Simple Solution to Loot Farming via Server Hopping

[ZedsDeadBaby 2287]

Thanks for the (mostly) constructive replies, folks. Good discussion.

Technically' date=' the 1500m distance would be a 10 minute jog - you'd have to get 1500m away, which means you'd have to run 1500m back. [/quote']

That's just it, though. We are trying to discourage people from looting the same building over and over again.

The 1500m distance is meant to make it so moving on to a new town or location is more attractive than continually sitting in one spot looting the same location over and over.

If you make the distance too short, people will just adopt a "login, run away, come back, loot, log out" routine and we will be right back where we started.

In most cases there will be valuable loot within 1500m of you, so returning to your original position won't be necessary. Just move on.

I feel like you didn't think this through before posting it

If you feel that way' date=' you should read the OP again as well as the thread. All of your questions are addressed and answered clearly and succinctly.

If you don't want to do that, let me answer briefly: loot suppression only effects the suppressed player. No other players would be impacted in any way.

Your way in no way stops them from despawning if they are getting killed only to gain loot.

This is not intended as a fix for combat disconnects. I agree that is an issue that needs to be addressed, but it's a separate issue with many facets and considerations that don't really apply to my suggestion.

My suggestion is designed only to discourage loot-farming via frequent server changing.

[asharon 0]

Instead of punishing people for hopping - think about a fair benefit people could get for not hopping a server.

[freelunch 0]

Instead of punishing people for hopping - think about a fair benefit people could get for not hopping a server.

Good point. What's your suggestion then?

[chrismgtis 55]

There are easy solutions to all of these things. It only takes implementation. It doesn't have to punish people to solve these issues. Punishing a player to solve an issue is not the solution nor ever the correct or acceptable one.

[Golgo82 28]

And how would you suppose to make that work?

If rocket would be able to attach scripts to a freshly logged in player that counts down et cetera et cetera..that still would not affect *your* scouted and secured city/settlement at all, because the loot in that town would have been spawned by your presence. So that evil server-hopper would still be able to grab the lootZ and log out again. If I am wrong about the way loot spawns work here in that regard, correct me.

If it was at least possible, my guess is that it would require an extensive workload to get it to work without inhibiting every other player that does not hop servers to get "the beans".

It could just be me, but I think that there might be more pressing issues that need some attention. Like disconnecting to flee firefights, Zombies ghostwarping through obstacles, rampant murder without consequence or breaking a leg while running through a doorway.

[ZedsDeadBaby 2287]

And how would you suppose to make that work?

I really tried hard to explain exactly how it works. It has nothing to do with loot spawn behavior or when and where loot spawns. The suppressed player would simply be unable to pick things up. Nothing else would change. Loot would remain where it is if it's there' date=' and would spawn normally in response to the presence of a suppressed player, they simply wouldn't have access to the "Gear" menu at loot piles.

[hr']

There are easy solutions to all of these things. It only takes implementation. It doesn't have to punish people to solve these issues. Punishing a player to solve an issue is not the solution nor ever the correct or acceptable one.

You say there's an "easy solution." Can you suggest what that might look like in this case? Because I've put a good deal of thought into the issue and my suggestion is the most effective and simplest I can think of - especially given that the "move x distance from your current location" objective type already exists in the game.

[Cedrik (DayZ) 0]

There are lots of reasons I change servers.

I don't play nite time.

There is no "fav list" of servers to save them with, so I have to join, check if its day AND if its laggy. If it isn't suitable, I go elsewhere.

I paly with friends. They may not be able to get a good ping on the same server as I do.

And more.

Please do not punish innocent players because of others abuse. I've dealt with server hopping assasins before. I'd RATHER be wary of that than having the ability to loot taken away from me for doing my normal thing.

Instead, I'd suggest a 5 or 10 min individual server temp "ban" if you log off during combat. This will help prevent combat logging and relogging. They can go to a different server, just not IMMEDIATELY back to the same one they were in combat on in order to ambush, log off to another server to relocate, then relog on the first server and ambush etc.

Defining combat, firing a gun, melee or takeing a wound. Firing a gun even if its a miss, because thats when those kind do that. I saw one kill my friend and immediately log. Then he came back trying to snipe me. So, a temp ban with no other consequences would be automatic, not burden admins, and significantly hinder server hopping attacks.

[ZedsDeadBaby 2287]

Instead, I'd suggest a 5 or 10 min individual server temp "ban" if you log off during combat.

...This is not about combat disconnects. Please read the thread.

There are lots of reasons I change servers.

Yes, lots of reasons to change servers.

Not a lot of reasons to immediately start picking up loot the very instant you login to a new server. If a 1500m jog really feels like such a harsh "punishment" then chances are you're probably part of the problem - you're used to taking advantage of the fact that you can blink into existence among piles of high value loot and get the goods before hitting the bricks.

[CardboardSword 0]

I've had a very similar idea myself to cut back on such abuse, yours is just much more thought out.

I'm behind the idea 100% (obviously), although I feel like the distance can probably be reduced a bit. The biggest problem (in my opinion anyway) is people magically appearing and disappearing in enclosed loot areas like the barracks. I'd go as low as 500m instead of 1500m, still a fair distance, but won't force anyone to run into the woods for a 10 minutes before leaving a server if they do need to leave and rejoin elsewhere for a legitimate reason. They can still easily come back and go get the loot that's nearby, but they'll have to get past Z's and any players in the area to do so.

I do think that you should still be able to loot bodies though, regardless of their proximity to you when you spawn and whether or not it's a body by your hand. It would really suck to pop into a server, get into a firefight and not be able to take anything off the body. Players are both mobile and inconsistent in terms of reward anyway, so I see no reason this would be a problem.

[dystopeon 46]

Solution

• 
  grow some balls
  

Pro's

• 
  maybe you'll stop PK camping the loot spawns
  

Con's

• 
  doesn't fuck the entire game
  

[xX_fr0st-w0lf_Xx (DayZ) 343]

OP: 10/10 amazing Idea perfect for this garbage hoppers we deal with. More then half of those opposing you are server hoppers themselves. One even disaggreed because he might press enter by mistake.

While your idea may not be the best it is better then its current state.

[trashcanman 15]

Doesn't sound that simple to me.

I think it would be simpler to control with the loot.

Every time an item is looted start a timer. If the player connects to a different server before that timer is up, those items don't come with him to the new server. Count time logged off.

-So if I log onto a server I can always loot and use anything I want on that server right away no restrictions (most important part of the fix I think and yours doesn't do this).

-If I log out for the night, and log onto a new server, that item I just got before I quit the night before is in my inventory because the timer ran out since I didn't log on all night.

-If I want to switch servers at any time, no problem, but I might lose my most recently acquired loot but as long as it's not my main gear so what.

-If I try to server-hop farm, if I finally find loot, I'll be "stuck" on that server for awhile in order to keep it. I can't just loot and scoot to the next server.

-If the server crashes or something, no problem, I can either join the same server, or if it doesn't come back up for awhile the timer runs out and I keep my loot.

Just make the timer length longer than it takes to get from loot spot to loot spot on the same server. You wouldn't actually have to code a "timer" per se, just compare time stamp of loot when a player connects to the server. Any "foreign" items looted too recently get removed.

[imdrunk 0]

Sounds good to me' date=' Mix that with a 10-20 sec logout timer and that solves all sorts of problems :D

[/quote']

I would really not like the login system to be even more frustrating as it is

[combatcomm1 234]

+1 dude

[SwiftSpear 2]

1500 meters is too far. The login/out behavior you described is normal when you log into a server in night cycle if you don't have NVG.

[Womb Raider 92]

No. I and many other people' date=' when browsing servers, will very quickly leave if it doesn't have conditions we find suitable. If I log in to a server and it's pitch black night, I'll leave within seconds.

Yet with this feature I'll find my loot suppressed.

When someone server-logs for loot, it doesn't affect you personally. Don't penalize people like me, who log out frequently just because you don't like other people getting more cans of soup than you do.

[/quote']

You are joking right, it ruins the game and is an exploit. Well I guess my game wasn't ruined then when I tried to run into Cherno last night, but every single entrance to the city was covered with barbed wire and was impossible to get in. Beyond ridiculous, that's not to mention the Normandy style beach defenses I come across every time I go into a firestation in Cherno or Elektro.

[Drblodski 53]

In reply to original OP - I don't think it would be very easy or logical to implement your suggestion in the way you specify. 1500m seems a bit arbitrary - also its hard to code in given the pay off for the devs. I think a more solid solution as per other forms of arma mission would be that you have to 'save' your position at one of 50 or so flags dotted around the map and that these flags are no where near prime loot spots like stary, airfields etc. Then when you wanna logout you have to move to one of these spots (theres your 1500m), save it and then log back in near the same flag (around a 100m radius maybe).

If you fail to save before you logout (or get disconnected) then you simply log back in at the previous flag you saved at (possible exploit problem there) or spawn at one of the beach locations but with your gear (fairer). This would partly cure pvp server hoppers and loot campers. Would be nasty for ppl getting disconnected and then logging in somewhere they didnt want to be...

Even the above is not ideal and flawed admittedly.

The other alternative is that you just cannot loot for more like 10 mins every time you make a connection the hive. Server hop for more daylight then it would reset and you would have to wait 10 mins again. Lose connection - wait 10 mins till looting is possible. 10 mins is not really very long. I spend more than that just scouting a location before i go in for loot. Plus maybe when you login your screen could be black for 30 seconds after apeearing on the map so that you dont log out right next to the tents at stary or the hostpitals or barracks etc. you would be paranoid about being seen and shot in those 30 seconds.

//too much coffee sorry :D

[freelunch 0]

This seems like a really tough problem to solve. I really don't like the solutions suggested - each has serious negative aspects - and becomes another issue or only reduces the level of server hopping.

Server hopping for loot is a problem - by "cheating" some players gain an advantage. It unbalances the game and needs to be fixed (like a few other issues).

I suggest, we (err I mean Rocket) doesn't solve the problem which is very difficult, but change/mitigate the problem.

This can be done by VASTLY increasing the number of sites for loot and reducing the probability that each spawns loot, so the average loot spawn rate remains the same (i.e. scale this as the number of servers increases, as a ratio to number of loot points to make *worm hole travel* less productive than walking!).

then:

(1) Server hopping becomes tedious and a waste of time - it's better to put the miles in as you will find more active spawn points by travelling.

(2) Snipers would now be wasting time staking out a particular building, as no-one spot is important, instead it's more interesting and unpredictable as survivors are going to/fro with random patterns.

(3) New players are no-longer massively disadvantaged by lack of knowledge, while experienced plays sit on favored spawn points and snipe etc.

(4) Players must travel and really scavenge for loot...rather than ignore 99.9% of the map.

[kid18120 0]

And what about poor people (like me sometimes) that crash after 10 / 15 seconds of roaming ? :'(

[Noelm 1]

This is a terrible idea. I have to server hop to find anything worthwhile. The volume of servers simply isn't efficient for the amount of players atm.

[rymdkejsaren@gmail.com 0]

This seems to carry a great risk of affecting players who have done nothing wrong, as well as not helping against griefer bandits server hopping to get free kills all over the place. This to me is the much bigger issue with server hopping.

[freelunch 0]

This is a terrible idea. I have to server hop to find anything worthwhile. The volume of servers simply isn't efficient for the amount of players atm.

Ha Ha Ha. I'll take that as a comment meant to parody server hoppers.

It's unbelievable!

LoL.

It's a virtual world - work off some virtual fat and WALK damn it!

[Cedrik (DayZ) 0]

This seems to carry a great risk of affecting players who have done nothing wrong, as well as not helping against griefer bandits server hopping to get free kills all over the place. This to me is the much bigger issue with server hopping.

Agreed. Server hopping to relocate and kill is much more serious than loot farming. In fact, its hard enough to find the loot you want as is. Just in one nite I've faced 5 snipers as I tried to go to different places to get a decent rifle... which makes it a mess when all I have is a peashooter and a few rounds, not even enough to finish one horde of zombies called by the first shot in self-defense.

Loot farming... isn't that important in my opinion. One shot and you lose everything anyway. Usually takes me half a day to get half geared again running full speed thru one server, using warehouses to collect zombies and leave them behind when im low on ammo or out. Just deal with the disappearing reappearing assassins and thats the main thing.

As for ones that hop from server to server looking for a kill... dunno. Maybe some mechanism so that if u spawn in an area with others there... you get relocated? Spawned in a cathedral today... in the middle of a gun fight.... and didnt have a chance to recover from log in lag before I got wasted. Was pretty lame. I'd like to have at least been able to defend myself.

[freelunch 0]

This thread is for solutions to "loot farming" by server hopping.

I agree there are other issues, which I also rank more highly.

If you don't think loot farming by server hopping is a problem - ignore the thread.

I have to assume, if you bother to post saying do nothing about it, because there are other issues, you are probably being disingenuous and either snipe the loot sites or server hop for loot.

There is a problem - and if this mod goes beyond Alpha it will have been fixed one way or another.

[kid18120 0]

What about something that "notices" when you leave by ESC > QUIT or ESC > ALT+F4 (which are the same, system speaking) and then applies the proposed solution, but doesn't when you CTD (basically timeout from the server for packetloss) ?

Maybe a half way between the different problems.