Technical Bug Report Summary
Core Bug 1: Creature GUID Exhaustion / Overflow driven by persistent world bot lifecycles.
Core Bug 2: Failure of Grid Unload Hooks / On-Demand Grid Loading for PlayerBots in version 7.1.
Core Bug 3: Database-to-Core Desynchronization causing missing/misplaced NPCs and missing nameplate strings (e.g., Ultraxion showing as Unknown).
Core Bug 4: Severe Script and Stat Scaling Regressions in legacy raid content (e.g., Dragon Soul trash hitting for 1,000,000+ melee damage).
My 7.1 server is crashing every 8 hours or so. I have experienced 10 in total now since last Friday when I did the upgrade.
I changed the worldserver.conf file with the suggested setting and started up the WoW server.
PlayerBots.PlayerbotAmount = 25
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableAlts = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableLfg = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableBg = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableArena = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableWorld = 0
I can clearly see that console spam caused by bots has been reduced to ZERO. I have no doubt this workaround will fix the crash issue for the most part.
HOWEVER, the exact same bot settings I had before were also configured on my 6.1.2 deployment and it always ran 100% fine. The major difference I see in server behaviour is that the 6.1.2 version bots always despawned after a certain amount of time. More importantly, bots would only spawn in once an actual player joined the server and only in the players zone. On 7.1 bots spawn as soon as the server is started, even if no player is on it. This means they are running around and doing their thing 24/7. You can clearly see this reflected in the spam generated on the console. Not only leads this to crashes, it also generates more load on the CPU and memory without any added value. This is a waste of the hardware lifetime, power consumption and ultimately money.
Furthermore, with bots set to 300 and PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableWorld = 1, the realm felt alive and vibrant in 6.1.2. With these adjusted settings on 7.1, the world is empty and dead. No bots questing along side you, no bots to PvP with in the open world, no bots running around the cities going about their business. This is what my player base has become used to and what they love about the server. Also, 6.1.2 would run for weeks on end without any restarts or interventions on my part. It was super stable, any admins dream.
On top of that. I have tested some of the raids again and the ones I did actually underwent regression. They worked far better in 6.1.2. When I walk around the Shrine in Pandaria, I see a lot of NPCs missing or in completely different places. I am sure there are more examples, since I had limited time to test the game these past days.
I see not other option than to rollback to the stable 6.1.2 version. It is very unfortunate to have wasted 4 days (+40 hours) of doing the migration, testing and troubleshooting. I see no alternative though, since this issue was already reported months ago without a fix on the horizon. I think better quality control would be a major improvement for future releases.
Core Bug 1: Creature GUID Exhaustion / Overflow driven by persistent world bot lifecycles.
Core Bug 2: Failure of Grid Unload Hooks / On-Demand Grid Loading for PlayerBots in version 7.1.
Core Bug 3: Database-to-Core Desynchronization causing missing/misplaced NPCs and missing nameplate strings (e.g., Ultraxion showing as Unknown).
Core Bug 4: Severe Script and Stat Scaling Regressions in legacy raid content (e.g., Dragon Soul trash hitting for 1,000,000+ melee damage).
My 7.1 server is crashing every 8 hours or so. I have experienced 10 in total now since last Friday when I did the upgrade.
I changed the worldserver.conf file with the suggested setting and started up the WoW server.
PlayerBots.PlayerbotAmount = 25
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableAlts = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableLfg = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableBg = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableArena = 1
PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableWorld = 0
I can clearly see that console spam caused by bots has been reduced to ZERO. I have no doubt this workaround will fix the crash issue for the most part.
HOWEVER, the exact same bot settings I had before were also configured on my 6.1.2 deployment and it always ran 100% fine. The major difference I see in server behaviour is that the 6.1.2 version bots always despawned after a certain amount of time. More importantly, bots would only spawn in once an actual player joined the server and only in the players zone. On 7.1 bots spawn as soon as the server is started, even if no player is on it. This means they are running around and doing their thing 24/7. You can clearly see this reflected in the spam generated on the console. Not only leads this to crashes, it also generates more load on the CPU and memory without any added value. This is a waste of the hardware lifetime, power consumption and ultimately money.
Furthermore, with bots set to 300 and PlayerBots.PlayerbotEnableWorld = 1, the realm felt alive and vibrant in 6.1.2. With these adjusted settings on 7.1, the world is empty and dead. No bots questing along side you, no bots to PvP with in the open world, no bots running around the cities going about their business. This is what my player base has become used to and what they love about the server. Also, 6.1.2 would run for weeks on end without any restarts or interventions on my part. It was super stable, any admins dream.
On top of that. I have tested some of the raids again and the ones I did actually underwent regression. They worked far better in 6.1.2. When I walk around the Shrine in Pandaria, I see a lot of NPCs missing or in completely different places. I am sure there are more examples, since I had limited time to test the game these past days.
I see not other option than to rollback to the stable 6.1.2 version. It is very unfortunate to have wasted 4 days (+40 hours) of doing the migration, testing and troubleshooting. I see no alternative though, since this issue was already reported months ago without a fix on the horizon. I think better quality control would be a major improvement for future releases.
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