Insane lag at Event

It is not the size, it is the amount of items. Try to delete 70000 1kB big files by marking all of them and then making a right click on them. Crashed my explorer even though 70MB are no problem usally.

Though the problem also comes from the numbers (and more exactly how fast they change, deleting 70k files is easier than modifying 1k files 70 times per second), usually server programs do not manipulate files as this is not efficient, but rather data structures and handles (pointer to a structure, that could be a file but not always). We have no idea how Anet manages this of course, but I doubt that small gifts are handled this way.

Noone here can tell truth, we have only rought idea how thier servers are done, but we can guess...

My ideas would be:

Simple connection overload. We know that GW uses blobs in database to store character data, with hundreds people picking items, database could get overloaded when servers fetch updated character data. Possibly overloaded so much that it would timeout (and not receive commit command), thus it will rollback. Lots of open connections watiing till timeout would be basically self-DOS (+ opened connections to players senting tons of data - one person picks present -> info that hes picking it gets sent to all of people in explorable) of game servers, giving us 007s

It would also be natural that servers kick people when their character update fails as protection from duping attempts, because most of duping relies on servers failing to update data correctly.

Also, people are district hopping just after they get hats. That produces insane load as they are being sent quite and amount of player related data, possibly several times in row as they look for correct district where they can get seccond hat.

I hope ANet will abandon the idea of popping-up presents the next year... or get more servers and more bandwith dedicated for the event...

I don't mind not getting the presents but loosing the hat that already appeared in my inv really upsets me...

I agree on this to explain the rollback (which seems like a rare event from what we've read so far), but probably not the lag, which corresponds more to the other point you mention:

Yep, I don't know why Anet hasn't implemented a fix for that. People don't have to change dis, or at least could wait until the event is finished.

It must be a hell of a job for them. I imagine that most of the time LA/Kam only have 2-3 dis with a few hundred people, and suddenly for just one day they get 100s with several hundred of people.

I laugh when I picture this in my head with an airport with its planes, and in a matter of seconds tens of thousands of people rushing through the gates

lol looks like anet fails at event again ^^

Hope they just make the presents go into your inventory automatically next year.

Zomg in dist 1 of la euro & yet again lag @ 2pm gmt event. Mapping as we speak.

Largest Ping I experienced was 76,000 during the second event. People couldn't even pick up their own presents for some time.

I too vote for Presents going automatically into your Inventory. Seems the only fair way for everyone to benefit from these events. I for one especially do not like to see what it brings out in people fighting over virtual presents.

great grenth-dwayna just came again and still the full district is lagging 50-100seconds. err7 and rollback

GOOD JOB

Pff good thing i zoned out of there. Though that's really crappy 2 rollbacks
Waiting in kamadan to get my other hat.

Getting alot of lag as well at the moment, but this is in the middle of a vanquish. 13k ping or so. GG.

Huge lag and whatever district I've been during the finale hasn't had a event visit at all. Do I have to start idling now in LA D1 to guarantee a working district, eh?

Yeah, lag started to build up for everyone in Kamadan d10 few minutes ago (everyone complaining at the same time). I figured something was about to happen, so I went to the guild hall real quick - was fine there.

Naturally I'm aware of the fact, but ANet surely is as well... Imho if they are not prepared or can not handle the ammount of info transfered during the events, they shouldn't be doing events or change they way they are.

It looks like Grenth wins the Wintersday! wooooo extension!

I really, really, really have to second everyone who suggested putting gifts directly into the inventory from now on. Means AFKers don't miss out either. :P The lagspikes don't happen for me until after the presents drop, suggesting that that's the issue. I immediately ran off the rings to register my hat with Ludor and stood way back on Merchant's Row. I still got insane lag and struggled to pick up my gifts, but at least I could move. More or less. My computer could handle it. Also, I wasn't disconnected.

It loses some magic when there aren't sparkling gifts all around the 9 Rings, but I'd rather have it that way than spend 10 minutes staring at one with my name on it and being unable to pick it up. :P

just got errored out when the presents were dropping

I err7'd before they even showed up -.-