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Why so many people AFK (and how to fix it)

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Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1106	Posted - 2013.08.08 16:42:00 - [1] - Quote As a bit of a pre-statement, I am not in anyway condoning AFKers and saying CCP should take the blame for their behavior, but at the same time they are enabling it and their plan of action to remove it is off track. Part 1: The problem Let's have a look at the current formula for how active skill points are rewarded, (seconds in battle) x 5 + (war points earned) = Active Skill Points Ok, fair enough. Now lets see just how much points you get from each part of that formula. For my example, let's take a typical Skirmish match that lasts roughly 15 minutes. 15 minutes x 60 seconds/minute x 5 skill points/second = 4,500 skill points This means that if you wanted half your skill points to come from active participation, you'd have to score 4,500 war points. I don't know about you, but I have never done that. I'm usually scoring around 1,000 to 1,500 war points meaning I am getting 300% to 450% more war points simply from being there. What kind of crazy system makes the consolation prize greater than the actual reward for doing something? Even with this supposed 2x week, the formula for active skill points has simply changed to, (seconds in battle) x 5 + (war points earned) x 2 = Active Skill Points This means that just to be on par with the points for simply being there, you have to score 2,250 war points (assuming a 15 minute match). Now that is more reasonable but is still ridiculous that after a great match like that your actions were only just as valuable as everyone else who was simply there. It is no wonder people AFK so much! Part 2: How to fix it How does CCP plan to solve this problem? From what I've gathered in the IRC, apparently they plan to add some system where if you stay within your red zone for a certain amount of time, you will get kicked from the match. Now that is great, but its still not solving the core of the problem. People will still be motivated to find ways to AFK since the reward is so much higher. They will go to some remote area of the map and hide. Plus what about if our team gets red lined from a good pub stomping and can't leave the red zone not by choice but by force? And even then, it doesn't solve the other problem of people outside of the red zone but not trying to do anything useful because it'll cost them deaths/ISK and they won't be rewarded much from it, so for all practical purposes they might as well be AFK. So my solution? Change the formula for active skill points so you get much more points for actually doing stuff than simply being there. Heck, I think it would be as simple as a complete reversal, (war points earned) x 5 + (seconds in battle) = Active Skill Points This change would actually go mostly unnoticed to the people who actively participate in the match. Using the example again of a 15 minute skirmish, there are 900 seconds in that match. That means if you score 900 war points in the match your rewarded skill points would actually be the same as they would be now, except for those people who simply hide and AFK instead of making 4,500 skill points they'd make 900 skill points, which isn't worth the effort meaning they would actually have to get up and do something. Just my .02 ISK
Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1110	Posted - 2013.08.08 16:59:00 - [2] - Quote Aran Abbas wrote: Every solution that involve rewarding warpoints more favours older and better players over newbies and poorer players. It increases the already huge gap and will destroy the game when no one stays because they get stomped constantly and can't earn warpoints If you are not earning war points then that means are you are already getting stomped, so I don't see the difference. Whether the game rewards you 1,000 skill points or 5,000 skill points, if you weren't doing well in the game you're just as likely to quit. Plus if new players can't earn war points properly then this is a balance issue that CCP needs to fix with proper tutorials, matchmaking, and overall power tweaks, not something they should sweep under the rug of consolation prizes.
Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1111	Posted - 2013.08.08 17:23:00 - [3] - Quote Aran Abbas wrote: And what does your experience with CCP tell you with regards to them improving the lot of new players? 400 warpoints then kicked out the academy? They have no brains, you know this. At least now newbies are earning 3k sp compared to veteran 6k. Under your system they would be lucky to get half that. So you're using "CCP is terrible at developing a New Player Experience" as your excuse to condone a system where AFKing is encouraged? Yeah CCP may not have a clue what new players need, and a 400 war point battle academy is perfect proof, but that doesn't mean they should just give up on the NPE and say, "Well, at least you're here." Also I thought the 168,000 passive skill points you earn a week was supposed to be there to help those who aren't as efficient in battle.
Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1116	Posted - 2013.08.08 17:57:00 - [4] - Quote Aran Abbas wrote: RoundEy3 wrote: How many noobs do you think abandon the game because it's overrun by afk farmers and think it plays like a joke. SP gained from battle are a minor concern there. I'm pretty sure that more newbies abandon the game because they get curbstomped by protobears constantly than abandon it because there's some afkers in the mcc. Except the AFKers are part of why many matches are pub stomps.
Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1119	Posted - 2013.08.08 18:01:00 - [5] - Quote Aran Abbas wrote: Aero Yassavi wrote: Aran Abbas wrote: RoundEy3 wrote: How many noobs do you think abandon the game because it's overrun by afk farmers and think it plays like a joke. SP gained from battle are a minor concern there. I'm pretty sure that more newbies abandon the game because they get curbstomped by protobears constantly than abandon it because there's some afkers in the mcc. Except the AFKers are part of why many matches are pub stomps. Law of averages, there'll be as many afkers on the other team. I wish that was the case
Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1123	Posted - 2013.08.08 18:24:00 - [6] - Quote Skihids wrote: Were that there was a simple fix for AFK that wouldn't slow the beginner's progression to a crawl. If only there was actually a reason to fight for a win instead of sit back and protect your ISK investment. If you are concerned about a lack of motivation start with making victory meaningful. While I don't believe this suggestion would bring beginner's progression to a crawl, especially if they stayed within a Battle Academy for a decent amount of time, I could also get behind making victories meaningful. And if we're to do that in Instant Battles where we can't really allow battles to affect anything outside of themselves, the only way I see that being done is through ISK. Currently there is a small bonus in ISK if you win, but it is so negligible most people don't notice.
Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1126	Posted - 2013.08.08 19:00:00 - [7] - Quote Cosgar wrote: Just cut out the middle man and make SP gain 100% passive. That way AFKers don't have to play to gain their SP and won't clog up the queue. New players can gain an accelerated SP gain until they reach ~3,000,000 SP. I like this, except because of PSN accounts being free and Dust 514 being free you'd then be encouraging people to make as many Dust 514 characters as they can for whatever possible use later (selling accounts being one I'd bet CCP would be concerned with). Not that it isn't already happening, but it would happen more. Regardless, it would be better than seeing AFKers every match.
Aero Yassavi PIE Inc. Praetoria Imperialis Excubitoris 1140	Posted - 2013.08.09 23:14:00 - [8] - Quote Planetside2PS4F2P wrote: Afk is a vital tactic in dust and everyone wants to fix it besides ccp If afk was banned the population would NEVER hit 3k is that what you really want? 2500 dedicated kb/m evetards to play a lobby shooter with? Kill afkers and you will kill dust Over-exaggerate much?

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