As if Blizzard’s problems with Warlords wasn’t enough, it seems that another MMO is having DDOS problems right now. Final Fantasy XIV’s servers have been unreliable for the last few days and Square Enix are blaming it on a DDOS attack.

In a blog addressing the issue Square say that “Currently we are experiencing DDoS attacks from an anonymous third-party targeting the FINAL FANTASY XIV game servers on the NA/EU data center” with a “massive amount” of access attempts hammering the servers and making it so that it’s difficult for any actual players to log in. However players are to be reassured that all character data and personal information is safe.

Their technicians have been working to stop the attacks and return the game to normal service but the third-party is changing their strategy every few minutes making it hard to keep up with them. Square have said they are continuing to monitor the attack right now and hope to restore full service soon, although they haven’t given a timescale for when to expect the servers to be back.

To say that the launch of Warlords of Draenor did not go as Blizzard had planned is putting it lightly. The return of more players than had been estimated led to server overcrowding, hour-long queues and problems were further irritated by a DDOS attack that led to players being kicked out of servers only to be sent back to the end of the same long queues. Although it’s still not quite perfect, the situation is now better thanks to higher server caps and implementation of phasing technology to create more than one instance of Draenor at a time.

Now Executive Producer J. Allen Brack is hoping to go some way to making up for the launch’s problems by offering an extra five days worth of subscriptions for everyone who had one that was active as of November 14th.

“I know how much everyone was looking forward to this expansion… all the comments I’ve seen indicate that this is one of our best yet… But the quality of the content does not excuse the subpar launch experience we delivered… The support voiced by many of you as we worked through the challenges was immensely appreciated”

There were still some server issues even as recently as earlier today, DDOSing still going on and having an effect even on some of Blizzard’s other games such as Hearthstone. The worst however seems past.

Any big game launch is onset with server issues and lag as many players attempt to log on as soon as possible. Warlords of Draenor was no exception to this, but the problems seem to have lasted a little bit longer than the normal period of initial server issues. It’s apparently not unusual to wait hours to get onto the server, then find yourself DC’d and sent to the back of the queue again.

Blizzard are trying their best to deal with the causes of the issues though and have announced that they’re planning to use the phasing technology first used in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion to essentially phase the entire continent of Draenor – thus allowing them to spread server load across more than one ‘copy’ of Draenor.

European servers were the first to get the fix implemented and the North American, Oceanic and Americas realms were to follow shortly. A few tests were run on selected North American servers and this convinced Blizzard that it was a worthwhile tactic to battle the lag.

I hope it works. It’d make Lone very happy.

Seems that an awful lot of new players to EVE Online are confused by the control setup at first. Not that they don’t make sense, it just seems that people are expecting to be able to manually pilot their ships through space rather than inputting commands and having the process being automated. CCP have taken note of this because they’ve come up with an experimental keyboard flight control system for the game.

An opt-in Beta version of it will be included in the Rhea mini-expansion next month, and the bugs worked out. If the experiment shows that keyboard controls can work within the game, CCP will think about implementing it proper. If not, it won’t be sticking.

Given that EVE is quite a large game, I doubt that the controls will be as simple was WASD. Automated controlling might have the edge in the big battles that happen frequently in EVE’s player-driven galaxies, but maybe the keyboard controls will be quicker to react to separate events. We just don’t know yet.

They’ll be available at first on the public test server, Singularity; with a mass test coming some time during the next week.

If you are one of the millions of European WOW players, you may have heard of the new Warlords of Draenor expansion that dropped this week. Unfortunately, if you are one of the millions of European WOW players, you will also have experienced massive wait times that would test even the most experienced British queuer.

Alas, due to everyone wanting a piece of the action and DDOS attacks, my household has also fallen victim to the over-subscribed servers, with Lonesamurai twiddling his thumbs and clicking the ‘refresh’ button like it’s going out of style. In order to retain whatever sanity you may have left, I have put together a list of survival tactics, to be used in your time of need.

Step 1: Consider other Devices
Despite your undying need to explore Draenor, please be aware that other forms of entertainment exist and can be utilised to stave off the bloodlust. Halo for Xbox One has been a successful substitute for the Samurai of the house. Until he fell asleep with controller in-hand on the sofa, and that one time, mid-game when Xbox One decided to install an unwanted update. If one form of media is no longer enough, please consider turning on all electrical appliances in the house. TV, radio and even an alarm clock can trick your mind into believing you are amidst the most crowded raid your garrison has embarked upon.

Step 2: Other People
The thought of interacting with those outside the online world may be daunting, but persevere. You may discover a long-lost friend or spouse living in your home, and suddenly the source of that annoying background noise is explained. Mystery solved? Oh no, that list of chores is swiftly thrust in your face, and you can embark on a new adventure.
You may have also been fortunate enough to copulate with a member of the opposite sex. If so, chances dictate you are a parent, congratulations! Depending on the age of your offspring, they can be an infinite source of entertainment. From the small drunk person known as a toddler, to the stroppy teenager, a few choice words or a laser pointer will become your door to a new world of time-wasting. (These methods could also be employed in Step 3.) Who knew there was a world away from your desk?

This man does

Step 3: Escape to the Zoo
For whatever reason, you may discover aforementioned friend or spouse has left for greener pastures. Do not despair! Many humans share their private spaces with furry, scaled and hairy animal friends. Play can be a great bonding exercise for them and you, expanding your horizons and making you feel like the pack leader. (Unless you own a cat-then you are definitely the bitch in that relationship, believe me, I know). If your animal companion no longer functions or harbours a hatred towards you (again, I’m looking at cat owners), stuffed animals can also be a friendly alternative. Just be aware of open windows when you “do their voices”. Doctors can be really concerned about that sort of thing.

Step 4: Sustenance
Your main diet over the last few years is likely to consist of Doritos, chocolate, beer and Mountain Dew. Whilst these foods provide much needed vitamins and minerals, it may interest you to know that other flavours are available. For instance, right now, a wonderful creation known as ‘ice-cream’ may be lurking in the back of the freezer (above the big box that beer lives in). You could also try dusting off the old telephone and getting back in touch with your local take-away establishments. They will be pleased to hear from you, even though they thought you had died and sent pizza to your mother, in memory of their favourite customer.

Step 5: Porn
If you need instructions for this, you are too young to be on the interwebs.

Step 6: Acceptance
If none of the above have been successful, or you realise you are too morbidly obese to leave the desk, there is one fool proof method to pass the time. It is recommended this is used as only a last resort as you will look like a baby, and once it starts, you may be unable to stop;

By Scarlet Dragon