Do you hate being logged out after 15 minutes?

Guyle

Goregrinder wrote: »

Guyle wrote: »

As someone who has to constantly step away from their computer, and tries to make the most of the inordinately long load screens by doing something else, it would be nice to have an option that gave me a little more leeway to idle on a toon, but especially so on the character select screen. I'm not sure I buy it that it's a server load issue, as me idling on my character select screen or doing absolutely nothing in game is very low impact. A simple select your idle time to log out would be nice. And, I can't tell you how many times I get back to my PC and start to move just for it to trigger the log out, often before the 15 mins is even reached. Most games have a window pop up that tells you you're going to be logged out soon due to inactivity. This wouldn't be too difficult a thing to add.

But you being logged in is taking up a "spot" on the server that could otherwise be used by someone who was actively playing. Servers tend to have limits on "max active connections", and when it's reached, that's it. The limits can be increased, but if the hardware/software used cannot handle that many users signed in, EVERY USER will feel the wrath in the form of bad performance.

Okay, granted, but does me then having to continually log back in create more or less strain on said servers than idling in character select or doing nothing in game? Because more often than not im logging back in within a few minutes if that long. I'm asking, I do not know the answer to this.

Salix_alba

Being logged out after 15 minutes of inactivity sounds fine and i think that's the way its been for some time. We have all gotten used to it i suppose.

What isn't something we should be used to is the game crashing sometimes every 5 minutes sometimes several times a day while questing every time a new dlc comes out something is wrong there and when it happens it takes a long time after to calm down and run stable again for some of us.

Runs

The only time it bothered me is when I was logged out while I had been actively chatting in guild chat the whole time, and that was several years ago.

The real issues I've had with it are the times I had to take off without notice and instead of being kicked off I come back a few HOURS later to still being online. People don't tend to think that's possible and are pissed you didn't answer your pms.

AcadianPaladin

I don't mind 15 mins of afk in game generates a kick for inactivity since it apparently helps the game/servers.

What I would really appreciate though is one or both of a couple features to make it more palatable to log out:
1. Make the whole log in process more streamlined. Why can't my private PC inside my house remember my password as well as my user id? Why do I need to suffer or click through the credits on a game I've played more than 6.5k hours every single time I log in? Why do I need to click numerous things instead of simply: Click to open launcher. Click to log in with stored userid/password. Click to select character. Play. My point is that if the log in process was not so painful, it would encourage people to log out instead of take extended afk breaks in game. Just sayin'.

2. Dramatically increase the time you can afk while in the character select screen. I'd be happy many times to log to the char select screen, take a 10 min break and move my char back in the game. Presently, I get kicked back to the log in screen with more than about 2 mins of inactivity in the char select screen.

Jhalin

If you can’t even be bothered to wiggle your mouse around once every 15minutes (which does work, I’ve idled between TTC searching and exploring outfit styles for longer than 15 minutes), you should indeed be logged out of the game.

JamieAubrey

Only hate it in Cyro if there's a queue

LoneStar2911

I agree that the timer should be increased!!

There are plenty of times I have to go afk, and it's definitely an inconvenience to be logged out after 15 minutes. (I swear, it feels a LOT shorter than 15 minutes sometimes.... maybe it is.)

If the log-in loading screen wasn't so long, and the loading screen after character selection didn't feel like it took eternity, it [maybe] wouldn't be so bad.
(This is not an invitation to compare computer specs or blame addons or anything else to derail the post!)

There are times I like to or have to get up and do something else, and I like to stay logged in to be able to catch up on all the chats. For example... In case someone asked for help, offered free goodies, or wants to sell something I'd be interested in. Whatever the case, 15 minutes is simply too short.
I would prefer 25-30 minutes, and a warning message about an imminent logout being forced due to inactivity.

Either way... whether the idle timer gets extended and AFKers rejoice, or we periodically hit our spacebar or move our mouse to stay logged in.... we're going to stay logged in. (Hopefully. Assuming we get within reach of the keyboard/controller/mouse in time to prevent a forced logout.)

So, server/instance load probably wouldn't change much. I don't see anything related to that as a good reason to not increase the idle timer.

phuein

I'm surprised at so many players encouraging Zeni's bad practices. A 15 minute idle timer doesn't improve the servers, at all. If any representative tells you otherwise, they're simply misinformed.

We shouldn't encourage excuses for a product we all pay to enjoy. This is why they get away with all the other issues in the game; we don't group up and insist on quality.

- Players evade the idle timer anyways. It just makes it painful.
- Loading screens are slow and long, making a relogin painful.
- Character Selection has a very short timeout, another annoyance.
- There are many ideas suggested that can prevent any alleged "server load" issues, without logging us out.

BDO is a great example of a top MMO that doesn't log players out this aggressively (if at all.) If they can do it, then ESO can do it.

We shouldn't encourage throwing problems at the players, instead of the developers improving the game!

RefLiberty

phuein wrote: »

I'm surprised at so many players encouraging Zeni's bad practices. A 15 minute idle timer doesn't improve the servers, at all. If any representative tells you otherwise, they're simply misinformed.
***
We shouldn't encourage excuses for a product we all pay to enjoy.

Almost all of us disagreed and explained you why. You also have a right to disagree with us disagreeing.

We also pay, and we disagree, 15 minutes is reasonable for ESO.
If you want to lead the revolution, go ahead but leave us out, we are not unhappy.

At launch, BDO had 9.5 million players and infrastructure that support it, I bet today, the numbers are around 30% of those numbers if less, sure you can idle there all the time you want. Which is completely useless.

If nothing else when can say that they are not environment friendly company, just spending more electricity on a server farms that are hosting some random dudes characters idling while they are sleeping or whatnot - completely ***.

Also, imagine PVP players grief because some percentage of players are endlessly idling in BG's and taking a slots, numbers are limited there.

Elsonso

phuein wrote: »

I'm surprised at so many players encouraging Zeni's bad practices. A 15 minute idle timer doesn't improve the servers, at all. If any representative tells you otherwise, they're simply misinformed.

As with many things, there are multiple reasons for logging out players who are AFK. Releasing server resources is one reason that they may do that. However, in this case, I think they are also logging out players for security reasons. For example, say you are playing ESO and you wander off. When your Mom comes into the room to pick up your trash, dirty dishes, and laundry, she won't be able to log into your tank and recolor all of your outfits to pink.

The timeout may be for your own protection. You can thank ZOS later.

Hoolielulu

I don't hate being logged off after 15 minutes so much as I hate logging back in only to find chat broken.

phuein

If our "protection" was the reason, then it would be opt-in. It isn't.

BG's have their own timeouts, as they should. This could actually be improved, because we've all suffered unbalanced BGs due to someone idling or getting d/c. Has nothing to do with OP.

Another good point is that - for no good reason - the chat system doesn't even reload content from before the logout - so we miss PMs. Minimal effort that we shouldn't be accepting, either. And don't tell me to use [outdated] addons - that's not an acceptable excuse for bare basics.

tallenn

No, 15 minutes is plenty of time for an afk timer.

What I can't figure out is why I get booted so fast from the Character Select screen? You're not even in the game, how is that taking up resources? It seems to be MUCH faster than being booted from in-game. I actually try to make sure to have a character logged in if I'm going to be away for a few because of it.

RefLiberty

phuein wrote: »

If our "protection" was the reason, then it would be opt-in. It isn't.

Another good point is that - for no good reason - the chat system doesn't even reload content from before the logout - so we miss PMs. Minimal effort that we shouldn't be accepting, either. And don't tell me to use [outdated] addons - that's not an acceptable excuse for bare basics.

It is clearly that you have no idea how the things work here.

"Another good point is that - for no good reason - the chat system doesn't even reload content from before the logout"

For no good reason? When you are logged off, you are gone, not on the server anymore, any chat that would be sent to you is going to nothing, to /void, or if you like it as it is on Linux servers, to /dev/null.
Whatever you write to “/dev/null” is discarded, forgotten, thrown into the void.

the only way for you to see chat messages sent to you when you log back in is for dev to ENABLE CHAT LOGGING while the characters are offline.

Really, really you are going to tell me that you think it is a sane solution to drop thousands of txt log files from thousands of players (chat needs to be saved somewhere when you are off, right? Right) somewhere on a server drive, so you can scroll them when you came back offline. Not to mention spam on purpose.

Also, these days, it is a called a mail, to send a indirect massage that recipient can read later.

If you are comparing messages on your mobile phone, like Viber or such. Yes, you will get them when you switch the phone on, cos the company is STORING them on purpose on their drives and setting the flag "pending delivery" and that is what they do, but ESO is not a messaging system.

Edit:
Also it is not loading from before log off, because with loggin off/on your are practically doing UI Reload. Previous stored cache is gone, the game is doing a fresh start, loading the files again.
Really just drop it off. You don't understand how this player-server crap is working.

Mancombe_Nosehair

Mine kicks me after five minutes!

Elsonso

phuein wrote: »

If our "protection" was the reason, then it would be opt-in. It isn't.

Sometimes, there are no options. That is just the way things are.

phuein

It's time for options. Everybody agrees the character selection timer is ridiculous and annoying. It doesn't make anyone more secure on their personal home PC, in reality.

We should have options on timers. This is a product we paid for. Nagging isn't fun or useful. Wouldn't be the first call for server improvement - rather than telling players off about issues.

D0PAMINE

Doesn't bother me.

Michae

Logging out after 15 minutes doesn't annoy me. Character select log out can be stingy but really, when I want to play I play. I don't leave for hours. Sometimes Iget logged off, big deal, I just log back in and go make some coffee or something while it loads. Quick errand, not some big time consuming chore. I think that the 15 minute logout is perfectly reasonable. You'd have dudes standing around everywhere taking up space otherwise.

What do you want exactly? To stay logged in for hours just to shave off that 5 minutes on loading screens? Come on! That's just silly talk. There's enough issues in this game, we don't need to invent new ones. Either play or log off you ninny.

phuein

Every time you excuse the developers, the game becomes just a little bit worse off. This is a visible trend.

Notice how every detailed response here includes one excuse or more. As if this is some mind boggling technical difficulty to resolve. It's not. We the players should enjoy better support. It's the littlest of tweaks that would visibly improve the quality-of-life of a majority of the players on a regular basis.

Small things that happen daily have a bigger impact than anything else.

Chicharron

phuein wrote: »

Because I know I do. And we all pay to play this game. It can't be such an intolerable load on the servers, when they are already sharded (instanced), to just let us idle for an hour.

And we should absolutely never be logged out in our own player homes. Ever.

Please comment if you agree and would like to see this fixed.

If you HATE something as stupid as being logged out after 15 minutes, your real life must be too good ...

or too miserable.

It took 1 minute to enter again.

phuein

phuein wrote: »

Please comment if you agree and would like to see this fixed.

CassandraGemini

phuein wrote: »

It's the littlest of tweaks that would visibly improve the quality-of-life of a majority of the players on a regular basis.

Small things that happen daily have a bigger impact than anything else.

Yeah, see, but here's the thing: This is your opinion and for some reason you assume that it must be the majority's opinion as well, whereas - if the responses in here are any indication - that does not seem to be the case. To me it would be a huge QoL improvement if my character's inventories would be displayed seperately from the stuff I stash in my bank in the deconstruction window, so I don't accidentally deconstruct things with my alts that are lying in my bank for my crafting toon to research. I personally would love if ZOS added that in a future patch (though it seems more likely that it'd be an addition in the Crown Store, for approximately 10000 Crowns or so), but I'm sure lots of other people don't care at all about it. QoL questions are always very subjective - what really vexes one person, others couldn't care less about. Maybe just accept that this seems to be something that bothers you more than it does others?

IndianaJames7

Maybe someone is logged in for 15 minutes without activity because they are in a queue waiting to do what it is they logged on to do. I don’t think players should be punished if they choose to do something else if they are queued as a dps for a specific dlc dungeon that isn’t going to pop for them for an hour.

Hapexamendios

15 minutes is more than a reasonable time limit.

Gilvoth

Do you hate being logged out after 15 minutes?

yes i do.

starkerealm

Getting bumped from the character select screen is annoying. But from in game? That almost never happens.

mcagatayg

Just log back in? 15 mins is a long time tbh. I can take a ***, have dinner or go to market and come back and still be online. 1 hour is too extreme wtf.

barney2525

15 minutes is kind of a decent chunk of time to be logged in and doing literally nothing.

seems pretty reasonable to me.

Grianasteri

phuein wrote: »

Because I know I do. And we all pay to play this game. It can't be such an intolerable load on the servers, when they are already sharded (instanced), to just let us idle for an hour.

And we should absolutely never be logged out in our own player homes. Ever.

Please comment if you agree and would like to see this fixed.

I do find being logged out very frustrating, for two main reasons.

1. It takes several minutes to log back in and get back into the game. This is a waste of time and effort.
2. It means that I miss any guild chats that have taken place during my absence, since I can no longer scroll back through chat history.

However having said this, I rarely get logged out now, as I know roughly how long I have to make that cuppa, something to eat or go to the toilet etc. So its really not a huge issue at all.

If you really want to idle for longer than 15 mins, you could always do the old walk into a wall thing to keep your character active.