Entertainer Archive
Thread: How to fix the AFK problem forever.
Page 1 of 3
Beery
Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:48 am
#1
You want the days of at-keyboard entertainers to come back? Well, apart from the fact that those days never existed - there were always more AFKers than ATKers, here's the solution:
Getting rid of the holocron system may improve things, but let's not kid ourselves that it will fix things altogether. We need to get the developers to stop AFK macroing altogether, not just to lessen it. Players shouldn't be allowed to play for more than 15 minutes AFK. If they're AFK after 15 minutesthey should be kicked off the server. This is not difficult - they can institute a dialog box that pops upin a randomarea of the screenafter 15 minutes of no mouseinputand which requires a mouse click in the dialog boxto allow you to keep playing. If no response after a minute the server kicks you. If they did that, AFK macroing would instantlybecome a thing of the past and we might get some real liveplayers back into the entertainment professions.
Beery
Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:49 am
#2
Do youfolkswant the days of at-keyboard entertainers to come back? Well, apart from the fact that those days never existed - there were always more AFKers than ATKers, here's the solution:
Getting rid of the holocron system may improve things, but let's not kid ourselves that it will fix things altogether. We need to get the developers to stop AFK macroing altogether, not just to lessen it. Players shouldn't be allowed to play for more than 15 minutes AFK. If they're AFK after 15 minutesthey should be kicked off the server. This is not difficult - they can institute a dialog box that pops upin a randomarea of the screenafter 15 minutes of no mouseinputand which requires a mouse click in the dialog boxto allow you to keep playing. If no response after a minute the server kicks you. If they did that, AFK macroing would instantlybecome a thing of the past and we might get some real liveplayers back into the entertainment professions.
Beery
Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:50 am
#3
Do you folkswant the days of at-keyboard entertainers to come back? Well, apart from the fact that those days never existed - there were always more AFKers than ATKers, here's the solution:
Getting rid of the holocron system may improve things, but let's not kid ourselves that it will fix things altogether. We need to get the developers to stop AFK macroing altogether, not just to lessen it. Players shouldn't be allowed to play for more than 15 minutes AFK. If they're AFK after 15 minutesthey should be kicked off the server. This is not difficult - they can institute a dialog box that pops upin a randomarea of the screenafter 15 minutes of no mouseinputand which requires a mouse click in the dialog boxto allow you to keep playing. If no response after a minute the server kicks you. If they did that, AFK macroing would instantlybecome a thing of the past and we might get some real liveplayers back into the entertainment professions.
Zutan
Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:52 am
#4
The problem is, its very very easy to defeat the AFK system. You can just not turn on the /afk tag.. and perform any action at all (/wave and currently flourishes etc are plenty) and you wont get auto-afk.
The only way to stop it all together would be to remove the whole macro system from the game.. that would hurt alot more than it would help though.
Beery
Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:54 am
#5
I'm talking about mouse input. If the game doesn't detect mouse inputit shouldstart the counter. The auto-AFK feature should be tied to mouse input, not gameactions. Surely this can be done. If it can't be done, then just have a 15 minute counter thatstarts as soon as you log on- whenever the game is being played, and at the end of every15 minutes the dialog pops up and you have to click on it. Like a "dead-man's-handle" on a train.
Message Edited by Beery on 06-14-2004 11:04 AM
Zutan
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:01 am
#6
That is one way that would deter some people.. But you can play this game without a mouse entirely if you wanted.. I have a friend that uses purely a gamepad to play and keyboard to chat (dont ask me how, I cant play this game with a gamepad) He never touches his mouse the whole time..
Blamj
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:06 am
#7
Well that is just cruel to other professions, I have waited in campsites for over 30 mins on tatioone because it was the only way to heal my wounds or if someone is playing a Zarback, it takes them along time to heal... so your idea doesn't help anyone besides yourself
Beery
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:08 am
#8
Well there are ways of finding out whether someone is inputting data into the computer. A keystroke can be detected - a gamepad input can be detected (if not, the user is in trouble, LOL). The point is, real inputs can be distinguished from macros. It is here where the issue can be solved. Anyway, like I said, the alternative is a "dead man's handle" - no way that can fail. There's no need to remove all the macros in order to solve this problem once and for all.
Beery
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:13 am
#9
So you're saying that you don't make ANY inputs for those 30 minutes??? Seems to me you're not playing the game then. Look, you either play the game, or you don't. When I'm waiting to heal, I'm chatting, I'm checking my status, I'm considering my HAM status and whether I should tweak it. If you can't make a single mouse movement in 15 minutes you aren't playing the game. If you don't want to play, go do something else.
Zutan
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:13 am
#10
Well, however they do it.. I hope they can find a way to make it so even the cheaters using 3rd party programs cant do it.. Because of the way mouse and keyboard input function with computers.. its not possible to distinguish between real Key pressed or mouse button pressed, and a software simulating it.. Might be hard to fix that.. fortunately the people that use them are not real common.
Beery
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:25 am
#11
There's always going to be some way to cheat - that's the case in any system. Themethod I'm suggesting will defeat95% of AFKers (who, at the moment are relativelyunsophisticated users just like you or me). The other 5%, who are using 3rd party programs, are breaking the terms of use agreement. These folks can betraced and their accounts can be terminated, assuming SOE is interested in doing that.Even if the 5% still remain, it will make AFK macroing usersa very small minority of entertainers -a situationwhich has never existed so far. This will tend to draw players back to the profession.That has to be a good thing.
Kreistor
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:40 am
#12
Beery wrote:
Players shouldn't be allowed to play for more than 15 minutes AFK. If they're AFK after 15 minutesthey should be kicked off the server. This is not difficult - they can institute a dialog box that pops upin a randomarea of the screenafter 15 minutes of no mouseinputand which requires a mouse click in the dialog boxto allow you to keep playing. If no response after a minute the server kicks you. If they did that, AFK macroing would instantlybecome a thing of the past and we might get some real liveplayers back into the entertainment professions.
I agree with you Beery. A suggestion I made was similar, but only dealt with people who were specifically macroing while AFK.
Specifically, after 15 mins of inactivity, all macros should automatically be dumped. That means, no more auto-buffing, no more gaining of XP, and also no more auto-looting for those slimy SEA macro-looters.
Apparently my idea was heard and rejected. Maybe yours might be better, since there is a moment where the user can stop themselves from being logged off.
Panthu? What do you think?
DarkY0da
Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:44 am
#13
Ahh well see as a in between idea I've suggested that they remove the ability to turn off the AFK timer. And that they set it so 30 minutes or an hour of not doing anything will put you afk then an hour after that you get logged. Is that too much time ? I think it likely is too much time. But it's more then long enough that people who have a reason for going afk won't have to "hurry" back. But it also will keep people from staying on all day and night when they go to sleep or work or what ever. Or you could go 30 minutes till afk and then 30 minutes till log. Which wouldn't be to bad.
Page 1 of 3