How does the map closing system work?

[Player.2475]

I was on a map that was full, wit no more people able to join. We were doing the Dragon's End meta.
A few members of the squad say they got the popup that the map is going to close, but no one else did.

Then, true enough, we bring the boss down to 40% and suddenly everyone else gets kicked out of the map.

 

[Gorem.8104]

Its an incredibly flawed system that is supposed to make sure you are always on a more active map, but instead often just interrupts you when you are busy doing something. Even more interesting that you got it on a full map, that sounds more like you all just encountered a bug. 

Usually you see it on maps like in PoF, where bounty trains cause map population to change dramatically. EoD it just seems to happen a lot cause they messed up the player counts per zone for no reason. 

[Astralporing.1957]

5 hours ago, Player.2475 said:

I was on a map that was full, wit no more people able to join. We were doing the Dragon's End meta.
A few members of the squad say they got the popup that the map is going to close, but no one else did.

The popup appears once. If people taxi on that map after that point, they will not get it. And once map gets into "closing" state, it will not get back to norm even if more people will show up. The map closing countdown, once started, cannot be cancelled or delayed.

So, basically, if you're a commander and see that popup, think twice before posting LFG.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Astralporing.1957

[Silent.6137]

Unless it's to reset the maps, there is no reason to close the maps even with low populations. What purpose does it serves? Gives players the options to join a more populated maps if you must, but re-populate those maps instead of closing them.

Bjora Marches is especially prone to map closures. Which I suspect is due to that map being implemented in two stages, and they never fix the problem. When the West side has the Drakkar meta with a big squad, the East side will be empty. This will often cause the map closure pop-ups. Similarly, during the Icebrood Construct meta on the East side, the West side will be empty. Again you'll often see the pop-ups. Doing those metas regularly, you learn to ignore those pop-ups. And they will usually disappear after a while.

17 minutes ago, Astralporing.1957 said:

The popup appears once. If people taxi on that map after that point, they will not get it. And once map gets into "closing" state, it will not get back to norm even if more people will show up. The map closing countdown, once started, cannot be cancelled or delayed.

So, basically, if you're a commander and see that popup, think twice before posting LFG.

As I mentioned above, it does not apply to Bjora Marches. However, on any other maps, it is certainly true. But a commander can ignore it if there's more than ample time to complete the metas on those map since the timer is for an hour.

Also, if the map is closing, players will usually be unable to join a squad on that map. When tagging both metas at Bjora, sometimes we'll have someone leave the map and try to rejoin. If they are successful, and often they are, then we know the pop-ups will disappear after a while.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Silent.6137

[Astralporing.1957]

39 minutes ago, Silent.6137 said:

Also, if the map is closing, players will usually be unable to join a squad on that map. When tagging both metas at Bjora, sometimes we'll have someone leave the map and try to rejoin. If they are successful, and often they are, then we know the pop-ups will disappear after a while.

Untrue. You can't be randomly placed on a "closing" map, but you can taxi on it. Notice, that i am speaking about general mechanics here. Perhaps Bjora has some unique features (and if indeed the closing state can go away on that map, that's already one map-unique modification).

[Silent.6137]

56 minutes ago, Astralporing.1957 said:

Untrue. You can't be randomly placed on a "closing" map, but you can taxi on it. Notice, that i am speaking about general mechanics here. Perhaps Bjora has some unique features (and if indeed the closing state can go away on that map, that's already one map-unique modification).

Maybe what you said is true for any other maps, but definitely not for Bjora. I can't recall how it works in general for other maps. If the map is closing in Bjora, you absolutely cannot  taxi in. A few of us take turns tagging the metas there virtually everyday for over a year. And we've tried that countless times. If someone can taxi in, then the pop-ups will disappear after a while.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Silent.6137

[Cuks.8241]

I've definitely seen the pop up dissapear after enough people taxi in the map. I've seen it just yesterday I think in Sandswept.

But I think there is some bug or something on Dragon's End. I almost always get a pop up (and so do many others) when the meta starts. Even if its a full squad. 

[Zebulous.2934]

Hrm, I wonder why they don't just apply the Bjora Marches map configuration to all maps then? 
It is a given that it would break the meta boss there, but all patches seem to break that bosses' attack rotation.
Sometimes I wonder if there is a marketing strategy which believes that antagonizing the customer in certain ways ,somehow, increases customer retention.  
 

[Silent.6137]

1 hour ago, Zebulous.2934 said:

Hrm, I wonder why they don't just apply the Bjora Marches map configuration to all maps then? 
It is a given that it would break the meta boss there, but all patches seem to break that bosses' attack rotation.
Sometimes I wonder if there is a marketing strategy which believes that antagonizing the customer in certain ways ,somehow, increases customer retention.  
 

Not sure what you're talking about. Are you refering to Drakkar or Icebrood Construct? Was told the Icebrood Construct was bugged after release of EoD. Not sure if they fixed it because I haven't tag the meta there since EoD release. There were no problems with either of those metas before then.

[Rogue.8235]

The system behind map closings is simple.

 

It starts with a massive board, like Ebonhawke-gates-sized massive.  The board's surface is broken down into every map zone.  The process starts with Norn getting drunk beyond the most riotous moots in the Shiverpeaks.  A drunk Norn, chosen at random, proceeds to a vat filled with quaggan.  The Norn picks a quaggan and punts it to the board.  Wherever the quaggan goes splat, that's the map chosen for closing.  The Norn then proceeds to a field dotted with numerous tunnel entrances and picks up the hammer.  Dredge randomly pop in and out of the tunnel entrances.  The Norn then drunkenly swings the hammer until it smashes a Dredge head.  That tunnel represents the map instance that closes.  This is why, at times, map closing may seem random.

 

Realistically, map closing is an algorithm based on player count and player activity.  It also contains a function tied to forum activity.  Any account complaining about map closings is flagged, wherein the account will now, forever, experience continuous map closings wherever they go.  This is why those complaining about map closings are disproportionately experiencing map closings.

 

Or, there is a perfectly rational explanation behind all of this.  But this is the forums, not a place of reason.

 

[Ashen.2907]

How does tbe map closing system work?

 

Poorly.

[SexyMofo.8923]

It doesn’t work. 

[BadHealer.3608]

I'm still waiting, till I can finish Dragon Stand. Each time when we are close the message did pop up and I go back to a new map. Maybe I can look at some videos how the map ends.

[Silent.6137]

12 minutes ago, BadHealer.3608 said:

I'm still waiting, till I can finish Dragon Stand. Each time when we are close the message did pop up and I go back to a new map. Maybe I can look at some videos how the map ends.

Check LFG for squad listings under Heart of Thorns > Dragon's Stand and join them. If you're on any non-meta map, you'll often get the pop-ups since most of the players will have moved to maps with squad listings.

[Belisaria.8136]

Yeah I'm also of the opinion that something is just wrong code-wise with it since EoD. Before that, it seemed to mostly do its job alright, but now it's much harder to figure out what's triggering it, especially in weird places like ViP hubs.

One thing I think people forget about the map closing system that can sometimes make it seem more arbitrary is that it's also used (so far as I've been able to tell, anyway) as a means to reset all of the cycles on the map. For maps that have little bugs or unlikely hitches in their event chains (or even for just when something weird happens and perma-stalls something), making sure a shard is only open so long prevents such bugs from being a problem for long periods of time. Obviously it's only a band-aid, but it's a god-send for anyone who needs a particular event for something only to come back and see it still broken on the same shard over and over. For this reason, I think maps prompt to close after being open x hours no matter the population on them.

[slpr.2647]

i think the map closing system is messed up for EoD. every single time i go into the new GH, i get that message, with a min, every time.  why in tarnation would a GH even need to close and reset???  stupid

[Silent.6137]

17 minutes ago, slpr.2647 said:

i think the map closing system is messed up for EoD. every single time i go into the new GH, i get that message, with a min, every time.  why in tarnation would a GH even need to close and reset???  stupid

Hmmm...never seen pop-ups for GH before.

Perhaps it's because you haven't paid your monthly guild membership dues yet.

[Dante.1508]

On 6/4/2022 at 1:46 AM, Player.2475 said:

I was on a map that was full, wit no more people able to join. We were doing the Dragon's End meta.
A few members of the squad say they got the popup that the map is going to close, but no one else did.

Then, true enough, we bring the boss down to 40% and suddenly everyone else gets kicked out of the map.

 

I logged into the game and was told to change maps after about a minute.. Why didn't it just log me into a fresh map?

[slpr.2647]

18 hours ago, Silent.6137 said:

Hmmm...never seen pop-ups for GH before.

Perhaps it's because you haven't paid your monthly guild membership dues yet.

lol   only happens at the new one 

[Dante.1508]

I have noticed the map changing is only really in the expansions and mostly in EoD, tyria maps even packed request less map changes.