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Given a reasonable server, the time to read the entire database should be somewhere near 200 Mb/s (megabytes per second) assuming they have a half way decent FC 2G front end on their hardware. I'd expect them to have more than one. A snapshot could be taken of the data "instantly" if they have any reasonable server system. Then that snap could be read over the course of a few days while it remained unchanging. (snapshots don't show recent updates)
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So that settles everything... Pull some arbitrary figure out of the air and the problem is solved! Have you ever done anything like you're proposing? You don't have the first clue as to how these servers work and you're making these guesses about how easy it is to determine if people have completed these missions or not.
I find it hard to believe that the developers wouldn't just award the badges if things were so simple. We've gotten numerous other badges just by logging in once the badge has gone live.
I guess it's hard to get your mind around this, but it's entirely possible there just isn't a switch in the game that turns over once a player has completed a task force. I'm guessing the developers have to manually sift through all the missions players have done, looking for the right conditions that prove a player went every mission on a team for the task force in question. That doesn't seem like an easy task to me and it certainly seems like it's open for error if a few details are over-looked. This is probably why some players haven't gotten their badges in the past.
Searching through the records for a hero near level 50, assuming every mission has been tracked, must be a monumental task. Have you ever tried that command that logs data or recorded no of those demo files? Within a short amount of time those files grow to massive proportions. Imagine keeping records of those files for 150,000 players and their multiple heroes.
It's easy to sit there as a consumer and demand the world without having an inkling of what it's like to be on the other end. Being able to use a desktop computer doesn't inherently provide some sort of profound insight into what the developers do.
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Well, aren't we in a bad mood. I'll see if I can politely address your issues with my post.
1.) Its not an arbitrary number; its a standard. Yes, they could have chosen to use lower quality equipment for their servers. Yes, that would extend the time it takes to do the data mining; but not to 2 years without resorting to ancient hardware or the need to get it from some ultra slow offline storage media. (A possiblity for sure. As I say, if it doesn't exist it doesn't exist)
2.) Yes, I have done this sort of thing before. Surprise! No, I don't know how their database works... it could be horrible. I find it more likely it is good or at least acceptable, but you are right. I don't know, I can only guess. I'll bet you are in the same boat eh?
3.) As for there "not being a switch" that turns over when a TF is done... as I said, IF the data exists. You have made a fine guess that there isn't a character flag that is set when you finish a TF. If there was, we wouldn't be talking about this would we. There isn't much mining in looking at a flag, indeed I would expect the badge to just pop up on login if there was!
4.) So you guess that the devs have to manually sift data? If that's your true thought then I don't think any kind of facts would sway your opinion. I can toss this out though... 1 TB of data (and we may be talking many) is the equivalent of a thousand copies of the complete Encyclopedia Britannica. So, you are saying that they would read these manually? Enough said on that...
5.) I'm not a consumer for this service, should it be offered. I've not done any of the badges that this conversation is about and have no stake at all in the success/ failure/ attempt/or Non-attempt of this task. I'm just calling a bluff a bluff when I see it. 2 Years eh?
6.) I can agree that using a desktop computer offers no insight into the workings of this MMO... as you have proven well better than I ever could. However, working in the storage industry every day for over 20 years does give a good insight into what they could be using/doing... and that's the basis of calling this 2 Year bluff. What was the reason for your post? Just out for a trolling for this response? I hope I did it justice.
In closing, I find it much more likely that a judgement was made and that the resources required to accomplish this task were greater than available at this time. In the end it is easier for us to do the TFs again (and even for them to alter the TFs to be fun to do repeatedly) than is is for them to waste resources (even 2 or 3 months worth as I'd expect this to take) not changing the game or adding new content for anyone to experience.
Its their call of course. And I may agree that its a waste of resources in the short term (being as I have no badges at stake here and would much rather have working new content), but I have to call a bluff when I see one.
Note: Statesman said estimates at 2 years here, and backed off to "over 1 year" on a new more recent post that at least sounded like less of a bluff to quell the assorted rants here.
