When is it OK to AFK? - Revisiting an old topic

[Khalisto.5780]

Afk is so 2020 XD

 

Now i just think what is the worst decision possible and do it and i dont have to deal with the pings lol

[Stalima.5490]

so long as the team is in agreement

[CrowEschatologist.6214]

When I feel like it?

GW2 PvP has less competitive integrity and worse matchmaking than World of Tanks, which is like some kind of lowbar high-score - at least there you can get rewarded on a loss for your personal performance even if your team are all drooling over their keyboards. Insisting that people try and fight uphill against the deranged matchmaking, queue manipulation and wildly oscillating broken builds seems rather doomed to failure when you can get a coffee and collect exactly the same reward unless you miraculously struggle to a close finish.

I'm about 1000 games into PvP and currently taking a break as it is a total bin-juice sundae, but I am astonished that ranked hasn't just filled up with AFKs collecting reward track / ranked pips from losses. It's about what the game mode is worth most matches.

FWIW I quite like PvP when you get a good close match and both teams have even skill (and builds): even given the dull map design and bland modes it comes closer to scratching the classic DAoC / Warhammer Online itch than any of the competitors. 

[Azure The Heartless.3261]

Edited for some reason.

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by Azure The Heartless.3261

[atshadow.8695]

wins and losses are so clearcut tbh its barely worth trying halfway through most games.

[Okhu.7948]

AFKers suck. They drag the game down and ruin everyone else's mood. They should be banned but Anet won't do anything about them. Ever. Reporting someone Idle should put a debuff on them that kicks them out of the game if they stay idle and it should give them 24 hours of dishonor.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Okhu.7948

[Wild.1705]

On 9/9/2023 at 5:22 PM, aranyics.8256 said:

I think AFK-ing is never OK.

It can be considered when a ranger 1v1's you to death from downstate. But still, salt does not make it OK. If you don't feel like doing your best whatever happens, you should call that a day I think.

If you have 1 bad game you consider unwinnable and afk you should log out for the rest of the night? How about queue for another game and hope for the better?

Sorry if this next part comes out harsh. This post is what I consider beta talk. Go play Bloodborne or something and see how long it takes to beat the game if you quit for a whole day after 1 death. Suck it up like a big boy and try again.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Wild.1705

[Wild.1705]

17 hours ago, aymnad.9023 said:

To me it never is ok to afk or to look for a reason to be.

I have recovered from all the situations described above on many occasions and also lost despite being in the team having the advantage. I even had people saying “ok I afk because X” suddenly come back once they realized that we were starting to win without them.

I have recovered from all these as well. Although spawn camping or a DC is usually a loss locked in. However, in situations like 200+ points down or other situations, there are often signs of if the game is still winnable. This is what Trevor was getting at in his original post. If those criteria are not met it is not going to happen.

[Wild.1705]

16 hours ago, Gotejjeken.1267 said:

How about carry them so you win the team fights?

You can't carry stupid.

[Curennos.9307]

If I had to put a number on it, I usually start to consider if I would rather spend the next 5-10 minutes doing something else if the score difference is more than 200-300. If there's a DC and they haven't come back for a minute or two, then I get lazy, though I'll give things a go if they get back.

Usually closer to 300. I've had some games w/a score diff of 200 that still were valuable - if my teammates have enough of a presence that it still 'feels' like a 5v5 and not a 4v5 or a 3v5, then I'll keep going. But after a certain point if I get jumped by 2-3 other people at any given time and purposefully regrouping doesn't improve the quality of the fights, then I'm done.

[Marckan.9526]

I'm a competitive person, I'm in it for the thrill of fighting.

The matches I enjoy and remember the most were those that ended 498 : 501 due a clutch stomp.

I would much rather lose a good match than win a steam roll.

That being said, I enjoy PvP the most when your team finally begins to gain traction and turn the game around. When the feeling starts to sink in that this might be doable... wooo my adrenaline starts going! This also has an opposite tilt-effect on the enemy team and then the comeback almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

I have not once AFK'd, and if it's one on those games where my team is AFK, I just work the map harder which sometimes actually makes them join back in.

If we are however getting steam rolled, I just ask in map chat for some gentleman's duels which usually somebody agrees to and I might get some additional practise.

Never surrender, always improve!

[Dickinson.7368]

When you play vs 2 premades and your team don't even have 1.
Otherwise when the score is ~155p diff and i got people who just rush is to die with Firebrand.
As for people who QQ about afkers/A-Net, I'm not gonna end up with a high blood pressure cause they lack the backbone to remove boosters, sorry, i meant "people who are friends and want to play ranked together in premade"

[zaced.7948]

after about 30-40 seconds you usually know in which direction the blowout is gonna go. if it's in yours, the whole team should turn inactive immediately to end the match as fast as possible. since we don't have a concede-button like any proper pvp game would, this is the only option in order to stop prolonging matches that are clearly lost but may drag out for ages due to people who think they are the protagonist of humanity and will unlock their special superskill through the power of wishing very hard any moment now.

so my answer is around half a minute. after around half a minute it's ok to go afk in order to try to minimize the misery.

PS regarding the discussion about point deltas: i think the last time i experienced a match that wasn't won/lost with at least 250 points apart was 3 years ago. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by zaced.7948

[Gotejjeken.1267]

2 hours ago, Wild.1705 said:

You can't carry stupid.

Oh, you can--especially IRL if you are in a field that requires teamwork such as engineering.  You at points are forced to carry stupid lol.

But in GW2, it isn't too hard because the entire team usually isn't 'stupid'; as the matchmaker may roll a few people in there that have no idea what is going on but usually never the entire team. 

If it IS the entire team, it's still a time to look inward because the chances you are the only competent player is pretty low.  

[ixon.2496]

26 minutes ago, Gotejjeken.1267 said:

Oh, you can--especially IRL if you are in a field that requires teamwork such as engineering.  You at points are forced to carry stupid lol.

But in GW2, it isn't too hard because the entire team usually isn't 'stupid'; as the matchmaker may roll a few people in there that have no idea what is going on but usually never the entire team. 

If it IS the entire team, it's still a time to look inward because the chances you are the only competent player is pretty low.  

It doesn't even have to be about the team being stupid, you are forced together as a group of strangers with different classes and playstyles. 

There's no voice comms, typing is costing you time and people just get annoyed and ignore pings on the map. 

You can carry a team if the conditions are right, but matchmaking and skill disparity are so high within the same ranks that its a dice roll if its a possibility or not. 

Everything about ranked is a dice roll, its not competitive. 

[DanAlcedo.3281]

Do I have a chance to win? 

No? Then why waste my time? 

I can get a shower and make food by the time the match is finished. 

[aymnad.9023]

10 hours ago, Wild.1705 said:

I have recovered from all these as well. Although spawn camping or a DC is usually a loss locked in. However, in situations like 200+ points down or other situations, there are often signs of if the game is still winnable. This is what Trevor was getting at in his original post. If those criteria are not met it is not going to happen.

Yes those 2 situations are rarely going the other way but unless people already stopped playing then there is still a chance. There are signs of how the game can go but I would not call most of them defining because in ranked / solo queue anything can happen. Everyone has its own information, makes up its own strategy on the spot, makes mistakes or panics so it can swing in any direction at any given time. You can win matchups you should not, win 1V2 just as much as you can lose them.

I always approach each game with "what can I try to do" (even if someone ends up thinking I was wrong). I make fun way too often of someone who called "gg" and then the game turned around because the other players kept trying. This is why I hate when people start trying to justify their ways to sabotage the game and then just say "it is not my fault" or "I deserve more wins" like I often see on forums and in game. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by aymnad.9023

[Kuma.1503]

Game needs a unanymous surrender option. 

In previous meta's I've advocated to keep trying and look to improve. 

 

In today's CoD Meta where people explode in .5 seconds when there's a large skill gap. I say people should be given the option to end it early. The way I see it there are 3 options. 

1. Increase TTK so there's value in sticking it out even in blowout losses. You can still learn something from lost fights. 

2. Give people the option to tighten the matchmaking algorithm. Some of us would gladly wait longer for better quality matches. 

3. Do neither of the first two, and just let people vote to end a match early if no one is learning anything or having fun.

 

This is a pleasure activity. If participation brings all 5 members of your team no joy, and little room to learn/grow because they die too quickly to gain anything from the combat. Let them end it early and go next. Some people only have 1-2 hours on any given day to game. So those extra 3 minutes are precious to them. 

 

[TheBigPlay.7504]

never, a comeback is always possible.

[connor.2180]

If as a team of 5 you cannot retake your home node without wiping then IMO the game is a lost cause and you should be able to /gg or AFK so the game ends quickly and you can try again. The game doesn't have the population to guarantee fair games. Getting deleted immediately upon leaving the spawn isn't fun for anyone, and I'd imagine such a situation would be very off-putting for new players. There should be an option to surrender/gg ideally. 

AFKing immediately after one teammate dies at mid however, is not acceptable. There are plenty of ways to get back into a game after losing the first team fight. But if the enemy team cannot be broken down with your respawn advantage, and you cannot even reach your home node, the game is done. Admit defeat and start over. 

 

[Okhu.7948]

14 hours ago, Kuma.1503 said:

Game needs a unanymous surrender option. 

In previous meta's I've advocated to keep trying and look to improve. 

 

In today's CoD Meta where people explode in .5 seconds when there's a large skill gap. I say people should be given the option to end it early. The way I see it there are 3 options. 

1. Increase TTK so there's value in sticking it out even in blowout losses. You can still learn something from lost fights. 

2. Give people the option to tighten the matchmaking algorithm. Some of us would gladly wait longer for better quality matches. 

3. Do neither of the first two, and just let people vote to end a match early if no one is learning anything or having fun.

 

This is a pleasure activity. If participation brings all 5 members of your team no joy, and little room to learn/grow because they die too quickly to gain anything from the combat. Let them end it early and go next. Some people only have 1-2 hours on any given day to game. So those extra 3 minutes are precious to them. 

 

Great. I'll accept a unanymous surrender option as long as the people surrendering receive no rewards or pips. In fact they should lose pips.

[Gundam Style.8495]

12 hours ago, connor.2180 said:

If as a team of 5 you cannot retake your home node without wiping then IMO the game is a lost cause and you should be able to /gg or AFK so the game ends quickly and you can try again. The game doesn't have the population to guarantee fair games. Getting deleted immediately upon leaving the spawn isn't fun for anyone, and I'd imagine such a situation would be very off-putting for new players. There should be an option to surrender/gg ideally. 

AFKing immediately after one teammate dies at mid however, is not acceptable. There are plenty of ways to get back into a game after losing the first team fight. But if the enemy team cannot be broken down with your respawn advantage, and you cannot even reach your home node, the game is done. Admit defeat and start over. 

 

Team and Group are not synonyms in games. Team is an intentional collective with an agreed upon goal/objective. A group is a bunch of x,y,z.

[Kuma.1503]

2 hours ago, Okhu.7948 said:

Great. I'll accept a unanymous surrender option as long as the people surrendering receive no rewards or pips. In fact they should lose pips.

Losing pips is unecessary, but you definitely shouldn't gain any. We don't need people trying to min-max the surrender system, but we don't need to rub salt on the wound either. 

[Trevor Boyer.6524]

13 hours ago, connor.2180 said:

If as a team of 5 you cannot retake your home node without wiping then IMO the game is a lost

Exactly.

 

[Wild.1705]

3 hours ago, Okhu.7948 said:

Great. I'll accept a unanymous surrender option as long as the people surrendering receive no rewards or pips. In fact they should lose pips.

This is a quite the toxic post. I'm a bit taken aback that someone gave you a thanks for it. PVP players being overly aggressive I suppose. At least you didn't suggest they get lashes, stabbed or shot I suppose.

Many competitive games have a forfeit option why should GW2 not have one? The matchmaking in this game is bad. Do you deny this? Why make players lose pips if a system is actively working against them.