why instant logout in some cities but not others?

Hypertionb14_ESO
Hypertionb14_ESO
✭✭✭✭✭
I have 8 lvl 50 characters and many storage ones. I log in and log out a lot between them and as a result cannot use certain cities else i have to wait 10 bloody seconds each time.. Might not seem like much but it REALLY QUICKLY adds up into an annoyance.. As a result i feel limited to a few cities like EldenRoot and unable to "rest" my characters at places like Belkarth due to the slow logout in those areas..

But why is Belkarth a slow zone? its as big a ground footprint as grahtwood, has lots of npc guards and no enemies. There is no reason for it there! At least none that i can see, can someone explain it to me?! I understand the slow logout in areas with enemies, prevents logout cheese, but in places like Belkarth there is no good reason and it bloody pisses me off EVERY TIME.

<snip> i just logged out of a character stationed in Belkarth for apple farming and realized i forgot to do his daily horse upgrade, logged back in did that the moment i tired to log back out in front of the damm stable that timer poped up.. So then tried Auridon, A STARTER TOWN, and the timer is still there. Now im gonna have to even further story jump and get to Elden Root. <snip>THIS IS ANNOYING. This character only needs 5 seconds of gameplay each day, as i made him to play with a disabled friend who can rarely play. Bloody timer in those places was tripling that time.

*muffled pillow scream*

Anyways... Rant aside, why is some towns/cities instant to log out in and not others? I honestly see no consistency or reasoning to it.

<snipped for Cursing and Profanity>
Edited by ZOS_Hadeostry on 14 April 2025 01:13
I play every class in every situation. I love them all.
  • TaSheen
    TaSheen
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I don't know.... but for riding training the stable in Vivec is ideal: not far from the wayshrine AND instant logout. The wayshrine is not instant logout, but just inside the crafting area through the gate past the guild kiosks is. That's all fairly close together.... and the crafting area has a bank without doors.
    ______________________________________________________

    "But even in books, the heroes make mistakes, and there isn't always a happy ending." Mercedes Lackey, Into the West

    PC NA, PC EU (non steam)- four accounts, many alts....
  • katanagirl1
    katanagirl1
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I always log out in Riften, and is almost always an instant logout. Very rarely I get a countdown. I assume it has to do with server load.

    I have heard some say that cities are instant but out away from cities it is not. Can’t say for sure.
    Khajiit Stamblade main
    Dark Elf Magsorc
    Redguard Stamina Dragonknight
    Orc Stamplar PVP
    Breton Magsorc PVP
    Dark Elf Magden
    Khajiit Stamblade
    Khajiit Stamina Arcanist

    PS5 NA
  • Varana
    Varana
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭
    I assume the original idea was to have "safe zones" inside cities, and "unsafe zones" outside where local wildlife and banditry may bother you. So you can't just get out of a fight by logging out immediately. (At a time when local wildlife was still dangerous to you.)
    And it would fit Craglorn's original design to have no or only minimal "safe zones" there.
    It's just really inconsistently applied these days.
    TaSheen wrote: »
    I don't know.... but for riding training the stable in Vivec is ideal: not far from the wayshrine AND instant logout. The wayshrine is not instant logout, but just inside the crafting area through the gate past the guild kiosks is. That's all fairly close together.... and the crafting area has a bank without doors.

    Also, the stable itself (or rather, the siltstrider tower next to it) is an instant logout spot. So if you're just there for the horse training, you take a few steps to the tower door and log out there, no need to go past the wayshrine.
  • Renato90085
    Renato90085
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    it not rng?all time i log out in rimmen..but they both happen to me
  • Fischblut
    Fischblut
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    I would also love if the timer got removed in any Outlaw's Refuge. There is never any danger there, so I don't understand the need for such timer.
    It prevents me from daily harvesting the bonus loot from Shadowy Supplier perk :'( I have it unlocked on most of my characters and it would be nice addition to their daily routine, but it becomes too annoying with extra loading screens and timers.
  • Messi
    Messi
    ✭✭
    You must be within a "safe zone" to get the instant logout. MOST of the places kind of far from the city hub are considered non-safe zones, hence the timer.
  • katanagirl1
    katanagirl1
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Messi wrote: »
    You must be within a "safe zone" to get the instant logout. MOST of the places kind of far from the city hub are considered non-safe zones, hence the timer.

    That doesn’t explain why you sometimes get a timer inside a city, which as you are saying is a safe zone.
    Khajiit Stamblade main
    Dark Elf Magsorc
    Redguard Stamina Dragonknight
    Orc Stamplar PVP
    Breton Magsorc PVP
    Dark Elf Magden
    Khajiit Stamblade
    Khajiit Stamina Arcanist

    PS5 NA
  • SeaGtGruff
    SeaGtGruff
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Messi wrote: »
    You must be within a "safe zone" to get the instant logout. MOST of the places kind of far from the city hub are considered non-safe zones, hence the timer.

    ^^^ This. I don't know what the criteria are for determining whether a specific location is "safe" or not, but in general you can log out instantly if you're in most busy hub locations, whereas you get the 10-second countdown-- with the option to cancel the logout process before the timer expires-- if you're in other locations, usually away from busy hub areas. I don't know the reason for the countdown and the option to cancel the logout process, but I think most players try to park their characters in spots where they know from experience that they can logout instantly.
    I've fought mudcrabs more fearsome than me!
  • Hypertionb14_ESO
    Hypertionb14_ESO
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    SeaGtGruff wrote: »
    Messi wrote: »
    You must be within a "safe zone" to get the instant logout. MOST of the places kind of far from the city hub are considered non-safe zones, hence the timer.

    ^^^ This. I don't know what the criteria are for determining whether a specific location is "safe" or not, but in general you can log out instantly if you're in most busy hub locations, whereas you get the 10-second countdown-- with the option to cancel the logout process before the timer expires-- if you're in other locations, usually away from busy hub areas. I don't know the reason for the countdown and the option to cancel the logout process, but I think most players try to park their characters in spots where they know from experience that they can logout instantly.

    so how does the Wayshrine in Auridon not count? nor the main buildings of Belkarth? or most outlaw refuges?
    I play every class in every situation. I love them all.
  • Arunei
    Arunei
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭
    Messi wrote: »
    You must be within a "safe zone" to get the instant logout. MOST of the places kind of far from the city hub are considered non-safe zones, hence the timer.
    This can't be the case, unless what's considered a 'safe zone' can change at random. Sometimes I get a logout timer while in the bank in Blackwood, but I usually don't. And I'm not trying to log out with a bounty or during combat, so there should be no risk from the guard.

    It really does seem kind of random when it happens.
    Character List [RP and PvE]:
    Stands-Against-Death: Argonian Magplar Healer - Crafter
    Krisiel: Redguard Stamsorc DPS - Literally crazy Werewolf, no like legit insane. She nuts
    Kiju Veran: Khajiit Stamblade DPS - Ex-Fighters Guild Suthay who likes to punch things, nicknamed Tinykat
    Niralae Elsinal: Altmer Stamsorc DPS - Young Altmer with way too much Magicka
    Sarah Lacroix: Breton Magsorc DPS - Fledgling Vampire who drinks too much water
    Slondor: Nord Tankblade - TESified verson of Slenderman
    Marius Vastino: Imperial <insert role here> - Sarah's apathetic sire who likes to monologue
    Delthor Rellenar: Dunmer Magknight DPS - Sarah's ex who's a certified psychopath
    Lirawyn Calatare: Altmer Magplar Healer - Traveling performer and bard who's 101% vanilla bean
    Gondryn Beldeau: Breton Tankplar - Sarah's Mages Guild mentor and certified badass old person
    Gwendolyn Jenelle: Breton Magplar Healer - Friendly healer with a coffee addiction
    Soliril Larethian- Altmer Magblade DPS - Blind alchemist who uses animals to see and brews plagues in his spare time
    Tevril Rallenar: Dunmer Stamcro DPS - Delthor's "special" younger brother who raises small animals as friends
    Celeroth Calatare: Bosmer <insert role here> - Shapeshifting Bosmer with enough sass to fill Valenwood

    PC - NA - EP - CP1000+
    Avid RPer. Hit me up in-game @Ras_Lei if you're interested in getting together for some arr-pee shenanigans!
  • whitecrow
    whitecrow
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭
    I never noticed that it had to do with where you were. I thought it was "random" (maybe dependent on how busy the server was or something like that.)
  • magnusthorek
    magnusthorek
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's indeed a drag, and one of the reasons I crave some sort of furnishing that would allow me to pick and deliver daily writs without leaving the house. No loading screens, no waiting time, no explosive neon mounts on my face, no chat spam… It would be wonderful :love:
    I am the very model of a scientist Salarian, I've studied species Turian, Asari, and Batarian.
    I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology) because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology).
    My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian, I am the very model of a Scientist Salarian.
  • Hypertionb14_ESO
    Hypertionb14_ESO
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Next to the wayshrine in the middle of Alinor

    10 seconds there? really? Why ZOS?

    There is not a lot of places THIS well removed from any normal combat scenarios where combat logging could be remotely an issue!
    I play every class in every situation. I love them all.
  • Desiato
    Desiato
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    That doesn’t explain why you sometimes get a timer inside a city, which as you are saying is a safe zone.

    Honestly, that has never happened to me on PC/NA. I tend to log out in the same locations. But I have been surprised that certain areas were considered unsafe when I had to log out on the spot.

    Perhaps you have occasionally logged out near the boundary of a 'safe zone' that isn't intuitive?
    spending a year dead for tax reasons
  • zaria
    zaria
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    The safe zones makes sense but it kind of bugged, like right in front of the temple and mage guild entrance in Rawl'kwa, 5 meter north of the blacksmith crafting station you get an timer, for some weird reason.
    Grinding just make you go in circles.
    Asking ZoS for nerfs is as stupid as asking for close air support from the death star.
  • Poss
    Poss
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Tideholm bothers me. Go to collect my dragon box and have to wait 10 seconds to log out. It’s literally the definition of a “safe zone”
  • Elvenheart
    Elvenheart
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭
    Inside the Leyawiin bank bothers me. Some banks you can log out instantly inside a city, put that one for some reason takes 10 seconds. I think these places just get missed accidentally.
  • zaria
    zaria
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    zaria wrote: »
    The safe zones makes sense but it kind of bugged, like right in front of the temple and mage guild entrance in Rawl'kwa, 5 meter north of the blacksmith crafting station you get an timer, for some weird reason.
    Tested this and the safe zone are not an circle around a city.
    north of the blacksmith crafting station you get an timeout but if you go up the stairs to the mage guild you can log out at once so its an small none save zone in the middle of the city. I guess its an sort of painted overlay with an hole as a bug.
    Grinding just make you go in circles.
    Asking ZoS for nerfs is as stupid as asking for close air support from the death star.
  • Danikat
    Danikat
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    My guess is "safe zones" are something the developers have to apply manually and different people have different ideas of where should be safe to log out.

    Also there's some quests where you can be attacked in cities and maybe the safe zones are universal so if anyone can be attacked there no one can have a safe zone because otherwise people on that quest could be attacked as they log out.

    But also it's possible that the developer tool is called something vague like Char_logchk_disable or still named after a scrapped prototype version like disable_restfires (in some old games you had to build a campfire to log out in unsafe areas) and new developers don't know what it is so they leave it alone and assume QA will tell them if they missed something they need, but "is there a timer to log out?" is not on their checklist.
    PC EU player | She/her/hers | PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!

    "Remember in this game we call life that no one said it's fair"
  • MreeBiPolar
    MreeBiPolar
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Next to the wayshrine in the middle of Alinor

    10 seconds there? really? Why ZOS?

    There is not a lot of places THIS well removed from any normal combat scenarios where combat logging could be remotely an issue!

    For whatever reason, MOST wayshrines in the cities have "not safe" tag around them, preventing instant logout.

    I suspect, it is because they are kinda copy/pasted using some template, terrain tags and all.

    ... If you step away even just like 5m, it's "safe".
    Edited by MreeBiPolar on 22 April 2025 08:03
  • moderatelyfatman
    moderatelyfatman
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭
    Maybe the question isn't how quickly you can log out but how long it takes to log in again?
    Fast log out = Can't log in.
  • barney2525
    barney2525
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭
    It's simply safe areas vs possible conflict area.

    And maybe they are trying to slow down the mechanics of resetting areas for a character to repeat actions, such as stealing.

    :#
  • MreeBiPolar
    MreeBiPolar
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Maybe the question isn't how quickly you can log out but how long it takes to log in again?
    Fast log out = Can't log in.

    Absolutely false.
  • SeaGtGruff
    SeaGtGruff
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    SeaGtGruff wrote: »
    Messi wrote: »
    You must be within a "safe zone" to get the instant logout. MOST of the places kind of far from the city hub are considered non-safe zones, hence the timer.

    ^^^ This. I don't know what the criteria are for determining whether a specific location is "safe" or not, but in general you can log out instantly if you're in most busy hub locations, whereas you get the 10-second countdown-- with the option to cancel the logout process before the timer expires-- if you're in other locations, usually away from busy hub areas. I don't know the reason for the countdown and the option to cancel the logout process, but I think most players try to park their characters in spots where they know from experience that they can logout instantly.

    so how does the Wayshrine in Auridon not count? nor the main buildings of Belkarth? or most outlaw refuges?

    I don't know what the criteria are. For all I know, there's no criteria hardcoded into the game and it's all just determined by whether or not some flag got checked for a specific area of the map. And as for "area," maybe that's determined by whether a location has a map of its own? But if those submaps have some sort of flag related to this, maybe certain areas got skipped by accident? I mean, why can we mount up inside some dungeons, but not inside all dungeons? Why can we mount up inside outposts but not inside keeps?
    I've fought mudcrabs more fearsome than me!
  • katanagirl1
    katanagirl1
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Desiato wrote: »
    That doesn’t explain why you sometimes get a timer inside a city, which as you are saying is a safe zone.

    Honestly, that has never happened to me on PC/NA. I tend to log out in the same locations. But I have been surprised that certain areas were considered unsafe when I had to log out on the spot.

    Perhaps you have occasionally logged out near the boundary of a 'safe zone' that isn't intuitive?

    I always log out in the exact same spot, right in front of the crafting hall in Riften, on the end near the clothing and woodworking tables.
    Khajiit Stamblade main
    Dark Elf Magsorc
    Redguard Stamina Dragonknight
    Orc Stamplar PVP
    Breton Magsorc PVP
    Dark Elf Magden
    Khajiit Stamblade
    Khajiit Stamina Arcanist

    PS5 NA
  • Malyore
    Malyore
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    When it tries to give me a countdown I just tell it no and close the whole game. I said to log off, not to stand there with my character staring at me!
Sign In or Register to comment.