Technicality question

[Jhael]

So, I've heard it's "illegal" to idle with equipment. I'd like to get some definition around this concept.

Is it a hard line drawn in the sand? - No idling with equipment, period.
Is the intent behind the 'rule' to not steal from your guildmates? - You didn't get it, don't hog it.
Is this an offense punishable offense the wizards can (and will) enforce? - Idling with equipment? Gorboth zaps you with lightning


We've all dealt with gear thieves, I've seen plenty-o-posts about it. With the addition of imbues, the stealing of items has become much more powerful and destructive. The scenario, for which I desire an answer, is this: I personally go and collect equipment a-z. Am I really not allowed to idle and hold the equipment that I personally collected?

[Creed]

From what I know the "rule" is more like a guideline, working in guilds.
That you shouldn't take the best stuff and go idle for hours, just because you plan on playing later.
I never heard about any wizzes ever commenting on the subject.
Its a player thing, to my knowledge.

[Cherek]

The current rules are explained in "help rules". There is a special section for botting in "help botting".

Code: Select all

  IDLE-BOTTING: Idle-botting occurs when a player uses timed automated
                commands to prevent them from being logged out. Idle-
                botting is ONLY illegal if the player is carrying items
                (wielded/worn or otherwise) that other players might want
                to use. We do not allow living droprooms! (In other
                words, if you want to stay logged on without holding a
                bunch of useful stuff other players might want to use,
                go right ahead.)

So no, it doesnt matter if you get the stuff yourself. The reason for the rule, if I remember correctly, was that people used to go get some prime pieces of EQ, like the crystal axe, then kept it for two weeks. Idle with it all the time when not playing.

But I think as with anything, "use common sense" is good here too. If you carry some fairly regular items and idle with it now and then its probably no big issue. But if you carry crystal axe, silvanesti shield, great mithril chainmail and start idling for long periods with them, you might draw some attention to you.

[Jhael]

Well, what I've had happen more than twice now is that I spend a week collecting some pretty decent gear (skullplate, black skull, Yagluks, heavy golden, etc) spend my 1000p on an imbue, buy a few nice imbues, get lucky with a few others, and place it all in a pack in the racks. As, I think, most people will agree, the valuables here are the imbues. A faint strength imbue sells for 150p easy these days. Haste the same, if not more.

Then, one morning, I'll log in and 'poof' it's all gone. Can I get the skullplate, etc back? Sure, assuming there are some left to be had. The imbues? A whole different story.

One solution here is to join an 'upstanding' guild. Problem being that the guilds with the safest racks take the longest to join and require great effort to be a part of. Currently, I don't want to spend hours upon hours to join said guilds.

With no way to ensure the safety of gear, imbuements specifically, and given the current population of the game, it seems like this 'rule' really needs revisited.

[gorboth]

One option might be to have the Enchanter "store" items for you for a fee that have imbuements on them that are interesting to him. This would be sort of like paying for a locker, and would only work on imbued items that have been crafted or payed for as an imbue.

G.

[Jhael]

It feels like this is a rule that exists because it exists.

Every solution that has been proposed ends with the same effect as idling with the equipment.

The obvious answer is using a personal drop room. What's the difference between hiding equipment in a room and holding it while standing idle? The only answer I've seen, thus far, is that it's technically possible for someone to find your stash. Idling with the equipment provides an 'unstoppable' mechanism for keeping equipment...meaning, if I stand in a non-combat room, no one can have any chance of getting the equipment from me.

The enchanter solution seems like a solution only for the rich, and only a partial solution (as you pointed out, Gorboth).

I suggest that idling with the equipment has it's own inherent risks. For example, what if your idle trigger fails and you LD with all your gear? Computer crash, server crash, etc.

Truthfully, I have no real idea what I'm driving at here. I guess I'd just like some discussion around the topic.

[Laurel]

One solution here is to join an 'upstanding' guild. Problem being that the guilds with the safest racks take the longest to join and require great effort to be a part of. Currently, I don't want to spend hours upon hours to join said guilds.

good news for you - it's never GUILDS that help with racks but active players in those guilds

other than that:
there have been chars in the past who stood idle at racks (i.e. at Kaheda) and trigger-snatched all the best eq just as it was dropped by quitting chars
there have been chars in the past that were used as idle-trigger-racks by others
there have been people zapped by a certain wizard in the past for idling with eq - where guilds have rack-logs, they can see if it was idling with eq from racks or not

for all I care (and ppl who know me know I like to acquire and take care of eq) - go out and find your own place for a stash
chances are, that it will not urge wizards to look it up and pass the info about it's place to their mortal/friend

[Irk]

why there is no option to extract all stones from lapidarium? it is really annoying, equal to retrieving gems were

[Rhaegar]

It feels like this is a rule that exists because it exists.

Every solution that has been proposed ends with the same effect as idling with the equipment.

The obvious answer is using a personal drop room. What's the difference between hiding equipment in a room and holding it while standing idle? The only answer I've seen, thus far, is that it's technically possible for someone to find your stash. Idling with the equipment provides an 'unstoppable' mechanism for keeping equipment...meaning, if I stand in a non-combat room, no one can have any chance of getting the equipment from me.

The enchanter solution seems like a solution only for the rich, and only a partial solution (as you pointed out, Gorboth).

I suggest that idling with the equipment has it's own inherent risks. For example, what if your idle trigger fails and you LD with all your gear? Computer crash, server crash, etc.

Truthfully, I have no real idea what I'm driving at here. I guess I'd just like some discussion around the topic.

Actually, help on botting is pretty clear. If you get caught red-handed all of your EQ is being destroyed. Second time it's the same + death I believe? Third time it's the same as above + losing skills or something. So it's pretty serious.

There is a solution to this though, you have to start trusting others. This way you'll be dropping your stuff into racks and logging out knowing that it's safe.

Obviously, that doesn't work for easy to join guilds like glads or mercs. Then you either need a not-so-popular layman (Cabal of Hiddukel comes to mind) to drop your stuff or some super secret personal stash. One of the trade-offs when joining "easy" guilds.

[Bromen]

The Blue dragonarmy has no issues with stolen equipment.

Feel free to join and enjoy some top gear that will continue to accumulate throughout arma.

-B
Armoury Master