Breakfast Topic: Abuse of the "Report player AFK" feature
by Robin Torres 
Dec 1st 2009 at 8:00AM
There have been a couple of times that I've died and run off for a biobreak only to come back to being in town and a deserter debuff. That's kinda understandable: I was actually AFK. But just how quick are people reporting? It's like being at a stoplight in New York City, where people start beeping their horns to hurry you up before the light even turns green. And then the other night, I was trying to get through a bottleneck near Stormpike Graveyard -- which admittedly wasn't the smart way to get around -- and next thing I know I'm at a loading screen. Obviously, I got reported for being in the group of people fighting on the road; but since I was just trying to get through, I didn't get rid of the debuff.
Here's how reporting people AFK works:
- More than one person reports you AFK, usually by right clicking your name on the world map. You can report multiple people AFK at once if they are all piled on top of each other, say inside the opening cave in AV.
- You get a debuff for 60 seconds during which you have to initiate PvP combat (not get hit, get a quest, etc.) or else you will get the Inactive debuff.
- The Inactive debuff also lasts 60 seconds during which you cannot gain marks or honor until you dispel it by again initiating PvP combat.
- At the end of the Inactive debuff, you get booted from the game and get a deserter debuff.
How long do you wait before determining if a player is AFK before you report them? Do you use the report AFK tool to discipline non-AFKers? If so, why?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Battlegrounds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)
Aquiraj Dec 1st 2009 8:13AM
I would report them and do. When it is obvious that the player is either lazy or a bot, I want them out of there as they are affecting the gameplay of everyone else trying to win the BG. If Blizzard has a problem with that or it's being abused, then they need to come up with a better solution and stop bsing with it. Get players like this out of there and stop waiting months to take action.
Avatar Dec 1st 2009 8:55AM
So... you decide if someone is lazy or a bot. My dad's an ex marine and thinks anyone who does not work 16 hour days is a lazy bastard, I suppose you have this same kind of work ethic and mentallity?
Afk reporting is just for that, Anything else is just abuse. Unfortunately we play in a game that gives aninimoty and that leads to a lot of douche's who think the world revolves around them and that only their opinion matters and all those not doing or playing the game "THE WAY IT SHOULD BE PLAYED(tim)," must be punished in some way.
AFK reporting is for AFK reporting. If your using it for anything else, then, "Ur doin' it wrong!!!!!"
Hoggersbud Dec 1st 2009 10:36AM
Well, given that the feature is a user control, users will have to decide to use it. Sad fact of the game. But while players can be wrong, at least it does give them some power to reduce the amount of abusers of the system in the botting and afking way.
Nick S Dec 1st 2009 11:59AM
Report people AFK when they're AFK, and at no other time. I've been booted out of two AVs while at the keyboard and actively playing recently because I respawned in the Horde cave, was promptly marked AFK, and couldn't reach an enemy in time to avoid being kicked out and marked Deserter.
This kind of crap is what causes people to AFK and play lazy. If other players on their team are being douches, what motive do they have to help said douches?
If someone is maliciously reporting people who are not AFK, by the way, you can ticket Blizzard and complain. According to a GM, it is not considered appropriate behavior to spam AFK reports on active players. However, I have no idea whether they'll take any action on it.
Para Dec 1st 2009 8:00PM
Yep this happened to me the other day, i sat there telling everyone what to do in isle of conquest and half the team promptly rushed the middle despite me and a 5 others telling them not to, after we got slaughtered at the docks i decided i would take a quick toilet break, i come back to the game with the debuff and 15 sec to get into combat or get kicked.....you can tell how that ended.
We should i dunno have a way of clicking it off ourselves or something, just giving us a minute on sometimes LARGE maps can be hard to get to another player in time, seems kinda stupid.
tulipblossom Dec 1st 2009 8:52PM
I have to agree with Nick S. I've only ever been reported afk twice, in my entire time of playing WoW. The first time it happened, I was just a new player and was attempting to find my way to get a specific quest in AV; it was only my third AV. And, someone mistook me for afking, I suppose, and reported me.
The second time, my computer froze on me, while resing. I was frozen for less than a minute, I believe. But, it was long enough for someone to assume I was afk and most likely get others to report me, as well. I unfroze before the debuff wore off and was able to resume the BG. But, man, that really annoyed the crap out of me. My computer doesn't freeze like that often, so it wasn't something I could've anticipated. When someone is truly afk, it's obvious. And, it's only fair that they should be reported. But, to report someone after less than a minute of standing still, when it's easy to see that 20 seconds or less of that was probably res time? That's abuse of power.
But, like so many other posters have pointed out, the anonymity of the internet leads to the average person behaving in a less than desirable way. It's so unfortunate, but true.
fearthefireblade Dec 1st 2009 8:11AM
The moral here is that you should never ever ever drive in NYC. Ever.
bleuchz Dec 1st 2009 8:13AM
I'm stuck on long island HALP ;)
awwjwah Dec 1st 2009 8:14AM
Truth ^
sprout_daddy Dec 1st 2009 8:21AM
Win
Cheese Rations Dec 1st 2009 8:12AM
If I'm in a premade and any pugs that slip through aren't following directions, they get marked as AFK. If they can't read and follow simple directions, they're as good as AFK to me.
Sengir Dec 1st 2009 8:16AM
You, sir, are a douche.
George Dec 1st 2009 8:16AM
Now if only there was a way to report douchebaggery at the comments...
Gamer am I Dec 1st 2009 8:21AM
@George: There is; it's called down-voting.
wow Dec 1st 2009 8:23AM
You run 40 man premades? I doubt it. Who died and made you king of Alterac Valley? As long as someone is doing something, he is contributing. Reporting him AFK because he is not doing what you "order" is ridiculous.
HealsofSteel Dec 1st 2009 8:25AM
This is the reason I stopped running xrealm premades. The first few times we all managed to get in as a group but then the next few matches there were some pugs who made it in. The leader of the premade instructed everyone to immediately report the pugs as AFK so the rest of our group could get in.
This was the last time I ran with them and I agree, this was douchebaggery at its worst.
emsee Dec 1st 2009 8:31AM
Oh yea, I remember you.
You're that guy that spams chat with how you're the only on that knows what the hell is going on and everyone else sucks.
Hey Blizz, what we need is a vote-kick abusive players option.
ddccbren Dec 1st 2009 8:40AM
Agreed my man, last thing a premade needs are people not following instructions.
Wellsee Dec 1st 2009 8:48AM
You are abusing a game mechanic and should be properly punished for it.
darkchakram Dec 1st 2009 9:12AM
Wow...control issues much?