What do you do when real life intervenes?

[Golden_Spike]

Last night, I had a situation during a battle where I had to leave the computer.

 

Last week, my wife broke her leg in three places and dislocated her foot. She had surgery on Tuesday to put everything back in place. Her X-Ray looks like the bionic woman now. She's needing help getting around and doing assorted things. It has really cut into my Warships time. I only try to play once she's gone to bed.

 

Last night, I got her put in bed and sat down for a bit of gaming. 4 minutes into my first battle, she calls and needs some help. I have no choice but to follow Rule #1: Real life comes first. It takes me six minutes to get her situated and comfortable again. Meanwhile, the game is still going on...

 

I'm gone from 16:00 to 10:00 on the game clock. I come back to a close game. We're down one ship, but up a bit on points. In that last 10 minutes, I manage to do almost 150k damage, sink 4 ships, and end up being the last ship floating at the end of the battle (It was briefly 3-1 against me at the end, but our Benson had sacrificed himself to hit the Yamato I was chasing with several torpedoes to make him more manageable). My Bismark's secondaries more than earned their keep that battle.

 

But the point remains that I had gone AFK for six minutes during the battle. I had taken the time to point my ship in a direction to stay near our fleet, but I wasn't helping out. Kudos to the team for playing as well as they did with one of their BBs sitting it out. I watched the replay, paying close attention to the chat. If anyone noticed I wasn't participating, they didn't broadcast it. I've seen some pretty toxic comments in chat about AFK players, but none of that was present here. I wish I could have +1'd every player on the team after that battle.

 

So what are your thoughts about AFK players? Are they something to be instantly screamed at? Or do you just let it go, assuming there must be a good reason they're not there? Have you ever been AFK? If so, why? I think a wife in pain is a pretty good excuse.

[m373x]

In over 5000 (or whatever the number is) battles I went AFK once, it happened today. Only 2 minutes but we lost because of this imo, feels bad. AFKing should be punishable.

[Unabletony]

You can't assume what has happened to the AFKed person. It might be a situation like yours, internet cut out, power went out, or something happened and you were needed. You came onto the forums and did the right thing.

[pewpewpew42]

Real life comes first. Assume the best in people.

[Sharkbait_416]

I don't get mad over AFKs or DCs. Real life comes first, as you said. 

[kerensky914]

You can't worry about a game when real life hands you things.  Some folks will get salty about it.  All you can do is apologize and move on.  If they're the least bit adult they'll accept said apology and do the same.  If they can't do that, blacklist 'em and move on.

[DDJohnston]

You just can't get bent out of shape if you lose, or if people like Mr. I've-never-been-AFK-but-once give you flak.  Just ignore them, and take care of the far-more-important-than-games things in your life.

 

[JCC45]

1) You don't owe a bunch of strangers an explanation... ever.

 

2) You heart is obviously in the right place, but real life takes precedence over a game every time

 

3) Don't worry about a bunch of people you have never met & will never meet who will forget you 30 seconds into the next game.

 

4) On the occasion when I have had to leave I set course for the nearest cap and set a flank bell.  I tell the "team" I have to leave but I am setting up to tank and draw fire  so don't waste the opportunity.

 

5)  You don't owe a bunch of strangers an explanation... ever.

 

 

[LadyJess]

The game can wait, take care of " real life events " above all else.

[Golden_Spike]

The only other time I went AFK was to break up a dog fight in the back yard. I did the "point the ship at the CAP and charge" thing, then ran out to break up the fight. Unfortunately, the dogs weren't fighting each other... A skunk had found its way into the fenced back yard. It got all three dogs. No more WOWS that night. Just a lot of soap, water, and hydrogen peroxide.

 

Oh the joys of living in the country.

[klymar8]

 Had this happen a couple of times lately . Had to leave the game running so I could at least be a target and maybe keep my team mates from getting shot at while my ship just went on without me as phone calls from doctors came at an inconvenient time . So typed in "Real life sorry! " and answered the calls .  May need surgery in my neck according to the MRI and it is worrying me some .

[VTAdmiral]

The most frustrating AFKs are when the game itself crashes, and then crashes 2 more times when trying to re-join the match. That's an AFK that is 100% out of your control and still costs the team.

 

Happened to me the other day due to this shoddy DX11 implementation from the recent patch. WoWS was eating literally 1.2 MILLION kb in memory according to Task Manager.

[Psicopro]

Getting reported for AFK on one game shouldn't do anything.  Over time as a pattern of exploiting the game should be punishable.

 

Yea I'll get annoyed if you afk, but I'll get over it.  My wife has been the cause of all of my own AFK's and when I know that night is going to be an issue I just stop playing multiplayer games so that I can drop what I am doing when I need to.

 

Having your wife tapering off of Dexamethasone makes for some interesting evenings 

[Ulthwey]

43 minutes ago, Golden_Spike said:

Last night, I had a situation during a battle where I had to leave the computer.

 

Last week, my wife broke her leg in three places and dislocated her foot. She had surgery on Tuesday to put everything back in place. Her X-Ray looks like the bionic woman now. She's needing help getting around and doing assorted things. It has really cut into my Warships time. I only try to play once she's gone to bed.

 

Last night, I got her put in bed and sat down for a bit of gaming. 4 minutes into my first battle, she calls and needs some help. I have no choice but to follow Rule #1: Real life comes first. It takes me six minutes to get her situated and comfortable again. Meanwhile, the game is still going on...

 

I'm gone from 16:00 to 10:00 on the game clock. I come back to a close game. We're down one ship, but up a bit on points. In that last 10 minutes, I manage to do almost 150k damage, sink 4 ships, and end up being the last ship floating at the end of the battle (It was briefly 3-1 against me at the end, but our Benson had sacrificed himself to hit the Yamato I was chasing with several torpedoes to make him more manageable). My Bismark's secondaries more than earned their keep that battle.

 

But the point remains that I had gone AFK for six minutes during the battle. I had taken the time to point my ship in a direction to stay near our fleet, but I wasn't helping out. Kudos to the team for playing as well as they did with one of their BBs sitting it out. I watched the replay, paying close attention to the chat. If anyone noticed I wasn't participating, they didn't broadcast it. I've seen some pretty toxic comments in chat about AFK players, but none of that was present here. I wish I could have +1'd every player on the team after that battle.

 

So what are your thoughts about AFK players? Are they something to be instantly screamed at? Or do you just let it go, assuming there must be a good reason they're not there? Have you ever been AFK? If so, why? I think a wife in pain is a pretty good excuse.

 

I think your one and only mistake is chosing to play this game when your wife obviously needs your help around the house. Real life obviously comes first, but you are consciously chosing to put yourself in a situation in which you can potentially f*ck over other people. And THAT is what people have a problem with. Not the fact that you left your team in the middle of the game (emergencies are unpredictable), but because you consciously put yourself in a situation where you had to leave (you knew you can potentially be forced to go afk, but you chose to press "battle" anyway). Your team mates have every right to report you for what you did, you cost them the game.

 

In fact, thats what people really have a problem with - pressing that "battle" button when you clearly can not guarantee your presence for the next 20 minutes. 

[Psicopro]

1 minute ago, Ulthwey said:

 

I think your one and only mistake is chosing to play this game when your wife obviously needs your help around the house. Real life obviously comes first, but you are consciously chosing to put yourself in a situation in which you can potentially f*ck over other people. And THAT is what people have a problem with. Not the fact that you left your team in the middle of the game, but because you consciously put yourself in a situation where you had to leave.

 

In fact, thats what people reslly have a problem with - pressing that "battle" button when you clearly can not guarantee your presence for the next 20 minutes. 

To add to the point, I don't play WoWS when I have a high likelihood of being pulled away at a moments notice for this same reason.  I don't recommend jumping in if you are getting pulled left and right.  

[Golden_Spike]

You have a valid point. In my (weak?) defense, I will say that I didn't try to play until after she had gone to bed. I had even been in once to adjust the pillows her leg was resting on. It was only after things had been quiet for a bit before I pulled out the laptop to jump into the game. I thought I was in the clear. Obviously, I was wrong.

[m373x]

9 minutes ago, Ulthwey said:

 

I think your one and only mistake is chosing to play this game when your wife obviously needs your help around the house. Real life obviously comes first, but you are consciously chosing to put yourself in a situation in which you can potentially f*ck over other people. And THAT is what people have a problem with. Not the fact that you left your team in the middle of the game (emergencies are unpredictable), but because you consciously put yourself in a situation where you had to leave (you knew you can potentially be forced to go afk, but you chose to press "battle" anyway). Your team mates have every right to report you for what you did, you cost them the game.

 

In fact, thats what people really have a problem with - pressing that "battle" button when you clearly can not guarantee your presence for the next 20 minutes. 

 

6 minutes ago, Psicopro said:

To add to the point, I don't play WoWS when I have a high likelihood of being pulled away at a moments notice for this same reason.  I don't recommend jumping in if you are getting pulled left and right.  

 

 These^

 

 If your situation is such that you could be called at any moment and have to abandon the match and potentially ruin the fun for 11 other people but you still decide to take the risk then you have no place in heaven. Leaving due to emergency is one thing, OP's case was not an emergency.

[paradat]

Real life happens, no problem not going to be an issue and likely will be rare. Repeated AFK should be addressed.

[BaronVonTom]

HUH???  You mean the game isn't real life????  

 

The house is on fire.....screw it....game comes first.  (tombstone will read...(game came first)

Wife wants me for something....screw it.....game comes first....(yea i know, the couch it is for tonight)

Dogs want out?  Screw it....game comes first....(wife can clean up the mess)

Thunderstorm coming and windows are open?  Screw it game comes first.  (a little water will hurt nobody....except near electrical outlets...which affects computer....oh chit)

Phone rings?  screw it...throw phone out window...game comes first

Internet goes out?  SCREW IT....call internet company screaming THE GAME COMES FIRST.  

Others going AFK for real life?  screw it....team kill them. 

 

 

[cometguy]

Real life comes first. If I think there's a chance that I won't be able to get a 20 minute game in, then I won't queue up. As a result, I'm more likely to have my ISP go to  than I am to have to go afk. So if something does come up, and I have to go afk, then I don't care what the consequences are.

[Reymu]

If you have to afk during match cause real life, just say so in chat and do what you can. Only toddlers will get offended about things you can't control.

 

It's only knowingly taking chance you won't be around entire 20 min of the match that's very stupid. But folk like OP are proof not everyone gave up their common sense.

 

Recently watched some vids of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, for example. If any of those 126 folk were off-duty and playing WOWS when the accident occurred, I wouldn't blame them for typing "work emergency gotta go" and all.

[SireneRacker]

What do I do when Real Life intervenes? Quite simple, I set priorities.

 

If whatever happened can wait for five minutes without causing damage to anyone I will let it wait, but if it cannot wait (telephone, door bell, fire alarm) I will set my priorities and it should come to no surprise that a video game takes the back seat here. 

[Fog_Cruiser_Nurnberg]

Oh i had this happen once in the kurfrest. simply had to go and sign for a package being delivered. set boat to autopilot along a path, dropped speed to 3/4. came back to my boat being in the middle of 3 enemy ships. main guns turned onto a cruiser, 1 kill. secondaries focused on a DD, 2 kills. and then i got torped by another DD and died. not before doing a bit of damage to a BB that was moving in close as well. fun times.

[Seraphil]

If it's something that requires your immediate attention, then real life should always come first.  It's only one battle.

[Wulfgarn]

My 1yo wakes up at 1am, you can bet I'm heading to him so he and the whole house doesn't suffer.

 

If your ship still moves, everyone knows your on, but if it's stopped and your guns don't move, it looks like you dropped.

 

Get back on and complain you were kicked out and took forever to log back in.