What to do in case you can't connect and previously you were able to do so or during patch times:

1. Check the server status or Twitter to see if this is a planned downtime or something we didn't notice. Accidental downtimes are generally rare though, croissants notwithstanding.

2. Join IRC to see if a DEV or GM is online and can tell you if something has a known problem. (Here's an archived link on how to do that.) We're usually on IRC to keep you updated during downtimes too.

3. Check the recent posts to see if a topic is already there about the problem. This topic will also get updated every now and then.

4. Wait and try again later - this might sound mundane, but in 90% of the cases, when you can't connect / log in, we're already VERY busy using black magic, crude language and caffeine to fix the problem.