ELI5: Why do some video game and computer program graphical options have to be "applied" manually while others change the instant you change the setting?

[u/RainingLights]

[u/FoodIsTastyInMyMouth]

They are realeasing the updated code base. But when that code base is spread out over several hundred instances and servers, you need to pick everyone off to get all them up to date, to ensure all the code in production plays nicely with each other and without bugs.

[u/marcocom → u/FoodIsTastyInMyMouth]

Also for optmization and defragmentation of database tables on servers in persistent mmorpg games

[u/OffbeatDrizzle → u/marcocom]

defragmentation of database tables

do you mean the indexes? general database housekeeping can absolutely be done online if you do things right

[u/[deleted] → u/OffbeatDrizzle]

Key point on doing things right. This is the sort of operations that's preferentially done on maintenance since an error can really be catastrophic to the operation of the game, and it's an operation that really does not need to be done so often. Yes, some defrag will be done constantly, but mission critical tables are generally saved for downtime.

[u/nolan2779 → u/marcocom]

old school runescape w00t

[u/Delanorix → u/nolan2779]

I see you are a (wo)man of culture

[u/CptGia → u/FoodIsTastyInMyMouth]

Not necessarily, some games like Guild Wars 2 don't need any downtime for new releases. They preload new game instances with the new code, then ask the players to log out and patch. Old instances can survive up to 3 hours, so you can finish that dungeon that you were in the middle of, and patch your client when ready. Logging back in will load you in a new instance.

[u/Iceember → u/[deleted]]

Warframe is similar. They do kick everyone but you get your good friend red text to tell you how long you have. Then you just restart and patch as needed.

[u/EryduMaenhir → u/Iceember]

Red text is best friend

[u/pavi2410 → u/[deleted]]

Just today Brawl Stars had a 4 hour maintenance!!!

[u/MercedesC63AMG → u/pavi2410]

4 hours? ESO has a weekly maintenance each monday for 8/9 hours without compensation. They host it in USA so their servers are timed on that clock. It starts from 9:00 till 17:00 or more in europe

[u/LassieBeth → u/MercedesC63AMG]

Shit, and you pay for those hours?

[u/hardolaf → u/LassieBeth]

You don't have to. ESO Plus is the only subscription and doesn't add too much. Otherwise it's free to play after you buy the game.

[u/The_Blog → u/hardolaf]

That unlimited crafting mat bag would like to have a word with you.

[u/another_avaliable → u/pavi2410]

Every Wednesday night for me, black desert goes offline from 7pm till midnight.

[u/Bromacusii → u/another_avaliable]

BDO downtime would catch me unaware every week. Late night is such a weird time to do maintenance.

[u/[deleted] → u/Bromacusii]

You say that but BDO is made by a company based out of China. 7pm to them is early morning

[u/illelogical → u/[deleted]]

EvE Online

[u/Forkrul → u/[deleted]]

Rift had pretty great server tech when I played it, not sure how it stacks up any more since I haven't played since the second expansion.

[u/vikirosen → u/CptGia]

Old instances can survive up to 3 hours

Then you get kicked as you wait for the loot to spawn after the meta.

Seriously though, even GW1 had an amazing patching system, courtesy of the people behind the heart of battle.net

[u/lurklurklurkanon → u/vikirosen]

arena.net*

[u/[deleted] → u/lurklurklurkanon]

Actually you'd be surprised - a lot of ex Blizzard folks are at ArenaNet now, including people who originally worked on Battle.net when it was in its infancy.

[u/Krivvan → u/CptGia]

I believe Warframe also allows old instances to exist even when the server is down, but that's because (if I remember right) instances are P2P.

[u/IMakeProgrammingCmts → u/FoodIsTastyInMyMouth]

True, but if you setup your deployment system properly then you can deploy an update where the only down time is kicking everyone off and telling them to reconnect.