Time limit on character creation

[Leo.3428]

You know the feeling when you have been painstakingly tweaking your new character and you get disconnected right before the final step. Because of this I have stopped "designing." I stick to the default options and jump in.Why is the game client unable to keep the session alive during character creation? It could simply ping the server regularly when on the creation screens. Or was this solution intentionally ignored? (To sell more look and name changers?)

[ShadowCatz.8437]

@"Leo.3428" said:You know the feeling when you have been painstakingly tweaking your new character and you get disconnected right before the final step. Because of this I have stopped "designing." I stick to the default options and jump in.Why is the game client unable to keep the session alive during character creation? It could simply ping the server regularly when on the creation screens. Or was this solution intentionally ignored? (To sell more look and name changers?)

I an only speculate, but it is possible that when you are in creation windows that you are logged into ANet's server for identification (account ID and password) which is on its own server, but not moving or doing anything and that trigger a kick from game server. It is the same that will happens if you leave your character too long standing still without any active input or action.

[Khisanth.2948]

@ShadowCatz.8437 said:

@"Leo.3428" said:You know the feeling when you have been painstakingly tweaking your new character and you get disconnected right before the final step. Because of this I have stopped "designing." I stick to the default options and jump in.Why is the game client unable to keep the session alive during character creation? It could simply ping the server regularly when on the creation screens. Or was this solution intentionally ignored? (To sell more look and name changers?)

I an only speculate, but it is possible that when you are in creation windows that you are logged into ANet's server for identification (account ID and password) which is on its own server, but not moving or doing anything and that trigger a kick from game server. It is the same that will happens if you leave your character too long standing still without any active input or action.

That kick takes 2 hours ... GW2's character creation doesn't really seem to be so detailed that it would take that long.

[Leo.3428]

@"ShadowCatz.8437" said:I an only speculate, but it is possible that when you are in creation windows that you are logged into ANet's server for identification (account ID and password) which is on its own server, but not moving or doing anything and that trigger a kick from game server. It is the same that will happens if you leave your character too long standing still without any active input or action.

It must be that, but then, why not ping the server that is responsible for the kick? Every minute: "Ping! I'm there, creating my next toon. Please don't kick me.'

@Khisanth.2948 said:That kick takes 2 hours ... GW2's character creation doesn't really seem to be so detailed that it would take that long.

Two hours would be more than enough, but last time this happened to me, I had spent only five minutes hesitating between races and professions, then five to ten minutes tweaking ears and things. I never disconnect in other circumstances, except a few infamous story instances that enjoy making you run for twenty minutes again and again.

[TheAgedGnome.7520]

@Khisanth.2948 said:That kick takes 2 hours ... GW2's character creation doesn't really seem to be so detailed that it would take that long.

Two hours would be more than enough, but last time this happened to me, I had spent only five minutes hesitating between races and professions, then five to ten minutes tweaking ears and things. I never disconnect in other circumstances, except a few infamous story instances that enjoy making you run for twenty minutes again and again.

I've spent a good hour or so whilst creating several of my characters, including one a couple of weeks ago. Usually its about 30 min creating, and about 40min trying to find a name that's not taken. :) Never had a disconnect during character creation, so it doesn't seem like a server issue.

[Khisanth.2948]

@Leo.3428 said:(To sell more look and name changers?)

Forgot about this bit. That is already covered since some faces, hair and hair color can only be selected through the kits.

[Leo.3428]

@TheAgedGnome.7520 said:I've spent a good hour or so whilst creating several of my characters, including one a couple of weeks ago. Usually its about 30 min creating, and about 40min trying to find a name that's not taken. :) Never had a disconnect during character creation, so it doesn't seem like a server issue.

Thank you for sharing your experience. If it's not the game, then some benevolent entity in the internet wants to save me from gaming.I can relate on the struggle finding a (simple) name still available :)

@Khisanth.2948 said:Forgot about this bit. That is already covered since some faces, hair and hair color can only be selected through the kits.

True. I was on the verge of exasperation when I wrote that. Now I'm in peace with my default-settings characters.

[Ashantara.8731]

@Leo.3428 said:Why is the game client unable to keep the session alive during character creation?

If it was only during character creation... :s

EU servers = :-1:

[Leo.3428]

@"Ashantara.8731" said:If it was only during character creation... :s EU servers = :-1:

Ouch. I hadn't noticed; I play mostly on NA nowadays for the time zones. I hope it's not another rollback weekend for EU :anguished:

The disconnect during character creation happened to me again, I will do some tests monitoring the network. I suspect it's an entirely different mechanism than a 2-hour timeout handled at the server-level - if that was that, I would not disconnect to begin with, and it would likely only happen during a communication with the server, namely during name submission, when the server can actually check for session validity. Rather, it must have to do with a regular ping not being routed and the client (not the server) deciding to panic back to the main screen.

The reason why I'm mentioning the problem now is because I'm preparing a comedic screenshot-based comic about the struggles of one Norn family, and I would like the "actors" to resemble a bit what I have in mind. But in hindsight, their generic looks work too, it makes them stereotypical toons being thrown into some impossible storylines. Here is the comic if anyone wants to check it out: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/1328932/#Comment_1328932

[Leo.3428]

Here is an update. I was creating more characters for the comic and got repeatedly kicked 5 to 10 minutes into creation, mostly on the last screen (choosing a name).So I started my monitoring tools again. 2 to 3 connections to AWS, a momentary flurry of them to CoherentUI, decent latency, traceroute ok, no packet loss. I took my time, hoping to catch the culprit. Sure enough, after 15 minutes I still had no disconnect. Heisenbug. Will keep investigating.