Discourage AFK-ing/explaining AFK-ing disruption

There should be some way to discourage player to repeatedly go AFK, and/or explain them that.

For example in http://zero-k.info/Battles/Detail/1129770 there was a player that went AFK 9 times over 45 minutes (and another one once)! So in total I got 10 times units (it was not something essential, but you don't know until you look :-p). You never know if they are AFK for good or not, sometimes they get back when you were planning an attack with their units, etc. While an extreme this is not the only game that I see when people go AFK repeatedly.

It is possible that the players going AFK might not realize the disruption they cause (plus the one above was probably quite new anyhow), but there is no feedback from the game about said disruption.

Maybe there should be some hold off of the units when they get back + message of why this happens (to prevent disruption). Like first time when you go AFK - 10 seconds. Second time 30 seconds, Third time 60 seconds, and so on.

From a year ago, similar subject:

http://zero-k.info/Forum/Thread/31388

For me its still really messed up even with more game experience. Units received from here and there around the map, what to do? Stop doing your push and go see what the shit you just received, messing your own tempo for a while, or just go see what you received and end up losing your own units, only to have the afker come back after 10 seconds. In the end its all just bad anyway.

After 2nd inactivity afk you should not receive units back automatically. Cant the game tell if its lagged out or just inactive afk? If lagged, thats understandable.

Yes, malric, I think the game could start displaying a timer after the inactivity ends to allow planning. Only the temporary controller and the passive player would see it. The original owner wouldn't get the units back before the timer reaches zero. I don't think the transfer should be delayed for a really short period of inactivity. However, the messages that indicate being AFK can contribute to chat congestion. I'm not sure how long one should have to wait for one's units.

A person whose computer system can't handle the present state of the battle probably shouldn't have access to his/her units before the circumstances become less demanding. Players whose actions are delayed by many seconds due to lag are likely to become frustrated and/or unable to contribute meaningfully. However, it's possible the lagging player is the most skilled one and the rest are much worse at playing the game.

Maybe could the person who recieved units of the afk player decide, whether he really wants to control them manually, or let them be controlled by some AI? AI difficulty level may correspond to ELO of the player who went afk. You should be able to set whether you want this option "on" prior to starting the game. The team with that afk player is already at dissadvantage and it could be really annoying for that player who recieved these units to control them besides units he already has. AI is unable to cooperate with the team and is unable to start a big attack, it is just good at microing units and slow harrasement, so - if that afk player is afk because of internet connection, it is not likely that when he comes back all his units are gone.
And it would not be unfair for the enemy team, because, as I said, AI is unable to launch a big attack with the rest of the team and is just good at microing and harrasing, so it would not happen that the enemy team would now be facing a stronger opponent (+ you can adjust AI difficulty according to the player elo).

One idea: what if all construction (buildings and units) of player that just went afk could be paused, instead of continuing to build. This is so that metal doesn't go into more units if player receiving the units doesn't want them or didn't notice what the factory had queued. The player receiving the units can unpause, or change the queue of factory/reclaim building if they want. The metal that would be used to continue to build instead is just shared which should make a smaller impact to team when a player goes afk. Builders show as idle. If pausing isn't technically possible at least all building from inherited factories could be put into low prio?

I also like the idea of a timer from Alcur, here's a variant. Perhaps we could have a timer both when the player goes afk and when he comes back. As in the player gets a warning (move mouse or you'll be considered afk in 10, 9, 8 sec) and the other gets a warning (xyz player looks afk and you'll get his units in 10, 9, 8...), maybe a little pop-up. When coming back would be "player is coming back from afk 10, 9, 8..." or something. It gives more time to properly do handoffs and some warning before getting units to mentally prepare. I actually think this would be nice for "donated" units too (ie transports) so that it's not instantaneous and it feels like it's good meta as in a robot world things would take time to download/transfer ;).

Another idea is that when you come back from afk you could have reduced metal income ie instead of getting 1/4th of metal/energy in a 4 player game, you get say 1/8th, slowly increasing back to 1/4th. This accomplishes two things, first it discourages afk by penalising the player. Maybe also display that you have a metal penalty in big red flashy letters somewhere in the UI. Second if the player is constantly going afk, if reduces how much economic damage this does to the team by reducing metal to the point the team doesn't care much because they're getting all the metal to do other more useful stuff anyway.

Setting all transfers caused by AFK to low priority sounds like an easy change. We could even remember the priority states and reset them when the units are transferred back.

Some sort of obvious AFK timer sounds good too. Perhaps a big constricting circle around the mouse cursor that starts when there is 5 seconds to go.

In order to reduce strain when I get lots of units like that I start giving them away to other players. Just find the strongest player in that area and give them the units.

I think AFK timer needs to be longer.
Perhaps a notification.. "PlayerX has gone AFK" and a button to claim units.....

Stop typing and pan the camera with the mouse for a second then go back to typing in chat. You won't get akfed then while using chat then.

BAR /take is permanent afaik.