GoA XML

[Penlid]

Any info GoA on when this is going to be fixed? Everytime you make a server adjustment or put a new patch up it always gets fucked up.

Can't you fix it so it works after you have done these things, it has been four years now

 

[Imgormiel]

It's against the SotG to fix it, so don't even ask ;p

 

[cmr]

It's against the SotG to fix it, so don't even ask ;p

haha

 

[Ctuchik]

It's against the SotG to fix it, so don't even ask ;p

god that was a sad attempt.....

 

[Gahn]

Tis beyond ridicolous.

 

[Killswitch]

What I don't get (and I'm sure it's tied-in with both the Flash-based Roll of Honour on the GOA/DAOC site and Localisation(L10n) and Internationalisation(I18n) issues) is why they publish LESS information via XML than Mythic. I'm presuming here that the DAOC server software has the built-in ability to produce XML (or offers a standard interface to character/guild data) and that might not be the case.

Since they have to translate all the strings for the various European languages, every time anything changes on the "server" XML, it would have to be re-translated, checked and implemented. When dealing with this kind of thing, you can get all kinds of strange problems with characters, with string length, with encoding, with sort orders (collation) and a million other things.

GOA have kept the XML content pretty static though, not adding any of the new features that are available on the Herald (like title information). If they were keeping up with the latest XML from Mythic, I could easily understand the after-patch problems, but when the GOA XML doesn't change, it shouldn't take so long.

That said, if the interface to the XML keeps changing and GOA need to rewrite all their Flash/XML stuff every time Mythic finish a patch cycle, I'd rather they worked on getting the servers tested, patched and stable first and then did the Flash/XML second.

For my sins, I was a Localisation/Internationalisation developer for European languages for about 18 months (more than long enough!!) and I think I've seen EVERY stupid problem that could ever be caused by bad I18n, bad coding and bad luck related to languages and software!!!

I would be interested in hearing from someone at GOA about what actually causes these delays, because I could be way off.

 

[Gahn]

What I don't get (and I'm sure it's tied-in with both the Flash-based Roll of Honour on the GOA/DAOC site and Localisation(L10n) and Internationalisation(I18n) issues) is why they publish LESS information via XML than Mythic. I'm presuming here that the DAOC server software has the built-in ability to produce XML (or offers a standard interface to character/guild data) and that might not be the case.

Since they have to translate all the strings for the various European languages, every time anything changes on the "server" XML, it would have to be re-translated, checked and implemented. When dealing with this kind of thing, you can get all kinds of strange problems with characters, with string length, with encoding, with sort orders (collation) and a million other things.

GOA have kept the XML content pretty static though, not adding any of the new features that are available on the Herald (like title information). If they were keeping up with the latest XML from Mythic, I could easily understand the after-patch problems, but when the GOA XML doesn't change, it shouldn't take so long.

That said, if the interface to the XML keeps changing and GOA need to rewrite all their Flash/XML stuff every time Mythic finish a patch cycle, I'd rather they worked on getting the servers tested, patched and stable first and then did the Flash/XML second.

For my sins, I was a Localisation/Internationalisation developer for European languages for about 18 months (more than long enough!!) and I think I've seen EVERY stupid problem that could ever be caused by bad I18n, bad coding and bad luck related to languages and software!!!

I would be interested in hearing from someone at GOA about what actually causes these delays, because I could be way off.

Tbh i would find it a bit funny if every patch somehow changes the XML Output -.-

 

[Killswitch]

Tbh i would find it a bit funny if every patch somehow changes the XML Output -.-

That's definitely true...I reckon it's more likely that Mythic provide an interface to the in-game data via some kind of database connection and then this is scripted to XML seperately. Mythic exposing more data (like the Title info) shouldn't affect existing code (probably ).

That said...for LotM, they made new CL titles...before that, they made new RR titles for RR12...new classes/races in the previous expansions or new zones. All these would need to be translated and checked for length, encoding, collation and everything else. If you think about the patches that had proper new content, that would include;

SI
TOA
DR
LotM
Foundations
NF

Now if it's something stupid like a CSV or pipe-seperated dump from the server which is processed into XML and they change some field headings or add some columns...

Just playing Devil's Advocate here...it could easily be laziness, incompetance or some insurmountable technical issue that's beyond my comprehension

 

[Gahn]

That's definitely true...I reckon it's more likely that Mythic provide an interface to the in-game data via some kind of database connection and then this is scripted to XML seperately. Mythic exposing more data (like the Title info) shouldn't affect existing code (probably ).

That said...for LotM, they made new CL titles...before that, they made new RR titles for RR12...new classes/races in the previous expansions or new zones. All these would need to be translated and checked for length, encoding, collation and everything else. If you think about the patches that had proper new content, that would include;

SI
TOA
DR
LotM
Foundations
NF

Now if it's something stupid like a CSV or pipe-seperated dump from the server which is processed into XML and they change some field headings or add some columns...

Just playing Devil's Advocate here...it could easily be laziness, incompetance or some insurmountable technical issue that's beyond my comprehension

Dunno tbh, pumping out 2-100 more Fields from the DB to the XML output should be a work of 15 mins. Oh well at least with the tools i normally use.
Ofc if they hard code all the shit for Flash interface it's another pair of hands. But wtf i'd add

 

[Fatload BoysDoCry]

Oh more XML problems with GOA? i don't believe it

 

[Killswitch]

Dunno tbh, pumping out 2-100 more Fields from the DB to the XML output should be a work of 15 mins. Oh well at least with the tools i normally use.
Ofc if they hard code all the shit for Flash interface it's another pair of hands. But wtf i'd add

I know what you mean...a lot of my current job is building package holidays from flights (in huge, 15mil+ record pipe-seperated files) and XML-feeds from accomodation providers. Probably dealing with 60-80 fields from multiple sources and building maybe 10-12 million unique records. Not huge I know, but reasonably substantial. Using our codebase, we can add a new XML-feed or flight file in about 2 hours of work (including testing).

I guess the problem is we're just guessing really...dunno what hoops the code makes you jump through. I'd imagine a lot of the DAOC code that exists now was also in the beta (and before) versions and might not be the most user-friendly!!

 

[Azathrim]

GoA have never been famous for their ability to get things working.

The funny thing is they get so upset when you call them incompetent. Yet the XML keeps on crashing every time they touch the servers.

 

[scorge]

GoA have never been famous for their ability to get things working.

The funny thing is they get so upset when you call them incompetent. Yet the XML keeps on crashing every time they touch the servers.

There not incompetent, saying that means they actually do something right..

3 things i hate about GOA:

1) the shitest subscription page and payment authorisation system i have ever had the sorry pleasure to use.

2) They cant plan ahead and sort the XML code out, WTF do the do in testing...

3) there communication to the player base via there official homepage might be better if they employee a pygmy from the bolivian jungle, who is deaf and mute, can only speak in 1 letter sylables sounding like "ook" and thinks an MMORPG is a form of bestiality.

 

[Killswitch]

The TT incident aside, I've never had a problem with the way GOA handle the community. I don't understand some of their decisions, for example I don't really agree with the way they handled the Prydwen DB crash. I'm also baffled by their Flash-fetish which renders their site damn near unusable and in my eyes borders on utter madness.

I expect that Requiel, Xalin et al work under the same conditions the rest of us do whereby unfathomable management decisions are handed down by paper-pushing inbreds with no grasp of the technical challenges that exist in implementing said decisions. Also, they have the contract with Mythic which I would expect is pretty Draconian in it's "Thou Must Not..." clauses. If I host my website at a CoLo, I expect the staff their to keep my server available and to protect it from hackers...I don't want them fiddling with my pages, changing my database tables or giving away my secrets.

At the end of the day, we need to see GOA for what they are...an outsourced server hosting company. They provide a secure platform for Mythic to run THEIR software, translation and localisation services for that software, support for the software and some specialised community relationship management for the target market. I wouldn't imagine that GOA are consulted on major changes and I'd expect that, like us, they tend to get changes dumped on them with minimal warning and the lowest amount of support that Mythic can get away with providing. It wouldn't surprise me if when Requiel says "we are working with Mythic at the highest level to get a fix for this" he actually means "I've left 16 messages on Sanya's voicemail". This is no different to when I tell my customers I'm working "with Microsoft" to fix their problem when I'm actually reading Technet and drinking coffee.

I love GOA and if they'd swear off the Flash, I'd be happy to have their babies

 

[kiliarien]

XML's need a holiday too

I reckon the XML's have got bored of GoA being rubbish and logged off

Something we'd all do if we weren't so in to this game.

 

[Castus]

There not incompetent, saying that means they actually do something right..

3) there communication to the player base via there official homepage might be better if they employee a pygmy from the bolivian jungle, who is deaf and mute, can only speak in 1 letter sylables sounding like "ook" and thinks an MMORPG is a form of bestiality.

Whoodoo already has a job tho
Ever wonder who puts the silver foil tops on milk bottles?..... by hand

 

[scorge]

Whoodoo already has a job tho
Ever wonder who puts the silver foil tops on milk bottles?..... by hand

GOA GM's :touch: ?

 

[Leahc]

Why are the xml not fixed yet?

It is a small thing compared to hosting/supporting the game, but it is so damn annoying that you leave it broken for ages without even mentioning anything in the news section of GOA daoc website!

C'mon GOA

 

[Wild]

they really should just pull the plug on the XML put their hands in the air and say "sorry we just dont have the money/manpower/knowledge to put it right"

at least id give em a bit of respect if they did .. as it stand a big thumbs down from me for an issue that has put me off goa for a long time.

its not going to get fixed imo but even if it did it would last at most 2 months and then not work again

this has been covered many times before https://forums.freddyshouse.com/showthread.php?t=200290