PlaneShift

Gameplay => Wish list => Topic started by: cyber on April 06, 2007, 12:27:22 pm

Title: Auto-Logout function
Post by: cyber on April 06, 2007, 12:27:22 pm
Ok as we all know people go AFK now that is not a huge problem except that lets say there are 20 ppl afk then that means that out of the 100 people online 20% of them are just hoging the servers bandwith causing more lagg for other people.

the solution I have is that there is a 5 minute timer (example amount of time) if you dont type, move, or anything after 4 mins a msg (server message style so you see it in all tabs) says you have been inactive for 4 minutes please after 1 more minute of activity you will be logged out. Then have the same thing at 30 seconds and 10 seconds.

while I get this can be an inconvenience in general it wouldn't be for people worst cast scenario you have to spend 15 seconds logging back in.

Also i know it would be OOC yet this IS a GAME so there must be some stuff for the sake of the game not the IC experience.
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Garnal on April 06, 2007, 01:28:30 pm
I agree completely. And I think that the number of people AFK really upsets the IC experience (for me anyway) - if you say hello to someone in the street you would expect them to acknowledge you, would you not? Personally I find the number of people ingame who simply don't respond when I talk to them infuriating.
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: neko kyouran on April 06, 2007, 01:41:11 pm
5 minutes is too low.  Even WoW has it set to 15 minutes.

And on another counter point,  many players duel account to have 2 or more charactesrs in game at once.  Typically (I hope) for furthering the RP storyline they are trying to develope.

Also, I know many a GM that likes to have thier GM char online to take care of business and when it's slow, they can play their IC one at the same time while they wait for thier GM abilities to be called upon.

Setting a mandatory timer kills all that.

And finally, I believe this topic has been discussed before, if not here, then in the general gameplay discussion area.  I suggest a search be done to find and a read through of all past points for and against an autologout feature be made, before posting.  Else, I see the same discussion starting all over again and again.   :)
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: cyber on April 06, 2007, 04:08:06 pm
I did do a search and didnt see it in any of the pages that came up Ne ways 5 mins was an example time hence the
Quote
5 minute timer (example amount of time)
and ok so GM's play 2 chars thats find disable it for GM's easy nuff (kind of) ne ways. Players playing more then 1 character... lets say that it is set to 20 mins thats reasonable nuff that would mean that one char has done NOTHING for 20 mins moved talked or otherwise. Now even if they do get logged out it takes them some 20 seconds to log back in ( for being AFK on that char for 20 mins not to bad )
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Nikodemus on April 06, 2007, 04:31:26 pm
So what he did nothing? What is so damn wrong in it?
Server having problems? If so, with what exactly, doing far less with it than with active character?
You are freaking out about it. This is not wow clone. We don't need to clone some solutions, only because they are there.
Is the server in bad shape?
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Zan on April 06, 2007, 05:29:23 pm
Five minutes is definitely too low for many applications within the game. Mainly repairing and crafting take a long time at which a character needs to stand still at one single place for longer than five minutes.

In general I think these OOC measures would rather disturb roleplaying than add to it so I don't see why this needs to happen as long as the server isn't having any problems handling the player capacity. If there are problems from the server's side this option will naturally be considered, I'm certain.
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Ice_Stovo on April 06, 2007, 09:00:08 pm
But actually a system of "stand near agressive NPC spawn point and lets go and get some coffee" is a lot OOC and unrealistic
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: bilbous on April 06, 2007, 09:03:22 pm
That is considered botting and can ultimately lead to gm penalty
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Ralleyon on April 06, 2007, 09:47:30 pm
Think people, think! The server is just fine, it's the bandwidth that would be saved. Or haven't you noticed that the max no. of players is 200? Do you think that's because of hardware specs? No. The hardware could use some improvements but that's not the biggest problem by a longshot. Bandwidth is donated by Fragnetics (which we cannot complain about because it's a free gift)... but  you can easily see its limits when 150 players+ are online.

I like the idea and, in my opinion, it has some very good points. GM accounts can have the time-limit disabled and for the normal player a reasonable amount of time (like 15-20 mins) should be ok.
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Zan on April 07, 2007, 08:22:30 am
Server, bandwith .. all the same to me :P
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: cyber on April 07, 2007, 05:43:18 pm
As far as I have been able to gather this is the modified version

1) Disabled for GM's
2) time limited to 15-20 mins
3) if you do anything or are in process of doing something (repairing wpns ect) the timer will reset


Also i should note that it is a bit OOC for someone to leave their body for an hour by an npc or not ^.^
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: bilbous on April 07, 2007, 06:23:56 pm
Kran are mysterious beings from any perspective and an inert kran may be practicing the ancient art of Krantric Immobility, to better tune themselves with the land underneath them.   :sleeping::innocent:
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: cyber on April 07, 2007, 09:58:23 pm
you are trying to hard
 ;)
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Robinmagus on April 08, 2007, 12:12:46 am
So what he did nothing? What is so damn wrong in it?
Server having problems? If so, with what exactly, doing far less with it than with active character?
You are freaking out about it. This is not wow clone. We don't need to clone some solutions, only because they are there.
Is the server in bad shape?


I didn't get the first part because of a few grammar issues, but as for the second part, we shouldn't put in a solution (you said it yourself, solution. therefore, there must be a problem) just because it's there, but should we neglect a perfectly good one because another game has  the same thing? Adding something like this isn't cloning anything, really, and suggesting that it'll turn PS into a WoW clone is absurd.

I like the idea. As for having two guys in at once, if you're not going to do anything for 20 mins at a time with one of them, you should log them out, because you obviously don't need the extra char. I think this'll really clean up Harnquists area. 

The three points that cyber made sum it up nicely.

EDIT: Okay, I got the first part of Nikodemus's post, I think. Doing nothing, is still taking a spot on the server, that can only handle 200 people at a time. You don't need to use bandwith just parking your character outside harnquists and going to work. The server doesn't have problems if there aren't too many people logged on, but it will if it reaches 196 and 20 have been AFK for 4 hours. Also, the game has a problem with it. It's not nice seeing people standing around for hours at a time, not moving a muscle. I haven't figured out the rest yet.

Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: cyber on April 08, 2007, 11:43:08 am
Also I should make a point that the logout feature has been around for MANY years before WOW even began development. I have seen it in many many mmorpg's including, Runescape and Ragnarok to name a few. Now the only other solution I can think of that is at all original is that the server logs you out however there is a "server bank" or something that you stay in while you are afk. This "Server Bank" would not need communication with the server except for when a command is sent to the server telling it that "Hey im back!"

While that is a different solution I still believe that the logout is the simplest and most effective (Common people the server is full so you cant get in due to the cap later so just go afk for an hour?!?)
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Nikodemus on April 08, 2007, 12:39:38 pm
EDIT: Okay, I got the first part of Nikodemus's post, I think. Doing nothing, is still taking a spot on the server, that can only handle 200 people at a time. You don't need to use bandwith just parking your character outside harnquists and going to work. The server doesn't have problems if there aren't too many people logged on, but it will if it reaches 196 and 20 have been AFK for 4 hours. Also, the game has a problem with it. It's not nice seeing people standing around for hours at a time, not moving a muscle. I haven't figured out the rest yet.
Sorry, i gues i complicate things without a reason and so i make errors.
What is wrong in taking a spot? It is not the spot which is causing problems to a server, but it is the bandwith. We can't really say, but if it is 1/20 of what would be for an active player, then where is the waste? If you throw away all the afkers, you will get 20*1/20 rooms for active players, which is 1! wow!
Considering the theory that from the 20% you talk about, half will be afk for no longer than 20 minutes, you are getting 1 room for one active player every 200 players. Really worth the efford.
But is there oneone who knows how much afker is really using the bandwith?
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: Vengeance on April 08, 2007, 05:10:17 pm
I like the idea and I'll see what Talad thinks.

The reason we've never felt much urgency about this is because afk players really don't take much bandwidth or server resources.  Having people abuse it for botting or just having dozens of afk people standing around doing nothing though, is also bad, regardless of bandwidth utilization.
Title: Re: Auto-Logout function
Post by: cyber on April 08, 2007, 06:35:35 pm
Actually I ran a test and an afk person takes more then a 20th especially in a populated place like hydalla. Think about it there are all the ppl runnin round and such course there will be more bandwidth used there. If they were afk in the abyss then it would be all non-moving ppl. (  Im actually like the abyss idea more and more now )