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How to: Be Prepared for the launch of Legacy of Romulus

commadorebobcommadorebob Member Posts: 1,223 Arc User
Launcher is up for patching! Server remains down until 12PM PDT (US). Today's patch weighs in at 10GB but I only needed to download 1167KB after doing the items mentioned below. It only took my computer two minutes to patch (full disclosure, I have Windows and STO installed on an SSD. So your times may vary.). But keeping Tribble up to date and Pre-patching works.

The launch of Legacy of Romulus is fast approaching (May 21). Along with new UI, a new faction, and a (more) fleshed out KDF, the launch of the expansion also brings some things that players should be prepared for. Despite the testing on Tribble, nothing on Tribble can replicate the load Holodeck sees. So I offer these tips to make the process to Legacy of Romulus a less painful one.

Sign up for Tribble (Here)
This actually serves two purposes:
One, the more testers, the more data. This allows the devs to find bugs and squash them.
Two, this allows you to get the needed files to make Legacy of Romulus happen. Rather than downloading all of the files, the launcher will actually mirror those already on your computer. This makes the download time almost non-existent as the files are already on your computer. This saves a lot of time. Just be sure to log in and patch it before May 21. Even if you do not have access to the Legacy of Romulus beta, the files are still there.

Pre-Patch
Now that pre-patching is turned on, log all the way into STO and then log off. This will start the pre-patch process. What this does is download all of the files needed for Legacy of Romulus allowing the game to patch once it goes live without having to download many files on May 21. This isn't perfect as many files will not be completely up to date as compared to tribble. But this is still a huge time saver as the game does the download when, obviously, you are no longer wanting to play.

Otherwise, Be Patient
You and everybody else is trying to get on the game at the same time. If you haven't done the previous two items, your download time on May 21 will take a while. In terms of files needed, this is almost a brand new game being installed. Even with Tribble not being slammed it still took me about an hour to patch it the other night on a ~20Mbps download. Get your files before May 21 or you may still be downloading May 22.

Go Gold
A huge perk of being a Gold Subscriber is the ability to have our own queue (on Holodeck; there is no priority log in on Tribble). We get to go to the front of the line when the queue is activated. And with all the incoming new content, there will almost certainly be a queue. While Cryptic has added to their server capacity since launch, we had queues not that long ago. Expect them for this. (Also, being a Gold Member while leveling a new character has some great benefits -- check out the F2P matrix here.)

Prepare for Downtime
Right now, the game is on a weekly update schedule. That will return at some point after the expansion launches, but be prepared for almost daily updates for the first couple weeks. As mentioned, nothing beats just throwing the game on Holodeck. Some bugs can only be found when the system is being played live. While Cryptic is good about giving us a few hours warning, some bugs may need no notice.

I have been through every Season upgrade. I know how the process will work and these tips have made life easier for many of us. And while the game may seem unstable the first couple days and the patching feels excessive, everything will be back to normal before you even realize it.

Conclusion
May 21 will bring a new adventure for all of us. The idea that STO would still be around in 2013 was far-fetched for some people, much less that it would be adding a third faction. These are exciting times, just keep your expectations in check concerning the update schedule and you will be fine.

post above is commadorebob's---

/stamp_of_approval. Stickied! -Brandon
"If you have never used Cello, I'm not interested in your browser opinion."
___________________________
In game: Commadore_Bob; Joined Jul 2009; That post count + 20,000
Post edited by commadorebob on
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Comments

  • wilbor2wilbor2 Member Posts: 1,684 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    hmm im going to copy this n send it as a fleet mail great info here that i did no know about
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  • mirrorchaosmirrorchaos Member Posts: 9,844 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    The launch of Legacy of Romulus is fast approaching. Along with new UI, a new faction, and a (more) fleshed out KDF, the launch of the expansion also brings some things that players should be prepared for. Despite the testing on Tribble, nothing on Tribble can replicate the load Holodeck sees. So I offer these tips to make the process to Legacy of Romulus a less painful one.

    Sign up for Tribble
    This actually serves two purposes:
    One, the more testers, the more data. This allows the devs to find bugs and squash them.
    Two, this allows you to get the needed files to make Legacy of Romulus happen. Rather than downloading all of the files, the launcher will actually mirror those already on your computer. This makes the download time almost non-existent as the files are already on your computer. This saves a lot of space. Just be sure to log in and patch it before May 21. Even if you do not have access to the LoR beta, the files are still there.

    Yeah, very helpful... but only to those who have LoR beta.
    im sure the rest of us will stumble around without a clue until then regardless if we get tribble or not. there has only been 1 round of beta testing and from the looks of it and the rest has been abandoned to the vultures for now.

    until there is an official line on when and how long LoR is open beta on tribble, it remains to be seen how many can get their feedback in to help with the preparation of the launch.
    Pre-Patch
    Once pre-patching is turned on, log all the way into STO and then log off. This will start the pre-patch process. What this does is download all of the files needed for Legacy of Romulus allowing the game to patch once it goes live without having to download many files on May 21. This isn't perfect as many files will not be completely up to date as compared to tribble. But this is still a huge time saver as the game does the download when, obviously, you are no longer wanting to play.

    you are better off saving a lot of hassle, time and interestngly reliability by downloading the whole lot by disabling on demand patching in the options. so you loose a few hours, but knowing the enviable server instability anyway on launch, what difference would it make by doing it then or later on, in the end it still has to be downloaded anyway.
    Otherwise, Be Patient
    You and everybody else is trying to get on the game at the same time. If you haven?t done the previous two items, your download time on May 21 will take a while. In terms of files needed, this is almost a brand new game being installed. Even with Tribble not being slammed it still took me about an hour to patch it the other night on a ~20Mbps download. Get your files before May 21 or you may still be downloading May 22.

    so your looking at 15gb of game files, for 670kb p/s at full speed for about 8 hours it can be done on my end. again like point two, it would be better off taking your time then rushing it.
    Go Gold
    A huge perk of being a Gold Subscriber is the ability to have our own queue. We get to go to the front of the line when the queue is activated. And with all the incoming new content, there will almost certainly be a queue. While Cryptic has added to their server capacity since launch, we had queues not that long ago. Expect them for this.

    i just wonder how many other free players will have to be kicked out for your fun, yeah a real big plus... not. but the system is the way it is so i will fail to continue that point since it wont change anything.
    Prepare for Downtime
    Right now, the game is on a weekly update schedule. That will return at some point after the expansion launches, but be prepared for almost daily updates for the first couple weeks. As mentioned, nothing beats just throwing the game on Holodeck. Some bugs can only be found when the system is being played live. While Cryptic is good about giving us a few hours warning, some bugs may need no notice.

    i doubt it will be that hectic having patches every 1 or 2 days, it would be counter productive barring a critical issue that needs an immediate patch, but i wont dispute that. cryptic has been willing to allow big bugs to float on past for years before they did anything about it. so maybe 2 or 3 times in the first week but that would probably be it.
    I have been through every Season upgrade. I know how the process will work and these tips have made life easier for many of us. And while the game may seem unstable the first couple days and the patching feels excessive, everything will be back to normal before you even realize it.

    perhaps, perhaps not as there are many variables to that ideal outlook. one can never be too sure on what to expect from anything.
    Conclusion
    May 21 will bring a new adventure for all of us. The idea that STO would still be around in 2013 was far-fetched for some people, much less that it would be adding a third faction. These are exciting times, just keep your expectations in check concerning the update schedule and you will be fine.

    i suspect the game will be around until 2016 thats for sure, i mean branflakes has basically given the game a face, the whole thing is a bit more tolerable in a strange way, its a bit more open then it was in 2011 for sure but i still sense a lot of holding back even so. its not like eaware on swtor, they are sucking that game dry and i cant see that making 2015 but it seems PWE hasnt given up on this game.
    T6 Miranda Hero Ship FTW.
    Been around since Dec 2010 on STO and bought LTS in Apr 2013 for STO.
  • valenn1valenn1 Member Posts: 842 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Don't forget:Gather some DOFFs for your Romulans and put a Stack of Colonists aside :)
    Then wait... with Romulan Ale!
    Beta, LTA, CE, Multiple preorder Versions, all Addon Packs except AoY, nearly all KDF/Rom and ~50% of all Fedships, over 25 LockboxShips, Endurer of Atari's "Year of Hell", but...
    unfortunately:

    NOT LOYAL ENOUGH!!!
  • hyplhypl Member Posts: 3,719 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I'd rather just not log in at all, except for the usual daily doff rounds. Knowing Cryptic's track record for major content launches, I wouldn't rush into it. Give it a few days, or a week, for the rush to die down and for them to work out all the kinks. There's definitely going to be downtime and lag, LOTS of it. And if you're one of those that want "the perfect experience" playing as a Romulan, you'll be frustrated to no end.
  • mandoknight89mandoknight89 Member Posts: 1,687 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Yeah, very helpful... but only to those who have LoR beta.
    im sure the rest of us will stumble around without a clue until then regardless if we get tribble or not. there has only been 1 round of beta testing and from the looks of it and the rest has been abandoned to the vultures for now.
    Tribble only works off of one set of files. There's numerous tweaks to stuff Fed and KDF-side, even if you don't have access to Romulans, but even without having Romulan creation unlocked, by keeping Tribble up to date, you'll have the Romulan files downloaded and ready for when it's your turn.
  • valenn1valenn1 Member Posts: 842 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    hypl wrote: »
    I'd rather just not log in at all, except for the usual daily doff rounds. Knowing Cryptic's track record for major content launches, I wouldn't rush into it. Give it a few days, or a week, for the rush to die down and for them to work out all the kinks. There's definitely going to be downtime and lag, LOTS of it. And if you're one of those that want "the perfect experience" playing as a Romulan, you'll be frustrated to no end.

    Could be worse, another space MMO deleted boot.ini with a patch (guess they did that to reduce the login queue/lag).
    Beta, LTA, CE, Multiple preorder Versions, all Addon Packs except AoY, nearly all KDF/Rom and ~50% of all Fedships, over 25 LockboxShips, Endurer of Atari's "Year of Hell", but...
    unfortunately:

    NOT LOYAL ENOUGH!!!
  • tacofangstacofangs Member Posts: 2,951 Cryptic Developer
    edited May 2013
    *See Signature*
    Only YOU can prevent forum fires!
    19843299196_235e44bcf6_o.jpg
  • skiffy1skiffy1 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    tacofangs wrote: »
    *See Signature*

    Ahh! Taco, where is your TOWEL?!
  • soundwisdomsoundwisdom Member Posts: 248 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I was hoping for something of content :( like HURRY STOCK UP ON CONSOLES CAUSE EVERYONES GOING TO BE GETTING THOLIAN REPPPPPPP.

    The circle of foruming continues. Someone copy pasts the generic statement of this will happen, this wont happen, the people who are going to complain will still complain, the people who want to point out how useless it is will still continue to point it out.

    :/
  • loukocloukoc Member Posts: 1,189 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    A lot of people may not know these so good job in making a thread about them, especially with the expansion coming. If I make a suggestion, after the expansion is done, change the thread title to "How to: Be Prepared for the launch of a new season or expansion" so that this stays a sticky...
  • psycoticvulcanpsycoticvulcan Member Posts: 4,160 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    This is going to be such an epic expansion. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to sit out the first day or so to give the game time to adapt to all the players checking it out.
    NJ9oXSO.png
    "Critics who say that the optimistic utopia Star Trek depicted is now outmoded forget the cultural context that gave birth to it: Star Trek was not a manifestation of optimism when optimism was easy. Star Trek declared a hope for a future that nobody stuck in the present could believe in. For all our struggles today, we haven’t outgrown the need for stories like Star Trek. We need tales of optimism, of heroes, of courage and goodness now as much as we’ve ever needed them."
    -Thomas Marrone
  • dalolorndalolorn Member Posts: 3,655 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    tacofangs wrote: »
    *See Signature*
    skiffy1 wrote: »
    Ahh! Taco, where is your TOWEL?!

    I destroyed it using my Kill-O-Zap gun! :P

    Oh, and I may have swapped out his Guide Mk I with a Mk II while writing this.

    *glances at the small, alarming letters saying "Panic" on the Mk II Guide* :D

    Infinite possibilities have implications that could not be completely understood if you turned this entire universe into a giant supercomputer.p3OEBPD6HU3QI.jpg
  • ursusmorologusursusmorologus Member Posts: 5,328 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    MOST IMPORTANT THING get your plasma gear together now because there will be a big increase in demand :)
  • moronwmachinegunmoronwmachinegun Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    There's numerous tweaks to stuff Fed and KDF-side, even if you don't have access to Romulans, but even without having Romulan creation unlocked, by keeping Tribble up to date, you'll have the Romulan files downloaded and ready for when it's your turn.

    Also, don't forget, there will be a whole new UI. While much of the feel will be the same, the looks are totally different, if that makes sense. Your brain will need time to adjust. Updating tribble and spending half an hour doing some basic missions is time well spent.
  • lan451lan451 Member Posts: 3,386 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Yeah the downtime thing is a big one. When it comes to such massive changes and additions like this, there's just going to be problems. No way around it. My best advice? Have some snacks and frosty beverages handy for when (when, not if) the servers go down. Then hop on the forums and grab said snacks and beverages. Watch the fun unfold. I do it every time in every MMO I play. Alternatively you can just wait a few days after release to try to play. I've done that too. Day 1 is always insane.
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    Mine Trap Supporter
  • sollvaxsollvax Member Posts: 4 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    personally im stockpiling mk II polyweave armour
    Live long and Prosper
  • fonz71fonz71 Member Posts: 346 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    to the OP, thank you for your time and experience writing this post :)
    Don't know why it says i'm an ARC user. i will never use that TRIBBLE Cryptic!
  • svwilsonsvwilson Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    lan451 wrote: »
    Alternatively you can just wait a few days after release to try to play. I've done that too. Day 1 is always insane.

    I got that covered. Tuesdays are my DDO static group night.
  • mimey2mimey2 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    tacofangs wrote: »
    *See Signature*

    But...but...that's the BEST part about a new major release!
    I remain empathetic to the concerns of my community, but do me a favor and lay off the god damn name calling and petty remarks. It will get you nowhere.
    I must admit, respect points to Trendy for laying down the law like that.
  • sirwinnersirwinner Member Posts: 24 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    How about just opening Romulan Characters to anyone on Tribble server?

    This is getting damn annoying!

    Sure feels like a "bait and switch" scheme.

    Got a notice via e-mail for creating a new KDF... I don't want a NEW KDF Character as I already have 3 already.

    How about a NEW Romulan Character selection instead on the Tribble Server?

    Gee whiz... Then while looking at the New Character screen in Tribble Server the damn server crashes along with the http://www.startrekonline.com/ web site.

    :mad:
  • commadorebobcommadorebob Member Posts: 1,223 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    fonz71 wrote: »
    to the OP, thank you for your time and experience writing this post :)

    You're welcome. Having been through seven if these you start to sense a pattern.
    "If you have never used Cello, I'm not interested in your browser opinion."
    ___________________________
    In game: Commadore_Bob; Joined Jul 2009; That post count + 20,000
  • captainrevo1captainrevo1 Member Posts: 3,948 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I just plan to avoid the first day. that will be rough. expect tons of lag as everyone logs onto the same location at the same time and probably a crash. if you have no pressing desire to play on launch day then just do yourself (and the people who do) a favour and give day 1 a miss.

    after than try to limit yourself to the quiet times for your location (morning for me) and then after a week, things should be back to normal.
  • wildweasalwildweasal Member Posts: 1,053 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I plan to get. Drunk while waiting on. The server to let me in ......
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  • prophecythirteenprophecythirteen Member Posts: 130 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Another tip is to have some Zen and don't spend it lol I don't know anyone who will be playing who doesn't want a Romulan Warbird from TNG.
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  • dixoniumdixonium Member Posts: 219 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    skiffy1 wrote: »
    Ahh! Taco, where is your TOWEL?!

    "You sass that hoopy Tacofangs? There's a frood who really knows where his towel is."
  • dogmaticusdogmaticus Member Posts: 82 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    Great post, and honestly I love the emphasize on the fact that where STO is today is far beyond imagination of some people. I think that this game not only consolidates the global fanbase of Star Trek, but it also creates new fans every day.

    I love this game, and even though my love for sci-fi started with Star Wars (which is still close to my heart), I found my true nerd home in Star Trek. Star Trek Online makes it possible to immerse myself in this world, and for this - I thank you!

    As a lifetime supporter I decided to buy the Legacy Pack, because I once supported STO and it did not dissapoint. Now it was time to once again fulfill the obligation of supporting STO, and getting all these awesome things in exchange (title "Rihannsu" being the sexiest of them :) ). I did it with pleasure.

    My Romulan (or Reman?) will most certainly side with Klingon faction (many reasons lore-wise, but also because I never really played that side), and I hope to see many of you over the mug of bloodwine, and the rest on the battlefield.

    Jolan tru, my friends.
  • dem613dem613 Member Posts: 143 Arc User
    edited May 2013

    Pre-Patch
    Once pre-patching is turned on, log all the way into STO and then log off. This will start the pre-patch process. What this does is download all of the files needed for Legacy of Romulus allowing the game to patch once it goes live without having to download many files on May 21. This isn't perfect as many files will not be completely up to date as compared to tribble. But this is still a huge time saver as the game does the download when, obviously, you are no longer wanting to play.


    Otherwise, Be Patient
    You and everybody else is trying to get on the game at the same time. If you haven't done the previous two items, your download time on May 21 will take a while. In terms of files needed, this is almost a brand new game being installed. Even with Tribble not being slammed it still took me about an hour to patch it the other night on a ~20Mbps download. Get your files before May 21 or you may still be downloading May 22.

    Please explain. How exactly does someone prepatch? and What do you mean by "get your files before May 21" - how does one do this?
  • dogmaticusdogmaticus Member Posts: 82 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    dem613 wrote: »
    Please explain. How exactly does someone prepatch? and What do you mean by "get your files before May 21" - how does one do this?

    If I'm not mistaken it means that you should go to the Tribble and download the test files, as they will make your download on may 21st, when the actual RoR hits the Holodeck, much faster.

    But I could be wrong on that ;).
  • commadorebobcommadorebob Member Posts: 1,223 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    dem613 wrote: »
    Please explain. How exactly does someone prepatch? and What do you mean by "get your files before May 21" - how does one do this?

    Prepatching will turn on probably the week before. The devs will make an announcement when they turn it on. My suggestion is to log into the game on May 18. Log all the way into the character select screen. Then exit the game. The prepatch will start by itself.

    How this and Tribble work is by mirroring the files off your hard drive. You are essentially downloading the install files before they game can use them. But that saves you by not having to download them when 620,618 other people are also trying to download them.

    In any case, the prepatch is turned on by the devs. You need to do nothing other than log on the day they announce it.
    "If you have never used Cello, I'm not interested in your browser opinion."
    ___________________________
    In game: Commadore_Bob; Joined Jul 2009; That post count + 20,000
  • farmallmfarmallm Member Posts: 4,630 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    As all new game additions of this size. I see some lag from servers can't handle the load. As many people will be on and trying it out. Even the MMO I used to play on as big they was had lag issues. I'm sure there will be a few glitches and down time as usual as well. However the release will be on a Tuesday. I mainly play on weekends. So most of that will occur before I get to log on.

    I don't bother trying to be a tester. Just not me, I rather wait for the full release to play it.

    What I will do soon as it releases? I have some other missions yet to finish. Like the Romulus Rep. To see how that story plays out. So I will finish that before heading on to new areas. So I won't ruin what I hadn't finished yet on the story lines.
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