Auto-Kick from League for Being AFK Too Long

[Clave Dark 5]

I know that in general leagues (and individual players) don't care for leechers who don't contribute; nearly every MSR I've been on started with the league leader saying something about "if you see this, let me know."  I've also seen league leaders just stop and leech which causes problems for the rest of the league.

 

The person running a league has enough to do already.  We already have a timer that pops up the little grey AFK bubble above your head if you're inactive for X amount of time (I don't know how long that is), so why not add another that will auto-kick you from your league if you remain AFK for another say minute or two longer?

[Rudra]

Using the MSR as an example because you did. I've joined a few MSRs and I went AFK every time. It seems to take forever for those to actually finish forming. And I sit AFK the entire time I am on the league waiting for it to launch. The extent of my involvement? I click the do not disconnect me from the game button when it pops up. When the MSR finally launches? I'm right there with everyone else moving to the pylons. I may be a little slow to move, but I catch up at the first pylon. So for personal reasons? I oppose this suggestion.

 

The only AFK'ers I am in support of removing from the league are those that don't contribute after the MSR finally launches. Until then? Let everyone have their little grey AFK bubbles in peace.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Rudra
Edited to remove fat-fingered punctuation mid-word.

[Zect]

More measures to deal with leeches are definitely highly necessary; freeloaders are a drag on everyone's experience, and ruin the fun of the game.

 

However, rather than removing players from the team/league (which can cause issues when waiting a long time for leagues to form), I'd be more supportive of a system that cuts off the flow of rewards to characters not engaged in combat for more than a certain duration (afk or not), then resumes them instantly once they return to combat.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Zect

[biostem]

9 hours ago, Zect said:

More measures to deal with leeches are definitely highly necessary; freeloaders are a drag on everyone's experience, and ruin the fun of the game.

 

However, rather than removing players from the team/league (which can cause issues when waiting a long time for leagues to form), I'd be more supportive of a system that cuts off the flow of rewards to characters not engaged in combat for more than a certain duration (afk or not), then resumes them instantly once they return to combat.

So target a teammate -> autofire a power.  There is no "one size fits all" solution.  An attentive league or team leader is the best solution.  I would prefer the ability to have the league leader appoint a few deputies, thereby granting them some ability to kick anyone deemed to be leeching, (obviously a degree of trust in those people would be required).

[UltraAlt]

15 hours ago, Clave Dark 5 said:

why not add another that will auto-kick you from your league if you remain AFK for another say minute or two longer?

 

What is total time length that you are looking for before auto-kick from league?

[UltraAlt]

9 hours ago, Zect said:

I'd be more supportive of a system that cuts off the flow of rewards to characters not engaged in combat for more than a certain duration (afk or not)

 

I think this would probably be harder to implement than a timer.

 

A player could be AFK, on follow, with a power set to auto fire. Technically, they would be "in combat".

What counts as "in combat"? Doing damage to enemies? Using any power? Getting hit by enemies?

If you had a empathy defender that was using their non-combat/attack powers (heals, buffs, etc.) only would they be considered to be, in combat?

[Clave Dark 5]

17 hours ago, Rudra said:

The extent of my involvement? I click the do not disconnect me from the game button when it pops up.

Then you're doing it right - which is obviously good!  But I've been seeing a lot of not even that, hence my suggestion.  The whole "waiting for the league to fill" is an issue for my suggestion though, sure.

[Clave Dark 5]

3 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

 

What is total time length that you are looking for before auto-kick from league?

I don't know off the top of my head.  I don't know what the time limit before the grey AFK pops up in the first place.  I'm making the suggestion, hoping people withmore technical knowledge can look into it.  😃

[Rudra]

18 minutes ago, Clave Dark 5 said:

Then you're doing it right - which is obviously good!  But I've been seeing a lot of not even that, hence my suggestion.  The whole "waiting for the league to fill" is an issue for my suggestion though, sure.

Anyone that goes AFK and doesn't click the okay button to not be disconnected when it pops up gets disconnected after 10 minutes. So by that token, your request already exists.

[KingCeddd03]

The question is, is an  AFKer taking away your fun of the game?

[UltraAlt]

1 hour ago, KingCeddd03 said:

The question is, is an  AFKer taking away your fun of the game?

 

Yes

[KingCeddd03]

how @UltraAlt

[Rudra]

Unless you go into something with the agreement that individuals doing that something with you are not expected to actually do anything, having others that join and do nothing is a rather frustrating feeling. That frustration tends to put a damper on the fun those participating feel in a game like this.

 

So those that go AFK and do nothing when the league they join starts their task saps the enjoyment of some who are actually participating. I know I've felt that frustration, and that is what I am basing this post on.

 

However, to me at least, that only kicks in after the league is formed and the task started.

[UltraAlt]

1 hour ago, KingCeddd03 said:

how @UltraAlt

 

If they are on my team and they are afk, they are leaching from everyone else.

They aren't contributing to the team.

They don't deserve rewards for other people gameplay.

And, of course, someone that wants a free-ride without contributing anything to a team effort just generally upsets me.

And, yeah, that ruins my game experience.

 

And when they try to be sly about it, that really aggravates me.

 

If you really don't know why someone going AFK simply to leech is an issue, then you must be someone that does this to teams.

Goodbye.

[KingCeddd03]

5 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

 

If they are on my team and they are afk, they are leaching from everyone else.

They aren't contributing to the team.

They don't deserve rewards for other people gameplay.

And, of course, someone that wants a free-ride without contributing anything to a team effort just generally upsets me.

And, yeah, that ruins my game experience.

 

And when they try to be sly about it, that really aggravates me.

 

If you really don't know why someone going AFK simply to leech is an issue, then you must be someone that does this to teams.

Goodbye.

No it should not matter everyone plays how they like but i do see your point. either way, no one should be forced to do something they don't want too.

[Clave Dark 5]

7 hours ago, Rudra said:

Anyone that goes AFK and doesn't click the okay button to not be disconnected when it pops up gets disconnected after 10 minutes. So by that token, your request already exists.

Ten minutes is too long.  Reset it for three then, maybe 2.

[Lyrium]

44 minutes ago, UltraAlt said:

 

If they are on my team and they are afk, they are leaching from everyone else.

They aren't contributing to the team.

They don't deserve rewards for other people gameplay.

And, of course, someone that wants a free-ride without contributing anything to a team effort just generally upsets me.

And, yeah, that ruins my game experience.

 

And when they try to be sly about it, that really aggravates me.

 

If you really don't know why someone going AFK simply to leech is an issue, then you must be someone that does this to teams.

Goodbye.

If they are on YOUR team, you can kick them. Otherwise is not your team, and if you don't like how the team is lead, bring it up with the leader or leave. You are right on the point of no one should ruin your game experience, but you have tools to prevent it

[srmalloy]

15 hours ago, Rudra said:

Anyone that goes AFK and doesn't click the okay button to not be disconnected when it pops up gets disconnected after 10 minutes. So by that token, your request already exists.

Except that instanced maps don't subject players to the AFK timeout -- the instanced MSR, trials, door missions, and SG bases won't kick idle characters.

[Rudra]

1 minute ago, srmalloy said:

Except that instanced maps don't subject players to the AFK timeout -- the instanced MSR, trials, door missions, and SG bases won't kick idle characters.

I've never done an instanced MSR, so I wouldn't know about people going AFK on those. Regardless, where is the harm in people sitting AFK while a league forms? They aren't being asked to take down mobs or click glowies or escort NPCs or do anything else productive. If they don't want to insert themselves into others' chats just to avoid being AFK, that is their choice. If they don't want to risk annoying people by spamming some powers that knock other characters out of their emotes, that is their choice. Not every AT power set has a power that can fired off without a target to avoid going AFK, and some of those that can upset their fellow idle players who are trying to maintain an emote as part of their roleplaying or entertainment. And not everyone wants to move their character around in place just to avoid being AFK while waiting for the league to finally finish forming.

 

The only time a person being AFK is detrimental to a team or league is when the team or league is actively doing something and the AFK individual(s) is/are not helping. So who cares if I or anyone else sits AFK on a league waiting for the league task to actually start?

 

And if the league starts and we still don't move? We may actually be AFK and using the restroom. Give us a few to get back, go "Crap! They launched!", and hurry to catch up in a panic. Just because a player shows AFK does not mean the player is trying to leech. Let people be AFK in peace. Watch for leechers and drop them, sure. Otherwise, just let players AFK in peace.

[srmalloy]

14 minutes ago, Rudra said:

And if the league starts and we still don't move? We may actually be AFK and using the restroom. Give us a few to get back,

I'm just pointing out that there are exemptions in the 'go AFK, get disconnected' logic. Being AFK during an MSR is an issue only after the pylons are down, because the pylons don't give XP; once the league starts hitting the grates, XP starts coming in, and the AFK players can be leeching.

[UltraAlt]

On 10/27/2022 at 5:45 AM, Lyrium said:

If they are on YOUR team, you can kick them. Otherwise is not your team, and if you don't like how the team is lead, bring it up with the leader or leave. You are right on the point of no one should ruin your game experience, but you have tools to prevent it

 

Yep. Already knew that. Already do that.

 

That being said.

I would rather not kick a player (it's usually only one player).

I would also not like to have to leave teams (usually only because of one player).

 

I can't even say when I've had to leave a team that it was because of more than one player.

I can also say that I don't think I have ever kicked more than one player from at team ... and no one else has ever left a team that I'm running because I kicked a player.

 

None of this negates the fact that, when that one bad apple is on the team, they ruin the experience for me ... and perhaps the rest of the team as well.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by UltraAlt

[Zappalina]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:53 AM, Clave Dark 5 said:

I know that in general leagues (and individual players) don't care for leechers who don't contribute; nearly every MSR I've been on started with the league leader saying something about "if you see this, let me know."  I've also seen league leaders just stop and leech which causes problems for the rest of the league.

 

The person running a league has enough to do already.  We already have a timer that pops up the little grey AFK bubble above your head if you're inactive for X amount of time (I don't know how long that is), so why not add another that will auto-kick you from your league if you remain AFK for another say minute or two longer?

I know people who play who have families and most everyone on the team knows if they are afk they're dealing with their family responsibilities so I don't think this would work in all instances.   Maybe if you have a concern about this you start and lead the leagues/task forces so then you can set what you prefer for guidance or team rules as a leader.  You could let the team know that you don't want anyone going afk for longer than a few minutes or they should go outside the mission if they want to go afk so they don't hold up the team or mission objectives. 

I think sometimes new players also need things explained to them, if someone is used to AFK sitting they may not realize in PVE that the style of play is different. Don't be afraid to assume the best and that they are new.  Just ask them if they're going to participate or if they're used to going AFK in missions. If they are new then explain to them that the style of play is different in PvE and everyone is expected to usually participate in missions even the leader.

I sometimes say/ask if I'm leading on teams if they're going afk for awhile if they can afk outside of the mission as to not hold anything up.  I've experienced what you've mentioned before about team leaders not participating in the missions and they just call them in and stand by the door.  When I've gotten upset about it I have chosen block them globally, I make a note on their character by right clicking and adding a note, and I don't team up in the future.   If I got really upset about it I'd quit the team but I haven't gotten to that point yet.  I believe (could be wrong) There is an option also to kick someone from a league. I think that is accessed by right clicking on their name and then 'taking a vote'.