Recent change to killing things while afk, specifically mercs and pets

Next update: Any AFK longer than 60 seconds in a raid zone will result in a 500k AE nuke with a corpse that cannot be XP rezzed. AFKing in raids was not an intended game feature.

It amazes me that people can't see the writing on the wall. It's not that they are just suddenly focusing their efforts on the TLP servers because they're hot right now. They are focussing on the TLP servers because Everquest is close to the end. TLP is the only thing pumping NEW MONEY into DBG. This is a last ditch effort to make EQ look like it's going to increase income rather than maintain current cash flow.

Look, SoE was sold to an investment company. The top brass at SoE was fired. And, just recently, the CEO stepped down and then quit. That's just the "don't panic the customer spin." They got rid of their highest paid employee and made it look like it was his decision. They spun it as him needing to take a break. Yeah. Such a break that he is starting his own company. That's not a man taking a break from the industry. That's just a CEO being fired gracefully. It's common practice for corporations to spin things like that when an executive is let go. They don't just say XYZ was fired.

Point is, for the first time in EQ history, the statement "Everquest is nearing the end" actually is likely. Their down to s skeleton crew, they abandoned their yearly convention where they would present the coming expansions for their games, Everquest next is all but completely gone from the spot light, etc.

It's August. Have you so much have even heard one detail about this supposed campaign "coming out?" One screen shot? Even a name? Or a theme?

I know we've said it a lot over the years but I agree with you. It feels very much as if we've been put in the closet for good. I'll still log in to chat. I'm trying to replace my attachment to my characters with nostalgia. Yes, the end is nigh.

WTB 10x faction rate potion

Don't give them any ideas!

I would have to agree with this. If EQ was in their future they would at least be updating the marketplace as well. It's safe to assume the population is doing nothing but on the decline too. Wow has lost the highest number of players ever last quarter, even a new game like Archage is merging servers. EQ is not immune. I would say some kind of major announcement between now and the end of the year.

They pulled every worker elves they had to work on the TLP crap. Including the person/people doing marketplace stuff. There was a whole thread on that.

And not for the first time in EQ history, every person that has posted "EQ is nearing the end", absolutely believes it and thinks their reasoning is sound.

There is still 19 or 20 servers running, when they get down to 5 servers, I'll start thinking "EQ is nearing the end".

Not saying TLP is the only reason, but it's worth noting that on TLP it's far more exploitable and profitable than on live.

The best example is the Black Alloy Medallion from Runny. It's pretty much the only mana pres item in the game short of a quest piece here or there, it drops from a low level zone from 3-4 possible names that spawn from a dozen placeholders. At no time of the day on either server will you *not* find multiple pet classes down there standing at ph bind spots, farming BAMs for Krono. It's pretty much the epitome of what's wrong with krono being on TLP in the first place - a bunch of players monopolizing as much as they can for profit. Makes me glad that most modern gear has a no drop tag and that FV remains isolated to FV.

All that being said, lol at a few seconds. If they think their playerbase is that responsive, they should be banning 95% of the server.

And what happens if you're killing a ph and say, afk cooking dinner between spawns? Folks do stuff like that all the time and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Whole thing looks like a house of cards.

I would shut down EQ just to avoid having to listen to its horrible, whiny community.

They can't even make a minor change that will literally never affect any of you without you whining like a buncha of children and saying the game is doomed.

Hey I have an idea: Why don't you try posting when this change actually affects you? Because it won't. This community is trash

Anyone who would defend afk light blue farming with boxes/mercs/pets is either plain or you like to afk farm and don't want to have to actually play the game to earn plat. It's obvious to me that the difference isn't TLP, but the auto loot function while being afk. Keep in mind some context here, are you afk all night in a spot with light blues working on tear, or are you in a TDS tier 3 zone farming and you take a 10 minute break. I think it's obvious which of those the changes would apply to.

Translation. "I am upset because I can't get something for zero effort anymore"

I mean seriously the whole idea is to P L A Y the game to advance not go afk and advance.

One of my guilds mottos is REAL LIFE FIRST. We manage that and still advance so you seriously need to improve your play skills if you can't advance without afk killing.

If you are unable to actually find a safe spot to pull mobs to and therefore not have to worry about this new rule then I worry about you being capable of rescuing your toddler from various predicaments. Been playing EQ for 16 years and its really not that hard to find camps most of the time where you won't be aggroed when afk. You do realize they are talking about AFK killing.

Set your camp in a safe area and pull to it. Problem solved.

Ummm he did post if was for an infraction not something that wasn't an infraction. Or did I misread that?

I definitely agree that they should highlight any changes made with something like a pop up But I don't consider the rules of conduct buried Don't you just have to do a search on Rules of Conduct?

I am sure that they won't be banned on the first offense. If they are stupid enough to do it again when they are told they will be banned then they deserve it.

I also think the rules on afk kiling make it even easier to get rid of botters. Both cheapen the exp experiece of others. The whole idea of the game is to PLAY to ADVANCE. Not AFK to ADVANCE. All the items and gear afkers and botters get affect the game economy.

I wasn't severely bothered by afk camping itself before advanced loot. Still thought it was a bad idea but SOE at the time let it happen so no biggie. It is against the rules now though.

Dude if you can't see they don't intend for players to advance through exp and plat gain by AFK killing you need to remove your own tin foil hat first.

LOL you forgot you logged in? Seriously? I mean how hard is it to camp a safe spot that you PULL mobs to. That means you don't have to worry about aggroing things unless you pull them.

You guys are so funny with your lame defending of afk killing.

Yeah before this they had let people afk kill to be fair. And I agree that this rule change or decision to start enforcing the rule should have been announced. BUT I also wonder if they widened the rule a bit just so that they could go after a bunch of botters without having as much proof first. Announcing the rule in advance instead of just updating it might have given botters time to go underground or become a lot more cautious.

While I can appreciate the desire to combat players who intentionally afk for long periods of time and monopolize camps that non-afk players would like to use, there's another contingent to consider.

BORING CAMPS.

Huge portions of EQ use the massive timesink of rare mobs with rare loot. It's unrealistic for to suggest players move to a safe part of a zone where they are already safe, and the only threat is having action occur against your account because you fell asleep in a tedious camp.

The person I replied to continuously used the term "HACK" in reference to merc / pet afk killing. You know as well as anyone else that was/is not a hack...period. I corrected them , basically stop- using inflammatory words like HACK to try and make something morally wrong so it fits your opinion. It was more or less blessed by SOE at the time and they apparently have changed it life goes on.

I'm not all up in arms over the change but how they did it and not informing the masses, its more or less why the thread started in the first place. But don't use lies and deceit to try and fabricate a stance on AFK merc / pet killing saying its hacking.