End to AFK gathering resources?

[+Colibri]

This post addresses the issue of people beeing able to AFK gather resources for whole days and nights. For example: ore, logs, even feathers/wool, flax, perhaps i left something out.
I'm posting this because a few players brought it up, it's not my idea to make your life miserable

How this would work:
Unfortunately there's no way to script an automatic checker/warningsystem... well it's possible, but probably very hard, and i havent found any existing scripts that do that. A staffmember would go thru all the players, and issue a note to all that are harvesting resources (send a message). That could happen 3 times a day, or once in 3 days - suprize inspections.
You would need to reply to that note in for example 5 minutes. If not, you would be penalized. 1st would be a warning only. 2nd it's 24 hours jail. 3rd it's 48 hours jail.... basically the penalty just extends for 24 hours everytime you get caught. but if that would be many times, it might also result in longer jailtimes.

Good and bad sides:
One good thing would be that you could no longer earn money while you sleep. It would also even out those people with dialup with those on a broadband 24/7 connection.
The perhaps bad thing is that prices of resources would go up, it would prbably be harder to train crafting skills.

It would still be perfectly legal to macro harvesting. And it would not require you to be there 100%, just check in if you got a message from a staffmember now and then, every 5 minutes or so.

Poll runs for 15 days.

[Lord Jay Jay]

People who macro unattended USUALLY arn't there. And as macroing unattended is considered legal here, my idea could be a bad idea. But no where does it say you are able to use scripts. I think that should be illegal.

My idea is simple. There are prime times of the day where poeple are normally at work. I think the server should do a restart causing everyone to lose connection at certain given times. It varies based on the days so people cannot judge on the clock when to start scripting or not.
(Example: Mondays; connection loss at 10 am, and another at 3 pm.
Tuesdays; connection loss at noon, and another at 5.)
And each week it alternates randomly on the GM's decision.

This will not get rid of scripting altogether. But I garantee it will lower the amount of scripters. Just my thought. Again, this idea can do more harm than good. Feedback? Is this even possible?

-Jay Jay

[Morpheus]

It is possible without restarting, but people play here from all over the world so thers no way to hit that moment when everybodys afk.

But razor is our friend, personally i don't think i can manage to do anything, that takes a lot of actions, without it ( clicking 500 times on one spot is kinda frustrating )

[+Colibri]

Ive heard of shards having set up "macro hours" ... but thats not what we are trying to stop, it's about people not beeing able to gather resources and in this way earn money while they sleep, and with it taking away the bread of those that play only ATK (at the keyboard).

I wouldnt disconnect the shard, it causes less average players and with that lower ratings. Actually the shard should never restart... if i restart this every 2 days for maintenance, it shows that it takes more time for us to get back to that regular average players online.

[Lord Jay Jay]

Are you able to monitor where everyone is on the shard at any given time?

[Shaft]

scripting has many good uses. infact razor macros are script, just setup with a gui interface so newbs can write it without having to know anything. ever right clicked after you record a macro? if > then? what? thats scripting. the only macro program out there that isnt essencially a script is something like ez macro. that records mouse and keyboard movements, as aposed to interacting with specific items in the game.

just thought i would clarify this as ive heard a few people on free servers complain about scripters. scripters are fine and dandy, i havent farmed a resource in my life and im a scripter. only OSI can complain about scripters because anything but UOA isnt allowed.

[trikky]

I have a program called Autopilot.....
This is a program was based on an app that has been around since Win 95's GUI came out. In fact it WAS used internally to create automated tasks

What it does is simulate mouse clicks on the screen and send the information in that fashion. OSI could never know who was using autopilot unless they directly stopped and asked the player.

I think that this is going to be the only way...Have a kind of active policing....Even the councilors could do it...
Simply have the person appear in front of the player and ask a question..
If there is no responce within a certain time frame then the person is deemed to be AFK resourcing...If they respond then fine..

If the councilor catches you he reports you, and you get warned later...If the GM catches you you get the penalty (whatever that would be.)

This is the method for most shards and in my opinion its the best way.
Some may be able to get away with it for a while but they simply run the risk of getting caught....Most won't want to even try.

Its the simplist and easiest way to enforce the rules....

[Pip]

his basic reason for posting this poll is that we do not have enough staff members to have someone on 24/7.

or at least I believe that is his purpose... am I correct Colibri?

[trikky]

you don't need to have them 24/7
If the staff sees you doing something at any time they can collar you....

Thats all

[Lord Jay Jay]

EZ Macro is an old macroing system.... Way out of date. I was not aware that program was still around. The latest one is Easy uo which lets you recall everywhere and mine a spot, go to the house, drop the stuff off in a chest. Chop wood, mine, tailor, you name it.

There's a macro for every skill in the game. Including useless ones like begging. It's the fastest macroing system out there from what I understand and is OSI's biggest problem.

I use UO4Ever which is acceptable... But requires UOAM. All it does it repeat the macro over and over... But unless you are on a boat, you are stationary.


-Lord Jay Jay

[Shaft]

ez macro does certain things way easier and better than easyuo or Razor, so I still use it. As for what easyuo does, yeah, it does anything you can think to code, which is, well, anything. nothing wrong with using it. im not trying to get into a this program should be allowed and this one not. thats retarded. the question at hand is afk macroing, which has nothing to do with what software you use.

[trikky]

Yes.....If you are at your keyboard while using the progeam...(To save your mouse) then that shoudl be allowed....

If you are not at your keyboard and using anything from the old 'leaning a book on a key' trick to spam a command to using a uber script kiddie program to delicatlly chop trees and mind the rabbits it would not matter.... You would still be breaking the rules

[Lord Jay Jay]

So I guess the real questions are;

• What do you find acceptable and why?
  What do you find unacceptable and why?

-Lord Jay Jay

[Morpheus]

Tonly thing that we are disscussing here is AFK resource gathering ( that means gathering ore, wood, flax, cotton... when you are away from keyboard). According to the wotes it will be forbiden, but you could still be using macro for gathering resources just not AFK.

[Lord Jay Jay]

Tonly thing that we are disscussing here is AFK resource gathering ( that means gathering ore, wood, flax, cotton... when you are away from keyboard). According to the wotes it will be forbiden, but you could still be using macro for gathering resources just not AFK.

Exactly, which is where the two questions above come in....

What's acceptable and what's not?