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I've been hosting trading posts since August. Ghosting is a reality of the game. Yes, the solution is to deal with it. Set up patrols and keep your people frosty. At least carpet bombing hackers aren't showing up to every single public event anymore. Organizing events in Day Z isn't easy. Figure out the logistics with your own people if you want to be the guy doing it. That said, if you want to talk to someone with experience hosting and defending events, feel free to hit me up some time.

All I can see that people like to cry and point out all the bad things but when a possible fix takes away even a tiny bit of comfort for them they raise arms against it. Can you elaborate? I wrote this after a few thoughts about the issue and reading another topic where people complained about ghosting and server hopping. So it's pretty far from a fully fledged out design and is expected to have some major issue I just not thought about. I don't really get those arguments. All those "reasons" you mention are present in private hives as well - even more pronounced as instead of having a hard time switching you could not switch at all (which also reduces the loot economy size). What if your private server crashes? What if your private server is full? That's why I mentioned specific "events" that could help people not being stuck in queue. Some examples (ideas that might or might not work): on server restart/crash the players are moved to Limbo (both On-server and Off-server players)you can choose to "suicide" on server switch and thus avoid the waiting time (but you will respawn at a random spawn point)similarily if you switch servers while your character is dead there should be no waiting timeupon being kicked from a server your switch time is much shorteryou can "reserve" a slot on a full server, if a slot opens you receive a message and have X minutes to switch without penaltyThe whole point is to make the public hive a little more like the private hives getting rid of the major disadvantages caused by rapid switching while still retaining most advantages resulting from having a connection between servers. I intentionally decided to make the initial Travel Timer noticeable (~30 minutes) instead of peanuts (like 5 minutes) to make even switching once something you would like to avoid if not absolutely necessary. If you are switching for non-ingame reasons this might be annoying. However, the vast majority of server switches are most likely for ingame reasons (looting, ghosting, combat logging) and we cannot refuse to fix the main game issues because it would also hurt a small minority to a far lesser degree. And as mentioned above there could also be some functions to help those players (who should be the majority of server switchers when the system works).

Thats why server hopping needs to be nerfed hard. You should not get those advantages for free. If the cost for hopping is high enough it's actually more effective and fun to search for loot by moving around on a single server than switching between multiple servers. If the cost for ghosting is high enough you still get that positional advantage but it takes you quite some time to do so - many people would probably prefer trying their luck on the popular server instead of moving there on an empty one, waiting a significant time (or paying another significant cost) and being ready thereafter. In the end you can do the same on private servers: logging in when its (close to) empty, moving into position, logging out (maybe playing on another character in the meantime) and logging back in when the server is populated. If frequent hopping becomes unviable in gameplay terms you will have much less people switching servers and the chance someone is hopping to a place gets pretty close to the chance of someone simply logging in there. In this case the main differences between public and private servers would be the greater loot economy vs. having multiple characters.

With server hopping and (to a lesser degree) ghosting running wild I really think there should be changes to the server switching mechanics to get rid of the massive negative impact on game dynamics (less ingame travel, balance by rarity not working, people being overly geared, areas feeling empty, picked clean military bases etc.). This concept is my proposal to combat the situation: On a hive you have three basic states for each character: Limbo: The character is logged out and not assigned to a specific server.Off-server: The character is logged out but still assigned to a server.On-server: The character is logged in and thus assigned to the server he/she is on.Also there are three timers that affect the character states: The Limbo Timer (~30 days) counts down while a character is in Limbo and is rapidly counts up (to a maximum of 30 days) when the character is On-server. Upon reaching zero a ranom limited item* is removed from the characters inventory and the Limbo Timer is set to 10 days.The Off-server Timer (~3 hours) is started right after logging out (moving from On-server to Off-server) and reset upon logging back into a server. if it reaches zero the character is moved into Limbo.The Travel Timer (~30 minutes) starts when logging off a server and prevents logging into another server until it reaches zero. Upon logging into a server it is reset to the former starting value and increased by 10 minutes if the server switch happened during Off-server time**. Upon reaching Limbo the starting value is reset to 30 minutes (so it's naturally limited to a maximum time equal to the Off-server phase).Additionally you have to wait for at least 10 minutes before logging back into the same server (On-server > Off-server > On-server) unless your character is still on the map in which case you can log in immediately and take over the body left behind. There might also be an option to skip the Travel Timer by killing your old character and starting from scratch (new spawn). Now the actual values might be different and maybe there is also need for some additional events (like not applying the Travel Timer if the server restarted/crashed, only applying a portion if the player was kicked etc.) but in general those changes might reduce unhealthy server hopping, ghosting and offline hoarding (keeping rare items by storing them on a character in Limbo) while still allowing travel between servers and thus allowing progress on the same character and a greater loot economy. *Items that are limited by number on the hive which means having them in your inventory prevents them to spawn elsewhere. **There might also be an ingame cost in the form of reduced energy/water equal to the amonut you would have consumed while being active ingame instead of waiting for the switch.

Single server single character, ghosting solved as are like a dozen other problems.

the only way to stop ghosting is to stop allowing characters to transfer from server to server, so it will never be completely eliminated.

But if someone ghosts out and comes back in behind you... Isn't that the same thing as if someone just came up behind your group to begin with? I know literally it isn't but if your group watches their 6 properly no one should be able to get the drop on you ghosting or not. I know if I came up on a group of guys huddled around a house not watching their backs they would pay for it. If anything people trying to ghost have paid off for me as we've caught a handful of guys trying to ghost or combat log that felt the wraith of the log out timer... Yet don't think our group has lost one person to a ghost. Seems like a non issue to me.

Make the timers longer - stops ghosting - how the fuck don't you all know this by now?

As a matter of principle, would you be willing to sit and watch the door with a shotgun for fifteen minutes, knowing at least part of what was outside? I do, and it is really stressful at times. Probably the only reason to camp scared is thatI know anyone who could trap me in a building, is also capable of approaching and crawling around the building, covertly locating me in about ten minutes. The only honorable option is to hole up and be ready for a fight. Handgrenades, x-ray vision shots, or sheer numbers would be the only guaranteed legitimate death in this scenario. This strategy does not cover ghosting, and I assume that many people who ghost do so because of the possibility that you have people on TS who can also just ghost into their building and kill them while they cover the entrance. If someone sees you chase them into a building, he might think that your unseen buddy has just logged and is running into position in their building. TBH, I really couldn't blame a single player for logging, as there is still the unfair and gamebreaking threat of interdimensional assassin squads.

What about playing with friends? Private servers are absolutely horrible for this as you cannot access your character at all when they are full and you cannot simply pick a server that has enough space for your party (conversely the server could also be empty and boring or simply down). Then having muliple characters all over different servers really diminished the experience (in my opinion) as you have less noticable progress and setbacks and grow less attached to your character (and thus more likely to go yolo). Also in theory the public hive allows for much greater variety of items and rarity simply because of the greater economy. Now server hopping is probably the single most impactful issue in terms of game dynamics right now - ghosting is more of a consequence of this combined with combat logging. But the problem is not being able to switch to other servers, even if it was for looting purposes. The true problem is that its over the top effective while also easy, fast and very low risk. It's basically a massive balance issue that completely overshadows most other elements (like travel distance, time and rarity). You do not need to remove server switching completely - it's enough (and preferable) to nerf it in a way that it's significantly less effective in advancing your character than playing the game the normal way.

Ghosting refers to the process of logging out of one server and into a second server then moving to a different location and logging out of that and back into the original server. What this does is allow you to pass across a space without physically crossing it on the one server. An example would be running into a group of players that have an area locked down. Say they are in a Jail with the front door covered by multiple people. A "Ghosting" player would log out of the server they are on and log into an empty server. He would then enter the jail on the empty server and move to a position behind the players watching the door. From there he would log out of the second server and into the original server and would now be behind those people watching the door and could ambush them from what should be a secured back room if the hive system wasn't in place. There is no way to actually get behind them without changing servers. It gets it's name because mythically ghost are on a different plane than our reality and able to pass through objects. Someone hopping servers is in a different reality and able to bypass people and closed doors... like a ghost.

Well one anti-ghosting mechanic they had (whether intentional or not) was the reload noise that was played when someone logged in nearby. I can't for the life of me think of a good reason why they removed that.

Wheres the "Dean with it" gif? Wall glitch is being looked at soon according to dev tracker. I'm sure logging/ghosting will also be sorted. You really need to remind yourself how early these builds are and how drastically things will change in the coming months. I play on public servers but avoid PvP when I can. I've only had 1 instance where I inadvertently cornered someone and they logged out rather than interact, so I executed them.

Just deal with it! Jokes aside... What kind of ghosting are you are guys talking about? LIke using Skype and such to comminicate while in game you don't have a radio to report to your friends? Or some kind of scripting?

Private Servers eliminate two things I really hate in DayZ.... 1. Ghosting. 2. Server hopping for loot. So I don't play on Public Servers. Simple solution to both problems.

Yes, ghosting is a real big problem. But for who? Are you chatting 10 minutes with your future hostages? And do that many people actually ghost? And btw dude. It is a part of Dayz. So...that ship has sailed. If theres one thing I do not like, it is a butt hurt bandit crybaby.

Pretty much this; I know it isn't what you want to hear, but at the moment, it's to most viable option you have. They actually increased the spawn time fro joining a new server for just this reason. In order to ghost out of a spot, they need to join a different serer, move to a new spot, and then rejoin the first server. With the logout/login timers they have now, this process would take someone at least a few minutes to do, so if you're smart and pay attention, you can know when someone is potentially ghosting. One way to avoid this is to get both players talking, either on VOX or in Direct chat; when you don't get a response from one of them for 30 seconds to a minute, it's possible they logged out to try and ghost you, at which point the remaining player is totally outnumbered, so you should be able to move in and take him hostage and wait for the other one to return, only to find his friend either dead or possibly soon-to-be. It's risky, yes, but life is full of risks. Depending on how many people you have with you, you could also potentially fan out and watch in all directions, in case they try to sneak up on you. Not to be a dick, but IMO, you guys essentially put yourselves in this position by not paying attention and taking proper precautions. Alternatively, sometimes it's just best to move on and let people be.

My apologies I wasn't under the impression you were speaking as a server owner. That being said the tools you have to "deal with it" are 1. to post a scrolling message stating that ghosting will get you banned 2. Ban away. And always be sure to restrain your hostages so they can't log out on you lol.

They could add a log out sound and not a log in sound. I would make the sound play only when they successfully log out so you don't hear the sound and instantly try rush the logging out player, While it wont prevent ghost log outs it would reduce the chance of people using the sound to gain an in game advantage. It would provide warning that someone has logged out nearby and you could prepare for someone to ghost you rather than only preparing for players who are legitimately entering an area. It still allows players to still log in unnoticed so ghosting could occur but it would at least give you warning. Could also make your character get linked to the server for 10-15mins when you first log in. This means that if you play on that server for 10-15minutes you will have no trouble changing server but if you want to change server, change location then log back into the original server for tactical advantages you will be inconvenienced. It would also make people play properly rather than just server hop as fast as possible. I don't mind people server hopping but when its for one specific helicrash or one building that seems a bit cheap. I mean if you just server hop one place as quickly as possible to check for good items then the game might as well flood every building with items so at least its intentional

You can't do these things on a public server either ... again go play on a private shard server and avoid ghosting/hoppers, that is the answer "deal with it"

I really think you should go private anyways as i haven't encountered a hacker in a week after starting playing on one. As before in public i met them all the time. No ghosting, server jumpers, and the experience is very different. Better dynamic and more groups. Public is dead for me now. I really can't see any upside to public anymore.

A lot of things my group wants to do are ruined by ghosting. It makes it pretty much impossible to trap someone in a building or hold someone hostage when they can just ghost to a different location. What can be done to stop ghosting? I know you can buy a private server but I'd hope the only solution planned is to force users to buy private shards

We decided it's time to die on a certain private server that is no longer persistant, so we headed pavlovo-zeleno-veresnik. We dont really enjoy being one of those KOS agressor guys, so we head to locations where trouble should be guaranteed. Pavlovo and zelene were stripped to the ground. At veresnik we quickly searched the hill, prison & the barracks and head towards vybor/NWEAF. Right after we left the walls i spotted a player, not more than 300m away coming from vybor. He spotted me and dropped himself on the ground. Now this costed him a life; As he hit the ground, his body sunk. I was 100% he's got a ghillie suit on and will snipe us both. My arm swing didnt calm down as ive seen him looking in our direction. I dont want to risk putting my head over the small rocky fence cover.He was pretty fu*ked, he had no cover and was lying on the middle of a field, but i couldnt take the shot nor disarm him uppon spotting and now, we all caught on breath. He was too far to establish any kind of communication. I spray my AKM in general direction, hoping the hail of bullets will scare him off. I knew i cant hit him, but my friend can. Im all for the supressing/drawing fire. He stands up and tries to make a run for it when my friend lands a shot on him. Sad part: he had no ghillie and only a double blaze. I would never shoot the guy if he turn for 180 and ran off, but hitting the ground and pointing his barrel at my general direction, combined with my low settings that gave me an illusion of a gillie suit, that unfortunate guy had it comming. I assume he was quite new to the game and got the vybor spawn; lots of useless loot in his drybag and running straight across the field for the mil base should only confirm this. Nevertheless, im somewhat glad i wasnt the one shooting him in the back and i hope he learned something. What would you do? How would you disarm a guy in the open field without any confirmation on his gear? We headed towards NWEAF. Restart. Heli site! M65Jacket! We move towards the tent base at the end of the airfield. I hear sks gunshots. It was a double tap. Pretty sure someone just shot a zombie, we were monitoring the area for quite some time. Time to set a patient bear trap. I see the guy looting the tents in columns. I position myself at the last tent he will enter, so i could rush&surprise him from behind. I Was thinking of disarming him, taking his sks ammo and letting him go. Problem was he would always have his sks drawn out. He was two tents away from me when he suddenly starts aiming down his sights in my general direction. He looked so sure something is here, i assumed a part of me must've glitched thru the tent. I changed position to get the upper hand again and flank him.I see him enter the tent and soon after i hear the eating sound.He doesnt know im here ! I don't wait for my friend but rush right in. F***!!!!! He's not here and i know he's close enough that he heard my elephant footsteps. I run like a chicken thru another two more tents but fail to spot him. God damn, this isnt happening D:, i need to calm the situation down. I back 5m away behind the BMP wreck, knowing im very well covered with excelent view on the tents. My friend is seconds away as i make an eye contact with the guy. I tell him to drop the gun and he will come out alive. Than shit happend... My friend crashed right there and moonwalked right between us whilst we were aiming at each other.. he didnt fire, i didnt fire, it was just a huge WTF momment as he was ghosting thru objects aswell lol. I started running along with my friends disconected character and try to protect him as the guy in the tent ran off. I waited for my friend to reconect. In that time zombies at the baze respawned and i suddenly see a horde of 5 running towards my friends connecting character. pewpewpew. I heard another pew, An sks pew. He's still here so we start searching for him. Guy hid himself in another tent. He had no intention to communicate, he was lying on the floor shooting on sight. I really had no fun in killing him, was rather dissapointed he did that. I completely forgot i had grenades from heli sites, i could learn him a valuable lesson. We also saw two boars. Or should i say, they saw us.

I play on private servers, not because its gets rid of the server hoppers, but its a nice side effect because I don't have 5 people spawning in behind me when I hit a military base and 50 people haven't looted it already. Still even I am guilty of it somewhat, when I know the server is going to restart soon I head for an area with gear I want and log out until the restart. This isn't exactly server hopping, but at least I'm not sort of ghosting into peoples locations, whoever was or wasn't there before restart it will still be the same.

Nope. Disconnecting from a server, then being able to jump right back onto that server, no timer? That would lead to ghosting.