So 5 min in a chair and you are in character select now?

[nthmetal.9652]

On 7/17/2024 at 3:32 AM, notebene.3190 said:

Well now I want chair combat.

Only available of course if you set Armchair Commander title.

[Randulf.7614]

3 hours ago, Tea.5984 said:

I just really hope typing counts towards not getting you kicked, this is gonna make open world RP so much harder if not. 

Are RPers constantly afk in combat then? 

[SoulGuardian.6203]

I'm just glad ANet are finally doing something about afk farmers.

I'm just not sure this is the right approach 🤔 

I guess, we'll wait and see.

Only way to find out is testing it properly.

If they have implemented bot detecting software, it should be pretty easy now to detect them.

 

Will that count for skyscales too if you attack with it, then go afk?

If not, might be a good idea to include them, or even better, make them priority targets, so riders get dismounted, and get dead.

 

We'll See how it goes.

[Arianth Moonlight.6453]

7 hours ago, Neathra.1950 said:

So you just regularly walk away from your computer for more than 5 minutes while waiting on things? 

when I'm busy with some irl stuff, yeah.

[Bladestrom.6425]

8 minutes ago, Arianth Moonlight.6453 said:

when I'm busy with some irl stuff, yeah.

logoff and logon when you are free to play? or touch your keyboard every 5 mins?

[Arianth Moonlight.6453]

11 minutes ago, Bladestrom.6425 said:

logoff and logon when you are free to play? or touch your keyboard every 5 mins?

how that works when waiting for maps that get full like TT or even Teq?

[Randulf.7614]

I’m curious tho, will it actually affect afk farmers if there are mob spawns which mean the player goes out of combat even for a second or two? Surely that will reset the timer for them 

[SoulGuardian.6203]

1 hour ago, Randulf.7614 said:

I’m curious tho, will it actually affect afk farmers if there are mob spawns which mean the player goes out of combat even for a second or two? Surely that will reset the timer for them 

Unless they shorten npc spawning times.

 

[Sobx.1758]

8 hours ago, Olvendred.3027 said:

Only if it's an event that doesn't pop at a specific time. If you're sitting in DE waiting for the Soo-won pre-events to start, you don't need to keep checking up whether the escorts are going yet. They start every 2 hours on the hour and that's never going to change. You just look at the clock.

2 hours ago, Arianth Moonlight.6453 said:

how that works when waiting for maps that get full like TT or even Teq?

Then don't afk where the mobs spawn? It's really not that hard.

[Danikat.8537]

I was going to respond to a bunch of posts but I realised I was saying the same thing each time so I'm just going to say it once:

All you need to do to avoid being kicked is move or use a skill once every 5 minutes. That's it.

Whatever else you're doing, or not doing, if you do that you won't be inactive and so won't be kicked out. If you're chatting or role-playing in game you can definitely do that, just have your character take 1 step in any direction whenever it's convenient. If you're genuinely away from the computer while waiting for an event make sure you come back every few minutes and push 1 button.

Alternatively find somewhere to wait where you won't get attacked. That way you'll never be in combat and will get the full duration of the existing inactivity timer, however long that is.
 

3 hours ago, Randulf.7614 said:

I’m curious tho, will it actually affect afk farmers if there are mob spawns which mean the player goes out of combat even for a second or two? Surely that will reset the timer for them 

I wanted to test this but couldn't because it isn't working properly yet. But I assume the way it works is when you get into combat the game starts monitoring for any inputs from the player and if after 5 minutes there haven't been any you get kicked to character select. So if you drop out of combat it won't reset the timer, but if you move or use a skill it will.

[Olvendred.3027]

2 hours ago, Sobx.1758 said:

Then don't afk where the mobs spawn? It's really not that hard.

You just seem opposed to the notion that people can validly go afk in the game. It is in fact very normal and often happens in places where mobs can spawn, not least because mobs spawn in lots of places, including near events.

I already provided the obvious solution in an earlier comment, which is to make it start timing from when you get a kill credit, not merely enter combat. Entering combat means nothing; getting kills and rewards while you're afk is the thing that's actually bad.

[Sobx.1758]

6 minutes ago, Olvendred.3027 said:

You just seem opposed to the notion that people can validly go afk in the game.

Not really. You quoted the post where I said "Then don't afk where the mobs spawn? It's really not that hard.", which means I acknowledge afking where the mobs don't spawn and don't have anything against it. So no, I am not "opposed to the notion that people can validly go afk in the game".

You're listing "waiting for soo won" to start, if you're somehow unable to find places where mobs don't spawn on that map, let me know and I'll help you. I'm not being sarcastic here: either you really can't find places without mobs respawning (and I'm willing to help!) or you're just looking for excuses.

Edited July 18 by Sobx.1758

[Astralporing.1957]

On 7/17/2024 at 10:29 AM, Danikat.8537 said:

For example after the Chak meta there's no enemies near the wall, so you can go AFK without getting into combat and get the entire duration of the existing timer

That's actually not true. Trash mobs can spawn there, even during the after-meta downtime. And some spawn very close towards the Confluence Waypoint direction, and could be easily pulled towards the waiting crowd. Whether intentionally or by accident.

[Poormany.4507]

I can definitely see this new afk timer feature being abused by trolls if I'm understanding the way it works. I can already see the trolls gleefully throwing snowballs or using tonic skills to spam-hit AFK people in DR or LA to put them into combat and get kicked to login, who are most likely just looking stuff up on the Wiki, causing them to have to annoyingly reload the map each time.

5 minutes just seems way too strict of a timer for me, when most of the AFK farmers are doing so for hours to days on end. 15 or 20 minutes seems much more reasonable imo.

Edited July 19 by Poormany.4507

[Gop.8713]

Not sure you can hit someone with a snowball or costume brawl skills if they did not first enter the brawl or pick up a snowball . . ?

Anyway, patch notes say it's working properly now, can anyone confirm . . ?

[Arianth Moonlight.6453]

3 hours ago, Gop.8713 said:

Anyway, patch notes say it's working properly now, can anyone confirm . . ?

yep, it's working now.

[Danikat.8537]

I just did my own tests based on a few situations people were worried about in this thread, here's how it worked:

Test 1 - deliberately triggering the AFK timer

• 9:06 I moved just into range of an enemy so it attacked me, putting me into combat and prompting my ranger pet to attack it. That was my last input, from that point on the game was running in the background while I was browsing the forum and logging times in Windows sticky notes.
• 9:07 - My pet killed the enemy, a few seconds later I was out of combat.
• 9:09 - Enemy respawned - I entered combat when it attacked me.
• 9:10 - Pet killed the enemy again - I was out of combat again.
• 9:11 - I was kicked to character select.

Test 2 - avoiding the timer

• 9:12 - I logged in again, quickly moved away from the enemy so I was never in combat, found a safe spot to stand in the same map and like before switched to the game running in the background with no input from me. (I was writing up this post.)
• 9:24 - I still haven't been kicked and it's been over 10 minutes.

I don't know how long the inactivity timer is when you're not in combat and I'm not going to stand around to find out. Someone else can do that test if they want.

Test 3 - avoiding the timer while in combat

• 9:25 - Exactly like Test 1 I got just into range of an enemy (the same one) so it attacked me and my pet attacked it. Then I switched to my internet browser so the game was running in the background.
• 9:26 - My pet killed the enemy, a few seconds later I was out of combat.
• 9:27 - I pressed W once, moving forward slightly.
• 9:28 - Enemy respawned and was killed within a minute.
• 9:29 - I pressed W once.
• 9:30 - Enemy respawned.
• 9:31 - Pet killed the enemy.
• 9:33 - Enemy respawned.
• 9:34 - I pressed W once (just over 4 minutes since last input), my pet killed the enemy.
• 9:36 - Enemy respawned.
• 9:37 - Pet killed the enemy.
• 9:38 - I pressed W once.
• 9:39 - Enemy respawned.
• 9:40 - Pet killed the enemy.
• 9:41 - Ended the test, without being kicked.

The only difference between this and the first test is I pushed W once every few minutes, moving slightly forwards. That's all it takes to avoid being classed as inactive.
 

3 hours ago, Gop.8713 said:

Not sure you can hit someone with a snowball or costume brawl skills if they did not first enter the brawl or pick up a snowball . . ?

Anyway, patch notes say it's working properly now, can anyone confirm . . ?

It definitely works that way with snowballs. That's why when it's one of the Wintersday dailies some people will stand to one side of the snow patch (often the one by the jumping puzzle) holding a snowball, to give other players a quick way to complete it, because otherwise it can be annoying to find and catch people who have one equipped.

[Gop.8713]

15 minutes ago, Danikat.8537 said:

I just did my own tests based on a few situations people were worried about in this thread, here's how it worked:

Test 1 - deliberately triggering the AFK timer

• 9:06 I moved just into range of an enemy so it attacked me, putting me into combat and prompting my ranger pet to attack it. That was my last input, from that point on the game was running in the background while I was browsing the forum and logging times in Windows sticky notes.
• 9:07 - My pet killed the enemy, a few seconds later I was out of combat.
• 9:09 - Enemy respawned - I entered combat when it attacked me.
• 9:10 - Pet killed the enemy again - I was out of combat again.
• 9:11 - I was kicked to character select.

\o/

[DanAlcedo.3281]

If Afk farmer get mad, I'm happy. 

[Gop.8713]

I'm interested to see how effective it is, but I appreciate anet putting in the effort . . .

[Danikat.8537]

Just now, Gop.8713 said:

I'm interested to see how effective it is, but I appreciate anet putting in the effort . . .

There is a chance it won't have any noticable effect on AFK farmers because the people who admit to doing it always insist they're not completely AFK they're watching a video or doing other things on the computer so they're still able to monitor the game (which is all Anet require them to do) and if that's true it should be easy for them to press a button once every few minutes to avoid getting kicked.

I won't be surprised however if we do see a reduction in AFK farming because people decide it's not worth the trouble and probably an increase in posts on various platforms about people being banned "for no reason" because they thought the obvious solution was to set up a macro to push a button for them every 4 minutes and then they got caught by the existing anti-botting functions.

[Andy.5981]

1 hour ago, Danikat.8537 said:

There is a chance it won't have any noticable effect on AFK farmers because the people who admit to doing it always insist they're not completely AFK they're watching a video or doing other things on the computer so they're still able to monitor the game (which is all Anet require them to do) and if that's true it should be easy for them to press a button once every few minutes to avoid getting kicked.

I won't be surprised however if we do see a reduction in AFK farming because people decide it's not worth the trouble and probably an increase in posts on various platforms about people being banned "for no reason" because they thought the obvious solution was to set up a macro to push a button for them every 4 minutes and then they got caught by the existing anti-botting functions.

This youtube video is an interesting watch as regards to all the 'myths' around afk farming. The David Attenborough introduction is very well done 🤣

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-hbuD_Nr_M

Just been to Lake Doric, still a hell of a load of players neaer to Saidra's Haven.

Edited July 19 by Andy.5981

[Bladestrom.6425]

On 7/18/2024 at 12:12 PM, Arianth Moonlight.6453 said:

how that works when waiting for maps that get full like TT or even Teq?

I would go with join map and touch keyboard every 5 minutes if you want to afk.  Put it this way, those other leachers that join a map and then do nothing wont reap the rewards, giving a spot to a genuine player.

[MordekaiZeyo.7318]

12 hours ago, Gop.8713 said:

Anyway, patch notes say it's working properly now, can anyone confirm . . ?

Yes. I can confirm it. It worked flawlessly.

One thing I would like to tell you: Taking fall damage whatever where you are, it count in cities too and not moving aroudn afterwards trigger the 5 minutes afk timer.
To avoid this: After taking fall damage, just move around. Then you're good to go.

 

[Gop.8713]

How about if you afk and just let the mob kill you? Still kicked after five minutes? Yes, I am this lazy and want someone else to test for me ; p