Institute Temporary AFK Kick Timer

[Crescent_Dusk]

This is definitely needed, I'm kinda surprised they haven't implemented something like that yet. And I'm pretty sure this was actually already on the game in earlier phases. I distinctly remember getting kicked due to inactivity. If i'm correct, then the code is already there, they just need to switch it on.

This is not a problem, just a symptom.

People do it in the first place because SE chose to not take the sensible route of queues, so they have to sit for an hour staring at the log in screen spamming zero or design a keyboard macro to do so. If people didn't need to do this kind of crap they would not be trying to keep their character logged in.

[Jennestia]

This is not a problem, just a symptom.

People do it in the first place because SE chose to not take the sensible route of queues

I've been dumped into Queues plenty of times when trying to log in. Also, why are people so desperate to kick others out of the game just so they can play? Every time this topic comes up people get silly and want to kick someone who's AFK for as little as 5 minutes lol.

One thing people need to realize is, while sometimes it may seem obvious someone is AFK, there's a good chance some people may just be sitting around chatting with their Linkshell/FC while trying to get through the crappy Duty Finder situation. (If you're not Tank/Healer, it's pretty hellish trying to do stuff in Duty Finder at times.)

If they do institute a AFK kick, it'd be like other MMOs or like what they did in XI, where you either get kicked after 10-60 minutes of idle or have the ability to cut it off altogether.

[Vaughn]

AFK kicking is the only short term solution for now. Take last night for example. A maintenance window was announced and so people actually started logging out instead of staying AFK. As a result multiple people in my FC including me were actually able to logon around 11 pm EST for the first time in 3 days.

[Hexy]

AFK kicking is the only short term solution for now. Take last night for example. A maintenance window was announced and so people actually started logging out instead of staying AFK. As a result multiple people in my FC including me were actually able to logon around 11 pm EST for the first time in 3 days.

It's not just a "short term" solution. It will ease server congestion by cycling through those that aren't actively playing. It will also help those with lag issues since their graphics card won't have to render a hundred characters standing in the middle of Ul'dah with their thumbs up their butts.

I totally agree that we need an auto afk-kick with a 30 minute timer. Most MMO's have it and it doesn't disrupt gameplay at all, except maybe for the person afk for 45 minutes cuz they ate too much Taco Bell I guess. *shrug*

[Jennestia]

It's not just a "short term" solution. It will also help those with lag issues since their graphics card won't have to render a hundred characters standing in the middle of Ul'dah with their thumbs up their butts.

I totally agree that we need an auto afk-kick with a 30 minute timer. Most MMO's have it and it doesn't disrupt gameplay at all, except maybe for the person afk for 45 minutes cuz they ate too much Taco Bell I guess. *shrug*

It is a short time solution and there's no guarantee when those of you who want to kick everyone out of the game will actually get in before someone else lol. There's no way to know if someone is AFK unless you're standing there and observing each and every person playing - in order to do so you have to be on the game and by then why would you care? A lot of people go AFK while seeking in the duty finder because as said, unless you're a Tank or Healer the wait times are either 5 minutes or as long as 3 hours.

[Hexy]

There's no way to know if someone is AFK unless you're standing there and observing each and every person playing

Tell that to the other MMO's out there. In WoW for example, after 5 minutes of being idle, you go "afk". After 30 minutes of "afk" status, the game logs you out. Sorry, but if you're going to be afk for longer than 30 minutes, you really shouldn't be logged in the game anyways. Let people in that actually WANT to play the game and not just stand there herp derping.

[Sebazy]

It's not just a "short term" solution. It will ease server congestion by cycling through those that aren't actively playing. It will also help those with lag issues since their graphics card won't have to render a hundred characters standing in the middle of Ul'dah with their thumbs up their butts.

It'll ease the load on one portion of the server cluster that isn't being stretched. A higher percentage of active players will equate to more CPU load on the servers that are in trouble, the end result will be a lower player cap with very little getting achieved. This is why SE haven't worried about an auto-kick.

WoW needed it because the modest hardware requirements wouldn't cope with Ragnarok Onlinesque towns that the huge subscriber numbers would bring.

Your energy would be far better spent petitioning SE to get the queueing system working as it should, that would go a long long way to alleviating this frustration.

[Lady]

AFK kicking is the only short term solution for now.

imho this whole issue is just a short term problem. Once subs start taking money some players will be gone, once the "I LOVE NEW THINGS" players burn themselves out, this won't be an issue anymore.

So I see the afk kicking working until that happens.

[DivineAyumi]

AFK kicking is the only short term solution for now. Take last night for example. A maintenance window was announced and so people actually started logging out instead of staying AFK. As a result multiple people in my FC including me were actually able to logon around 11 pm EST for the first time in 3 days.

I logged off and was unable to log back in for the rest of the night -_-

Today, Im trying to log in for... 2 hours 51 minutes so far...

[Razla]

I've been dumped into Queues plenty of times when trying to log in.

I rarely get the queues. I've gotten them maybe 3 times since EA launched. Most of the time, its flatout error 1017. Your experience is not the norm. Yesterday, I kept seeing people /sh when they finally made it through. Someone on my FC said it took them 4 hours before they finally got in.