DO NOT GO AFK OUTSIDE THE GATES

[JaydeMoon]

You pathetic sods! LIFE is no Excuse!!!

[Brother Humphrey]

Not to forget the completely unforseeable circumstances that make you need to rush away from the pc. Like the other week when my flatmate went in to labour and I was the only other person in the flat , although fortunately in that occasion Wynna was kind enough to port Anselmo out of the area, rather than have a pack of hyenas eat him.

Sheesh! Labor lasts for hours. I would think you could click on the AFK button between contractions. Slacker.

[psycho_leo]

You pathetic sods! LIFE is no Excuse!!!

Truth. And on that note, I demand you play more.

[Mitch]

I think, and I could be wrong so forgive me if I am, the original post is mostly in reference to people standing guard at the rivermoot gates and spending most of their time afk and/or in irc.

AFK's happen, its just the nature of online gaming, and my experience with ALFA is that most players and DMs are pretty accomidating when real world needs interefere with gaming. Who knows, maybe it's becuase I don't play that much, but I've yet to have an unfreindly DM interaction, and I think its because most ALFA players and DMs are pretty friendly people.

That being said I think there is an easily distinguishable difference between those who need a sudden AFK in not the best of circumstances and those who display a serial pattern of logging in and spending most of their time standing around AFK.

For me, personally, by choosing to play on ALFA I implicitly trust Rick and the other DMs to approach issues like this (which are meta by their nature) with a certian amount of even handedness.

I don't think it is an issue most players have to worry about.

[Rick7475]

I realize that going AFK may be for an emergency or whatever, that's no problem.

A PC reported to me, however, that he witnessed another PC AFK at the bridge for no less than 2 and a half hours while he completed several statics.

And hitting the exit to log off is just as easy as going AFK.

If you have an emergency, please log. If you are torn away from your computer for whatever reason, it is understandable. Just let us know.

[SwordSaintMusashi]

Okay, hooooold on a second. The players "consistantly guarding the gate" are the Red Knights, Karl and Sevaera (and some others in and out). We're not standing on this bridge for our health. We're standing on it because there is an orcish invasion pending. We're not constantly AFK or in IRC. We stand there, talk amongst ourselves, and do what player characters in the middle of a orc war would do: guard. Just because a DM isn't on to make the orcs attack doesn't mean our PCs can assume "there won't be an attack tonight. I can feel it.". When this orc invasion is done, believe me, we're scooting back to High Hold and adventuring again, something I know I came to ALFA to do.

[Munmun]

What about characters who have legitimate IC reasons to always stand guard at the bridge?

Though I never do what I would call AFKing it. I am always there, at the controls and chatting with whoever else is on duty (usually Diane).

[Mulu]

All it takes to log off is Esc *click on Main or Exit* which is faster than pulling up Heeds and clicking on the AFK flag button.

Staying on drains server resources for everyone else, besides leaving a zombified PC everyone has to IC ignore. If you're with a group, DMFI follow with permission so your toon can continue while you're away. Five minutes seems like a reasonable threshold to me.

[oldgrayrogue]

Thanks for the explanation Rick. Believe me its not an issue of mistrust, just given the OP I think a few of us who have sort of hectic home lives wanted to make sure our PCs didn't end up pwnd for being afk at the wrong place and the wrong time. Thanks again.

[ThinkTank]

[Mikayla]

On the subject of guard duty at the bridge:

Guard duty at the bridge may be the most under-appreciated role-play in ALFA right now. Why? Because it sucks to do and you get near zero reward for it. While I am pulling guard duty, the people I used to run around with are out hunting orcs, doing statics, exploring the wilderness and generally having a good time, while I and the others who have chosen to play characters who would guard the bridge IC, do so. Now, I have nothing against the folk who are out there running around, I think its great - but our standing at the bridge, guarding it, doing nothing but standing there, is not only perfectly in character, its a sacrifice as well. We are not out doing statics, we are not out hunting, we are not out doing anything fun - we are role-playing our characters even though that role-play is not fun, is seriously boring, and earns us nothing but the hourly RPXP, which is next to nothing (but way better than nothing).

So, I dunno the specifics on the individual case that brought this up - but I know when I am at the bridge, I am almost never AFK unless I am in the bathroom or getting a soda, and neither are the folk around me. Our PCs don't move alot, and sometimes, we don't say alot. We are on guard duty. If I am lucky, my IC boyfriend comes to visit me between his classes and his scouting and his other things. Meanwhile, we, the Red Knights, and friends, stand watch on the bridge.

Its boring as hell, we get very little XP for it, and no gold, and we do it anyway because its IC. I would much rather be up in the moonwood hunting orcs, or in the caves killing gnolls, or in Silverymoon exploring with my IC boyfriend, or .. .well .. almost anything. But guard duty on the bridge is IC, so thats what we do.


P.S. I know a lot of people were pointing the finger my way when talking about the XP/leveling Rat Race - well, maybe once, but I think its safe to say that guard duty at the bridge is a big ol'detour from said race. C'est la vie.

[oldgrayrogue]

Psst .... Mikayla ... never tell a DM you're bored on guard duty. *senses a very large orc raid coming* -- lol

[danielmn]

I have to ponder.....

Why do so many people have to take a simple message (don't go afk outside the safety of the gates cause this is the freakin wilds, where dangerous stuff lives right up the hill) and take it as a personal assault against their character? Please....take the world revolving around you and put it away, the request was made for everyone, not SPECIFICALLY for a few people, and was made in earnest.

WHy argue and rules lawyer and debate the natural cycle of a freakin animal? I had a bear at my fence when I was 3 years old (in the burbs of Richmind VA no less), animals do come near human civilization, they do attack, especially if they are hungry.

Just take the message as is and take no offence by it. THose who ignore it will probably be prosecuted to the full extent of orcish law.

[MorbidKate]

The feeling I get is that Rick & Darren were trying to be subtle about abusing the RP XP script and posted because of info they have on hand, including logs. I think this is about the overall concern regarding intentional AFK bumping to keep the XP timer running more than any specific persons or locations.

All the DMs I've ever worked with have been very understanding when it comes to RL timeouts so I think it's safe to say there's only concern over those who display a very specific pattern of behaviour... to keep earning XP when they aren't interacting with onyone.

Kate

[Rion of Erb]

I thought the RP XP script only awarded XP for active time IG, thus going AFK for hours wouldn't get you much XP.

I took the OP as a warning that if your PC dies cause you left him somewhere that was not safe, please don't expect a tech raise.... .

...and more power to those that have been standing guard duty, seems a perfectly IC thing to be doing, and I am sure it sucks at times for the Player. I feel guilty for not doing it as a Player, but my PC isn't much for guards or duties. He tries to come by and keep them company from time to time though.