Auto-AFK after x mins (possible solution to leechers?)

(I wanted to suggest this idea but figured someone must already have done..so i looked up the suggestion index and noticed a thread titled "Auto-away after remaining idle for a few minutes" but the link to it is wrong, so sorry but i cant find that thread to post in. Search turned up zero results as usual)

Basically if there are no inputs from you after x mins (say 1 or 2 mins) then you are flagged as 'away' in your status.
When you input again, you are auto flagged back to 'online'.

This could simply be a handy tool for those of us who have to go afk at short notice and dont mean to appear to be rude by ignoring others whispers etc.

A side potential use of this could be to combat the leeching problem others are talking about?

Using this concept and tweaking the faction gained (in fact you could do it with exp and gold and all rewards as well such as in missions...) so that reward gained simply adds a condition to the code argument -

IF 'status = away' THEN 'reward' = zero

yes, it could be got around with bot like behaviour or by someone sitting there and pressing a key every 1 or 2 mins or whatever the timer is set at, but i think it could help somewhat. I gather the prob is that some people go afk for hours. Someone going as far as botting ends up facing more severe consequences by breaking more EULA than your ordinary leacher.

Thoughts? I must admit i havent played AB yet, so please correct me if i am not getting the faction gained mechanic of AB. Cheers

It was already proposed in a thread, don't have patience to search through Guru's searc hengine which is...
If Messengers are able to do that, so can Anet.

When you say Input do you mean actually using a skill or movement?

Because i can already see the solution Leechers will use to combat it - Self skills (enchants,stances) after the system puts them to Away status and Movement.

Well i was thinking any input at all that couldnt be easily automated, so movement, skill useage, anything really?

Im not aufait with the issue in AB, but is the problem not with people who go AFK? Because, as you suggest, if they use a skill be it a self skill... they actually cant be AFK...

or are you suggesting that people actually sit at their computer and press a key every so often in GW, but dont actually play in the battle....?! that would be utterly stupid of them, i mean...why?

I only really see one benefit to this AFK after a few minutes thing! You can see who NOT to invite to parties because their afk and/or not ready to enter a mission.

Aslong as you stick a huge icon above their head saying AFK so we know!

But this wont stop leaching, because what difference does it make if we know a person is AFK or just stood there in a mission or PvP?

A person can have good reason to be afk! You can leach by just running around on the spot too!

I agree with the original post. I´d even further the idea to make a permanent end to leeching in PVP. No input for a minute, you auto-leave the game. period :-)

Regards,
Enas

I think you were under the impression that all the AFKers just leave their computer. This is not exact.

Some actually stay at their computer - actually some is an understatement. In Fort Aspenwood the Leechers will enter a battle,pretend to be afk and then when its over do it again.

Many even go as far as to comment on the teams performance "win this quick noobs" or "you guys really suck lol" whilst leeching. They even have the damn nerve to thank the team for farming their faction....one match i was in had the kurzicks get a leech that praised his teams for farming him faction like it was some kind of oscar win "i want to thank all the Kurzicks that have been earning me faction...i cant thank you enough and i plan to leech here until i have my armor" were his words.

I'm getting off the point here so i'll just make the conclusion. The system you suggested would not work to stop leechers fully

Thanks for the explanation Free Runner.. i had no idea that there are people acting in such a pathetic ridiculous way such as you described.

If that is tolerated then its a bad joke.

Its not leeching, its stealing and cheating which should be reportable and bannable.

I still dont get WHY people would sit at their computer and not take part in the battle...? If they are going to be there anyway....

ok thanks for the lesson :P and your are right, this idea would not solve the issue of those foolish people cheating; only those that do actually go afk for long periods.

/end of off topic heh