Ladder data lost and a commitment to creating a better ladder

[lamster]

I have some very bad news to report. The VPS box hosting the ladder database crashed and no data could be recovered. The database containing results from ladder seasons 1-4 was lost. Should we have backed up this data? Absolutely. I'm sorry. Nobo is sorry. Nimbly Games carefully backs up everything related to Altitude (code, user accounts, etc), Nobo and the ladder folks carefully back up their stuff (server and web scripts), but the ladder database, which didn't quite belong fully to either of us (Nimbly paid for the VPS box, ladder used it as their database) somehow slipped through the cracks on both sides. We're very sorry, we really should have backed it up, and that's about all we can say. We will backup future ladder data.

Here's the good news:

Nobo is pretty close to finishing up a major rewrite of the core ladder code that will allow us to add several often requested features including improved team balance and auto-starting of multiple ladder servers, and pave the way for future features. I have committed to taking a role in future ladder development, including helping finish up the rewrite in a much shorter time frame.

Phong, who has been nothing short of a saint for the ladder community and is in no way even slightly responsible for anything bad that has happened (his box has been rock solid; the VPS box that failed was hosted elsewhere), has very generously offered to host the new database and website code.

Here's the current status:

1) The ladder servers are back up and should work (if you run into problems post here, there might be a couple small issues to iron out). Ladder season 4 is starting again, fresh.

2) The website, http://altitudeladder.com, will be back up and running very soon.

3) Ladder development has resumed at a much-increased pace and we hope to have some new stuff to show you soon.

Once again, we're sorry, we won't let it happen again, and we promise to make ladder better.

[nobodyhome]

Lam's post says everything pretty much. The thought of the box with the data completely crashing and losing all data never crossed my mind--if I hadn't been so trusting as to the reliability of things like this then we wouldn't have this problem. Fortunately the code is all safe so ladder can resume going forward as it always has been, but all the history has been wiped. I will dig around in my hard drive to see if I have any backups of anything, but anything I find will be definitely incomplete.

Season 4 will have to restart again from scratch. Thanks for your patience for the past two days of ladder downage, and much apologies for this big unplanned wipe of ladder history.

[sunshineduck]

well we have the stats for the top 100 of tbd ladder for season 3 >____>

[Goose]

**** happens, as long as ladder can be up and running again i'm sure not many people care about data from the past seasons which everyone pretty much knows the results of anyways. (except for shmo who i imagine is crying while reading this thread while VipMattMan is laughing hysterically )

Looking forward to the new features, and i think its awesome lamster is going to be involved as well :P

[Jayfourke]

If this makes things better in the long run, then that's pretty great. Accidents happen, it's not like anyone can hold it against you.

(Also, I'm shamefully pleased that my appalling attempts at playing BLadder have been stricken from the record. Never again...)

[banana]

Originally Posted by Ajuk999

Hey guiz im not a n00b ima pro i was totally top10 in all seasons. y dont u beliv me????>>>????!!

Anyway with the new feature of auto-starting a new ladder, will it force spectators to join the new ladder?

[andy]

I might have the ladder screenshots for the top 20 in tbd for all seasons, i dont think that would help though.

[Solqom]

Oh technology; our most loyal friend and most treacherous enemy. RIP ladder of old.

Cant wait to try out the new features though.

[Hollywood]

Anyone remember that shmo guy? Yeah, neither do I. <3

[Ingbo]

to me at least this doesnt seem like such a big deal i mean it is what it is u guys seem to be doing a great job too trying to get it back to running properly again too so i mean it just seems like bad luck and good work on trying to get it back guys no biggie imo!

[VipMattMan]

Originally Posted by andy

I might have the ladder screenshots for the top 20 in tbd for all seasons, i dont think that would help though.

I have the way Bladder Season1 and Season3 ended.

[andy]

Originally Posted by VipMattMan

I have the way Bladder Season1 and Season3 ended.

Ya thats how i remember it. TBD Season1.

[sunshineduck]

Originally Posted by VipMattMan

I have the way Bladder Season1 and Season3 ended.

bahahahaha

[naethy]

Originally Posted by Jayfourke

(Also, I'm shamefully pleased that my appalling attempts at playing BLadder have been stricken from the record. Never again...)

Hahaha... let's start afresh together, jayfourke.

Thanks for the apology guys, and I wholeheartedly forgive you. **** happens, but it looks like you're doing a great job making ladder even better. Happy altituding!

[Thornton West]

Hooray for the brand new and soon to be improved Megaladder!

[elxir]

It's ok, we appreciate all the work you guys put in and the nonsense you put up with!

[Aki1024]

The ladder home page, and any page that needed rank history is now working.

[GGQ]

So, you guys remember how I won every ladder season without ever dying even once?

Ah, good times.

Also, all images linked is this thread were obviously shopped.

[Winters Ark]

Don't worry about it. Mistakes happen. I'm just happy that Ladder is back up. <3

[shmo55]

:'(

i guess its time to uninstall

[nobodyhome]

Originally Posted by shmo55

:'(

i guess its time to uninstall

bladder password will still remain as shmoispro, despite no one actually knowing for sure whether or not you won last season.

[Radium]

Originally Posted by shmo55

:'(

i guess its time to uninstall

^
this =(

[shmo55]

Well ive got season 1:





and luckily aki has season 3 saved here

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0An1W_-AqwVOgdG5IN0c0WEotTUsyY2daNHdsWS1ZT2c#gid=11

if someone has season 2 that would be nice.

[Goose]

Originally Posted by shmo55

Well ive got season 1:





and luckily aki has season 3 saved here

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0An1W_-AqwVOgdG5IN0c0WEotTUsyY2daNHdsWS1ZT2c#gid=11

if someone has season 2 that would be nice.

pretty good photoshop job there shmo, your a funny guy te he he

[elxir]

in light of the clearly photoshopped images of the winner of ball ladder, i move that we adjust the ladder password as frankly we cannot trust any data and it happened so long ago that all our memories are a little too hazy

[Clapon]

Originally Posted by shmo55

Well ive got season 1:





and luckily aki has season 3 saved here

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0An1W_-AqwVOgdG5IN0c0WEotTUsyY2daNHdsWS1ZT2c#gid=11

if someone has season 2 that would be nice.

What do you have on your tabs shmo that you need to black out?

and lol those 3000+ games played in season one, ahh the good ole days

[JDR]

All we really wanted was a Pokemon quote in the OP.

[ViPR]

sue the **** out of them! that was valuable information!

[malkin]

Originally Posted by ViPR

sue the **** out of them! that was valuable information!

That and for pain and suffering

[Tekn0]

Of course, the minute I get overrated to #1.. ladder data gets lost. Talk about persecution mania... Thank you VPS! Y U NO BACKUP!

[Aki1024]

Map stats feature is now on the site again. Also, a hidden page that css wise looks ugly, but still has interesting data time statistics now exist.

[phong]

Just out of curiosity, where is the new stuff?

3) Ladder development has resumed at a much-increased pace and we hope to have some new stuff to show you soon.

Since this outage I believe there has been 1 alti patch which contained very few ladder related updates if any. Whatcha guys working on (outside of bumbledore)?

[JDR]

Originally Posted by phong

Just out of curiosity, where is the new stuff:

3) Ladder development has resumed at a much-increased pace and we hope to have some new stuff to show you soon.

Since this outage I believe there has been 1 alti patch which contained very few ladder related updates if any. Whatcha guys working on?

we hope to have some new stuff to show you soon.

[evilarsenal]

i still have season 4 on my altitudeladder.com

:\

[elxir]

Originally Posted by phong

Just out of curiosity, where is the new stuff?

3) Ladder development has resumed at a much-increased pace and we hope to have some new stuff to show you soon.

Since this outage I believe there has been 1 alti patch which contained very few ladder related updates if any. Whatcha guys working on (outside of bumbledore)?

Informed he has terminal cancer, an underachieving physics genius turned small-time video game developer turns to using his expertise in physics to provide a legacy for his family... by producing the world's highest quality 2-d plane shooter.

[[Y]]

tbh there's not much competition in that area

[Aki1024]

Originally Posted by phong

Since this outage I believe there has been 1 alti patch which contained very few ladder related updates if any. Whatcha guys working on (outside of bumbledore)?

nobo doesn't work for Nimbly. Lamster and Karl aren't devs on Ladder.

[elxir]

phong knows all that, he owns the server :P

[Aki1024]

Originally Posted by elxir

phong knows all that, he owns the server :P

The third item is in reference to ladder dev being worked on, not Altitude itself. At least, that is how I read it.

[phong]

Yes, but it made it seem as though there would be upcoming updates specifically to benefit ladder development, say maybe some features nobo has requested?

Hence why I asked what they were working on.