# Temporary Queue > **Please read this before assuming this is "just another queue."** > > This queue is a **temporary, performance-only measure** to stop the server from crashing during connection spikes — like the crashes we've all been dealing with over the past few days. It is **not** a permanent part of the server, it is **not** a standard "always-on" queue like you'll see on other servers, and it is **not** here to push supporter sales or generate revenue. > > To make that stance clear: at this stage, **supporters *****do not***** skip the queue or move up in line.** The only exception is urgent staff connections where a staff member needs to get in to deal with an active issue. Everyone else waits the same amount of time, regardless of role. This is solely about keeping the server stable. {% hint style="warning" %} We are currently trialling this and will remove or reduce it as soon as we can. {% endhint %} ### What is the queue? The queue is a system that controls how many players are connecting to the server at the same time. If you join while the queue is active, you'll be placed in line and connected as soon as a slot opens up. ### When is the queue active? The queue is **not** running all the time. It only kicks in when a large number of players are trying to connect at the same moment. In practice, this usually means: * Just after a server restart, when everyone tries to rejoin at once. * After a wave of crashes or timeouts, when a lot of players are reconnecting in a short window. Outside of these spikes, you should be able to connect normally with no wait. ### Why do we need it? When too many players try to connect simultaneously, the server has to handle a huge amount of work all at once: loading characters, syncing state, spawning resources, and so on. If that load gets too high, the server can become unstable or crash entirely — which is exactly what we've seen happen over the past few days. By spacing connections out, the queue gives the server room to handle each player properly and keeps things stable for everyone who's already in. ### A note on queue times during the trial While we're testing, queue times might feel longer than you'd expect. That's because we're actively balancing two things: how quickly we let people in, and how stable the server stays once they're in. If we let people in too fast, we're back to crashes; too slow, and the wait gets unreasonable. We're tuning this in real time based on what we see, with the goal of bringing queue times down for everyone as quickly as possible. Thanks for bearing with us while we get the balance right. ### Priority and fairness We want to be upfront about how priority works while this trial is running: * **Supporters do not skip the queue.** Your role does not move you up the line. * **Other community roles do not skip the queue** either. * **The only exception** is urgent staff connections — where a staff member needs to connect to deal with an active in-game issue. This is an operational necessity, not a perk. If that ever changes, we'll communicate it openly. We don't want anyone wondering whether this system was quietly built to sell perks. It wasn't. ### Our goals We know waiting in a queue isn't fun, and we don't want it to become a normal part of playing on the server. Our goals are: 1. **Remove the need for a queue entirely** — we're working on the underlying performance issues so the server can handle connection spikes without help. 2. **Keep queue times as short as possible** while the queue is in place. 3. **Keep this measure temporary.** This is a stopgap to keep the server stable while we fix the root causes, not a permanent fixture. We'll keep tuning things as the trial continues. If you run into issues or your queue time exceeds 10 minutes, please feel free to seek support via our [Discord support bot](https://discord.com/channels/953180997959168031/1010432824605671544). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.apollonetworks.online/other-info/queue.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.