Musician Archive
Thread: A little item in yesterday's patch notes...
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MusicalDina
Tue Mar 30, 2004 3:44 am
#1
If the devs really were concerned about us why not just make it so they cant perform any actions while afk? they localized it around combat- and i would lke to point out that I read a post by someone i cant remember who, that made the prophecy that afk would be fixed for combat only.
so, um, if they really cared why would they make it combat only fix? obviously in order to stop afk combat it must prevent them from attacking. why cant they put the simple fix on startmusic or flourish?
Landlubber
Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:57 pm
#2
I knew it was pointless to start with that discussion again - or was it?
The situation is this: in yesterday's hotfix notes, one of the items they changed was that AFK players can not initiate combat anymore. I then took the liberty to point out that this AFK issue isn't just a problem for combatants and asked if there would maybe be a solution (or at least a quick hotfix) forthcoming for all professions which are affected by that (you can find my initial comment here).
Well, that sparked some discussion... practically the first answer to that was that it's NOT the same thing, because, and get this: Entertainers are a commodity, while AFK combatants are griefers. A viewpoint which was later supported by other posters as well. Some folks will never get it...
There've also been some more level-headed comments on the issue since (among them an excellent statement pointing out that if it's allowed for entertainers to run their toon AFK 24/7, it has to be allowed for combat players as well), but that doesn't change the underlying problem, which worries me:
We have been plagued by this AFK issues for most of our careers, and now that the same problem gets relevant for combat players, SOE is finally trying to fix it, BUT ONLY FOR COMBAT PLAYERS???
I mean, What the hell???
I don't know, maybe I'm a bit too sensitive in that regard by now,, but right at this moment, I'm getting more and more fed up with all this crap... So SOETyrant's statement this week on the entertainer changes better be VERY good...
Do y'all think I'm overreacting?
Message Edited by Landlubber on 03-01-2005 08:53 AM
gera
Tue Mar 01, 2005 2:50 am
#4
Yes, I believe overreacting.
Devs are aware of our problems. They try to do something about it. Brainstorming and such.
However, this AFK change is a step from none. Soon more will come. If you keep faith more than yelling to them, I believe things will go faster.
MusicalDina
Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:15 am
#5
If the devs really were concerned about us why not just make it so they cant perform any actions while afk? they localized it around combat- and i would lke to point out that I read a post by someone i cant remember who, that made the prophecy that afk would be fixed for combat only.
so, um, if they really cared why would they make it combat only fix? obviously in order to stop afk combat it must prevent them from attacking. why cant they put the simple fix on startmusic or flourish?
picklesSW
Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:21 am
#6
Unless I'm reading what Tiggs wrote incorrectly, this change will do nothing, and applying it to entertainers would likewise do nothing. Preventing oneself from having the 'AFK' flag applied automatically is a simple matter of turning the 'auto-AFK' ability off, right? Most AFK entertainers or buttbots already have this off anyway so people can't tell they're AFK.
When they remove AFKing from entertainers, they had best do something more than this.
When they remove AFKing from entertainers, they had best do something more than this.
LeBob
Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:52 am
#7
I like to think they are just testing the waters before they jump in for a swim. I don't have any more information than you guys have - just that unattended gameplay will be going away... so we will see...
Landlubber
Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:54 am
#8
picklesSW wrote:
Unless I'm reading what Tiggs wrote incorrectly, this change will do nothing, and applying it to entertainers would likewise do nothing. Preventing oneself from having the 'AFK' flag applied automatically is a simple matter of turning the 'auto-AFK' ability off, right? Most AFK entertainers or buttbots already have this off anyway so people can't tell they're AFK.
When they remove AFKing from entertainers, they had best do something more than this.
True, but that's not what I was getting at. This method of shutting down AFK combatants might not be too effective (it that's all they're going to do), but the point I was trying to make is that they are only trying to fix this issue for combat, and not for entertaining. If they can shut down the ability to attack while the AFK tag is up, they can just as well disable any of the commands a buffbot needs to function the same way. In fact, now we have confirmation that they could have done this all along.
I know that this wouldn't change a lot and certainly would solve the AFK issue, and I won't deny that a lot more will have to be done about that than merely disabling a few select commands (although it has often been suggested that removing /join from the macro language completely might already do the trick).
But it's a very telling sign that once again the Developers have not even bothered to show us any attention while working on a fix for one of our most pressing issues -on behalf ofsomeone else.
Bronski113
Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:31 am
#9
Personally, I'd rather see them focus their efforts on a more lasting solution to our problem than spending that time on a fix that would essentially do nothing to solve the problem.
Maybe coding it to stop entertainers from entertaining is harder than doing what they did. You never know.
I'll get mad if they remove all afk play from all the other professions but people still afk entertainer. Other than that there's no point to be mad.
At least they taking a step to stop afk play. Even if it doesn't help us.
Maybe coding it to stop entertainers from entertaining is harder than doing what they did. You never know.
I'll get mad if they remove all afk play from all the other professions but people still afk entertainer. Other than that there's no point to be mad.
At least they taking a step to stop afk play. Even if it doesn't help us.
Message Edited by Bronski113 on 03-01-2005 07:08 AM
picklesSW
Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:36 am
#10
That's true, Ailar. It doesn't send a very good message to make even a small effort to kill AFKing in the combat world while continuing to ignore the entertainer world.
Aleyo
Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:05 am
#11
I wouldn't panic. As LeBob pointed out, we've not seen anything to indicate that they've stopped their commitment to getting rid of all unattended play. I know I certainly won't let them forget it. I know it stings a bit to see anything related to our biggest issue in a different context instead of ours, but as others have pointed out, this change is definitely not a full solution for anybody.
Hey, it may even work in our favor - since the first patch note regarding AFK play has to do with combat, maybe it'll make others realize that the change is not just for us, and it'll help deflect some of the inevitable backlash when the real fix goes in
.
Hey, it may even work in our favor - since the first patch note regarding AFK play has to do with combat, maybe it'll make others realize that the change is not just for us, and it'll help deflect some of the inevitable backlash when the real fix goes in
.
Bronski113
Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:10 am
#12
Hopefully when all afk play comes to an end the patch note won't refer to entertainers at all even though it will affect us.
Might deflect some of the hate.
Might deflect some of the hate.
Shaizann
Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:13 am
#13
Hmmm, how about extending this idea out a way to help us...
Remove the auto-AFK option.
Make a character incapable of initiating any combat when the AFK flag is up. (as it is now)
Make it such that a character stops skill animating in any capacity when the AFK flag is up for more than say 30 mintues, and the avatar sits down.
I say 30 because it's what I would consider a reasonable amount of time for a player to address most of life's little issues and get back to the game if thats what they intend. If they have to deal with something that takes longer than that, then they probalby needed to log out anyway.
Remove the auto-AFK option.
Make a character incapable of initiating any combat when the AFK flag is up. (as it is now)
Make it such that a character stops skill animating in any capacity when the AFK flag is up for more than say 30 mintues, and the avatar sits down.
I say 30 because it's what I would consider a reasonable amount of time for a player to address most of life's little issues and get back to the game if thats what they intend. If they have to deal with something that takes longer than that, then they probalby needed to log out anyway.
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