Opinions On ArcheAge’s Removal of AFK Kicker

As most of you who actively play ArcheAge know, it went down a couple of days ago for a pretty major change: one that had been requested pretty much since the game was released. It was to remove the AFK kicker from the game. As something that's been present since ArcheAge was launched, we've grown accustomed to it, with many players attempting to exploit the game in various ways to keep logged in. And now that is no longer needed.

Why Are AFK Kickers Needed?
Let's face it: there's a time and a place for them. When a game first launches, it's going to have a massive population. This leads to in-game queues, which are only made worse by allowing AFK players to stay in 24/7. In these cases, having the system up and running is great. The alternative is to wait for players to manually log out, which happens far less frequently since there's the fear of not being able to get back in. And with queues lasting upwards of 12 hours after ArcheAge's launch (and that's with the AFK system employed already), it's scary to think about what it would have been like without it.

Why Did it Last So Long?
This is a tough thing to answer, though I do plan to expand on it a bit in the future. To put it shortly for now, I think it was pushed by two different events:

Not knowing whether or not the servers would become full again with recent changes (especially with Trion stating they are going to be more transparent, dealing with cheaters, etc.)
Pushing people towards obtaining the Patron subscription to re-build Labor
With Labor at an all-time high (in terms of players having full Labor pretty much constantly), there's a decreased need for it so pushing the idea that it's why everyone should get Patron is no longer useful. As for the case of the former, the servers have been pretty steady population-wise and it would take a huge announcement to change that much.

Concluding Thoughts
This change is a great thing. With the game's current state, it really had no use still being in the game. And with so many ways around being kicked while AFK (like sitting in the courthouse or attacking invulnerable houses), the system was outdated regardless. Next up, we'll be looking at its removal and the effects on the game, the market and the gamers within.

Let us know your thoughts on the removal of ArcheAge's AFK kicker! Drop a comment below!

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