I also encountered a pretty serious bug while performing actions. Sometimes after lagging out, I’d reload and discover a page that said I had just performed the action, but also presenting the same options beneath it so I could do the action again. It’s possible to play opportunity cards twice when this happens.
How this usually works is:
-
there’s one database for persistent storage of everything. If this breaks, everything breaks.
(I have no experience with distributed/replicated databases, and you need them synchronized anyway if you want to be sure that there’s nothing that can be abused by determined users) -
there are many application servers (that’s where the actual code for generating pages and processing any actions runs); as far as I can tell, fallen london runs on Amazon’s cloud, which means many of those can be quickly started/stopped, even automatically in response to demand (i.e. more holiday -> more players -> more servers needed -> more servers running; it’s not that simple, but that is the essence of the principle)
Application servers can also be placed in different geographical locales (for starters, think europe/america/australia/…) so that when your browser goes to www.ultramegasuper.url, it can go to the closest one depending on where you are at the moment. (they still all have to share the same database, though, which can mean longer delays there) -
if everything works asbestos it can, every session (from login to logout) is tied to a particular application server, so that the server can have some resources prepared for that session (like, say, it can remember all your stats, qualities, and items without loading them from database every time - reducing or eliminating any/most/some database delays). This requires some coordination in case a server suddenly shuts down, or somebody manages to concat a different server without telling the first server, but it’s generally a great benefit.
(you don’t normally get to pick which application server you contact, you don’t normally get to even see that there are multiple application servers; there’s a different server in front of them (load balancer, reverse proxy, whatever) that makes those decicions) -
if one of those servers start getting into problems (hardware failure, too many sessions, slow connections to database, DDoS attacks), any sessions tied to that server will see problems (delays, lag, inability to connect, explosive errors, …). Sessions tied to other servers won’t see those errors, unless the other servers also get problems.
It’s possible (and, I suspect, likely) that different browsers from the same computer will get assigned to different application servers.
You might switch by logging out and back again (but it’s not guaranteed). It’s also possible that the load balancer will decide to switch you even without that. Or that the problems will migrate between servers.
(all of this is written from the position of somebody who only really implements application code - I get in concact will most of that, but don’t actually deal with it seriously or even regularly; but I hope I at least painted a reasonably approximating picture)
TL;DR: characters do live on different servers, but they can migrate, and have a solid lifebase underneath.
Seems to have been sorted out now, thankfully.
Thanks, xKiv. That made total sense even for a tech-inept person like myself.
Also thanks FBGs for getting the problem sorted out so swiftly!
I get kicked out now every time I want to start a social action…
Same here when trying to deal with my nightmares.
Aye, can’t trade confessions, and I had a card repeatedly sending me back to the location I was in rather than opening properly earlier tonight.
And you are sure that you still qualified for that card? (Just checking.) If the card is discardable and you no longer qualify for it, it still stays in your hand, but does exactly what you describe: When you click on it, it only sends you back instead of letting you play the card. If the card is non-discardable and you no longer qualify, it just disappears. Which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on which card it is.
Social actions seem to be working again.
And you are sure that you still qualified for that card? (Just checking.) If the card is discardable and you no longer qualify for it, it still stays in your hand, but does exactly what you describe: When you click on it, it only sends you back instead of letting you play the card. If the card is non-discardable and you no longer qualify, it just disappears. Which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on which card it is.[/quote]
Ah, I see. I was not privy to that information. Yes, it seems that loss of stats from outfit-swapping had temporarily disbarred me from access to the card. I had assumed it was connected in some way with the server’s mischievous behavior tonight, but you are absolutely correct. Thanks awfully for the help: problem solved. :)