<blockquote class="postcontent restore " style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; ">So I've been around Mabi for several years now, and grown wise in the (horribly f***ed up) ways of Nexon and DevCAT. Reading all the recent topics (here, on NX forums, and on MabiMods), I feel compelled to set (quite a) few things straight.

So here we go:

A word on the servers and channels

I'm particularly tuned into this because I maintain the Automatic Server Status  for the wiki.

1. The "servers" (Mari, Ruairi, Tarlach, Alexina) are not actually "servers". A better name would be "server group". They're simply a bunch of <i>physically separate servers</i> that are related by the same name.

2. Channels are the true servers. Every channel is actually another instance of the Mabinogi server software.

3. It used to be that Mari, Ruairi, and Tarlach each had 8 separate machines, one for each channel (1-7 + housing). I mean literally, eight separate computers. Changing channels connected you to a different IP address.

When Alexina came out, they had 5 channels.... <i>all crammed onto one physical machine</i>. In other words, they had 5 copies of the software running simultaneously on the same computer. Changing channels did notchange you to a new IP, it changed you to a <i>new port</i> on the <i>same IP</i>. This means one CPU was having to do the work of five, and the lag was horrible. I maintain that this is the true reason why most Alexinains are bad tempered. But I digress....

Around this time last year, Nexon finally showed Alexina some love. They got 6 separate machines for each channel, so now they matched the other servers, save for the fact that they had two less channels.

However, when Nexon gave Alexina her final two channels, they added one more IP address. Channels 6 and 7 shared the same IP. I should have seen the warning signs then.

As the days went on, and the Blackrobing started, and everyone's second-favorite 4 letter word was running rampant, Nexon changed Alexina again. They cut the number of physical computers from 7 down to 5. Each IP now had two channels, except for Housing, which was still on its own. I really should have been worried then.

Then, the past month happened. In one swift stroke, Nexon cut ALL server groups down to THREE servers. Yes, you read that right. At this moment, one IP is handling Mari ch 1, 2, and 3, another ch 4, 5, 6, and 7, and one is still running housing. The situation is the same across the board.

A word on the recent lag

If you didn't read above, go read the last paragraph above. It's important.

4. Because each CPU is now handing 3-4 times what it used to, the lag is MASSIVE. This is very noticeable at 5:50, when everyone transforms. The poor CPU is trying to process transformation packets (and all the math and database lookups that go with it) for a 4x heavier load than it ever had to before. Monster AIs, chat, skills, and spawns run at 1/4th the speed, as they fight over the CPU.

This is the major, major cause behind the recent lag spikes.

5. Nexon's not going to fix this. Shocking, isn't it? But yes. They know about the lag. They <i>knew</i>, when they unplugged the other 5 machines, that they were condemning us to epic lag. But they still did it. If they were going to undo it, they would have simply re-installed the servers that night. No, they know, and they <s>don't care</s>. No, that's not right. They do care, because they'll lose some money. But they've decided something else is more important, because it'll earn them more money in the longer run.

A word on the game itself

6. Mabinogi is entering its final stages. I don't mean "the playerbase is dying", because it's been doing that for over a year. I mean "Nexon is getting ready to shelve Mabinogi". How do I know this? It's quite obvious, really. They're screwing up, and not even attempting to fix stuff. The content anymore is a joke. Look at Bard. And G17 is about Puppets. Are you kidding me? You're going to make an entire <i>generation</i>about Puppets?! They cut 20 machines from the Mabinogi budget, in spite of the huge lag. They had to put those twenty machines somewhere, so where did they go?

That answer is the final nail in Mabi's coffin.</blockquote>