micr0c0sm

I really hate AFKs, and a few times I have seen people with AFK macros that make me kick them.

If you are not at the computer, leave the game. Things crop up, and if you think this thing can be easily handled in less than 60 seconds, lucky you. If not bite the bullet and leave. If you are unsure then go do what you gotta, and maybe you will be kicked, maybe not.

Agamemnon

I like the afk kicker as is, since I hate hopping in the chair and realizing I have 2 afks.

Sirusblk

We have two servers now, do we not? If you're kicked from the server and can't rejoin due to slot pileup join the other server I think having an AFK kicker this strict forces the players you play against to actually be there responding to the situation. Maybe there is room for leeway at map change. Personally there's always ways you could find to not be booted.

I personally run to the bathroom and barely dry my hands after washing and that's with the bathroom next to my room. :P

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Pokerface

Total Tangent:

Easter 2005, Team Darwin gears up for the CSS Tournament. Batman announces that he has to use the facilities, and returns VERY quickly.

Rest of team: "Wow, that was fast, did you actually go?"
Batman: "Don't tell my mom, but I didn't wash my hands."

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Enigma

Whatever happened to Batman?

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micr0c0sm

What ever happened to Enigma?

Stupid

He's right there.

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Kerostasis

Yeah, on reflection I'm satisfied with the current state of things after all.

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FireFly

For the SMs this shouldnt be an issue, you can always rejoin as soon as you return no matter how full the server is, bonus incentive for ppl to become SMs. Whether I need to grab a beer or take a whiz, it can usually be done in less than 60 seconds, but when I need to fill a glass of water from the fridge.. damn thing takes 60 seconds to fill! Ahhh but that's why I got a SM =D

Slayer of Hippies

The problem is, you want to be using the time between the endgame of the round the other team is dragging out, and the readyroom time and the beginning-of-round time, and if you had to be at the keyboard to type something it would defeat that purpose.

Even though I'm sure this will never be implemented, probably the best way to do it is to let a player type something like "brb" in console, and it would give him an extra 30 seconds to whatver his next afk kick timer countdown is until he disconnects from the server.

Sirusblk

I second Slayer of Hippies post, but again that could be another outlet for macros to avoid getting the boot. I think it's a great thing to not advertise publicly then that way only members of the community would know to use it

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Dr. Pepper PhD.

I am going to have to agree with chop on this one. If I need a drink I leave at the end of the previous game, that gives me the 10 seconds until the map changes, plus 5 more during the loading screen, and another 60 on the new map. Sarting afks are more annoying that in-game afks.

Edit... sorry for necroing. Just realized that I hadn't read this thread and thought it was new.

Iceberg

mayhap typing brb gives you an additional 60 seconds, and is a one time deal per map?

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Yer Mom

I like squeak's idea. Typing brb in console gives the player a one time extra 60 seconds for this map totally 120 or 180 seconds (depending on which era of the game we are in). If the player doesn't come back in time, he is kicked with no remorse.

I hate the afk kicker myself. I see that the afk kicker is implemented to serve as a quick way to get rid of players who have been afk during the game. I don't consider going to the bathroom between games or at end game to be me being afk. Sure, I'm not here, but I'm just gonna be a minute, and if you can't deal with a minute and would rather lose a regular player who could be replaced by a ? player (which gets into unbalancing teams), then I don't wanna play for your team anyway.

The problem with this is it's one of two ways I'm leaving the server during prime time because I know that if I leave an 8v8, there's gonna be someone waiting to take my spot. There's NEVER 10 extra seconds to reconnect when you get afk kicked. I don't think someone going to the bathroom or getting a drink is reason enough to practically remove them from the server for the next possible hour.

It can be frustrating for us non-SM's.

-Mom

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Kerostasis

Here's a suggestion: Typing afk in console makes you immune to the auto-balance plugin for the next x amount of time, and keeps you from being afk kicked for that same amount of time so long as you don't join a team.

For example, a game ends on Veil, and you type "afk" in console and then leave immediately to do whatever you are doing. The server changes to Nancy, and we run Balance. You are left in the readyroom, so no one is relying on you to perform some critical action at the beginning of the game. As long as you get back before X time expires, you still have your server slot and can join a team then. With X probably being only 1 minute longer than the existing afk kicker.

How does this sound?

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