The queue times are from everyone trying to log back in at once—it doesn’t have anything to do with AFK players. The disconnects aren’t due to server congestion either, but DDoS attacks on NA ISPs. An AFK timer won’t fix either of these problems.
So less players logged into the game would not reduce server load that doesn't make much sense to me. Especially when people afk for hours and even days.
Getting mad at SE for their ISP trouble is like your kid getting mad at you because you have an internet outage. Do you have any power to fix your internet outage? Nope. You call your ISP and they tell you that they are working on it. Your kid doesn't get a credit but you might. Your kid might get a mega-ranger just to stop all the whining though. SE might get a credit and because people are whining, there might be some kind of handout to the players but I doubt it.
The problem with the DC's is not server load. It is an attack on the ISP that provides access to the internet backbone for the game servers that is causing the DC's and extreme lag. It wouldn't matter if there was only one player on a particular game server as they will be impacted when the attacks happen just the same as if there were a thousand players.
I so agree with you.
Some folks have suggested that because NTT is having a hard time mitigating the DDoS attacks that they are experiencing, SE might want to consider a new ISP/data centre. There might be some wisdom in that sentiment. Switching ISPs and moving a data centre is no small undertaking though. NTT also has a global backbone so they are no small player. Only SE knows the cost to benefit in switching and I, personally, trust that they'll do what's best for the game.
While I can see your point about them throwing us a bone with something like the silver chocobo feathers, I actually genuinely think that not only does SE not owe us a thing (as the service interruptions are not on their part), but they shouldnt throw us a bone to begin with, as while it may not be in the way intended, it'd still make the example to people like the ones DDoS'ing the servers (for whatever reason) that such tactics work to get things your way.
It's a incredibly risky thing to allow as it entices people doing things like this again whenever SE does something that upsets people
I am experiencing this right now. There is an attack at ae-41.r02.snjsca04.us.bb.gin.ntt.net
Code:Tracing route to 204.2.229.88 over a maximum of 30 hops
1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 2 ms 2 ms 2 ms 10.252.10.1
3 16 ms 16 ms 16 ms 154.11.12.203
4 46 ms 48 ms 45 ms sea-b2-link.telia.net [213.248.74.220]
5 55 ms 57 ms 55 ms ntt-ic-327522-sea-b2.c.telia.net [80.239.195.59]
6 56 ms 55 ms 55 ms ae-9.r04.sttlwa01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.5.117]
7 46 ms 46 ms 47 ms ae-5.r21.sttlwa01.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.2.7]
8 68 ms 69 ms 70 ms ae-3.r23.snjsca04.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.3.124]
9 879 ms 851 ms 900 ms ae-41.r02.snjsca04.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.6.119]
10 * 368 ms * ae-2.r00.scrmca02.us.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.7.33]
11 345 ms 93 ms 72 ms xe-0-1-0-1-1.r00.scrmca02.us.ce.gin.ntt.net [129.250.195.46]
12 72 ms * 72 ms 204.2.229.234
13 72 ms 72 ms 72 ms 204.2.229.88
The question is; why are only US players (data center wise) targeted?