Busted Scripting?

[CaptContagious]

Was running a fletching script and saw some odd activity from an NPC... I didn't exactly respond to it... but didnt get busted for AFK scripting. So the question is does anyone have some logs of them scripting and having a GM request a response.. like the crazy lil fly from that foraging log... Do they all mention something about needing a response or can they be just anything?

[Joe]

If you're not responding to weird crap, you'll probably get busted.

[Whimsi]

Holy generalities Batman!

What kind of "odd activity"?

[AestheticDeath]

Seems these days the check is up to the GMs imagination. Trying to get around people having a script to check for things that have already been done.

I haven't been checked for AFK scripting in a long time, mostly because I don't script much beyond traveling.

I scripted rats a couple times, and got blown over by wind on two different occasions, but I responded and they didn't say anything to me at all. I am assuming they will be doing more complicated checks now.

[Celephais]

They don't have a canned message they tell you to respond to...

It's discretionary, they can say whatever they want, and they can bust you whenever they want. Don't expect to be able to script around it if that's what you were thinking. You can make your scripts seem more human but... eventually they'll trick question you or something.

[Celephais]

I scripted rats a couple times, and got blown over by wind on two different occasions, but I responded and they didn't say anything to me at all.
I had my container closed on me whilst fletching, I made some muttering comment about the wind, and just opened it back up... then I got an RPA... no actual chatting w/ the GM or whatever.


I am assuming they will be doing more complicated checks now.
especially since it has been brought up here with some consistency lately...

[CaptContagious]

Not trying to script around anything... hell I wasnt even AFK when I was scripting... but I just wasnt sure what I should be looking for and... for that matter... How to respond? >Report "Hey.. I am not AFK so you bitches back off"? Do I attempt to interact with the situation? And as for "odd activity" I haven't been in Vaalor for a while and they have added some random kids running around playing with wooden swords and other such non-sense. What I am trying to get at is how do I know what it is I need to be watching for... because It would REEEAAALY piss me off to get busted for AFK scripting when I wasn't.

[Celephais]

Well... react how your character would react. If your character wouldn't react, just type "Mychar doesn't give a shit about quiet footsteps and coughing around him" and they should pick up on that. (Mychar is a command that lets you essentially talk to GMs without using a report... I think they only see it if they're in the room or watching you or whatever, so if it is just background crap you won't draw attention to yourself)

[Methais]

Not trying to script around anything... hell I wasnt even AFK when I was scripting... but I just wasnt sure what I should be looking for and... for that matter... How to respond? >Report "Hey.. I am not AFK so you bitches back off"? Do I attempt to interact with the situation? And as for "odd activity" I haven't been in Vaalor for a while and they have added some random kids running around playing with wooden swords and other such non-sense. What I am trying to get at is how do I know what it is I need to be watching for... because It would REEEAAALY piss me off to get busted for AFK scripting when I wasn't.

Yell out I'M NOT BOTTING U NUBS L2GM LOLLERFALCHIONS!!!!

Do this preferably in a crowded room.

[B2]

There is a LOT of random mood messaging in Ta'Vaalor. There was a contest held a while back to add "flavor".

The kids with swords is normal.

You can report, or use the MYCHAR verb, or respond in some way if the situation can be responded to.

If you're unsure, even leaning to shift your weight, yawning, gazing at your hand, grumbling...doing something, and then watching to see if anything else happens, is your best bet.

Turning off room descriptions and ignoring a lot of the repetitive text also helps you catch anything stupid.

~Becca

[Deathravin]

I've had a monkey come in the room and cause general unrest. Throwing things at me, but as far as I know it's always followed by an escallation - typically with just room-sent text, not an actual NPC to interact with:

I got this while hunting, I thought it was just the last message until I parsed the log and found all the other ones. They aren't exact, but they get the message across. Each message is followed by a 10-15 second pause.

'A monkey comes the room and throws a peach at you'
'The monkey follows you, prodding you certain places'
'The monkey, obviously trying to get your attention, jumps on your back'
'The moneky gets a sudden look in his eyes, you know if you don't respond immediately, you will regret it'
'The monkey belts out, "You better not be AFK scripting, Deathravin"'

I didn't see them because everything was wizzing by so fast. And he never put it in the time between my cast and waiting for the FM to start, it was always right in the middle of moving or searching or something... I was at my keyboard but I legitimately didn't see him (at this point I came up with that program that highlights all text that it hasn't seen before) Then I got a send in red, as my script stopped for 15 seconds (in case there are no critters and me moving around is preventing them from spawning)

[Send]SoandSo - You better not be AFK scripting. Respond if you are there.

That's when I responded and didn't get a warning.

So you KNOW it when you see it, it's not going to be something stupid, and if you disregard something innoculous, they WILL get more obvious down to downright OOC telling you to respond.

[TheEschaton]

That seems like a rather generous test, if you ask me. I've seen much more subtle tests of AFKness than that.

-TheE-

[Deathravin]

Well, for instance, that closing of Celephais's container, had he not responded to it, i'm sure would have become much more blatent before he got an official warning.

[Amber]

So if I hadn't responded to the cough from my post, I would have been given a more blatant test? That's good to know!

[Deathravin]

What post? - nm found it - http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?t=27317

Was the 'seeing if you were here' a send or a whisper?

If it was a send - yes you would have

It it was a usual whisper, then it wasn't a GM checking, it was a normal player who thinks they should check on every person they find to make sure they aren't cheating. **to all these 'punisher' wannabes: Report people you think are scripting, don't take things into your own hands - just makes you look like even more of a dumbass. **
The footsteps happen when somebody sneaks in or out of a room - sometimes... the cough is somebody coughing from hiding.

You aren't required to pipe up to every jerk player - you ARE required to pipe up to GMs. So GMs don't typically resort to things players can do - or normal verbs. If it actually WAS a GM (which GM was it?) then they would have been much more blatent before you got a warning.

[B2]

GMs do whisper to check. So don't write off every whisper. Emeradan whispered to me once, I tried to whisper back, but he wasn't in the room, he was Ninja GM invisible.

If you do think it's a player, just roll your eyes and mychar is here, just in case.

[Methais]

'The monkey belts out, "You better not be AFK scripting, Deathravin"'

You should have reported the GM for being OOC in a public room.

[Deathravin]

Well Warwardardar reported me so if you are willing to overlook such a blatently un-fantasy setting name, you'll probably willing to bend the rules about his own OOC behavior.

[Anailea]

One time a room said to me "what are you doing here?" When I didn't respond, I was pulled for AFK scripting.

[Makkah]

Warwardardar used to script the shit out of one hunting area I shared with him...

[Deathravin]

I was in lesser vruul gathering boxes for my rogue and I guess I was sitting in his room for 10 seconds. Or we were both hunting with FM, so we may have mistaken eachother's kills or something. Either way, he got offended at something my script did, because when he left the GM started trying to hail me.

As for the single 'what are you doing here?' - did you get a warning or were you just pulled?

[Anailea]

Don't remember anymore, it was a long time ago. But, I was pulled into a room and made to read the policy and promise never to do it again.

[Amber]

What post? - nm found it - http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?t=27317

Was the 'seeing if you were here' a send or a whisper?

If it was a send - yes you would have

It it was a usual whisper, then it wasn't a GM checking, it was a normal player who thinks they should check on every person they find to make sure they aren't cheating. **to all these 'punisher' wannabes: Report people you think are scripting, don't take things into your own hands - just makes you look like even more of a dumbass. **
The footsteps happen when somebody sneaks in or out of a room - sometimes... the cough is somebody coughing from hiding.

You aren't required to pipe up to every jerk player - you ARE required to pipe up to GMs. So GMs don't typically resort to things players can do - or normal verbs. If it actually WAS a GM (which GM was it?) then they would have been much more blatent before you got a warning.

It was a whisper from Emeradan, who is definitely a GM, not a player character.

[Deathravin]

Well then that's really dumb. Are we supposed to know the names of the GMs? There is nothing to say we have to respond to everybody in game who engages us.

[Kan]

The funniest AFK test I've experienced was years ago in DR (close enough right?)

I was script foraging for rosewood sticks which at the time either didn't exist, or were extremely difficult to find. A "rose stick" bounced into the room and casually struck up a conversation with me. About a minute later I glanced at the stick, then went back to foraging ... blinked ... peered at the stick, then started laughing (like I was a little loony.) And proceeded to have a conversation about how Kalika had sent me out here to find a rosewood stick for her, and how I'd been looking for over three days straight.

I got an RPA out of it. And soon after, the Ranger leveling requirements changed.

Sadly, I don't know where I put the log.

PS: I responded a minute late because I just got back to my keyboard. I had been running the script for around 3 days.

[Donquix]

you have to be careful one time, with especially repetitive tasks it's really easy to miss the checks in screen scroll too. After a while, your eyes just glaze over.

One day i was in forge, and i missed the first 4-5 checks even though i was at the keyboard, chatting away on psinet (so mainly focused on the thought window, but still)

the last AFK check was big and obnoxious, and i happened to be looking away for it (movie on or something) and screen scroll took it off. I have the story relatively small in favor of the though window when forging/crafting.

I got pulled for the afk, but responded immediately and explained the situation. Got an informal warning, thankfully. I was honestly there the whole time, it's just so easy to go catatonic in the forge.

Now i highlight all the normal scroll text really annoying bright colors, so when something unhighlighted pops up it's pretty obvious. Others suggested just squelching normal scroll text, so anything at all showing up is even more obvious than a blank black window....but i'd miss my flavor messaging /singletear