Attacking someone while they are AFK

[LeGodLegolass]

The shard rules seem like they've been pretty thoroughly reviewed. While afk macroing is referenced, there is no rule about being afk, which I somehow doubt is an oversight. If staff is concerned, I would imagine there would be an anti afk program. People are obviously at least somewhat around our characters would be starving to death everywhere

[Meowakin]

It takes an incredibly long time to actually starve to death and I've seen multiple times where staff is asked to boot someone that is starting to starve to death.

I will also add in regards to 'maxing infusion fatigue' that the two are not mutually exclusive. Passive animus gains are not affected by infusion fatigue so it's entirely irrelevant - those people can do their '1 hour max infusion fatigue (X to doubt)' and still AFK the other 23 hours in the day. So yes, they do gain an edge.

[Lilith]

The logical answer at first-glance would be that being AFKing could be made redundant and the problem would be solved, I don't think it would do justice to underlying psychology in being AFK. I was a bit surprised to find out at first that people are OK with being AFK here, but thought that it's clever since just having the game open makes it more likely to stay active on the shard. When I have client running in the background I keep on reminding myself about that fact constantly on more or less conscious level (I still have to check every now and then that my character isn't dying for whatever reason, be it hunger, thrist or an event of some kind). It really keeps me hooked on the shard and often thinking about it, and every time I come back to my room I sit down on the computer to check my character's vitals and such. It's a sort of a ritual which often leads me to running to the nearby graveyard for a little coin hunt, and since I already started, might as well clear the nearby monastery or tag along to party heading somewhere... It's not just empty online numbers and "exploitation" of the system, rather than it is a way to integrate UO into everyday life. Not on my part atleast. I think the risks to get yourself robbed or KO'd are a fair counterbalance to what benefits it reaps.

TL;DR: AFK:ing is highly addictive and I'm an addict.

[Lucien]

I think the discussion is getting a little mixed. I believe we are only discussing attacking/killing people while they are AFK and unable to respond.

If you believe afk/bank sitting in general is an issue we should make a separate post for that.

This is a community of players. taking advantage of another player while they are unable to react is unfair and as I said before a dick move, however you want to justify it. its like picking on new players.

[Glimmer]

I'm fairly certain that staff has made it implicitly clear that while they cannot stop anyone from AFK'ing it does not exempt them from any and all possible consequences in-game.

If your character is found and attacked, and that player did everything they possibly could from an RP standpoint then that is sadly a consequence of being AFK. Staff can, will, and do investigate and research these matters. Let's not forget the fact that everything we do gets documented. Big brother IS watching. Always.

If it wasn't handled appropriate in-game, they would not allow it to go unpunished and if there is no punishment then it is safe too assume that everything was above board no matter how much the situation may suck.

[The Technician]

be it a pee break, their child crying or a medical emergency.

BOY HOWDY I wish this was the case. If this was the case, i'd agree. However, I do not believe the people at the bank or tavern in fort prae 24 hours a day are "having a pee break". These people are (in my opinion) exploiting and powergaming the system for reasons that are self-evident. I would agree with the body of your point and thesis....if there was a rule against this sort of weird, immersion breaking exploitation.

Talking to someone who isnt there and doesn't respond is immersion breaking and, i'd counter-argue, conferrs a lack of respect towards other places who are invested in the roleplay. It breaks the fuck out of my immersion when i see 6000 people afk at the bank at all hours of the day who never respond to speech. Until staff make a rule against this sort of exploitative AFKing, it should be allowed -- nay, encouraged for these people to be viciously attacked and their possessions taken from them.

It's exactly as you said, they are power gaming. There isn't any repercussions for someone going AFK. Even when it's written in the rules.

"6. Bugs, Exploits and Unattended Macroing
The scripters of Requiem work ceaselessly to make sure that the mechanics of the game are clean and fair. That being said, sometimes bugs or exploits may escape their notice. Do not exploit any bugs you may find in the system to benefit your character; you will be caught and you will be punished. If you notice a bug please notify any member of the Staff through private message here on the board or via IRC, even if you think it may have already been reported. If you are not sure whether a function of the game is a bug or an exploit, report it anyway. It is better to be safe and report it, than to be sorry and be subjected to disciplinary action. Ignorance, as always, is not an excuse.

Unattended macroing is not an acceptable means of progression on Requiem and will be dealt with on a case by case basis, to include skill zeroing."

While someone may not be macroing a skill specifically, they are using the AFK idle time to accumulate infusion/animus. By the rules that's still using it for progression.

[The Technician]

I'm fairly certain that staff has made it implicitly clear that while they cannot stop anyone from AFK'ing it does not exempt them from any and all possible consequences in-game.

If your character is found and attacked, and that player did everything they possibly could from an RP standpoint then that is sadly a consequence of being AFK. Staff can, will, and do investigate and research these matters. Let's not forget the fact that everything we do gets documented. Big brother IS watching. Always.

If it wasn't handled appropriate in-game, they would not allow it to go unpunished and if there is no punishment then it is safe too assume that everything was above board no matter how much the situation may suck.

Rightly said, it's a double edged sword that negatively affects both party members.

[Lans]

I've helped work on rules and regulations for rather major game projects across my life; and in regards to what "Requiem wants to be and what requiem needs to do that"...

- No you should not be advocating AFK people in the fort being ganked or attacked; regardless the reasoning this totally dispels the idea 'The Server' advocates for RP first and is an adventure second (As it is such, from a critic stand point its easy to see, as you can play without adventuring, but if you refuse to RP you WILL be banned eventually.)

Reasoning: If this is done, it shows poor form in terms of both the rules, and the prioritization of 'What is important' at the heart of the project and server itself. Some people like to Rule-Lawyer here and Harp on "Exploitation", but attacking someone knowing full well they're not there is exploitation of logical cause and effect with the knowledge one won't suffer the intended consequences... almost... like... shooting AI from a unreachable location. HMMM... This activity will lead to "Less players" which creates a "Dead Server". Played over 15 UO RP servers now, I can readily tell you what keeps them afloat or sinks them quicker than the titanic did.

- Yes it is a survival horror themed server, but survival horror doesn't mean EVER penalizing the players themselves with a snide attitude backing it that they 'got what they deserved' -- This is Rude, and debating it is essentially fighting the culmination of thousands of years of well-established and wisened souls that helped lay the foundations for healthy societal structures; this is ultimately a game and a fairer 'Non-Assailable' point was arose here that sometimes Emergencies happen.

Reasoning: Very real, Real life emergencies, you don't know that players situation or life, and if the individual was attacked IG while (God Forbid) their family member was having some medical emergency, this just adds oil to a fire that had 'nothing to do with IG' and raises their stress substantially. Anyone thinking otherwise? Go out, have yourself a drink, **Relax**, and take the time to remember Requiem is a game and that we're all here to escape the tedium of the real world, have fun together, and weave together an amazing song of horror, hardship, struggles, and survival -- lets work together to make one that if we wrote a book about we wouldn't be ashamed or leaving out portions because 'We knew it was extremely bad form and practice'. Don't be like 'That Guy' that cheats at Scrabble or Monopoly because the other person had to take a whiz.

- I myself do not AFK macro, I am too prideful and would rather pit my own direct efforts against the world presented and see how they pan out, with the closest I come being letting the dogs out, watching a video lecture, or otherwise 'actually still entirely being there', im rather bewoed there isn't a "Someone spoke near you" ping for the game. That said, I don't resent other people for doing this.

Reasoning: I realize all the grind and time invested into my character and characters like him makes them cast a daunting shadow, that a lot of people would once they remotely grasp the grind required to match it would shudder and flee from, but if they looked at the venue of AFK-Infusion, they have a ray of hope and feel it isn't all for naught, they can catch up, they can be comparable, and they can essentially compete or otherwise be equal on the 'Stage of mechanical play'. And I adore that they're so devoted in working towards that, nor would I go out of my way to penalize or aggress a player that is AFK, it seems heinous, uncouth, and frankly griefing-centric versus just waiting for a more tasteful interactive moment that they'd be defeated in anyway. As Hook from the old Robin Williams Peter Pan would say, "BAD FORM PETER..."

[Alteripseity]

We can't ultimately know why you're AFK - you may be right back, you may have fallen asleep, you may just be avoiding roleplay consequences. Thus, we will not be changing any rules about AFKing. Being AFK, you are still part of the game world, so it is done at one's own risk.