6 replies to this topic

[CMFD]

The AFK problem has really gotten bad, I think some people are using bots to farm afk.
I propose that PGI starts subtracting C-bills if you dont move for an entire match. Start taking 100k each time someone sits AFK for a entire match, I bet you stop seeing this problem.

[Erasmos]

I really like this idea.

Even though every once in a while I have connection issue myself, and am disconnected for a round, I realize I would lose 100,000 C-bills for something that's not my fault.

I'm okay with that. It's a price I'd gladly pay, (several times a week,) to have more enjoyable games themselves, and less wasted time looking around endlessly for a disconnect or AFK.

+1 o7

[Egomane]

If you believe someone is AFK farming, why don't you report the player instead? It is against this games rule and can get rid of the problem player permanently instead of him looking for new ways to get around a limitation (like a script moving his mech every few seconds for half a step, to avoid your limiter).

[Erasmos]

Egomane, on 20 May 2015 - 04:49 AM, said:

If you believe someone is AFK farming, why don't you report the player instead? It is against this games rule and can get rid of the problem player permanently instead of him looking for new ways to get around a limitation (like a script moving his mech every few seconds for half a step, to avoid your limiter).

I don't see what it accomplishes to criticize the OP's choice of action, as opposed to simply discussing the issue at hand.

Fact of the matter is, whether people are farming or not, nobody likes the frequency with which "connected" players are simply AFK.

It negatively affects that player's team, because they're down a mech, obviously.

It negatively affects BOTH teams, because 9 times out of 10, five minutes are wasted looking around for a mech with no pilot, on maps that can take a while to search.

So maybe the OP did report them. We all do, sometimes. But that shouldn't stop anyone from considering measures which might works better than "how we've always done it."

Besides, reporting a player for being AFK is flawed, because most of us have run into a situation where we needed to take a dump, or run to check on a crying child, and were AFK as a result. I don't mind being penalized for starting a round, when I should have known better.

But crap happens. After the money I've spent building up my Mechbay, I'd be furious if I got banned just because something came up that was beyond my control. (You wouldn't want to be treated like that either.)

So I'm much more in favor of a steep C-Bill, or GXP penalty to keep players taking the round seriously, while at the same time not being unreasonable to the occasional "honest mistake."

[Egomane]

I criticize the OPs idea because it can be easily circumvented. It is not a good mechanism to prevent AFK farming.

In all other circumstances, usually real life issues, there is nothing we can or should do. Those players are already punished by being drawn away from the game they wanted to play and leaving their team with an unused member slot, probably even by the issue that caused them to leave. No need to punish them any further.

I'm not against a mechanism liek that, but it should at least be functional and to some degree bullet proof.

[Erasmos]

Egomane, on 20 May 2015 - 09:18 AM, said:

I criticize the OPs idea because it can be easily circumvented. It is not a good mechanism to prevent AFK farming.

My mistake then. o7

From what I could tell, you weren't criticizing his idea.
(It read more like you were critizing him for even having an idea, instead of just falling in line and reporting them, like he was "supposed to.")

Back to the topic at hand though:

Sorry mate, but I just don't need a bulletproof solution to be happy. I'll settle for a "better" solution, and then enjoy life just a little bit more, (while waiting for a buletproof solution to reveal itself.)

To me, anything that potentially decreases the number of intentional AFK's, is worth consideration. Even if it doesn't remove ALL occurances of this, I would still personally view that as a better use of the devs time, than designing another mech chassis.

[Uthael]

Do try it. It's disabled. They DID fix it. A while ago. You won't get any C-Bills if you're afk.

Connection problems sometimes happen to me (probably because there's no EU server). Client crashes can also prevent you from entering the game (most commonly crash after loading screen).

Those "AFK farming" people are probably even more angry that they can't join the game than you are... And you see 0-ping or "Disconnected" quite often.