ArcheAge removes the AFK timer, players can now stay logged in for hours without tricks.
At the release of ArcheAge it was a major topic: The AFK timer! Players simply stayed logged in and tricked it, hitting straw dummies for hours or remaining in the character selection, blocking valuable space on the server. Others got stuck in queues and complained. Now the AFK timer is being removed.
At the release, the “Stay logged in” was crucial because it took an eternity to log in – with all the full queues. That is no longer a problem. Still, it is advantageous to stay logged in, after all, you get energy much faster or (for free-to-play players) only that way.
Speaking of energy: This is a sensitive topic. Users are already discussing on reddit how this will drive up the electricity bill.
In Germany, the AFK timer is supposed to be removed during maintenance work on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, around 3:00 AM.
My MMO says: The “If you are logged in, you get” system that ArcheAge uses is actually an idea from the Asian region, where players play through internet cafes and pay by the hour. Publishers share in the revenues.
Here in Europe, where everyone has a computer at home, it always felt like a foreign body. Trion Worlds will definitely not win an award for environmental awareness by removing the AFK timer.
