Opinions on AFK or Semi-AFK - Imm Input esp. appreiated...

[halfbreed]

I've returned to Armag almost 5 years after managing to vanquish the addiction... only to find that it's so much better (and hence even more addicting) than before.  Yes, I miss the old days and my old characters like I miss old friends... but I'm excited at the opportunity to play in this world once again, with all the great additions to boot.

Here then, is my dilemma.  I'm very pressed for time, IRL... between new girlfriend, work, etc...  I can't put in the hours that I used to.  But my current work affords me the luxury of 15-45 min breaks at a time.  My master plan is to play from work (which I've already been doing) whenver I can.  It's worked out well except that

a)  Emergencies come up, and I have to go AFK sometimes...

b)  even with no emergencies...  I still have to do *some* work, and these tasks often take an hour or so at a time.

What I've found myself doing most frequently is leaving my character logged in, just resting somewhere with a reasonable ldesc in, while I do work.  I can sorta pay attention to the window in the background, but for the most part... I leave him be... usually when it's night-time and it's hard to get around anyway.

How bad does this look RP-wise?  Is this something the Imms will frown on?  It's not so unimaginable that a fellow would rest at night, and be active during the day... but during my heydeys of unlimited playtime, I would typically find things to do and emote and RP during my down times.  I guess I almost have non-RP-guilt for just leaving my char there until I can get away from work long enough to play again.

Thoughts?

[Lazloth]

Welcome back.

I do the same.  If the task takes longer than expected, I will log my char off, but generally if I'm speaking my peace during a conference call or whatever, I'll idle and make my ldesc appropriate.

[Marc]

I'd say live it up.  I do the same thing quite often and have witnessed others do it as well.  It can be kind of annoying to start rping with someone only to discover they are not there, but the same happens with l/d and if you DO pay attention to the window, then you can pick up the rp without missing too many beats.

Better to be in game and able to affect things then just logged off.

And, unlike the old days, if you are in a fairly safe location, you are fairly safe afk :-)[/i]

I am usually logged on at last 12 hours a day. But mostly I am waiting for the people who work for my pc to show up during some stretches where I am doing work in my other windows. I try and be active if someone is around, but if no one my character has any reason to talk to is about I am just chillin'. probably a bad habit but if someone contacts me or speaks to me I start responding.

[halfbreed]

Thanks for the replies folks!

[Anonymous]

I play from work almost exclusively at the moment.  I try very hard to not get involved in situations that I can't simply walk away from at the drop of a hat but sometimes that just happens.

I try to be patient when other people go link dead or afk, and hope that others can do the same for me, but I try to limit those occasions, since I hate making people wait for me.

My biggest problem with playing from work isn't normally sudden afk-itis, but I'll sit down at an empty bar, look around, solo emote for a few moments, then check my email, look at an existing project and then blammo, before I know it I'm forgetting I am playing.

But speaking as someone who might very well be playing with you (I have no clue one way or the other) I'm very understanding of real life because it gets in my way a lot too.

Better that you login and contribute to the game sporadically than not login at all.