Will we ever be able to see who is seeking for party and is afk or not?

[robinkle]

Will we ever be able to see who is seeking afk or not?

If the flag could switch to a different color (blue?) after a certain amount of time where the player havent typed or moved, we could see who's afk or not, and it would make it simpler to make parties, with less frustration.

For those who arent playing but still are able to see a tell, could use their special flag so it wont become "blue."

[LyonheartLakshmi]

What if I decide to seek while I'm watching TV, browsing through a catalog, or playing my PSP, while at the same time keeping an eye on the screen from time to time to catch /tells? With the audible chime that comes with new /tells, a player can easily not do anything active in the game but still be paying enough attention to respond to an invitation.

Am I going to be forced to make a manual input to the game once every 5, 10, or 15 minutes just to avoid having the game mark me as AFK? Perhaps you'd suggest a configuration on the timer, so I can bump it up to 30 minutes. But if you give the players that option, doesn't that just defeat the purpose of the suggested feature?

The game already comes with a "log me out if I'm idle for X amount of time" feature. Most players who spend large amounts of time in this game turn this off completely. This AFK flag feature sounds like it will fall into the same pattern. It'll either trade an old source of frustration for a new one, or simply become self-defeating.

[robinkle]

What if I decide to seek while I'm watching TV, browsing through a catalog, or playing my PSP, while at the same time keeping an eye on the screen from time to time to catch /tells? With the audible chime that comes with new /tells, a player can easily not do anything active in the game but still be paying enough attention to respond to an invitation.

Am I going to be forced to make a manual input to the game once every 5, 10, or 15 minutes just to avoid having the game mark me as AFK? Perhaps you'd suggest a configuration on the timer, so I can bump it up to 30 minutes. But if you give the players that option, doesn't that just defeat the purpose of the suggested feature?

The game already comes with a "log me out if I'm idle for X amount of time" feature. Most players who spend large amounts of time in this game turn this off completely. This AFK flag feature sounds like it will fall into the same pattern. It'll either trade an old source of frustration for a new one, or simply become self-defeating.

" For those who arent playing but still are able to see a tell, could use their special flag so it wont become "blue.""

Make sure you read the whole post.

This AFK flag feature sounds like it will fall into the same pattern. It'll either trade an old source of frustration for a new one, or simply become self-defeating

Not if its made in a way that ppl need to turn it on for each time they put up the flag.

[Raydeus]

No thanks, I rather be able to pretent I'm AFK if I get an invite from a rank 2 job55/sub15.

"I know you are there because your flag hasn't changed color" would mess with that.

[robinkle]

No thanks, I rather be able to pretent I'm AFK if I get an invite from a rank 2 job55/sub15.

"I know you are there because your flag hasn't changed color" would mess with that.

Can't you say no to invites that comes from Rank 2's?

What I post is just an idea. If everyone would feel like telling a better way of making my idea better, please do so.

[Mhurron]

If everyone would feel like telling a better way of making my idea better, please do so.
Send /tells. If they respond you know they're there, if not, move on to someone else.

[robinkle]

Send /tells. If they respond you know they're there, if not, move on to someone else.

Whats best? What would take less time?. see a color that tells you if the person is afk or not. or send a tell to everyone who seeks?

[Jei]

If seeking AFK means no tell, who's gonna do it...?

[Hantz]

You're going to send them tells anyway if you're interested in picking them up.

[robinkle]

If seeking AFK means no tell, who's gonna do it...?

I wish I understood what you ment.

I mean. as a party starter you would like to avoid that players are seeking afk, or you would like today, spend time looking for a member at 5/6. Because you had a intersting setup seeking, but 1 was afk.

If you can see that ppl is active, you could start a party without any trouble.
It happens alot of times thay players comment "Why is ppl seeking afk?!"
My point is to solve that.

Even knowing startig a party would go smooth, it might encourage more players to start parties.

[Sevv]

In theory it is a great idea, but it just wouldn't work.

[robinkle]

In theory it is a great idea, but it just wouldn't work.

Can I ask you to explain why it wont work?
I apreciate that you like the idea :)

[Sevv]

Can I ask you to explain why it wont work.
I apreciate that you like the idea :)


Like many have said, If we are seeking we are close by to our computers/tvs. With the add of the chime tell feature I can (Play wii/watch tv/work/clean/etc) and not miss a single invite.

So let us say they add this feature and it is an automatic thing that happens, I can still be waiting on my invite and potentionally miss an invite by waiting too long and not cetching the time.

And if it is a toggle by the player, the players who usually tend to be the problem will not turn it on. And people will still send them tells, hell my /seacom right now is
* yellow (not seeking)
75 {Job}: {Warrior}, {Ninja}, {Dragoon}
{World}: O {Runic Portal} 6/6
{Away} {Work} 6:30~6:00 EST

I will still have 3-4 pt invites from the day, every time I get home.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Make sure you read the whole post.

He did, your idea just wasn't good.

Honestly, a bigger concern for me is the jobs that aren't getting invites at all.

There's a chime for /tells now, I never deactivate it. Right now, if I was seeking on my COR, I could hear the chime and come back to respond. Its not my problem if somone else isn't informed that it exists on doesn't activate it. Send a tell and you will know if somone is AFK or not.

[KingOfZeal]

It won't work for many of the reasons that Lyon said in his post: I may not be actively playing, but I'm keeping an eye (or ear) out for that ring. If I'm doing something else, like for example, watching TV on the other side of my room, I'm not going to get up every (insert frequency here) just so my flag doesn't get changed. It is self-defeating most of the time.

And, in regard to
For those who arent playing but still are able to see a tell, could use their special flag so it wont become "blue."...what would be the point of having a whole new flag then? People would use this one and then the problem would stay the same. On top of this, most people who DO AFK seek (and don't listen for tells and such) aren't necessarily gone for a long period of time -- they are afk for a reason, like going to the bathroom, running an errand, that sort of thing.


Can't you say no to invites that comes from Rank 2's?

What I post is just an idea. If everyone would feel like telling a better way of making my idea better, please do so.

I can tell you have never experienced these kinds of people, of you wouldn't have asked this. No, 3/4 of the time you can't. You know why? Because then they start to harass you. Not to the point of being able to get a GM called on you though. In really bad cases, they'll spread rumors/lies about you.

Case in point: on my Bard search comment, I have as the last line "{Caedarva Mire} {No thanks!}". The other day, I received a tell from somebody asking why I say that. I replied saying that it's always overcamped and I just hate it anyway. They then asked "well, we're going out there, interested?"

Needless to say, I said no. About 10-15 minutes later, I get another tell from this guy:
"xxx>> your a baby
>>xxx : no, I have standards -.-
xxx>> dumb ones"

I soon found my blacklist expanded by one entry (I do have this conversation in logs, by the way, if anybody is interested).

I (and many others) find, that in many cases like that, it's easier to ignore people like that than to bother with them.


Also, in regard to the last point in that quoted post, yes, you did suggest an idea. However, many more of us have posted replies on how this isn't or won't work. Please be graceful and accept the fact that it won't work, and isn't really a good idea in practice.

[robinkle]

For those who arent playing but still are able to see a tell, could use their special flag so it wont become "blue."

As I mentioned. reading the whole post helps.
But let me explain this better. I think its whats needed.

This is just an idea. but please share yours.

when you put up flag and wants to play PS3 or what ever.
you could choose an option (requiered each time you put up flag) that you pick "seeking as red flag" which means you are available but not currently playing. it could give the pling sound a boost as well.

Or that you need to talk to an npc or enter a room so the flag wont go blue.

just some ideas just to solve that.

[KingOfZeal]

As I (and one or two others have said) it doesn't solve anything. Why? Because those who are seeking and AFK: either don't MEAN to be AFK (emergency errands, making lunch, that sort of thing) and thus won't choose this, or they will use this and go afk anyway. It's basic human psychology.

[Mhurron]

Ok, since you seem to have a problem with understanding here it is in black and white:

Everyone will use your 'special' flag so that they always receive invites. They will still be AFK if they want to but will tell the system not to show that.

Everyone read your whole post. Your special flag idea turned a bad idea worse.

[Hantz]

You can already "seek as red flag" as well. Hey, there you go. If you're tired of such long waiting when forming parties, just start using your "red flag" to show people how eager you are to get going.

[robinkle]

Ok, since you seem to have a problem with understanding here it is in black and white:

Everyone will use your 'special' flag so that they always receive invites. They will still be AFK if they want to but will tell the system not to show that.

Everyone read your whole post. Your special flag idea turned a bad idea worse.

And you dont think there is any other way around it?
Are you able to suggest anything?

Cuz thats what I'm asking for. Atleast I suggested something.

[robinkle]

As I (and one or two others have said) it doesn't solve anything. Why? Because those who are seeking and AFK: either don't MEAN to be AFK (emergency errands, making lunch, that sort of thing) and thus won't choose this, or they will use this and go afk anyway. It's basic human psychology.

And there is no other way around it?
Do you have any ideas of your own that might make my theory a better practical idea?

[robinkle]

You can already "seek as red flag" as well. Hey, there you go. If you're tired of such long waiting when forming parties, just start using your "red flag" to show people how eager you are to get going.

You are right about red flag allready excists. thats my bad. lets say ... um... yellow?

Seeking time is not my point in this thread.

As someone mentioned earlier. in theory my idea is good. Any way you would think it can be practially done?

[Murphie]

Why on earth would anyone want to indicate that they are AFK (meaning people won't invite them). Oh right, they wouldn't, so it's a stupid idea.

You should be sending tells to potential party mates anyway. The only people who send invites without asking first are idiots, and most people will decline those invites anyway. So, moot point.

[Hantz]

Hell, I honestly don't know what problem you're trying to fix.

If I'm making a party and I send somebody a /tell, and they don't respond, then that means they're AFK. Your idea might save people 10 seconds of investigation.

But like most people have said, it's not really a search system problem as much as it is player apathy. I'd say the best solution is to leave the system alone.

[robinkle]

Why on earth would anyone want to indicate that they are AFK (meaning people won't invite them). Oh right, they wouldn't, so it's a stupid idea.

You should be sending tells to potential party mates anyway. The only people who send invites without asking first are idiots, and most people will decline those invites anyway. So, moot point.

Good argument.

I wonder why ppl would even want an invite when they are afk though.
Well if you are afk for a short while I know what you mean, but thats why I mentioned, "after a certain time, your flag will turn blue. Not instantly.

Actually you need to be quick when making a party. if there is a potential setup, it might be more ppl then you who wana start a party. so sending tells before inviting someone would take some time. a color on each player who seeks would make it simpler I think.

The only issue as many others mention here, is; what about when you play Wii or ps3 while seeking. Meaning you can accept an in vite at any time but arent playing the game by moving or typing. I have a feeling it can be solved. could use a suggestion on that.

[Murphie]

Sometimes people fall asleep. Or they get a phone call, or something. Heck, maybe you're on their blacklist and you just don't know it. Bottom line, they won't respond to your tells at that point, so it's not a big deal.

Re: Invites - I don't care if there are dozens of people seeking for every role I need, or only one of each. Sending a tell first is just polite. It's the way things are done in this game. That's a community issue, not a game mechanics issue.

[LyonheartLakshmi]

" For those who arent playing but still are able to see a tell, could use their special flag so it wont become "blue.""

Make sure you read the whole post.

This AFK flag feature sounds like it will fall into the same pattern. It'll either trade an old source of frustration for a new one, or simply become self-defeating

Not if its made in a way that ppl need to turn it on for each time they put up the flag.
I did read the whole post. Do I have to just click the flag off once, when I start seeking (which would defeat the point)? Or do I have to keep clicking it off as it comes up (which is just another way of requiring regular manual input)?

Consider this: I could simply put a rubber band around my controller to make my character walk in circles or into a nearby wall. That would be my personal solution on how to keep myself from getting flagged as AFK.

I'd give suggestions on ways to improve your idea. But simply put, I don't think there is a way to improve it. The best way solve your problem is education: tell people to turn off seeking / logout when they need to go AFK for any period of time.

[robinkle]

Hell, I honestly don't know what problem you're trying to fix.

If I'm making a party and I send somebody a /tell, and they don't respond, then that means they're AFK. Your idea might save people 10 seconds of investigation.

But like most people have said, it's not really a search system problem as much as it is player apathy. I'd say the best solution is to leave the system alone.

Lets say you wana start a party. you see a setup seeking that looks good.

RDM, WAR, PLD, WHM, THF, COR for example.

You ask each of one of them and they answer yes please. except the last one. you do now have a party of 5 and you are missing the PLD. then what? Lets wait and see if the PLD answers. how long do we wait? if we wait, would it be wasted time? you'll never know. and the PLD might have been afk for maby 5 mins. maby he fell asleep. If my idea would somehow be added, you could have seen that the PLD isnt active, and havent been for a long time.

By the time you hope for the PLD to answer you got a RDM and COR who knows they get parties fast, they will start getting pissy, cuz the feel they could have got a påarty all ready.

And I've experienced this many times and thats why I'm trying to discuss the idea.

[Hantz]

RDM, WAR, PLD, WHM, THF, COR for example.

You ask each of one of them and they answer yes please. except the last one. you do now have a party of 5 and you are missing the PLD. then what? Lets wait and see if the PLD answers. how long do we wait? if we wait, would it be wasted time? you'll never know. and the PLD might have been afk for maby 5 mins. maby he fell asleep. If my idea would somehow be added, you could have seen that the PLD isnt active, and havent been for a long time.

By the time you hope for the PLD to answer you got a RDM and COR who knows they get parties fast, they will start getting pissy, cuz the feel they could have got a påarty all ready.

That's just the way it goes. Whether that particular PLD responds at all or not, you still need a tank with 5/6. Just because the first 5 others you ask don't join straight away, it doesn't mean you need some kind of new system to form a PT. Just keep looking for whatever you need to fill out your setup.

[KingOfZeal]

Ok, so your COR and RDM leaves. You can disband your party or keep trying to build. This really isn't a problem. I havn't been in a party like the one you described for quite some time.

As Murphie said (and as I have said in my previous posts), there are number of reasons for people going afk while seeking. I tend to think a bit higher of people and think that it was for something beyond their control (emergencies and such), or some other circumstance where they think they won't be gone long enough to not be able to accept an invite (making food).

And, as lyon said, the only way to solve this problem is to teach others not to do it in the first place.

The problem you are trying to solve has no solution beyond that. And, as you KEEP pointing out (and as I will also keep pointing out), yes, you made an idea. However, we have all shown how a) this isn't a problem or b) there is no way to fix it. Please be graceful and leave it at that.

[robinkle]

Sometimes people fall asleep. Or they get a phone call, or something. Heck, maybe you're on their blacklist and you just don't know it. Bottom line, they won't respond to your tells at that point, so it's not a big deal.

Re: Invites - I don't care if there are dozens of people seeking for every role I need, or only one of each. Sending a tell first is just polite. It's the way things are done in this game. That's a community issue, not a game mechanics issue.


Good point.
How often are you blacklisted.? its a very small issue unless you piss of players all the time.

Firstly it matters how long time it will take before your flag gets blue.
you can take a phone call before it gets blue. you can get some food. Lets say it would take 10 mins before it got blue. would that be suitable?

Yes sending a tell before inviting is how most ppl do it in the game, but ppl dont wana take the chance of someone else taking the ppl seeking. suddenly you have a pt of 2 and a pt of 3 and 1 that is afk.

So its perfered that you ask each player who seeks and invite them as soon as they respond.but risc ending up with 1 member short cuz he/she is afk on unknown time.

[Sevv]

Honestly, a bigger concern for me is the jobs that aren't getting invites at all.



Please stop trying to nerf the tp burn pts.... Want to fix low invite jobs, invite them!

Stop with the nerfs (this is to everyone)

[robinkle]

That's just the way it goes. Whether that particular PLD responds at all or not, you still need a tank with 5/6. Just because the first 5 others you ask don't join straight away, it doesn't mean you need some kind of new system to form a PT. Just keep looking for whatever you need to fill out your setup.

Well if you know the pld wont respond in the first place, you wouldnt need the hassle about getting the other 5 either. Better to wait till the PLD goes back to green or a new tank will show up.

I cant say its a system. more like an added feature.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Please stop trying to nerf the tp burn pts.... Want to fix low invite jobs, invite them!

Stop with the nerfs (this is to everyone)

The hell?

Who said anything about TP burn? Paranoid much?

SE has already stated they are content in leaving ToA EXP as broken as it is, all under the guise of "different styles of PTs." Why are you worried?

That doesn't mean the other jobs that still haven't gotten adjustments shouldn't get them. Simply inviting a PUP to one PT isn't going to change the world. These different "styles" of PTs still exclude a lot of players and encourge the popular jobs to play poorly and have cemented minimal thinking when putting such PTs togther.

By adjusting and updating jobs, SE can either help jobs conform to the trends or create new ones. I'd think that would be a good thing. I'd very much like to see a MNK do something besides rely on a BRD for all thier power.

[robinkle]

Ok, so your COR and RDM leaves. You can disband your party or keep trying to build. This really isn't a problem. I havn't been in a party like the one you described for quite some time.

As Murphie said (and as I have said in my previous posts), there are number of reasons for people going afk while seeking. I tend to think a bit higher of people and think that it was for something beyond their control (emergencies and such), or some other circumstance where they think they won't be gone long enough to not be able to accept an invite (making food).

And, as lyon said, the only way to solve this problem is to teach others not to do it in the first place.

The problem you are trying to solve has no solution beyond that. And, as you KEEP pointing out (and as I will also keep pointing out), yes, you made an idea. However, we have all shown how a) this isn't a problem or b) there is no way to fix it. Please be graceful and leave it at that.

"Ok, so your COR and RDM leaves. You can disband your party or keep trying to build. This really isn't a problem. I havn't been in a party like the one you described for quite some time."

Yes thats how it is today. What if you knew the PLD was afk? Now you spend so much time starting a party that never got to camp. This often takes up to or even more then 1 hour. I call that a waste.
And the party setup I said, was just an example, it could be any party setup.

"As Murphie said (and as I have said in my previous posts), there are number of reasons for people going afk while seeking. I tend to think a bit higher of people and think that it was for something beyond their control (emergencies and such), or some other circumstance where they think they won't be gone long enough to not be able to accept an invite (making food)."

Yes. and if there was an emergency or what ever happening, you wouldnt need a party invite anyways. Cuz you would be busy doing your thing.
Btw. I didnt mention how long it would take before your flag would become blue. Lets say 10 mins. you can get food, get medicine, restroom. If Dad fell of a ladder and broke his leg, it s nice that it would turn blue. Not your concern at the time, but to the best for the players who wana start party.


And, as lyon said, the only way to solve this problem is to teach others not to do it in the first place.

ppl go afk even knowing its frustrating for the pt leaders. Teaching wouldnt help. if the game forced it, it would work.

yes, you made an idea. However, we have all shown how a) this isn't a problem or b) there is no way to fix it. Please be graceful and leave it at that

A) I know its a game, and its not a problem in general. Still a bit of less frustration while palying the game helps.

B) Thats a made up rule. In a game you can do anything, how is the question.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Ok, now you're just not making any sense.

[robinkle]

Ok, now you're just not making any sense.

Please quote and I'll give you an answer. ^^

[Aeolus]

I'd very much like to see a MNK do something besides rely on a BRD for all thier power.

That should be every "I lved this job to 75 because its fast and easy" mnk do something without a brd. We arnt all complete gimps who are scared to do anything but /nin. Never get a brd in my PT during ls events ever; ; and I do just as well as some of the better equiped/merited sams, drks etc. DoT that is, they do like 300 more ws dmg than me.

[KingOfZeal]

Please quote and I'll give you an answer. ^^
Pick something.

Besides the annoyance of quoting everything twice, your reply to point B made no sense whatsoever.

[robinkle]

Pick something.

Besides the annoyance of quoting everything twice, your reply to point B made no sense whatsoever.

I'm sorry for asking for a quote. It just makes it simpler. I try to answer all posts.

but here goes.:

b) there is no way to fix it. Please be graceful and leave it at that

Its just a too quick conclusion.
If you dont want to discuss this, or find quoting anoying, I suggest you stop posting as well.

The reason I post in the forums is to discuss this. I wana make it simpler for players doing party making, who find players who seek as afk frustrating.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

That should be every "I lved this job to 75 because its fast and easy" mnk do something without a brd. We arnt all complete gimps who are scared to do anything but /nin. Never get a brd in my PT during ls events ever; ; and I do just as well as some of the better equiped/merited sams, drks etc. DoT that is, they do like 300 more ws dmg than me.

Yeah I know not all MNKs are like that, but the class is so saturated now that is hard to find a good one. Best one I had recently was a Tarutaru. We had no BRD, I pulled as COR and we got high chains just fine.

Yeah and I feel your pain on the BRD thing in LS events, when I do get the BRD out, I'm slammed into the mage PT instantly. After a year of COR being out there, people still don't understand that if they want mage support, it doesn't get better than COR (unless you put a SMN in that BLM PT with the COR, then its even better). I'll go COR if it will force them to put a BRD in the melee PTs. BRD is wasted on mage PTs.

[robinkle]

I did read the whole post. Do I have to just click the flag off once, when I start seeking (which would defeat the point)? Or do I have to keep clicking it off as it comes up (which is just another way of requiring regular manual input)?

Consider this: I could simply put a rubber band around my controller to make my character walk in circles or into a nearby wall. That would be my personal solution on how to keep myself from getting flagged as AFK.

I'd give suggestions on ways to improve your idea. But simply put, I don't think there is a way to improve it. The best way solve your problem is education: tell people to turn off seeking / logout when they need to go AFK for any period of time.
-
Sorry I didnt mean any offence.

Well. when players wants to do something else while playing, it would be silly if the flag turned blue, I totally agree with that. Getting around that is the biggest issue about my idea. I see that now. but personally, I think the theory, whe whole point it self is a good idea. I just wana solve that issue.

-
Consider this: I could simply put a rubber band around my controller to make my character walk in circles or into a nearby wall. That would be my personal solution on how to keep myself from getting flagged as AFK.

What if the blue flag only shows up when 1 action is reapeting it self or nothing happens (no typing or moving). It could be a way to get around that. anyways, just a few players would actually make themself not look like they are afk on purpose?

-

'd give suggestions on ways to improve your idea. But simply put, I don't think there is a way to improve it. The best way solve your problem is education: tell people to turn off seeking / logout when they need to go AFK for any period of time

That sounds like a big project lol. Well I wana digg a bit more before I make the conclution about this aint possible. Those who knows best would be SE. I can only suggest about seeing who is afk or not, and leave the rest to SE.