A Simple Quick Band Aid fix

[KitKatnip]

OP, I see that your overall goal here is to get the majority of players to permanently quit the game thereby eliminating the login queue.

[DynnDiablos]

If I want to play all day that's my choice. Forcing people to only be able to play three hours at a time for a game they PAY for is crap. Sorry.

[Zmiddy]

Force a player to log out after 3 hours of gameplay. I.E they can't que for dungeons, raids, or progress in story.

Incredibly bad idea. Going by the last few days, this means that I can play less time than it takes for me to queue to get in the game, and it looks like things might be getting worse - it's just taken me almost an hour to move less than 100 places in the queue. It's been over 10,000 long at peak times.

Also add priority for long time subscribers, 2000+ days of subscribed as well as legacy players given automatic priority.

A more considered idea, but still basically a bad one. Just because you've been subscribed a long time shouldn't mean your sub is somehow more important. You could even argue the opposite - those subbed for longer are more likely to have completed and be bored of content that others have not even seen yet.

Ban people (including streamers) using third party tech to by pass the afk automatic log out timers. Also add a queue placement priority for players that are kicked due to timing out in queue or 2002 out of queue.

These, however, are really good ideas.

[Xtro99]

Force a player to log out after 3 hours of gameplay. I.E they can't que for dungeons, raids, or progress in story. Also add priority for long time subscribers, 2000+ days of subscribed as well as legacy players given automatic priority. Ban people (including streamers) using third party tech to by pass the afk automatic log out timers. Also add a queue placement priority for players that are kicked due to timing out in queue or 2002 out of queue.

Honestly quick simple fixes that could be done on SE developer end and probably something streamers don't like, but honestly, everyone pays to play this game not just streamers.

At least the ones that are getting to play are happy, your idea would just make everyone universally mad. At this point there's no way to make everyone happy and the ones like us that don't get to play the game that much or at all will most likely have to suck it up until everyone is done with the MSQ and the server load inevitably goes down but As someone that has limited hours to play the game due to work, I'd rather not play at all than struggling for the next helping of gametime.

[Avidria]

More exceptions can be added like 1 hour in EW areas, I just cited some examples.

Crafter can be done at a later time after Early Access. It's not a priority.

If you have to have an arm's length list of exceptions to a "solution" then it's not a good solution

The only good solution in OP at all is queue priority for people kicked by 2002 errors. Another fix (with the disclaimer that I'm not sure this is possible either) is to actually keep people's place in the queue for longer so it isn't constantly kicking people to the back of line.

The queues are a self perpetuating problem. The queues are long because a lot of people want to play, but a lot of people don't want to log out because the queues are long, and the waits are made even worse because of the errors kicking people all the way to the end of line, which makes people not want to log off, which keeps the queues long...

Limiting people's playtime based on arbitrary definitions of any one person's definition of "acceptable use of playtime" is both unrealistic and imo far more likely to do harm than good.

[Lanadra]

Force a player to log out after 3 hours of gameplay. I.E they can't que for dungeons, raids, or progress in story. Also add priority for long time subscribers, 2000+ days of subscribed as well as legacy players given automatic priority. Ban people (including streamers) using third party tech to by pass the afk automatic log out timers. Also add a queue placement priority for players that are kicked due to timing out in queue or 2002 out of queue.

Honestly quick simple fixes that could be done on SE developer end and probably something streamers don't like, but honestly, everyone pays to play this game not just streamers.

Aaaand why should I be punished with a 3 hour time limit just because I managed to get in..? As long as I am actively playing SE has no business telling me to log out or even worse, doing it for me, it's just as you said, we all pay to play this game. This isn't China here with mandated time limits on the playing of video games. What they should be trying to do is handle the funny derps who log in just to sit in Limsa and circumvent the AFK timer, the funny people who can't stand the idea of being logged off for whatever weird reason even when they aren't playing.

[Siyukan]

Kick players who are not only inactive, but any that have not changed position for more than 30 minutes. There are people who use macros and automation to prevent the 30 minute AFK timeout.

Clear accounts and make more room for other players.

This would only be for a month or two until things settle down.

Unfortunately there are players who are using macros or other means to keep their character "active" so they can stay connected all day to avoid the Login Queue.

People will just macro teleporting to different maps, or walking back and forth a zone line. This doesn't help and isn't easy to prevent.

[Sceros]

I don't think there is an easy bandaid-fix. Something that might help though might indeed be some kind of automated logout after an extended period of time. Dunno, once you reach a continuous 12 hours you get a message you will have to logout in 30min latest or will get a system-logout. After this, you are free to rejoin the queue of course.
Guess 12 hours should be more then enough? And it would help with those that are online for 48hours + already due to macro usage.

[Reinha]

What about those that want to even play the game?

Log in during the morning like the rest of us. The congestion and 2002 errors are caused by everyone trying to play at 8 pm. Instead, go to bed at 8 pm or when you first disconnect, and wake up early.

[Atma]

The part that everyone always forgets in suggestions of this nature is that implementing a system like this actually gets a queue flowing, rather than remaining stagnant. So yes, a forced logout at a session length of <x> hours means everyone would have to queue, however it also means that that everyone's queue times would be shorter. For the shorter the value of <x>, the faster the queue moves.

I'm not a fan of a system like this at this stage - but something of this nature may become necessary if the playerbase continues to be selfish. The present situation in which anyone with a M-F 8-5 job is functionally unable to play the game because people feel entitled to 15 hour uninterrupted play sessions is untenable, especially given the number of people willing to cheat to get them. ArcheAge Unchained suffered from this exact same problem, and we lost half our guild in a week because people could simply never play the game due to others being selfish. And yes, I'm sorry, but if since launch you've logged 50, 60, 70 hours of playtime knowing full well others are stuck in neverending queues, I have little regard for your opinion on the state of queues. "Oh, just log in at 8am and play for 15 hours." is not possible for huge swaths of the playerbase, and you know that.

And for all of you upset you may have to spend 1 hour every 4 hours in queue, you need to seriously ask yourself if FFXIV will be the same game if some of your day-shift friends quit out of frustration over never being able to play, and the answer is 'no.' Something needs to happen, and with the present state of the world just buying more hardware isn't necessarily a possibility, because in many cases it can't be had no matter how much money you're willing to throw at the problem. Neither is throwing game time at people, that's more of a slap in the face than a solution. "Here, have more of something you obviously can't use." is not compensation in any way.