this thread since it might be a related issue (not that I would know, though).
Every now and then, I see the "(X new)" by a thread, click it, and discover that the "new" post(s) is/are ones that I've already seen. Maybe that's part of what's already being worked on, but I thought I should bring it up just in case.
Is this a recent behavior that you've just noticed, or something that's been occurring over a longer period of time? If the latter, might be good to start a new thread so our tech team can keep better track of it.
Posting in this thread since it might be a related issue (not that I would know, though).
Every now and then, I see the "(X new)" by a thread, click it, and discover that the "new" post(s) is/are ones that I've already seen. Maybe that's part of what's already being worked on, but I thought I should bring it up just in case.
I have seen this also, quite frequently on many of my game threads. Can't say for sure how long it has been going on, but I would say at least a week... I have actually noticed it as long as I have been doing PbP (just over a year) but it seems to be much more frequent now.
I always figured that the (x new) showed up if someone edited their post, but maybe not necessarily that there was a new one. Its the only thing I could convince myself of, because the alternative was that I was going crazy.
It just dawned on me that I should point something else out... hopefully it doesn't muddy the waters. I have even had the (1 new)x show up when my post was the most recent.
I thought maybe I posted at nearly the same time as someone else, but the link was to the post I had just put up.
It just dawned on me that I should point something else out... hopefully it doesn't muddy the waters. I have even had the (1 new)x show up when my post was the most recent.
I thought maybe I posted at nearly the same time as someone else, but the link was to the post I had just put up.
Ok - creepy. It literally just happened
I posted from my phone (the now unavailable wayfinder app which I love dearly, even though it drives me nuts on occasion) and then came inside to check this thread and make that post. I checked my campaigns tab one more time before shutting down for the night, saw the indicator that there was a new post... it was my post.
Hope that helps somehow.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Is this a recent behavior that you've just noticed, or something that's been occurring over a longer period of time? If the latter, might be good to start a new thread so our tech team can keep better track of it.Posting in this thread since it might be a related issue (not that I would know, though).
Every now and then, I see the "(X new)" by a thread, click it, and discover that the "new" post(s) is/are ones that I've already seen. Maybe that's part of what's already being worked on, but I thought I should bring it up just in case.
It's just started recently; started about the same time as the site started going down a lot.
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It just dawned on me that I should point something else out... hopefully it doesn't muddy the waters. I have even had the (1 new)x show up when my post was the most recent.
I thought maybe I posted at nearly the same time as someone else, but the link was to the post I had just put up.
Ok - creepy. It literally just happened
I posted from my phone (the now unavailable wayfinder app which I love dearly, even though it drives me nuts on occasion) and then came inside to check this thread and make that post. I checked my campaigns tab one more time before shutting down for the night, saw the indicator that there was a new post... it was my post.
Hope that helps somehow.
This happens occasionally, but it's not a new issue. I noticed it before helping with Wayfinder, so I'm pretty sure it's not that, and I've noticed it on tablet, phone, and PC.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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On a related note (probably), twice now I've had a thing happen where I edited stuff in one of my PbP campaign descriptions, then later came back and saw that the edits were undone. The error persisted through a couple of page refreshes, then after a few minutes snapped back to the correct/edited version.
EDIT: Just happened again, with a set of edits that it had already waffled on earlier this morning. It's like the website can't remember which version of the text came last, and so it just keeps flipping back and forth between the two.
EDIT: Happened again with the above edit.
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This site is just a nightmare any more. I'm in a ton of PBP games, but all these issues are making me want to visit the site less and less to be honest.
On a related note (probably), twice now I've had a thing happen where I edited stuff in one of my PbP campaign descriptions, then later came back and saw that the edits were undone. The error persisted through a couple of page refreshes, then after a few minutes snapped back to the correct/edited version.
EDIT: Just happened again, with a set of edits that it had already waffled on earlier this morning. It's like the website can't remember which version of the text came last, and so it just keeps flipping back and forth between the two.
EDIT: Happened again with the above edit.
Hey Jiggy, I suspect this is happening because some caching is occurring on your session/the instance of the site you're accessing. Before continuing to edit/re-edit, I'd try logging out and back in. I'll bring this issue up to our team, as I've noticed some similar behavior in other areas.
This site is just a nightmare any more. I'm in a ton of PBP games, but all these issues are making me want to visit the site less and less to be honest.
We totally understand this frustration. Please understand that this behavior on our site is very out of the ordinary, and any anticipated downtime is something we attempt to communicate as promptly as possible. Our tech team is actively working to solve the issues behind this recent string of downtime.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Hey Jiggy, I suspect this is happening because some caching is occurring on your session/the instance of the site you're accessing. Before continuing to edit/re-edit, I'd try logging out and back in. I'll bring this issue up to our team, as I've noticed some similar behavior in other areas.On a related note (probably), twice now I've had a thing happen where I edited stuff in one of my PbP campaign descriptions, then later came back and saw that the edits were undone. The error persisted through a couple of page refreshes, then after a few minutes snapped back to the correct/edited version.
EDIT: Just happened again, with a set of edits that it had already waffled on earlier this morning. It's like the website can't remember which version of the text came last, and so it just keeps flipping back and forth between the two.
EDIT: Happened again with the above edit.
Would it be relevant to point out that I log in fresh each morning, rather than having one long-running session?
Oh, and it happens across two different browsers: IE 11 here at work, and Chrome at home. Dunno if that matters.
The website has been down consistently on weekends for the past month, Saturday and Sunday, and it's bouncing up and down during the week now. I realize it's supposedly new, and I guess a month is new, but it is really frustrating.
On a related note, I've noticed that the (x new) seems to happen if someone posts a message after you've loaded the page, but before you've clicked on the (X new) message.
Example, I load campaign page, and get a (2 New) message. I wait 10 minutes, then click the (2 New) message. I see 3 new messages. I read all 3, then click the Campaigns tab again, I get a (1 New) message on the same thread. I click the (1 New) and it's the #3 message I read earlier.
Would it be relevant to point out that I log in fresh each morning, rather than having one long-running session?
Oh, and it happens across two different browsers: IE 11 here at work, and Chrome at home. Dunno if that matters.
Yes, that does help. Thank you!
The website has been down consistently on weekends for the past month, Saturday and Sunday, and it's bouncing up and down during the week now. I realize it's supposedly new, and I guess a month is new, but it is really frustrating.
On a related note, I've noticed that the (x new) seems to happen if someone posts a message after you've loaded the page, but before you've clicked on the (X new) message.
Example, I load campaign page, and get a (2 New) message. I wait 10 minutes, then click the (2 New) message. I see 3 new messages. I read all 3, then click the Campaigns tab again, I get a (1 New) message on the same thread. I click the (1 New) and it's the #3 message I read earlier.
Heya mdt, we totally hear you on how frustrating the situation is. Thank you for detailing the behavior you're seeing, I suspect it's likely spawning from the same issue Jiggy's pointed out. If you notice any other weirdness, please let us know.
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@Chris Lambertz
I just want to say, Chris, I greatly appreciate how calm, and peaceful you are with your responses to all of this and to the community at large. You have never returned tit for tat, and have always approached your customers with grace and gratitude. Keep up the good work.
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I agree with Gerald and MendedWall12. Let me say first though that I am fairly happy with the feedback we get about the site (more or less). I'm also fairly sure that Lissa Guillet and the other poor souls working in the trenches are doing all they can. Thank you for your devotion on your holiday and every day.
This is a plea to the higher ups.
Please, please, make your web site a higher priority.
I've been on these boards running and playing games for a few years now and as I said at Paizocon last, the only NEW thing I’ve noticed in all that time is the strikeout tag (though I’m sure there are other things you’ve done behind the scenes).
However, I have noticed the site grow more and more unreliable too. Slowly, creakingly, unreliable. This latest string of outages is just another particularly painful example.
It feels like PbP gaming might not be a priority for Paizo. If so, that is a shame. It should be. I'd happily pay for what you offer here, even as minimalist as it is and I know I'm not alone. All my gaming is now PbP - and it fuels all my other Paizo purchases. I suspect I'm not alone there either.
Please, I'm begging. Don't make me find somewhere else to play. Devote more resources so that Lissa and the others can clean up what must be a horrible kludge-tower after all these years.
Please.
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I'm here to show my support on both sides- players and website support staff. I've grown to enjoy PbP over the last couple of years, and have plans for many more, and I hope I can do it here. More and more, I hear friends discussing alternative websites to avoid the downtimes and the blackouts, and find it disheartening. I've got several PbPs up at the moment, and find it an equal nightmare to try and port them off Paizo.
I agree with Euan- for the service of running my games here, I'd happily pay, like I do for Roll20, to use this site, to know that I'm helping Paizo update software/hardware/firmware/underwear more regularly to avoid glitches in the system.
One recent difficulty a chum and I caught was refreshing edited posts that for some showed up, and for others, not. I'm a self-professed grammar nazi, so when I bother someone to fix a broken tag or somesuch, we usually tease each other with edits, to conceal a sloppy post. Nowadays, I'll bother someone unnecessarily, because it appears edited to them, but not to me. Is that a West Coast/Midwest rap war you're attempting to flame?
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We totally understand this frustration. Please understand that this behavior on our site is very out of the ordinary, and any anticipated downtime is something we attempt to communicate as promptly as possible. Our tech team is actively working to solve the issues behind this recent string of downtime.
As a relatively new poster to these forums, where would one find this communication? The multiple message boards can be daunting to navigate.
I'd like to say that I agree with many of the posters above me. This site can be a boon. Discovering pbp gaming has filled a void left by gaming tables that are often difficult to set up in real life between careers and children, etc., I have even started to GM one of your adventure paths for a group of friends that include two Peace Corp. volunteers stationed in Uganda. Being able to maintain a hobby we love despite the vast distance between us has been cause for much excitement.
That being said, these down times have often eaten up much of the time that my players could have used to post. We are, the six of us, all relatively new to Pathfinder and play by post, but have shown our dedication to similar games over the last few decades. That devotion could easily extend to Paizo but we need a reliable website for that to happen.
I understand to a degree the frustrations of maintaining a website, and 100% uptime is an impossibility for even those with the most financial backing, so I appreciate what those of you behind the scenes must be going through every time I run into those goblins that herald a 'nostore' url in my browser, but a clearer line of communication could do wonders.
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As a relatively new poster to these forums, where would one find this communication? The multiple message boards can be daunting to navigate.
We totally understand this frustration. Please understand that this behavior on our site is very out of the ordinary, and any anticipated downtime is something we attempt to communicate as promptly as possible. Our tech team is actively working to solve the issues behind this recent string of downtime.
When we have scheduled downtime, we post a warning as much in advance as possible with the time window and estimate for how long we'll be offline in red text at the top of every page on paizo.com. We also post notifications to our official Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr pages (unscheduled downtime notices also go up here, since we can't really post it on our own site when it's not online).
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I made the post HERE an hour or so ago, then edited it twice. As of now it looks to have been reverted to the original version. I'm using FireFox v. 41.0.2. Interestingly, when I try to look at it from my phone using the Android native browser, it never showed any of the edits, even when I could see them in FireFox.
ETA: And now it's back to the fully edited version in both browsers. I don't know if you folks did something or if it just happened. If it was something you did, thanks!
Chief Technical Officer
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I agree with Gerald and MendedWall12. Let me say first though that I am fairly happy with the feedback we get about the site (more or less). I'm also fairly sure that Lissa Guillet and the other poor souls working in the trenches are doing all they can. Thank you for your devotion on your holiday and every day.
This is a plea to the higher ups.
Please, please, make your web site a higher priority.
I've been on these boards running and playing games for a few years now and as I said at Paizocon last, the only NEW thing I’ve noticed in all that time is the strikeout tag (though I’m sure there are other things you’ve done behind the scenes).
However, I have noticed the site grow more and more unreliable too. Slowly, creakingly, unreliable. This latest string of outages is just another particularly painful example.
It feels like PbP gaming might not be a priority for Paizo. If so, that is a shame. It should be. I'd happily pay for what you offer here, even as minimalist as it is and I know I'm not alone. All my gaming is now PbP - and it fuels all my other Paizo purchases. I suspect I'm not alone there either.
Please, I'm begging. Don't make me find somewhere else to play. Devote more resources so that Lissa and the others can clean up what must be a horrible kludge-tower after all these years.
Please.
Our website is a *very* big priority for us, and the team of people responsible for it right now is larger than it has ever been—three times larger than just a few years ago. And half of the team is dedicated specifically to a massive revamp of the underlying architecture, a lengthy task for which the current output is almost entirely invisible to the public, but which will, in the long term, provide the stability you seek. But these things aren't unbuilt and rebuilt in a day.
But these things aren't unbuilt and rebuilt in a day.
So, you're saying there's no magic wand for these things?
I've also experienced quite a lot of downtime errors on the site - and even discounting PbP games (where delays are quite inconvenient), there's the fact that Paizo's store is down for long periods of time on a regular basis.
I'm... not surprised that Paizo considers getting the entire site properly functional to be rather important. XD Anyway, I'm glad to hear people are on it, and I wish them all the best!
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Our website is a *very* big priority for us, and the team of people responsible for it right now is larger than it has ever been—three times larger than just a few years ago. And half of the team is dedicated specifically to a massive revamp of the underlying architecture, a lengthy task for which the current output is almost entirely invisible to the public, but which will, in the long term, provide the stability you seek. But these things aren't unbuilt and rebuilt in a day.
Excellent and good to hear. Glad to have some hope...
I won't ask how soon, because if you knew I expect you'd have said. I'll just try to be patient. :)
Thanks!
Is Deep Six FaWtL finally too big.
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Our website is a *very* big priority for us, and the team of people responsible for it right now is larger than it has ever been—three times larger than just a few years ago. And half of the team is dedicated specifically to a massive revamp of the underlying architecture, a lengthy task for which the current output is almost entirely invisible to the public, but which will, in the long term, provide the stability you seek. But these things aren't unbuilt and rebuilt in a day.I agree with Gerald and MendedWall12. Let me say first though that I am fairly happy with the feedback we get about the site (more or less). I'm also fairly sure that Lissa Guillet and the other poor souls working in the trenches are doing all they can. Thank you for your devotion on your holiday and every day.
This is a plea to the higher ups.
Please, please, make your web site a higher priority.
I've been on these boards running and playing games for a few years now and as I said at Paizocon last, the only NEW thing I’ve noticed in all that time is the strikeout tag (though I’m sure there are other things you’ve done behind the scenes).
However, I have noticed the site grow more and more unreliable too. Slowly, creakingly, unreliable. This latest string of outages is just another particularly painful example.
It feels like PbP gaming might not be a priority for Paizo. If so, that is a shame. It should be. I'd happily pay for what you offer here, even as minimalist as it is and I know I'm not alone. All my gaming is now PbP - and it fuels all my other Paizo purchases. I suspect I'm not alone there either.
Please, I'm begging. Don't make me find somewhere else to play. Devote more resources so that Lissa and the others can clean up what must be a horrible kludge-tower after all these years.
Please.
I get you are working on it, and please know I appreciate it. Its tough as a customer when you can't see what is happening, and it feels like there is no end in sight.
I just want to reinforce that one thing I love about Pathfinder is that is is available for FREE on the PRD. But to really hammer a point home, I have spent a significant amount of my hard earned money on paizo products and ONLY because of those things. If there is no Play by Post, I am not in PFS. If there is no PFS, then I have no reason to spend money on something I can access for free.
Just browsing about the boards and games, it seems to me that this sentiment of people leaving to find other avenues for PbP gaming is not a small one, and it is growing. I don't want to see that happen. I was able to enjoy many conversations during the last Gen Con with many awesome people about PbP, and about growing the community. This is not good for that effort, and I just hope that things can be fixed before to much damage is done.
I'm not trying to be harsh or critical - Just worried and hoping for the best. Thanks for your efforts so far.
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Is Deep Six FaWtL finally too big.
:O !!!
Was the site down for anyone else for about half an hour today?
Was the site down for anyone else for about half an hour today?
Yep, appears to be up and stable now though.
Was the site down for anyone else for about half an hour today?
Yes.