Will the AFK timer be coming back at Heavensward early access & launch?

I'd like to see this to be honest. It was a pretty big problem at 2.0 launch with AFK players and all. People didn't want to lose their "spot" because they had to go to work/school, then run against a wall for hours on end until they get home. I know there's not really a way to stop that (or is there?), and the changes to the servers and the addition of queues helped a bit. Maybe it'll help get some people on that are waiting to get in.

They can always remove the timer again like they did last time when the need for it wasn't there.

I'm sure this was already discussed, but I was curious :p

Just a suggestion, sorry if it's been mentioned already.

I hope not. Or at least, I hope it won't be a short timer. An hour or two and up is fine, but I think the old one was 30 minutes?

I hope it will be back the way it was. 30 minutes no action and you get kicked. 30 minutes is plenty of time, and after adding the feature login in again didnt take longer then 2-3 minutes. So if you have to afk for longer you wont loose much time.

If they dont add it - well, at a point i was waiting for 4 hours - yes, thats not gonna happen, if they dont add it i will afk the hell out of the game even when im at work >.>

3.0 won't be the second coming of 2.0, don't worry.

I have no idea how congested the servers will be personally. I cannot fathom the amount of people who will be logging in at launch and for how long ><. Early Access will probably be fine for congestion, but launch will be a different story.

All I demand is to remove finally auto AFK kick in duties for fully premade >.< couldnt finish a FC T1 because a tank had to do sth irl... he came back 10s after he was kicked and we left because we cannot replace also some dungeons were a bit interesting to finish....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SpookyGhost

3.0 won't be the second coming of 2.0, don't worry.

---

You have obviously never played an expansion release for an MMO on a populated server.

Just recently with the Warlords of Draenor release, the servers were literally at capacity on pretty much every server to the point where almost every server had at least 4-5h queue times and some longer then 12h+.

Auto log out timers need to be put in place, we don't need AFKers clogging up the server.

AFK timer is only useful when there is heavy traffic. I beilieve that now SE only has a certain number of people in each server to reduce the amount of people on it. For now, I think the only way the timer will be set back in is if after the release of heavens ward the queue when you log in is like a couple hundred and it takes 5 minutes to log in. Usually the queue is like 30 seconds at most.

The servers will be down for emergency maintenance regularly for the first week, which will kick the AFKers.

It was only an issue because of the server problems they were having. they couldnt handle the amount of people playing. Larger than expected crowds were logging into the same 3 zones, now we are much more spread out. Since then they have (more or less) fixed the issue. I havent had a 90k in over a year and the worst I saw was with chocobo racing the 3 days after that patch dropped. I don't see why this would be an issue any more.

And you think with everyone and their mom standing/questing in Ishgard its getting any better? On our server we have ques even at normal evenings, especially tue wed fri and sat tho. They aren't big or long, but thats because everyone is playing regular. With everyone and their grandma (see what i did there?) comming back with 3.0 hoping that the game will have fundamentally changed so it would be interesting now which it wasnt in 2.0+ - which is ofc not the case but yknow - Servers will be topped off with people. And Instance Servers will have heavy duty work to do when dungeons are involved in storyline, which they will be ofc.

Get ready for massive problems at regular launch - the reason why i took freedays off work so i can lvl from 50-60 in the first 4 days from headstart to launch, then ill go gathering/crafting - if theres no maint, i can do that at any time.

Hoping that everything will run smooth and there wont be ques and crashes? LOL nope - not gonna happen, sorry

Oh god I hope so. I want to be able to log in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StouterTaru

The servers will be down for emergency maintenance regularly for the first week, which will kick the AFKers.

---

this /10chars

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pavise

You have obviously never played an expansion release for an MMO on a populated server.

Just recently with the Warlords of Draenor release, the servers were literally at capacity on pretty much every server to the point where almost every server had at least 4-5h queue times and some longer then 12h+.

Auto log out timers need to be put in place, we don't need AFKers clogging up the server.

---

dont forget kept gettign reset every 2 hours

Hmmm, I do think thing or two go wrong on early access day but I got my fingers crossed that it doesn't last whole weekend.

I should hope so. I fail to understand why it was removed in the first place, to be honest. See people idling away hours - mornings/afternoons - whole damn days in the same spot, without even moving. Just sick of it. Boot them all please. 30min should be more than enough for anyone to take care of whatever comes up to be taken care of; and if not, might as well log out anyway.

I think being AFK for 2 hours should log you out at that point for the first 2 months then it can be removed just to help deal with the surge of new and returning members.

Personally not a fan of AFK timers. I hope it never comes back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cutie_McSnuggles

Personally not a fan of AFK timers. I hope it never comes back.

---

I'm not a fan of sitting in queue for 10-20 mins like at the launch of ARR on my server but to each their own.

and then people will just go to their FC house and run in the corner to keep from logging out

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BreathlessTao

I should hope so. I fail to understand why it was removed in the first place, to be honest. See people idling away hours - mornings/afternoons - whole damn days in the same spot, without even moving. Just sick of it. Boot them all please. 30min should be more than enough for anyone to take care of whatever comes up to be taken care of; and if not, might as well log out anyway.

---

Are you paying more than these people? Is there some "right" way to play the game that I'm missing? If I want, and I often do, to sit myself down and enjoy the scenery, listen to my FC chat, while I do other things, I shouldn't be booted for doing so.

Having it be an option for those like yourself that feel its a moral responsibility to exit the game when not running a dungeon (or some other 'approved' activity) is enough.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Quesse

Are you paying more than these people? Is there some "right" way to play the game that I'm missing? If I want, and I often do, to sit myself down and enjoy the scenery, listen to my FC chat, while I do other things, I shouldn't be booted for doing so.

Having it be an option for those like yourself that feel its a moral responsibility to exit the game when not running a dungeon (or some other 'approved' activity) is enough.

---

No, I'm paying the same amount as you. For which I should be able to access the server and play the game just the same way as you. But when people like you (and there are quite a few around) contribute to me being locked out, because the world is full; or making me unable to interact with interaction points because a given area is so overcrowded they can't be seen or don't even load - I'm not getting that. And in that case, it's my turn to ask: are you paying more than me, to just be logged in and do nothing?

Yes, it should well be a "moral responsibility". This isn't a single player game, where you only have to think of yourself. There are other people you should be considerate about. If you want to enjoy the scenery - take screenshots and use them as wallpapers. If you want to listen to friends talk (not sure how valid that is, reading text while doing whatever else outside the game) - use an appropriate platform. I can't decide if there's a "right" way to play the game, but at the same time, it isn't your personal screensaver/e-reader either.

On a sidenote: I don't think characters rooted to a retainer bell or market board or (vendor) NPC or a certain node, with the AFK icon next to their names, for several hours, represent people who do what you described either.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fuma

I'm not a fan of sitting in queue for 10-20 mins like at the launch of ARR on my server but to each their own.

---

Wasn't that caused by the lobby servers being overloaded with logins/character creation, which forced logout didn't help one bit?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StouterTaru

Wasn't that caused by the lobby servers being overloaded with logins/character creation, which forced logout didn't help one bit?

---

Lobby Server Problems were fixed in the first week after Headstart. After that we had ques of thousands of people at some time in the evenings before they added the afk auto-logout feature - read as: At one point i waited 6 hours so i could log in half an hour before i had to head to bed due to work.

After the 30 min timeout those problems vanished instantly, longest que i had after that was 1-2 minutes tops. Seeing how the number of players went up over the course since 2.0 and based on the active accounts that are reported i really hope i wont be sitting in front of my screen staring at a number counting down because some douches decide to stay logged in all day even tho they are at work or w/e

At least we wont have one problem what we had at headstart: Many people who want to create a new character but arent able to do that on the server where all their friends play - that was even worse for them then the login for others :/

I hope they will bring back the auto-boot on heavensward!

Or else it will be a fiasco like the 1st week when this game came out on 2013 o-o;
The people who wanted to play could not login.. while the afkers are around doing nothing -.-

I think I should switch off Balmung after reading this. The login queues here are going to be murder. I don't roleplay and don't have many friends here anyways, so....the only thing I enjoy here is the life and the lack of RMT spam.

Good thing I'm always poor and under 1m, that'll make switching easier!

Edit: I also love how some are saying it's okay for AFKers to idle away and block people from logging in. Only in Ameri.....errr, on the official forums....

I'm sure the Devs are discussing all possibilities to make Heavensward a good launch. At least, I hope so.

AFK timers will be nice to have, but in the end it's easy for people to bypass it.

I'm more curious as to why people still AFK for hours on end rather than log out. Waiting for FATEs to spawn is one thing, but why do it in MB?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Windsar

I'd like to see this to be honest. It was a pretty big problem at 2.0 launch with AFK players and all. People didn't want to lose their "spot" because they had to go to work/school, then run against a wall for hours on end until they get home. I know there's not really a way to stop that (or is there?), and the changes to the servers and the addition of queues helped a bit. Maybe it'll help get some people on that are waiting to get in.

---

The problem at 2.0 launch was largely because the queue system was pretty much non-existent at the time. If there was a queue beyond a certain tiny size, instead of being placed in the queue you were sent back to the title screen. Nobody wanted to fight this objectively crappy system, so people were staying logged in 24/7. With the current, much-improved, queue system, even a return to 2.0 levels of players should not result in abysmal queue times, and fewer people will afk 24/7.

I would like to see this if only because it would make loading into Mor Dhona and Limsa less of a pain-- those two areas always take much longer than any other place in the game to load because so many people AFK there. Go in to MD at any point during the day and you'll be greeted by a sea of red chairs. I once counted over 50 people AFKing in Revenant's Toll alone.

God, I hope so The 2.0 launch sucked not only because logging in was obviously an issue, but it brought out the absolutely worst of the worst in the community. The amount of people trying to justify staying logged in, while they were sleeping or at work/school, as anything other than complete and utter selfishness was staggering. Heck, I remember a few people gloating that they were logged in for days yet barely touched the game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Galaktica

God, I hope so The 2.0 launch sucked not only because logging in was obviously an issue, but it brought out the absolutely worst of the worst in the community. The amount of people trying to justify staying logged in, while they were sleeping or at work/school, as anything other than complete and utter selfishness was staggering. Heck, I remember a few people gloating that they were logged in for days yet barely touched the game.

---

But like the hunts, it also brought about the ironic selfishness of those complaining about others being selfish.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StouterTaru

But like the hunts, it also brought about the ironic selfishness of those complaining about others being selfish.

---

Hoooo boy, here we go again...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Quesse

Are you paying more than these people? Is there some "right" way to play the game that I'm missing? If I want, and I often do, to sit myself down and enjoy the scenery, listen to my FC chat, while I do other things, I shouldn't be booted for doing so.

---

Difference is, you are still at the keyboard/console/whatever. That if they added a auto kick you could react and prevent it. What people are saying are those who stay logged on and arent at the keyboard/console/whatever. They log on, go to work, stay logged, come back, go to sleep and stay logged on. Or for some other reason go away from the game and evern the room for hours on end. There is no reason why they shouldn't be kicked back to log in screen, especially if with heavenswards there are queues for those who are actually want to play want to get in game. It takes a few seconds to get back in game from the log in screen.

Would you like it if you can only play for 3 hours and it takes you 2 1/2 hours because of the queue? No, I don't think you would and if SE can reduce that by disconnecting AFK players, isn't that preferable to, possibly, not being able to play as it was before?

SE can reduce potential queues, and only SE as the playerbase have shown their selfishness in the past by staying on AFK in game and adding to the problem. From speaking to people back then it pretty much came down to "Others do it, so I'm doing it so I can play when I'm at home and not have to deal with excessive queues" Which where only caused by the aforementioned players, so it escalated.

Personally, I would love to have the 30min AFK timer back until Alexander (normal) is released (I assume there's gonna be a patch when it comes out). With new areas, FATEs, quests, ect, ect, I don't see why many people would have to AFK those first two weeks and some odd days for early access. The log-in system is already going to be bogged down (heck, even right now when I try to log in during the afternoon I usually have 1-20 people already in queue to log in) and I can only imagine how horrific it is going to be with the expansion.