Holiday/Vacation mode: Raise/remove the 90 day cap

[Doug R.]

The subject says it all. 90 days seems arbitrary. A character, if holding 15kilos of salted meat, can survive for 750+20 days. I vote for the cap to be raised to 771 days, or simply eliminated.

[Piscator]

I guess this would increase the amount of sleepers a little, but right now I can't see anything substantially wrong with the idea.

[Sunni Daez]

But I can't see the point either.

[Doug R.]

There are players that legitimately want their accounts on leave for long periods of time. We've had players going on military deployments in the past, and we have one going to be a missionary for two years that wants similarly. The GAB has no problem having the programming department manually set these players accounts to vacation mode for whatever period they need. Indeed, there are some old programmers that aren't even playing and have set their accounts to essentially never idle out.

So, the point is, if the GAB is going to grant exceptions when asked, why not just allow it for everyone and cut out the middle man?

[Sunni Daez]

How many have actually used this vacation mode? How many have asked an extended leave be put in place.. is it really in that high of a demand? I understand those in military, missionary, medical etc.. but you want more people to be able to put their account on hold indefinitely? There are to many sleepers already. I understand sometimes things are unavoidable.. but I think if this is opened for everyone to you.. alot of people will give up on taking care of sleepers. Right now, I do it because it may be medical , military etc... but if someone can put the account on hold for 700 days. just because... for like, 2 years RL.. I don't know how many sleepers I would feed.

( I am referring to those that do feed sleepers, one will for a short time, another refuses, one will until death..)

[Ronja Rotschopf]

I doubt that someone still knows the own characters after two years of not playing. Wouldn't it be better to let those players start with new characters?

[Pilot]

Doesn't matter, some of my characters have been asleep for couple of months and others feed them same as some of my characters have fed others characters that have special bonds with them. I like when characters wake up and continue the rp.

If you take it as a burden, don't feed characters but think others would appreciate the option for them to choose for whatever circumstance puts them away of the game.

[Doug R.]

I doubt that someone still knows the own characters after two years of not playing. Wouldn't it be better to let those players start with new characters?

That's a value judgement that only the player themselves can answer properly. I don't believe in making those kinds of decisions for people.

[Doug R.]

How many have actually used this vacation mode?

Almost none, which is why this suggestion shouldn't be a big deal. It will allow those few that have enough forethought to take care of their characters that they can't play (for whatever reason) a longer term if needed.

I understand those in military, missionary, medical etc.. but you want more people to be able to put their account on hold indefinitely?

Not at all, I want those who already wish to put their account on hold to have the option to put it on hold longer without burdening staff.

There are to many sleepers already.

In my opinion, you're making a false value judgement here. You are assuming that all sleepers are equal. There is a very big difference between characters of players who don't want to play them, and characters of players that can't play them. The former will never wake up, the latter will. Is it fair to say that someone's character, whom they want, is not worthy of life, because a player can't make it back in 90 days? What gives anyone other than the player of that character the right to pass such judgement?

alot of people will give up on taking care of sleepers.

Why would this be a bad thing? Personally, I think the mindless care of sleepers already -is- a bad thing. Most of my characters prefer to let sleepers starve. While this is purely speculation, were it come to pass, it would improve the game, imo.

[Sunni Daez]

There are to many sleepers already.

In my opinion, you're making a false value judgement here. You are assuming that all sleepers are equal. There is a very big difference between characters of players who don't want to play them, and characters of players that can't play them. The former will never wake up, the latter will. Is it fair to say that someone's character, whom they want, is not worthy of life, because a player can't make it back in 90 days? What gives anyone other than the player of that character the right to pass such judgement?

No, it is simply a general statement. It has nothing to do with a value judgement, whether they sleep from not play or sleep from unable to play. Sleepers are sleepers according to characters. How they tend to sleepers is up to them. As I stated, Mine all treat them differently. I have one that will feed .. without question, for any length of time.. another that totally refuses. I think , IMO , if you don't wish to play.. let at least 1 person know, that you wish for death. If you are going to be away extended amount of time.. let the one close to you know.

[Chris]

If the cap is removed, there should be periodic email reminders to people with dormant accounts. It is easy to forget about activities that are no longer ongoing.

[Joshuamonkey]

If the cap is removed, there should be periodic email reminders to people with dormant accounts. It is easy to forget about activities that are no longer ongoing.

Yes, email reminders are good.

When I thought about the fact that my account is going on extended holiday, I was thinking it's something that should be asked for, though in my case I'm probably more comfortable asking about it than most people. I didn't even know at first that keeping an account from idling that long without logging in was possible. I seriously considered having someone log in for me (not a very good solution obviously).

So..I'd say let people have any length of holiday mode. I was going to say maybe let the Players Department know if the holiday mode is more than 90 days and mention in the information about holiday mode that their characters shouldn't hold onto stuff other than food (in particular keys), but if they're going on holiday mode wouldn't they be having their characters prepare in advance anyway and not be hoarding everything? Mostly for the sake of their character..

Also, holding on to that much condensed food generally takes a decent amount of effort.

[the_antisocial_hermit]

I'm for this change. It safeguards the account more than the characters themselves, if someone so chooses to use the function. I guess it does keep them from having the heart attacks after 20 days, but it isn't like they're invincible or won't eventually die due to extraneous circumstances, even if they stock up on enough food to last.