[imported_Kalanor]

I think I have come up with a solution that everyone should agree on for the AFK macroing punishments.

If a gm wants to find out if someone is afk, they can talk to them, if they dont respond, the GM can manually put up the afk gump.
-If the player doesnt respond and dies... and doesnt have a auto res script, then leave it at that, the afk gump has done its job.
-If the player manually responds to the gump, then they should see the GM there and be able to respond to any questions.
-If the player has a script that auto checks the gump or auto resses, then the gm will know because the player is not responding to them, just to the gump. In this case, and in this case only should the punishment that Pande outlined in the first case be executed.

This way everyone should be happy because its no different then responding to an AFK gump, its just one that the GM has initiated and you better be there when you respond to it.

This is the most sensible approach to the situation i have seen yet! its allows a staff member to determine whether the player is off doing something else (like Pande said, out on the town) and abusing the rules with an elaborate script. Or whether they are on the toilet or surfing the net or playing halo 3 like i do but still in the general vicinity just using a script. I admit i get killed by the gump sometimes (~1% of the time), usually because i am pawning noobs on Halo 3 and concentrating on that but i am still watching the computer every few minutes for the gump.

Allantois's idea is a good one because when people macro mining they are looking for the gump and then see the GM, its all about size proportions. Gump is bigger you notice it alot easier, a GM not so much especially if you mine in minoc mine with 10 other players, you think they are just another player all fancy looking and blinged out. I mean Odium has tried catching me afk mining as a crow before...I tried taming him :p Point is you wouldn't notice that especially with people talking around you with mining system messages scrolling down the side of the screen. Dont get me wrong i think Odium is being fair and doing it well, so hats off to you my friend.

A couple more ideas to add on to Allantois's idea is perhaps the GM's can first get the players attention then ask elaborate questions that change and aint always different for example

Hello Kalanor(Question)......Hello(Response)
What's my name........Odium aka crowman
When were you born......some kinda date
What is the third most populated state in america...who the hell knows

Generally along the lines of something that someone will not have already prescripted to respond to, such as just Hi

Because no offense i dont wanna be jailed for 2 days because i missed the Hi Kalanor while i was kicking the crap outta some lil ***** on Halo 3 (still sitting at my computer tho, just turned to the side lookin at the TV), if i got killed by gump thats fine i just gotta walk, res and start again. I came to this shard because it has great potential and to have fun, not to be punished because i didnt respone in 2-3 minutes to a hi. However for those that really are breaking the rules they should be punished. My script only lasts for bout 10 minutes then i manually have to walk to a bank and drop my stuff and go back, i could try make a more elaborate script but that would make me or anyone else lazier in checking it hence the ability to mine for hours afk.