The First Descendant devs really want you to stop AFK farming, and going AFK in co-op
Some The First Descendant players are ruining the game for themselves and others by... not playing the game.
It’s been a few days now since the release of The First Descendant. Over ten million players have jumped into the loot shooter so far, even if no one is really super happy with it. As a loot game, players have unsurprisingly begun optimising the fun out of it. This mainly means devising the most efficient ways to farm in-game, which sadly includes some questionable strategies.
Nexon, the game’s developer, is aware of all those tactics, however, and has “aksed players to please stop.
In a post on Twitter, Nexon said that it’s been receiving multiple reports of “inappropriate behaviour” from players in the game, specifically highlighting three issues. First, the developer said using any “unauthorised programs” with the game is not allowed, which shouldn't really be surprising to anyone.
It’s not clear what sort of programs the developer is referring to here, but they likely bypass in-game systems or allow players to cheat. The bigger issue, however, appears to be AFK players. It’s been pretty common to run into players just spinning in circles or doing anything but contributing to the mission, in order to get easy rewards.
Nexon asked players to only go AFK when in Albion, the game's hub area. Interestingly, The First Descendant does not yet have any anti-AFK measures, a problem most MMOs run into and must later figure out an antidote to.
After finishing each stage in The First Descendant, players get teleported to the next one, which includes all AFK players as well. This essentially makes it easier for them to continue being AFK while they continue earning the rewards.
For now, Nexon is simply asking players to stop doing that, but this could escalate to sanctions in the near future, which really are inevitable for these sorts of games.