Auction House Much Slower Today - June 16

EDIT: Sounds like this was intentional, which is extremely disappointing: Auction House Much Slower Today - June 16 - #13 by Kaivax

EDIT2: And now Blizzard locked the thread.

EDIT3: A new post in the general discussion forum: Auction house changes, yay or nah?

Starting this morning, auction house interaction with addons (in my case, TSM) has gotten significantly slower after a certain number of queries. This impacts all auction house functions (searching, canceling, posting, and buying).

Here’s a bunch of data which I recorded which demonstrates the issue. Each row represents a single C_AuctionHouse.SendSearchQuery API call (all the APIs experience the same issue - this was just the simplest to test). This data was collected on US-Shattered Hands, which has generally been a very fast auction house as it’s a lower-pop realm. Each row consists of two values: the timestamp in milliseconds at which the API call was made and the time in milliseconds it took to complete.

1592325715511,206
1592325715890,234
1592325716474,270
1592325716850,322
1592325717476,250
1592325717801,271
1592325718186,330
1592325718525,281
1592325718947,370
1592325719291,290
1592325719656,311
1592325719981,270
1592325720336,300
1592325720767,371
1592325721253,430
1592325721602,291
1592325722037,381
1592325722436,340
1592325722846,351
1592325723262,362
1592325723697,381
1592325724026,271
1592325724451,370
1592325724970,460
1592325725325,300
1592325725731,350
1592325726117,330
1592325728315,2140
1592325732601,4230
1592325736839,4180
1592325740077,3180
1592325744274,4142
1592325748449,4120
1592325752779,4271
1592325756030,3196
1592325760330,4200
1592325764563,4133
1592325768897,4234
1592325772197,3200
1592325776430,4133
1592325780597,4067
1592325784897,4200
1592325788130,2833
1592325792597,4367
1592325796797,4100
1592325800030,3133
1592325804363,4233
1592325808630,4167
1592325812865,4134
1592325816131,3166
1592325820498,4267
1592325824965,4367
1592325828300,3233
1592325832533,4133
1592325836700,4067
1592325841033,4233
1592325844202,2800
1592325848436,4133
1592325852637,4100
1592325856870,4133
1592325860104,3134
1592325864470,4266
1592325868604,4034
1592325872837,4133
1592325876104,3167
1592325880337,4133
1592325884670,4233
1592325888870,4100
1592325892040,3070

<RELOG>

1592326215966,187
1592326216371,315
1592326216777,172
1592326217192,361
1592326217717,191
1592326218052,281
1592326218429,321
1592326218994,510
1592326219410,360
1592326219764,300
1592326220221,400
1592326220581,300
1592326220998,361
1592326221379,314
1592326221744,310
1592326222214,412
1592326222612,341
1592326222971,300
1592326223451,421
1592326223806,301
1592326224083,220
1592326224435,293
1592326224791,301
1592326225151,301
1592326225516,310
1592326226721,1150
1592326230910,4133
1592326234176,3166
1592326238710,4434
1592326242843,4033
1592326246076,3133
1592326250276,4100
1592326254543,4167
1592326258676,4033
1592326261976,3200
1592326266210,4134
1592326270543,4233
1592326274776,4133
1592326279011,4133
1592326282245,3134
1592326286578,4233
1592326290878,4200
1592326294198,2953

<RELOG>

1592326382451,186
1592326382856,314
1592326383463,293
1592326383876,360
1592326384400,191
1592326384776,321
1592326385112,281
1592326385541,375
1592326385936,341
1592326386309,320
1592326386740,366
1592326387159,361
1592326387546,331
1592326387989,387
1592326388389,300
1592326388789,300
1592326389289,400
1592326389823,434
1592326390189,266
1592326390589,300
1592326391056,367
1592326391623,467
1592326394813,3090
1592326398059,3190
1592326402425,4266
1592326406592,4067
1592326410859,4167
1592326414125,3166
1592326418359,4134
1592326422462,4003
1592326426660,4140

<RELOAD>

1592326484930,195
1592326485338,315
1592326485834,181
1592326486216,322
1592326490531,4101
1592326494761,4176
1592326498061,3200
1592326502232,4071
1592326506417,4130

<WAITED A MINUTE>

1592326564970,285
1592326565365,341
1592326565808,390
1592326566233,370
1592326566629,341
1592326566987,301
1592326567476,431
1592326567852,321
1592326568318,411
1592326568763,390
1592326569183,361
1592326569581,342
1592326570787,1151
1592326574014,3171
1592326578185,4113
1592326582373,4132
1592326586571,4141
1592326590728,4101
1592326594913,4131
1592326598130,3160
1592326602327,4141
1592326606608,4225
1592326610794,4086
1592326614019,3170
1592326618230,4155
1592326622410,4080
1592326626604,4130
1592326630932,4270
1592326634208,3220
1592326638414,4151
1592326642609,4141
1592326646935,4270
1592326650195,3191
1592326654723,4472
1592326659023,4200
1592326662190,3067
1592326666357,4067
1592326670723,4266
1592326674957,4134
1592326678190,3133
1592326682423,4133
1592326686790,3967
1592326690890,4000
1592326694123,3133
1592326698357,4134
1592326702590,4133
1592326706957,4267
1592326710190,3133
1592326714423,4133
1592326718657,4133
1592326723124,4367
1592326726291,3067
1592326730654,4263
1592326734860,4150
1592326738121,3204
1592326742321,3834
1592326746754,4333
1592326750987,4133
1592326754190,3100
1592326758423,4133
1592326762623,4100
1592326767056,4333
1592326770225,3066
1592326774459,4134
1592326778725,4166
1592326783159,4334
1592326786325,3066
1592326790678,4234
1592326794978,4200
1592326798300,3200
1592326802566,4166
1592326806800,4134
1592326809933,3033
1592326814366,4333
1592326818566,4100
1592326822766,4100
1592326827100,4234
1592326830400,3200
1592326834566,4066
1592326838833,4167
1592326842070,3134
1592326846303,4133
1592326850603,4200
1592326854871,3867
1592326858037,3066
1592326862237,4100
1592326866471,4134
1592326870737,4166
1592326875037,4200
1592326878371,3234
1592326882604,4133
1592326886837,4133
1592326890037,3100
1592326894171,4034
1592326898437,4166
1592326902571,4034
1592326906837,4166
1592326910041,3100
1592326914241,4100
1592326918508,4167
1592326922708,4100
1592326926974,4166
1592326930174,3100
1592326934308,4034
1592326938574,4166
1592326942808,4134
1592326946041,3133
1592326950441,4300
1592326954674,4133
1592326958974,4200
1592326962241,3167
1592326966541,4200
1592326970774,4133
1592326975168,4294

As you can see, the first ~25 calls are nice and speedy at around 300ms each. Then, some sort of throttling seems to kick in and they start taking ~4 seconds each. Reloading, relogging, or waiting a few minutes seems to reset this throttling (to some degree), but otherwise the throttling doesn’t seem to ever reset on its own.

While the AH has been much slower on higher-pop servers since 8.3, this new issue seems to be affecting all servers equally in my testing and from what I’ve heard from others. To put some numbers to this, searching for a very small set of items (i.e. mail Uncanny armor - 12 auctions total) took:

  • 52 seconds on US-Shattered Hands now
  • 10 seconds on US-Shattered Hands before today
  • Less than a second on US-Shattered Hands before 8.3
37 Likes

I’m seeing this behavior on Shadowsong-NA as well. Also using TSM.

3 Likes

I have been experiencing similar slowness using TSM on Scryers/Argent Dawn US.

1 Like

I’ve been experiencing this as well, Whisperwind-NA. Relogging seems to make it faster for about 10 seconds then it’s back to queuing each request for 4-5 seconds per auction which is very slow when you’re trying to repost a large amount of auctions.

4 Likes

Similar issues on Gorgonnash-NA.

1 Like

Also experiencing this with TSM on US-Doomhammer. I’ve noticed that if I wait several minutes after the post scan, then post my auctions, they go as normal. it’s almost like it’s catching up or continuing the post scan while I let it sit, even though the “post” button shows that they’re ready to post.

1 Like

Same issue with TSM on US-Silvermoon (Medium pop server if that matters).

1 Like

Same exact issue on US-Black Dragonflight. Using TSM.

1 Like

Same issue on US-Lothar and US-Hyjal.
Even trying to cancel things after ~35 begins to slow down. I would reload and it was still slow.
Scanning/Searching gets past ~35 then SLOWS down more than I have ever seen before. Glad it isn’t my pc. I disabled all addons except TSM and went to a low populated area to try and remedy the situation but still slows down after a certain amount of queries.

1 Like

Can confirm US-Ravencrest is having the same issues


1 Like

US-Dentarg same issues, using TSM.

1 Like

Hello.

The performance reported above is expected and intended, following a hotfix that went into effect a few hours ago. The hotfix is intended to both address service issues, as well as address an imbalance between the vast majority of players and a very small minority.

Through our continuing work to address service issues as they crop up, as well as our constant efforts to find gameplay issues and fix them, we’ve observed that a small minority of all players generate the majority of Auction House traffic.

The players who generate all of the AH traffic are using addon-driven automation to gain a competitive economic advantage over other players, in addition to the increasing strain on the game service. Neither of these things is good for the game as a whole.

With this hotfix, we’ve implemented a new system that effectively gives each player a “budget” of AH actions per minute, and only kicks in once that budget has been exceeded. The system is tuned so that is should never affect players using the AH typically: buying consumables, listing gathered or crafted goods for sale, searching for specific items you want to purchase, etc. It should be essentially impossible to encounter the new limits for most players.

The new system will, however, throttle players who are using addons to run rapid queries to scan the AH for specific goods, or buy and relist huge quantities of items.

The current tuning values are a starting point for this. We very much welcome feedback on AH activities are hitting the throttle. If the current settings are too strict, we’ll want to relax these measures.

98 Likes

This is unacceptable. Revert this crap hotfix ASAP.

239 Likes

I craft large quantities of items (enchants, transmogs, item enhancements, etc.) and it is affecting me negatively. If the point of this hotfix was to punish players who buy and relist large quantities of items, then it is not intended to punish me, correct? I think this new hotfix will have a lot of unintended consequences that will upset many players, me included. Please find another way to achieve the goals you listed in your post.

129 Likes

Every addon gives the players using it an advantage over players not using it
I don’t get it?

94 Likes

This is an insane “fix.” Right when we’re all working the AH every minute we play the game to obtain our longbois
jeez. This was fine for the first 15 years of WoW and just now there is a problem with AH Goblin’ing? Incredible timing.

98 Likes

WHAT? this is the most insane ridiculous “fix” you could have implemented. what garbage i am beyond livid. this needs to be changed back there is zero reason for this, its the players who post like this also who drive the economy and HELP the masses to buy things from the AH. way to ruin it.

74 Likes

Its really, really bad.
I just tried to list 120 auctions using TSM. Took 3-4 times as long to first scan for pricing. Throttling seemed to kick in around 50 or so. Slowed to a crawl. Once the scan was completed, i couldn’t use the scroll wheel to mass post. It simply stalled between each listing, waiting then allowed me to post. This basically makes the scroll wheel posting irrelevant.

I had to post all 1200 auctions of mine pretty much 1 at a time. Took WAY TOO LONG.

Its really rather crippling


57 Likes

Sorry, meant to have my main post in this thread. Apologize for my Classic toon post.

2 Likes

You understand that by limiting the amount of actions people can take for the AH per minute, making it so people who primarily focus on AH as their gameplay experience, you are actually hurting the economy?

When I brought up someone on my server intentionally was crashing markets to drive me out as competition, something they admitted in whispers they were going to do, because they did not want to compete with anyone else, this is the response I got from one of your GMs:

'We consider this AH pvp. It’s no different than any other WoW pvp. Just take advantage of what they’re doing to your benefit :)"

But now you are changing the entire system to hinder people who are either in multiple markets within the AH or do transmogs?

You understand that by limiting actions and making this a frustrating experience for ‘goblins’ - a perfectly valid area of the game to focus on, just as valid as raiding, doing dungeons, questing, etc - that you hurt other players of the game, yes? Like the farmers. Or players on low pop servers who have only one or two consistent consumable people to rely on for raiding (flasks, potions), enchanting/gemming gear, etc.

68 Likes