Server restarts/Maintenance and rares

[Seiryu]

So I have always wondered how exactly this works and if anyone has personally seen either of these happen.

Scenario 1: You are camping Skarr. A 2-10 hour respawn with karkin. You have been camping for 6 hours and server comes down. Server mainenance ends 6 hours later (12 hours since you started camping).

Has anyone ever seen a rare up right after server maintenance? Mainly the Cata rares (4.2 or release ones).

Scenario 2: You check for Skarr/Karkin 2 minutes before servers go down. Sadly, you screw up and die. By the time you get back, boom servers go down.

Does Skarr have a chance to be up when servers come back up (since he was already up) or does he automatically get "de-spawned".

I have personally camped for the TLPD for 7 days straight. By 7 days straight I mean I got 17 Vyragosa kills. And since they have a 6-24 hour respawn. I would take a break for 4-5 hours knowing it couldn't spawn yet. During this 7 day camp, servers went down 4 times for restarts and 1 maintenance. I noticed that, Vyragosa never respawned until at least 6 hours after maintenance. She never spawned under 6. Likely noting that servers going down, completely reset the timer.

[Kurenio]

From what I've heard spawn timers reset on server resets and maintenance. Yes if a rare spawn is up when it happens it despawns.

[Worba]

As far as I can recall, server going down = rares are despawned, but server coming back up is not in itself a rare spawn trigger. I believe what happens is that spawn timers keep ticking away while the server is down, and if they hit their "spawn now" point during that time, then when the server comes back up, they will be there. Much like if all players spontaneously agreed to log off and stay off for 8 hours, there's a good chance that by the end of that time a few rares would be kicking around.

[Seiryu]

Ya. I just have personally never seen a rare up when the servers have come back online. And if I recall, I haven't seen any until their minimum spawn time has been met.

I.e servers come up at 2pm. Skarr can't spawn until at least 4pm. Deth can't until at least 8pm etc.

[CrystalKitten]

My Loque tame was almost exactly 6 hours +/- 15 mins after my server came back up. This leads me to believe that the idea that servers restarts reset the spawn timer is true. Now, whether this is still the case if it's just a quick restart, or if this is only the case when "real" maintenance is done.. I don't know.

[Acherontia]

I've heard that the timers continue ticking if a server goes down for a restart--dunno about a maintenence.

Last time my server restarted, I sat down and camped nonstop for six hours, and that's when Karkin spawned. Not who I was after, but maybe that'll help with your calculations.

The question of whether restarts and maintenences affect rare spawn timers, and how, has been pretty hotly debated all over WoW communities for years, though; I have never seen conclusive proof either way.

[Gloomis]

Last Tuesday, 12th, I logged into Molton Front as soon as server was up (~11:40am PST due to maintenance delays). Skarr was already sitting at his northorn spawn point. I tamed him.

[Seiryu]

Last Tuesday, 12th, I logged into Molton Front as soon as server was up (~11:40am PST due to maintenance delays). Skarr was already sitting at his northorn spawn point. I tamed him.

Thanks for this! So he can possibly be up. At least that confirms Karkin/Skarr can be up when servers come up. Now if anyone has seen the twin cats, Banny or the spiders up as soon as the servers are up, that also helps.

No luck today for me and Skarr. I've seen him 3 times. First I missed by 30 seconds, second I missed by maybe 5 seconds? And the last was killed by a random horde boomkin as I was taming. Wish they had more health.

[Thwip]

I've honestly seen it both ways.

I've caught 9 rare Northrend spawns in a row, Even rehomed an Arc, on a maintenance day when the server came back up. Simple resets never seem to harm my timers.

I've also caught days where there was nothing at all up. Anywhere. RNG is RNG. They can decide to spawn when it first comes up or 12 hours, in case of Vyragosa, after.

[Kyrie]

I FINALLY found Skarr with 1:30 to go before Server restart/maintenance. I hope he is still there when the server comes back up

[Galaxy]

Yike!!!! Was he there??? I find most of my tames at 5am server regardless of restarts.

[Lisaara]

Maintenance resets timers but some can be up at that time(I've found some). Server Restarts, however, dont affect them.