Compilation: Community Ideas reg. DC / Ghosting

[GodOfGrain 191]

This thread tries to compile the ideas of the community regarding the following issues:

- Ghosting strategy

- Log out to avoid death

Definitions:

/// Ghosting strategy:

One player logs out from Server A during a PvP duell, joins server B and moves to an advantegous position (e.g. behind his enemy), rejoins server A to kill him.

Associated Problem: Player spawns behind you by accident (normal login). Minor problem, but relevant for hot spot locations.

/// Log out to avoid death

3 different situations:

- DC immediatly when being shot upon

- DC when chased by Zombies

- DC from a "danger situation"

"Danger situation" means that you escaped the immediate danger but you are still not safe and should not log out.

E.g.: Player is pinned down in a building. He is in cover, but still has to face the issue to get out of there.

This issue cannot be addressed efficiently by e.g. a delay on logout.

Assumptions:

- We want to keep the principle of "1 character - all servers"

- Players can loose connection for legit reasons.

- Legit players should not be punished in a severe way for connection losses.

- Realife > Gaming. We have to be able to log out relatively quickly (max 5minutes) without suffering a severe penealty. Some minor penalty may apply though.

Perhaps there is not one right way to solve these problems while maintaining the "1 character - all server" system. Perhaps the solution will be a mix of different mechanics which will not prevent abuse competely, but will make it unattractive and therefore unlikely to happen.

Possible solutions:

1.1 Logout timer.

A player figure remains in the game for time X [3 minutes?] after DC and can be killed by Zeds / Players.

Pro:

- Strong effect on "DC to avoid death"

- Medium effect on "ghosting"

Contra:

- Could punish legit players who experience connection loss while being in PvP or around Zombies.

But: Legit connection losses are rather rare, aren't they?

And: 99,7% of your time you are not in combat with another player

80% of your time you are not near zombies

- "I know several people from the EU/AUS/NZ who play and get booted constantly because of ping. They don't have issues playing until players start coming together." [Zipper [82ndAB]]

- Relativle weak effect regarding "danger situation", e.g. player pinned down behind cover can still escape

2.1 Timer of X min [15 min?] after DC prevents logging into the same server again.

Pro:

- Efficiently prevents ghosting techniques

Con:

- There are legit reasons to join the same server again

2.2 Variation: Timer of X min [15 min?] in the case:

DC from server A, login to Server X, re-login to server A

Pro:

- Less legit reasons fur such a behavior

3.1 After loggin into the game you will be unconcious for time X [1 Minutes?]

Pro:

- Quite effective against Ghosting as they intend to log in next to your position.

Contra:

- Negative for legit players who are looking for a server with a good ping. Restrict timer to 1 minute might be a compromise.

4.1 No re-login in cities or major locations. .

This following solution does not exactly prevent "DC to avoid death" or "Ghosting".

"All cities and major locations (castles, airfields, etc) have a radius around them that you cannot spawn inside of. The zones will be posted by devs for all to see. If you log out within a zone, upon relog you will spawn just outside the zone (as close to where you logged out.) This solves many issues right away". [iherron]

http://i.imgur.com/tp1Ho.jpg

[Map from user DL1P]

"Where the red circles mean you get moved out of the circles into random area close to but outside the circle.

You could probably script a message saying your logging out in a red zone are you sure "yes" "no" buttons.

All zones ignored if same server loggin and all zones ignored if re-spawn from death." [DL1P]

Pro:

- You can actually execute strategic ops on targets in high traffic zones, since you're able to clear buildings with confidence.

- Reduces farming

- Greatly reduces log-on kills in buildings/loot spots.

- It does not take much time for a player to get out of a city

Con:

- Does not prevent "DC to avoid death" or "ghosting"

- Light punishment for legit players who have to DC fast or have a connection loss. [Acceptable?]

4.2 Variation:

Player cant log out in cities. Logout button does not work while in city.

If connection loss: Punishment (X % of catching a cold)

Pro:

- Could prevents about 80% of the situations where player DC to get out of a "danger situation".

(Why? Danger situation = Player pinned down in cover.

If pinned down behind a tree in the wilderness the player wont survive a DC timer (if implemented).

These sitations normally appear within towns when player hide behind or in a house)

- Practical solution. Players can logout with low time effort (max 3 min to get out of town).

Con:

- Punishment for legit players

(But: If a DC timer is implemented we would have already decided to put legit players at risk. See 2.1)

5.1 Special Save-Locations.

Actually the opposite of the idea in 4.1.

It is primarily designed to avoid "ghosting".

Part of the game will be that you will have to find a place to log out for the "night" (=log off)

This might sound a bit arcade on the first view. But it might have potential.

Viable places:

- Houses in small and medium towns

- Your own tent

- Perhaps reconsider the purpose of tents?

(Make them lower in backpack usage, way more common, no storage capacity; Takes a x- minute animation [3 minutes?] to build up the tent; only outside of the city. Then the player can disconnect. The tent might disappear with him.)

Or you enter any viable house and choose the option: "Choose as sleeping place"

You can do this from time to time during while you are travelling to "update" your position.

When you relog you will spawn at the last position you have "saved".

If over x km [2km?] away from this position when logging out, you will spawn at your DC location.

Punishment for not sleeping in a save location: X % chance to catch a cold

If a player does not want to use his last "save point" he can choose from the menue at any time: "Sleep in wilderness"

Pros:

- Would further hinder the opportunity to ghost

- Punishes players who "DC to avoid death" (X % chance to catch a cold)

- Quite realistic mechanic (game immersion)

- Players who are lost in the middle of nowwhere without a tent would have a problem which I find quite interisting.

Cons:

Punishes players who DC due to connection loss (X % chance to catch a cold)

There has to be a penality for sleeping in the wilderness otherwise the system does not work

6.1 Server checks for other people in the area.

Login not possible if other people in the area.

Have not elaborated this opportunity yet. Please add your thoughts for this.

Negative: Logging out together with friends in the same area impossible

as long we dont have a team-system implemented.

7.1 Punishment for disconnecting while bleeding / being unconcscious/ Taking non fatal damage

If player logs out after time X [60 seconds?] after he has taken damage OR is bleeding OR is unconscious

-> Player dies

Pro: Efficiently addresses "DC to avoid death"

Contra: Can effect legit players (connection loss). Very unlikely though to disconnect in this timeframe.

8.1 Visual alert of players if someone logs in in the vicinity

"What if upon logon, there was a script which checked for proximity to other players. If a player logging on was, say (arbitrarily), within 300 meters of another player, the following would happen: the ear/eye indicators on the screen of (of both players) would flash red a few times. That's it. A subtle way to alert the player already in-game and the player logging in that someone is now in the vicinity (without having moved there on the current server)." [b_Winter]

Threads covered:

Preventing "ghost" tactics (switching servers exploit)

"Ghosting" Suggestion

To fix server hopping, or not to fix server hopping.

nti Server Hopping Suggestions

The Ghosting issue

Pvp Server hopping

Fix idea for server hopping

Server hopping: a way to limit it?

Anti Server Hopping Suggestions

Fix Server Hopping/Quick Leaving (Borderline Cheating)

Server Hopping Exploit Possible Fix

A different (partial?) solution to ghosting.

If you log out within 20 seconds of taking non-fatal damage, you die.

Server Hopping/Exploiting Prevention Idea

Suggested Fix for DC'ing in PVE & PVP Disconnects.

Cheating death through disconnects

[GodOfGrain 191]

text too long? :P

We're alpha testers, do your share and put some stuff into which I have not found. Rocket can't read 50 different threads on this issue.

[ChiefMasterKush 321]

So putting 50 threads into one thread will get him to read it?

I am confused here. He knows the issue has since day one and probably before.

[daedrick 90]

Titles should be bigger than content, not the other way around, also, I dont have a microscope in my face, I actually use my eyes, so please, change the small text.

[nooblord 8]

tl;dr but GHOSTING is watching someones stream and using knowledge you shouldnt have against them, its not DCing before you die lol..

[Bower 4]

tl;dr but GHOSTING is watching someones stream and using knowledge you shouldnt have against them' date=' its not DCing before you die lol..

[/quote']

That isn't ghosting. The term "ghosting" comes from first-person shooters like counter-strike where one player relays information to another player, typically through teamspeak, relating to enemy positions and so on.

[davethejackal 1]

http://dayzmod.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=24323

[GodOfGrain 191]

Titles should be bigger than content' date=' not the other way around, also, I dont have a microscope in my face, I actually use my eyes, so please, change the small text.

[/quote']

Thanks for the feedback. I have used x-small for the titles and standard size for the text. I am wondering why it is too small. Too small for everyone?

---

tl;dr but GHOSTING is watching someones stream and using knowledge you shouldnt have against them' date=' its not DCing before you die lol..

[/quote']

That isn't ghosting. The term "ghosting" comes from first-person shooters like counter-strike where one player relays information to another player, typically through teamspeak, relating to enemy positions and so on.

Do you think I have defined ghosting wrong? Don't think so actually :)

At least here in the forum it is used in this way I think.

---

So putting 50 threads into one thread will get him to read it?

I am confused here. He knows the issue has since day one and probably before.

Rocket is aware of this issue and has already tried to solve it. Didn't work though. He started with a small timer on logout (2 sec).

I think he reverted this due to technical reasons.

Log out timer is probably the most important tool vs DC to avoid death.

But: It does not help very much against ghosting.

And yes, I think it can help Rocket. With 50 threads and above about this topic he has to

a) find them

b) read through a lot of stories and complaints about DC

c) read the same advices 10 times

[Atamawood 22]

Honestly I think there should be like a 30 second to 1 minute timer to log off unless your next to a fire or your own tent in which it would be instant.