What can be done about ghosting on public servers?

[gankaskon 1]

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

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

Be more aggressive/alert?  Players already stay in for about 30 seconds after they log out, and there's a login penalty if you log on to a different server than the one you just did within so many minuets.  I forget what the penalty is but you have all that time to rush/check their position and see if they've left or not.  If you see them sitting down, shoot them in the head as they've logged out.  If they're gone from a building you're sure you trapped them in, scatter and get ready to get ghosted.

[gankaskon 1]

Be more aggressive/alert?  Players already stay in for about 30 seconds after they log out, and there's a login penalty if you log on to a different server than the one you just did within so many minuets.  I forget what the penalty is but you have all that time to rush/check their position and see if they've left or not.  If you see them sitting down, shoot them in the head as they've logged out.  If they're gone from a building you're sure you trapped them in, scatter and get ready to get ghosted.

 

"deal with it" isn't really an answer, all it does is force players to spend more money.

 

Recently there were 2 guys in a building and one was talking to us while his buddy ghosted out and behind us and shot several people. I don't see how that issue should be ignored and players should be told to deal with it while other players abuse it for an advantage. Why even interact with other players if they can exploit like that

Edited March 9, 2015 by gankaskon

[Killawife 599]

Play on private shards. You don't have to buy one. Playing is free.

[gankaskon 1]

Play on private shards. You don't have to buy one. Playing is free.

 

 

Again, that is saying "deal with it"

 

That means if you want to host events you can't send out server messages. It means you can't ban hackers or people who abuse glitches like hiding in the prison walls. Players shouldn't be given a worse version of the game just because they want a public server

Edited March 9, 2015 by gankaskon

[aasand 92]

Again, that is saying "deal with it"

 

That means if you want to host events you can't send out server messages. It means you can't ban hackers or people who abuse glitches like hiding in the prison walls. Players shouldn't be given a worse version of the game just because they want a public server

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.

Edited March 9, 2015 by aasand

[SaveMeJebus 164]

Again, that is saying "deal with it"

 

That means if you want to host events you can't send out server messages. It means you can't ban hackers or people who abuse glitches like hiding in the prison walls. Players shouldn't be given a worse version of the game just because they want a public server

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"

[sachad 1016]

Pay attention. If you get ghosted, sucks for you, but really, pay attention.

 

So yeah, deal with it.

Edited March 10, 2015 by Sacha

[Conkykillz 791]

Just Deal with it

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

"deal with it" isn't really an answer, all it does is force players to spend more money.

 

Recently there were 2 guys in a building and one was talking to us while his buddy ghosted out and behind us and shot several people. I don't see how that issue should be ignored and players should be told to deal with it while other players abuse it for an advantage. Why even interact with other players if they can exploit like that

What do you want me/the devs to do about it?  Personally go to the ghoster's house and shoot them in the back of the head?  Much as I'd like to do that, I don't get paid enough to do so.

I probably gave you the only advice that wasn't 'play on a private server'

[Evil Minion 943]

What can you do?

You can watch the player list. If a player is logging out this will send a message allowing you to make your move. Though some risk is still involved.

 

What could the devs do?

They could limit server switching (by number or frequency), prevent logged out characters from disappearing when active (not logging out and not logged in very recently) characters are close and prevent logging into barricaded areas (unless you logged out inside the very area you would enter this way). To avoid annoying issues you should have the option to forfeit your old "busy" character in favor of skipping some waiting time (the old character gets killed if still on the server or just ceases to exist if "hopping"). In case of logins players and barricaded places might make your character spawn outside a certain area.

[Jesus Christ The Goblin 71]

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

Edited March 10, 2015 by Jesus Christ The Goblin

[gankaskon 1]

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"

 

Yes you can.. Our server owner owns a public server but can't afford a private.

 

It's sad that only 1 person offered a suggestion to fixing the problem (adding a log out sound that comes when your character disappears). I expected more from these forums than the same mentality there is on reddit 

Edited March 10, 2015 by gankaskon

[HappyXceed (DayZ) 28]

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.

I agree, I have come across one hacker in a public hive, and none since because I only play private shards.

[SaveMeJebus 164]

Yes you can.. Our server owner owns a public server but can't afford a private.

 

It's sad that only 1 person offered a suggestion to fixing the problem (adding a log out sound that comes when your character disappears). I expected more from these forums than the same mentality there is on reddit 

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.

[Mancomb 131]

Be more aggressive/alert?  Players already stay in for about 30 seconds after they log out, and there's a login penalty if you log on to a different server than the one you just did within so many minuets.  I forget what the penalty is but you have all that time to rush/check their position and see if they've left or not.  If you see them sitting down, shoot them in the head as they've logged out.  If they're gone from a building you're sure you trapped them in, scatter and get ready to get ghosted.

 

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.

 

 

Recently there were 2 guys in a building and one was talking to us while his buddy ghosted out and behind us and shot several people. I don't see how that issue should be ignored and players should be told to deal with it while other players abuse it for an advantage. Why even interact with other players if they can exploit like that

 

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.

[sneakydudes 278]

Sounds about right for public.

 

This is why so many server ops like myself move towards private, still can be done in private if they know the master-slave servers.

 

What the OP wants to hear is a possible work around solution to something that is changed by the players themselves. Currently the Devs. have so much other stuff going on, they aim to fix one thing then secondly see server hoping is a problem. Players invent things as they go. This is why public servers appear to be so popular, that and scripts. Do as you wish without penalties.

 

I am thinking a 5 -15 minute lockout timer when you log off, and if disconnected 5 minute reconnect timer. Based heavily on disconnection of BEC type criteria.

 

One good thing about this, is more players will find better internet connections :)

[IgnobleBasterd 161]

 

Not to be a dick, but IMO, you guys essentially put yourselves in this position by not paying attention and taking proper precautions.

 

I guess you think rape is womens' fault, too?

Edited March 10, 2015 by IgnobleBasterd

[sneakydudes 278]

I guess you think rape is womens' fault, too?

That's one serious and bold statement there :( referring to a game, IRL person.

[IkaikaKekai 1957]

I see shovels in this thread's future.

[smoq2 221]

With the introduction of private shards the devs moved on to other issues of higher priority, i.e. stability, extended systems, server architecture, renderer (!!), etc. They don't see it as a concern at this time, so I guess "deal with it" is the only answer you can get, but I'll leave you with a bit of hope that it might be only for the time being.

 

I'm guessing they're not touching the issue of loging in, since it will have to get a rework anyway - the whole spawning-in-someone's-base problem. Fiddling with it now is just pointless.

 

As for my personal point of view, I just moved to play on private shards the minute they appeared. Never regretted the decision and never returned to public space.

[Inception. 9443]

I guess you think rape is womens' fault, too?

 

Lettuce not go there, please, 

 

I see shovels in this thread's future.

 

[Calvin Candie 189]

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.

[BadAsh (DayZ) 1513]

"deal with it" isn't really an answer, all it does is force players to spend more money.

 

How does it force players to spend more money? I am genuinely curious about that.

[mercules 1290]

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.