What is a keepalive in text-based games?
Keepalive is a setting or script that sends small, regular activity over your connection so the game does not drop you for sitting idle too long.
A keepalive keeps a network connection open by sending a small, regular signal so the connection is not closed for sitting idle. When you log into a text-based game, your program and the game server hold an open link (often over Telnet). If nothing travels across that link for a while, something in the middle may decide it is dead and close it.
Plenty of things can drop a quiet connection. The game server may have a timeout, and your home router, a workplace firewall, or your internet provider may quietly cut a connection that has been silent for a few minutes. A keepalive sends a tiny bit of activity at a set interval, so the connection keeps looking alive and stays open.
There are two common forms. One is a low-level network keepalive built into the protocol, which you never see. The other is a client-side keepalive, a setting or script in your game program that sends a blank line or a short command every minute or two. Note that a keepalive stops your connection from being dropped, but it does not always stop the game from marking you idle or AFK, because many games measure activity by the commands you actually type.
Keepalive: a brief history
The keepalive idea comes from computer networking, not from games. The TCP system that carries most online connections has had an optional keepalive feature since the late 1980s, and the telnet protocol that many text-based games use includes simple no-op signals that can do a similar job. The basic tools existed before games made much use of them.
As MUDs and similar games spread through the 1990s, players hit a practical snag. Home connections, and later routers and firewalls, would silently drop a link that sat quiet for too long, leaving a player linkdead without warning. Game programs and player-written scripts started adding keepalive options that send a small signal every minute or two. Today the feature is built into most MUD client software.
How it's used today
Today a keepalive is mostly a client-side convenience. Most MUD client software includes a setting to send a newline or a short command at a fixed interval, and players switch it on when they want to stay connected while away from the keyboard. Some server administrators also enable network-level keepalives to spot connections that have quietly died.
It helps to know what a keepalive does and does not do. It is meant to stop the network from dropping you, not to dodge a game’s own rules. Some games still log out players who sit idle past a limit even with a keepalive running, and a few forbid scripting that fakes activity to look present when you are not. Check a game’s policy before you rely on one.
Types of games where the term is commonly used include:
MUD, MUSH, RPI, RP MU, Talker, BBS door game.
Keepalive examples
- A player steps away to make dinner and turns on their client’s keepalive so the game doesn’t drop them as linkdead while they’re gone.
- Someone connecting through a strict office firewall sets a keepalive to send a blank line every 60 seconds, because the firewall closes any connection that sits idle for two minutes.
- A builder leaves their connection open overnight with a keepalive running, so they can resume work in the morning without logging back in.
- A player who keeps going linkdead during long roleplay pauses enables the keepalive setting in their MUD client to fix it.
Myths and misconceptions
- A keepalive stops the game from ever logging you out. Not quite. It keeps the network connection open, but many games track activity by the commands you type. If a game logs out quiet players, a low-level keepalive may not count as activity, and the server can still disconnect you under its own idle rules.
- A keepalive and an anti-idle script are the same thing. They overlap but are not identical. A keepalive’s job is to stop the connection from being dropped by the network. An anti-idle script tries to reset the game’s idle timer by sending real commands, which some games discourage or forbid.
- You always need a keepalive. Many connections stay open fine on their own. You usually only need one if your network or the game keeps dropping quiet connections, so it is a fix for a specific problem rather than a must-have setting.
Keepalive FAQs
What is a keepalive in text-based games?
A keepalive is a setting, script, or trigger that sends a small, regular signal over your connection so it is not closed for being idle. It keeps the link between your game program and the server open while you are not actively typing.
How does a keepalive keep me from going linkdead?
Connections can be dropped by the game server, your router, or a firewall when they stay silent too long, which leaves you linkdead. A keepalive sends a tiny bit of activity at a set interval, so the connection looks active and stays open.
Does a keepalive stop me from being marked idle or AFK?
Not always. A keepalive keeps the network connection open, but many games measure activity by the commands you type, not by raw network traffic. So you can still show as idle or get logged out under the game’s own idle rules even with a keepalive running.
How do I set up a keepalive in a MUD client?
Most MUD clients have a built-in option, often labeled keepalive or anti-timeout, where you set an interval such as every 60 seconds. If your client has no built-in setting, you can write a simple timer or trigger that sends a blank line at regular intervals.
Are keepalives against the rules?
A basic keepalive that stops your connection from being dropped is usually fine. The gray area is using one to fake being present, since some games forbid scripts that dodge their idle limits or make you look active when you are away. Check the game’s policy if you are unsure.
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