Short and sweet:
F2P accounts that get caught AFK scripting should be locked out.
F2P accounts that get caught AFK scripting more than once should be outright terminated and everything on that account forfeited.
F2P accounts so caught should always have their IPs checked for links to other paying accounts and penalties applied to those accounts, including warnings and lockouts.
Thayet
@thayelf // http://thayette.tumblr.com
"But you must know that if corruption is powerful enough, it's not corruption at all — it's law. Unspoken, unwritten, but law." — Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Stairs
THAYET
BICKFORDS3
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/07/2016 05:32 PM CST
BENNETTJ13
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/07/2016 05:46 PM CST
I'll never disagree about tightening down on afk scripting.
Monster Elec
You hear the distant echo of a savage Horde snarling in barbaric disapproval of your deeds.
Monster Elec
You hear the distant echo of a savage Horde snarling in barbaric disapproval of your deeds.
BADGOPHER
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/07/2016 07:04 PM CST
>Yea, because if you aren't paying Simu money every month you should be treated as less than equal than the people who do.
Yea, because there's no obvious incentive to blatantly AFK script with a f2p account.
Yea, because there's no obvious incentive to blatantly AFK script with a f2p account.
NINEVAH1
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/07/2016 07:45 PM CST
>>Yea, because there's no obvious incentive to blatantly AFK script with a f2p account.
They have ways to link F2P accounts to any other account you are playing just like they can with subbed accounts. The ways to circumvent having a F2P account linked to another account are possible with subbed accounts too.
Not giving F2P accounts a chance of a mistake, because they happen, is overly punitive. Not every F2P account belongs to a player who has a subbed account. Screwing over a new player who doesn't know the policy very well or simply makes a mistake (like falling asleep/gets distracted by accident) to punish the handful of people that are being targeted with this suggestion sounds really dumb to me.
They have ways to link F2P accounts to any other account you are playing just like they can with subbed accounts. The ways to circumvent having a F2P account linked to another account are possible with subbed accounts too.
Not giving F2P accounts a chance of a mistake, because they happen, is overly punitive. Not every F2P account belongs to a player who has a subbed account. Screwing over a new player who doesn't know the policy very well or simply makes a mistake (like falling asleep/gets distracted by accident) to punish the handful of people that are being targeted with this suggestion sounds really dumb to me.
CHUNGUS
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/07/2016 08:41 PM CST
Warning, lockout, termination seems reasonable to me. Then ignorance of the rules really is no excuse, and you get your mistake. Maybe allow individual strikes against the account to 'fall off' over a long period of time. And yes, certainly apply penalties across accounts.
BCHASE01
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/08/2016 04:57 PM CST
I'm surprised that this wasn't implemented when deciding to go F2P. AFK scripting has been bad enough before. It's on unprecedented levels now. A few people that I know of are running 10+ characters with AFK scripts in town and have been for months. Expect these AFK script characters to multiply rapidly if lockouts are not enforced. When you have 100 fake characters in Crossing braiding grass and repairing their armor after every hunting trip... you'll wish you'd done something about this sooner. Like now. Enforcing bans after it becomes a huge problem will make your work more difficult later.
I would also suggest that everyone dumps all of their money into crafting metals. When half of the population is made up of AFK for-profit scripters, you'll notice the value of your plats rapidly diminishing.
I would also suggest that everyone dumps all of their money into crafting metals. When half of the population is made up of AFK for-profit scripters, you'll notice the value of your plats rapidly diminishing.
TEVESHSZAT
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/09/2016 11:42 AM CST
>>I would also suggest that everyone dumps all of their money into crafting metals. When half of the population is made up of AFK for-profit scripters, you'll notice the value of your plats rapidly diminishing.
This message brought to you by the Commodity Brokers of Elanthia.
I also don't know why anyone would think that AFK scripters wouldn't harvest materials instead of hunting, but ah well.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
This message brought to you by the Commodity Brokers of Elanthia.
I also don't know why anyone would think that AFK scripters wouldn't harvest materials instead of hunting, but ah well.
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
NINEVAH1
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/09/2016 12:10 PM CST
F2P can't harvest rare materials so I'm not sure what the problem is.
FAMEBRIGHT
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/09/2016 12:37 PM CST
>you'll notice the value of your plats rapidly diminishing.
That boat left the Elanthian solar system years ago.
Your search-fu is pig dung!
That boat left the Elanthian solar system years ago.
Your search-fu is pig dung!
SARAGOS
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 12:25 AM CST
I would support this. It seems like common sense.
- Saragos
- Saragos
SCHULTZS3
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 04:19 PM CST
>F2P can't harvest rare materials so I'm not sure what the problem is.
Think he's saying demand will go up (more characters to outfit with rare metal), but supply will not (no change in rare metal supply); while at the same time there will be a platsplosion (as if there wasn't already one going on since 1999).
I'm not seeing the problem. After what's probably 7 months or so I've got a F2P character about 40th with just about 200 highest skill. Not exactly a master of scripting, nor played anywhere close to 24 hours nor every day. Drain rates are terribly slow without paying Simu (I haven't). If I was paying Simu for better drain rates, how is that fundamentally different than if I was paying Simu via a sub?
tl;dr Keep them under current policy
Also, I'm not seeing what braiding grass is going to do for a F2P except fill a top lore spot, they can't CONVERT the exp. I still do on some of mine, but I'm doing it for the appraisal skill.
Kaeta Airtag
1 Premium account
2 Standard accounts
4 F2P (one which I made literally just a few minutes ago before some forum browsing), most whom I don't intend on taking past ~50th circle.
P.S. 220 Attunement
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
Think he's saying demand will go up (more characters to outfit with rare metal), but supply will not (no change in rare metal supply); while at the same time there will be a platsplosion (as if there wasn't already one going on since 1999).
I'm not seeing the problem. After what's probably 7 months or so I've got a F2P character about 40th with just about 200 highest skill. Not exactly a master of scripting, nor played anywhere close to 24 hours nor every day. Drain rates are terribly slow without paying Simu (I haven't). If I was paying Simu for better drain rates, how is that fundamentally different than if I was paying Simu via a sub?
tl;dr Keep them under current policy
Also, I'm not seeing what braiding grass is going to do for a F2P except fill a top lore spot, they can't CONVERT the exp. I still do on some of mine, but I'm doing it for the appraisal skill.
Kaeta Airtag
1 Premium account
2 Standard accounts
4 F2P (one which I made literally just a few minutes ago before some forum browsing), most whom I don't intend on taking past ~50th circle.
P.S. 220 Attunement
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
TEVESHSZAT
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 05:49 PM CST
>>F2P can't harvest rare materials so I'm not sure what the problem is.
It's possible I'm not 100% sure on how the mechanics of the "F2P can't harvest rare mats" works, but AFAIK they can see them, they just can't get them, right?
It's not like someone couldn't just have F2Ps empty out non-rare rooms until a rare pops then have a paid account mine out the good stuff.
That's what I would do if I was going to do it, at least. You'd assume the paid accounts would be older and more likely to have higher skills, which I believe influences how much you get per nugget/etc drop anyway (I feel like I get bigger mat drops these days than I did when I had notably less skill).
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
It's possible I'm not 100% sure on how the mechanics of the "F2P can't harvest rare mats" works, but AFAIK they can see them, they just can't get them, right?
It's not like someone couldn't just have F2Ps empty out non-rare rooms until a rare pops then have a paid account mine out the good stuff.
That's what I would do if I was going to do it, at least. You'd assume the paid accounts would be older and more likely to have higher skills, which I believe influences how much you get per nugget/etc drop anyway (I feel like I get bigger mat drops these days than I did when I had notably less skill).
Uzmam! The Chairman will NOT be pleased to know you're trying to build outside of approved zones. I'd hate for you to be charged the taxes needed to have this place re-zoned. Head for the manor if you're feeling creative.
BADGOPHER
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 06:10 PM CST
Uh, wow. I'm shocked that someone is running 7 accounts at once.
I knew a lot of people were dual-boxing, but 3 paid accounts and 4 free just seems excessive to me.
How do you manage to even play that many? I can barely handle playing 1 character on 1 account full time without AFK'ing.
I knew a lot of people were dual-boxing, but 3 paid accounts and 4 free just seems excessive to me.
How do you manage to even play that many? I can barely handle playing 1 character on 1 account full time without AFK'ing.
NINEVAH1
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 07:04 PM CST
>>Uh, wow. I'm shocked that someone is running 7 accounts at once.
Heh, that's nothing. I know of plenty of people running 10+. A few of the big plat farmers are running 20+, all of them subbed. This is why I don't really get this suggestion. All the issues being pointed at and blamed on F2P for making them worse have already been made a problem by multiple people on a ridiculous amount of subbed accounts. The majority of players know who they are and do nothing about it, but they jump on here and suggest an immediate lockout for any mistake on accounts that are doing the least damage to the game.
Heh, that's nothing. I know of plenty of people running 10+. A few of the big plat farmers are running 20+, all of them subbed. This is why I don't really get this suggestion. All the issues being pointed at and blamed on F2P for making them worse have already been made a problem by multiple people on a ridiculous amount of subbed accounts. The majority of players know who they are and do nothing about it, but they jump on here and suggest an immediate lockout for any mistake on accounts that are doing the least damage to the game.
THAYET
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 07:09 PM CST
Plat sales aren't actually the issue that prompted this suggestion. Larry has that market pretty well cornered.
Abusive use of F2P accounts is an issue though. F2P presumably gets less slack in a number of ways because of the ease of which you can use a F2P account to be disruptive and harass other players. AFK scripting should be no different.
So here's what you can do, right now, without any serious risk to your main or "real" account.
Start up a few (three, five, ten, twenty, who cares) f2p accounts. AFK script them all. If one or two are busted, even more than once, that doesn't matter since you've got so many going and there's nothing casually linking it to your main account or other characters that GMs actually have access to if you're careful. Buy exp bonuses if you want to speed it along, but it doesn't matter either way, since the account itself isn't costing you anything. After several months, you have anything useful they've generated plus characters (commoners, clerics, whatever) you can sell on DRSales for a pretty good chunk of money.
This is already happening, FYI.
Thayet
@thayelf // http://thayette.tumblr.com
"But you must know that if corruption is powerful enough, it's not corruption at all — it's law. Unspoken, unwritten, but law." — Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Stairs
Abusive use of F2P accounts is an issue though. F2P presumably gets less slack in a number of ways because of the ease of which you can use a F2P account to be disruptive and harass other players. AFK scripting should be no different.
So here's what you can do, right now, without any serious risk to your main or "real" account.
Start up a few (three, five, ten, twenty, who cares) f2p accounts. AFK script them all. If one or two are busted, even more than once, that doesn't matter since you've got so many going and there's nothing casually linking it to your main account or other characters that GMs actually have access to if you're careful. Buy exp bonuses if you want to speed it along, but it doesn't matter either way, since the account itself isn't costing you anything. After several months, you have anything useful they've generated plus characters (commoners, clerics, whatever) you can sell on DRSales for a pretty good chunk of money.
This is already happening, FYI.
Thayet
@thayelf // http://thayette.tumblr.com
"But you must know that if corruption is powerful enough, it's not corruption at all — it's law. Unspoken, unwritten, but law." — Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Stairs
ISHARON
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 07:29 PM CST
>>Badgopher: How do you manage to even play that many? I can barely handle playing 1 character on 1 account full time without AFK'ing.
I think you have your answer.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall rank!
Vote for DragonRealms on Top MUD Sites: http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
I think you have your answer.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall rank!
Vote for DragonRealms on Top MUD Sites: http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
NINEVAH1
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 07:40 PM CST
>>Start up a few (three, five, ten, twenty, who cares) f2p accounts. AFK script them all. If one or two are busted, even more than once, that doesn't matter since you've got so many going and there's nothing casually linking it to your main account or other characters that GMs actually have access to if you're careful. Buy exp bonuses if you want to speed it along, but it doesn't matter either way, since the account itself isn't costing you anything. After several months, you have anything useful they've generated plus characters (commoners, clerics, whatever) you can sell on DRSales for a pretty good chunk of money.
>>This is already happening, FYI.
And it has been for years with subbed accounts, too. The only difference is there is less monetary risk for F2P.
To be clear though they can link your F2P accounts to a subbed account if you use the same credit card in the Simu store as you use to pay for the subbed accounts, they can link accounts my email addresses, and finally I'm pretty sure (90%) that they can link accounts by IP addresses if they want to. All this has been in place for a long time and is up to the GM to pursue if an account fails a script check.
There doesn't need to be a separate policy for F2P regarding AFK scripting. Why is it ok for Larry to AFK a stupid amount of subbed accounts for the ridiculous money he make off DRSales, but F2P need the ban hammer dropped on their first infraction?
>>This is already happening, FYI.
And it has been for years with subbed accounts, too. The only difference is there is less monetary risk for F2P.
To be clear though they can link your F2P accounts to a subbed account if you use the same credit card in the Simu store as you use to pay for the subbed accounts, they can link accounts my email addresses, and finally I'm pretty sure (90%) that they can link accounts by IP addresses if they want to. All this has been in place for a long time and is up to the GM to pursue if an account fails a script check.
There doesn't need to be a separate policy for F2P regarding AFK scripting. Why is it ok for Larry to AFK a stupid amount of subbed accounts for the ridiculous money he make off DRSales, but F2P need the ban hammer dropped on their first infraction?
BADGOPHER
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 07:53 PM CST
>Badgopher: How do you manage to even play that many? I can barely handle playing 1 character on 1 account full time without AFK'ing.
>I think you have your answer.
Appearances to the contrary, I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Since saying 'I play 7 accounts' is tantamount to 'I afk a lot', which would be really stupid to say on the boards, that GMs read, I assumed they meant something else.
>I think you have your answer.
Appearances to the contrary, I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Since saying 'I play 7 accounts' is tantamount to 'I afk a lot', which would be really stupid to say on the boards, that GMs read, I assumed they meant something else.
ISHARON
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 08:05 PM CST
>>Badgopher: Appearances to the contrary, I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Since saying 'I play 7 accounts' is tantamount to 'I afk a lot', which would be really stupid to say on the boards, that GMs read, I assumed they meant something else.
Human attention is a finite resource. I would be skeptical of anyone who claimed to simultaneously play that many characters while complying with scripting policy on all of them all the time. It might be possible to glance at each window enough to pass a potential script check if you're just training, but as soon as you start having any prolonged interaction on one character, you're likely neglecting at least one of the others.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall rank!
Vote for DragonRealms on Top MUD Sites: http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
Human attention is a finite resource. I would be skeptical of anyone who claimed to simultaneously play that many characters while complying with scripting policy on all of them all the time. It might be possible to glance at each window enough to pass a potential script check if you're just training, but as soon as you start having any prolonged interaction on one character, you're likely neglecting at least one of the others.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall rank!
Vote for DragonRealms on Top MUD Sites: http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
DR-ANNWYL
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/10/2016 08:13 PM CST
AFK Scripting POLICY discussion should happen in this folder. The rest of it needs to be dropped, thank you.
Annwyl
Message Board Supervisor
If you've questions or comments, take it to e-mail by writing me at DR-Annwyl@play.net.
SCHULTZS3
Re: AFK Scripting and F2P accounts
01/11/2016 06:56 PM CST
>How do you manage to even play that many?
I don't.
I HAVE 7 accounts. I rarely play more than 4 at once, usually 2-3. 4 is my comfort limit, past that I get confused in the tabbing and/or can't devote enough attention to any one long enough for the others to start idling. If there's something that really starts requiring my attention (RP event, dangerous hunting), then I'll wind up closing others to focus on fewer.
And now since that seems to be drawing the ire of Annwyl, I'll leave it at that.
Kaeta Airtag
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
I don't.
I HAVE 7 accounts. I rarely play more than 4 at once, usually 2-3. 4 is my comfort limit, past that I get confused in the tabbing and/or can't devote enough attention to any one long enough for the others to start idling. If there's something that really starts requiring my attention (RP event, dangerous hunting), then I'll wind up closing others to focus on fewer.
And now since that seems to be drawing the ire of Annwyl, I'll leave it at that.
Kaeta Airtag
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
