AFK protection

Would you like Elite Dangerous to detect if the player is away from the keyboard and have an option

  • yes

    Votes: 15 11.2%
  • no

    Votes: 115 85.8%
  • other (specify below)

    Votes: 4 3.0%

  • Total voters
    134
  • Poll closed .
Maybe it's just me, but I get sidetracked while playing Elite Dangerous. Reading forums, mails, reporting issues and the like.

A couple times this has sent me to the rebuy screen because I was docked at the station but while alt-tabbing I must have undocked my ship and then the timer starts ticking. All of a sudden I hear "Under attack, shields down, boom" and I alt tab to see the rebuy screen.

Just because people can be idiots, maybe it's a good idea to make the game log out automatically if it detects no input (i.e. you are AFK) for, say, 5 or 10 minutes. Only in stations would be fine, but I suppose it could make sense everywhere; it's happened before someone started yelling in the house and I had to go and check and by the time I had gotten back something bad had happened because I didn't have time to log off properly.

Anyway, anybody else interested in AFK detection and auto-log off to save your life?
 
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You can always log to main menu while waiting for the next mission re up.

How would you feel if you were flying to Hutton orbital? Oh, gotta make sure I go back into game every 5 minutes so I don't get logged out and lose my progress.

Stuff happens IRL, yeah. I've crashed into a sun cause I had to get the door, or the cat jumped on my keyboard, or I really needed to hit the bathroom. Meh, I'm not worried about it.

The ONLY reason for someone to be auto logged out from no input is if they are sitting on the only medium pad at an outpost laughing because no other CMDRs can land there.
 
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With regards to Hutton Orbital situations :
- Seems like this should be a user option,
- A condition, in addition to "afk" could be "throttle should be at zero".
- Another condition could be "inside station".

I see my poll title is cut off and I haven't yet figured out how to edit it, it says "Would you like Elite Dangerous to detect if the player is away from the keyboard and have an option to log you out after a specified amount of time".

An entirely different solution would be : if you are still in docking position, just re-dock the ship instead of blowing it up.

Park in the hangar next time.
I was in the hangar, last time I checked. Given that the ship got blown up, either something is wrong with Elite, or during alt-tabbing I accidentally caused it to go to launch.

You go AFK without taking precautions or logging off, you deserve to die.
Why, exactly? I don't see the criminal behaviour here.
 
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Because this isn't exploitable at all, nope.

Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't hear the clatter of undocking "Ship released, engines engaged", the landing proximity sensor going BLEBLELBLEBLEBLE, but just happened to hear your ship getting blown up.

Alt-tab uses alt, which is right next to the spacebar. Spacebar will activate "Launch", if you have it highlighted. You go AFK, you take the risk mate...
 
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Why, exactly? I don't see the criminal behaviour here.

Because I like that in ED you have to pay attention. I have a particular dislike of people who don't pay attention to boot.

These combined, means I think those not paying attention in ED deserve to pay insurance premium until they learn to pay attention.

Seriously, I don't like it. That's the only reason. You posted a poll and I voiced my opinion.
 
Maybe it's just me, but I get sidetracked while playing Elite Dangerous. Reading forums, mails, reporting issues and the like.

A couple times this has sent me to the rebuy screen because I was docked at the station but while alt-tabbing I must have undocked my ship and then the timer starts ticking. All of a sudden I hear "Under attack, shields down, boom" and I alt tab to see the rebuy screen.

Just because people can be idiots, maybe it's a good idea to make the game log out automatically if it detects no input (i.e. you are AFK) for, say, 5 or 10 minutes. Only in stations would be fine, but I suppose it could make sense everywhere; it's happened before someone started yelling in the house and I had to go and check and by the time I had gotten back something bad had happened because I didn't have time to log off properly.

Anyway, anybody else interested in AFK detection and auto-log off to save your life?

NO.
Its your own fault for getting side tracked. Whats next? Autopilot to play the game for you?
If you are not playing then go back to the main menu. Especially if you are in a station and taking up a valuable docking slot. People who hog docking slots in stations deserve to be killed with thermal shock missiles.
 
A few things you can do to prevent returning to a rebuy screen.

If in SC, drop out. (Not completely safe as someone could follow you.)
Dock in a station and enter a mission or outfitting screen. (This way you can't launch when switching screens)
Log off. (The best option)

The AFK protection is built in. Just have to use it.
 
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A few things you can do to prevent returning to a rebuy screen.

If in SC, drop out. (Not completely safe as someone could follow you.)
Dock in a station and enter a mission or outfitting screen. (This way you can't launch when switching screens)
Log off. (The best option)

The AFK protection is built in. Just have to use it.


In addition to this, using the "enter hangar" option while in a station confers 100% immunity. Because nothing at all can reach you while you're in the hangar. :D
 
How would that work lore wise?

Lets not transform elite into a generic MMO game.

Its ment to be a space game. you dont sit infront of the cockpit , you risk your life
 
Maybe it's just me, but I get sidetracked while playing Elite Dangerous. Reading forums, mails, reporting issues and the like.

A couple times this has sent me to the rebuy screen because I was docked at the station but while alt-tabbing I must have undocked my ship and then the timer starts ticking. All of a sudden I hear "Under attack, shields down, boom" and I alt tab to see the rebuy screen.

Just because people can be idiots, maybe it's a good idea to make the game log out automatically if it detects no input (i.e. you are AFK) for, say, 5 or 10 minutes. Only in stations would be fine, but I suppose it could make sense everywhere; it's happened before someone started yelling in the house and I had to go and check and by the time I had gotten back something bad had happened because I didn't have time to log off properly.

Anyway, anybody else interested in AFK detection and auto-log off to save your life?

I'm sure this happened exactly as described...
 
I voted no.

However if it's just a simple a QoL improvement you need you could enable the launch checklist. It effectively puts up a complex 'are you sure?' box if your cat jumps on the keyboard again.

I know the kinds of mistakes I can easily make, and I develop habits to make those mistakes less easy to make (or to lessen the consequences if I do). For example I used to regularly forget to request docking. Eventually I taught my muscle memory to just slow down when the speeding flag pops up, and if I forget it's much easier to go full reverse & back out. I haven't forgotten to request docking for ages, but I still slow down to dock subconsciously.

Learn to mitigate your own mistakes through coping mechanisms.
 
In addition to this, using the "enter hangar" option while in a station confers 100% immunity. Because nothing at all can reach you while you're in the hangar. :D

The only issue with that is you still have access to the launch button. If you in a outfitting menu, you can't straight out launch your ship.
 
Now, such a mechanic could be quite handy for me out in the open, where after a few beers I fall asleep at the wheel... That could be handy - but I do think that this could be open to some form of exploitation or annoyance for other commanders looking for a pad - just think of all those outposts with 1 medium Landing pad.

Overall I'd probably say no. Like others have mentioned, if you are parking up at a station, awaiting a system refresh or something, it may be better to log to the main menu.

I will say however that as an Xbox player, the game does automatically quit to the main menu of there is no activity for a time that the controller switches off - maybe 15 / 20 minutes - so I haven't got it all bad :)
 
No. Please feel free to utilise the ingame option of exiting to main menu.

You are removed from the instance and are safe as a rock. This does not require a QoL change as it already exists. You're welcome.
 
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