Statistically, everyone will eventually experience an internet connection failure at a life-or-death moment in WoW HC and die, if they play long enough. That means everyone will lose their level 60 character due to non-game issues that are entirely outside of their control, if they play long enough (this is a terrible incentive to stop/moderate playing).
This is the core flaw of hardcore and we need real creative solutions to this.
perhaps, you get ported to safe zone when you disconnect, but then there is a review if you did it to just escape a bad decision, at which point the grim reaper comes to kill your cheating a$$ for attempting to cheat death.
I AM NOT SAYING THAT MUST BE THE RIGHT SOLUTION. IDK. I NEED HELP. WE NEED TO SOLVE THIS
The only thing I can think of, is that if your character is in combat without any input for 5 seconds, it starts to attack (like if under mind control effects) without moving.
This will save you from DC while fighting random mobs in the world and give you a chance to live to relog, without being a “pull the cord to safe my char” mechanic.
Networking experts have been trying to create a perfect algorithm or method for detecting how and when a DC has happened for decades. Anyone who creates it have world fame for 1 day.
Until that happens, there is no way to prove a player did not “pull the cord”, his pet worgen “chewed the cable” or Godzilla got grumpy and stomped on the nearest substation.
Blizz does not have the resources to investigate every single DC that happens.
@Rodiart : 5 second combat without input was caused by a player who pulled the cord because he was about to be swamped.
But I’m not saying to log out the character, just to act like in mind control (attacking, using abilities) to give the user a chance to relog and gain control again. If you are fighting one mob of your level, most likely this will save you. If 3 mobs where attacking you, it won’t do much.
While I think having your character be automated for the normal disconnect timer is a great solution (wouldn’t save you in a situation where you pulled cord to save yourself) let’s face it this would not be a cheap implementation. There is next to 0-chance blizzard will spend the development time on a feature like this for a mode that in their eyes makes them no money.
What might be cheaper is to compare your character health vs enemy health. If you were clearly “winning the fight” when you DC’d it could have your disconnect be instant. If total enemy heath is greater than yours you stay online the full DC time. This would still cause alot of DC deaths but would remove alot of them.
You are not supposed to live forever in HC. It should feel like you are on the razors edge as you wander the world. Should you be fortunate enough to make it to 60, you are still on the edge of death with your days numbered. Relax and enjoy the ride. Go again.
While i do think they should do something about a form of dc protection, it should never save you from a death by pulling the plug.
Causing your character to do a basic attack against enemies is definatly a good start. Just make it treat like a mind control combat coding but it wont seek out enemies not in combat with it.