This may not be a solution for your problem, but it works well for me.
I signed up for Tribble to help test. A side benefit is access to the XMPP chat system used by Cryptic for all their games. I can access all chat (except Guild chat) via a stand alone PC application or smartphone app.
When I play STO, I have PIdgin open on a 2nd monitor. I use Pidgin for all chat except Zone and Say. This allows me to see different chat channels without cluttering up my game.
The side benefit is that you stay in chat, even if the game disconnects. All you loose is Zone, Say and Guild.
Also, if you need to go do something for more than 15 minutes then its only polite to log out.
Each player is a small drop in the bucket of server strain, and its only fair that those idle for more than 15 minutes get kicked.
For comparison, Cryptic is lenient.
I have seen games where 5 minutes idle time is the limit, and seen games where if you are kicked for idling you get a penalty and can't log in again for X amount of time (up to two hours in one case).
Since we pay for the game I dont think being polite or not has anything to do with it. But that is my opinion. I would just like to see the idle time be increased.
If you are away long enough to be logged out, what exactly is the big deal about logging back in? I have to stop playing now and again myself, sometimes I'm back, sometimes I'm not, when I'm not I just log in. /shrug
No MMO that I know of uses a timer later than 15 minutes.
An extra 5 min would not hurt.
My first MMO had no timer - Lineage II (OMG I want my life back )
But that was because there was no Exchange, and you had to sell gear via a private stall (max 3 items as I recall). Towns would be full of people selling gear, so bad you could not walk through ....
Good points. What i like to do is go grab something to eat and still be able to see any chat I missed, or let others know I am about. Been on STO since BETA and even though I am not actively playing I like to stay logged on so I can chat with other players and just be about while I watch Netflix or TV. Also I might be waiting on an STF to start or open up with my fleet but dont want to actively play.
Lots of games have a timeout of 60mins and lots dont. I just think it would be better for the game to show better numbers of people online as well. If more are online better things will happen, I think.
I'd appreciate a bit more idle time. Simply because it happened to me that I was kicked out because the loading took really one o.o Maybe 25-30 minutes?
Comments
I signed up for Tribble to help test. A side benefit is access to the XMPP chat system used by Cryptic for all their games. I can access all chat (except Guild chat) via a stand alone PC application or smartphone app.
When I play STO, I have PIdgin open on a 2nd monitor. I use Pidgin for all chat except Zone and Say. This allows me to see different chat channels without cluttering up my game.
The side benefit is that you stay in chat, even if the game disconnects. All you loose is Zone, Say and Guild.
Also, if you need to go do something for more than 15 minutes then its only polite to log out.
Each player is a small drop in the bucket of server strain, and its only fair that those idle for more than 15 minutes get kicked.
For comparison, Cryptic is lenient.
I have seen games where 5 minutes idle time is the limit, and seen games where if you are kicked for idling you get a penalty and can't log in again for X amount of time (up to two hours in one case).
But honestly, I think 15 minutes is long enough. If you're idle to the point you get dc'd, then like Bludd said it is as simple as relog back in.
An extra 5 min would not hurt.
My first MMO had no timer - Lineage II (OMG I want my life back
But that was because there was no Exchange, and you had to sell gear via a private stall (max 3 items as I recall). Towns would be full of people selling gear, so bad you could not walk through ....
.... drifted off there, sorry
Lots of games have a timeout of 60mins and lots dont. I just think it would be better for the game to show better numbers of people online as well. If more are online better things will happen, I think.