Battle Screen Markers & Timeouts Patch Proposal

[Skully]

Well, we have hit the pivoting point on http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/14627-where-is-the-action/?mode=show

We went from Nah to Yeah. So here I am to write up the patch proposal.

I'll ensure that this top post will be kept up to date.

Note that the final proposal may not (and probably won't) reflect the first (or even the final) implementation as everything is subject to admins discretion in terms of wanted functionality and technical complexity.

Keep an open mind and exploit test everything.

Goals of the battle screen:

• Provide a scoreboard.
• Provide the opportunity for a player to take a break of indefinite time.

What is NOT part of this topic:

• Pre-battle screen / battle instance affairs. (For example surrendering mechanics.)
• Entry into Open World. See http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/14536-to-gank-or-be-ganked-that-is-the-question/
• Mechanics dealing with logged off players. (For example drifting.)

Goals:

• Promote folks who come out of battle screen.
• Reduce the amount of time wasting for people waiting to continue the fight (/multi battle engagement).

Proposal:

• Players are tossed into the battle screen after the game considers a battle to be finished.
• The battle screen should show a timer running down 15 minutes and an Log-off button to properly signify player options.
• The player is then entitled to a 5 minute penalty free break.
• After those 5 minutes the game will generate an inaccurate red circle on the map.
• There will be no visual indication on Open World.
• The circle will slowly fade in and shrink until it identifies the exact location with a bright red spot.
• When 10 more minutes have passed the player is booted from the game for being inactive.
• Once all players have logged off or entered Open World, the spot will fade away.
• Players logging back on into the battle screen will face a 10:10 timer. (10 seconds before marker fade-in.)

Potential abuse is simply doing an early log-off and waiting a determinate amount of time to login again. This should be dealt with any "offline out of port" mechanic, which is not part of this topic.

References:

• http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/14627-where-is-the-action/
• http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15428-log-off-at-after-battle-screen-lose-your-battle-rewards-and-ship-dura-restored-to-those-that-did-not-log-off-and-those-waiting-outside/
• http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/15565-revenge-fleet-outside-bs-camping-abuse/

Please let me know if I missed anything.

[Hethwill]

.The battle screen should show a timer running down 5 minutes and an Log-off button to properly signify player options.

 

Perfect for me.

 

 

Thanks for putting all this together Skully.

[Skully]

.The battle screen should show a timer running down 5 minutes and an Log-off button to properly signify player options.

 

Perfect for me.

 

 

Thanks for putting all this together Skully.

You're welcome.

I truly ment 15 minutes to run down, because at that point you are booted for inactivity.

Maybe there should be some textual explanation for the 5 minutes marker creation, or maybe a second 5 minutes timer?

[Hethwill]

Whichever is easier to implement IMO.

 

Honestly anyone wanting to go off will just shutdown the game/pc. Anyone wanting to circumvent the limitation won't and the inactivity timeout won't do much I guess as they will still be there...waiting...lurking...

[Enraged Ewok]

 

• Players logging back on into the battle screen will face a 10:10 timer. (10 seconds before marker fade-in.)

 

 

Can you explain this one a bit more? 10 seconds to drop before the marker returns? What is the 10 minute part of the 10:10 timer?

[Sven Silberbart]

Yes..what does that mean exactly?

That's the penalty for logging off in after battle screen, right?

For me: The most important thing is to prevent that escape bullsh*t

AND: Loose ALL cargo if logout in BS, because that would be the kill for

the trader hunt game play and makes all transports safety

Edited August 8, 2016 by Sven Silberbart

[Enraged Ewok]

Yes..what does that mean exactly?

That's the penalty for logging off in after battle screen, right?

For me: The most important thing is to prevent that escape bullsh*t

AND: Loose ALL cargo if logout in BS, because that would be the kill for

the trader hunt game play and makes all transports safety

 

You are dead set on killing any reward for PVPing alone or in small groups. If I cap a Gros Ventre in my rattlesnake and have to log out for whatever reaso (even just to avoid the revenge fleet guaranteed to be there despite the battle ending several OW-time days ago), why should I be forced into OW surrounded by enemies who know exactly where I am and how much firepower I have, while I can't see them and have no chance to escape? I'm happy to sail my rattle and my prize out, and if someone manages to tag and catch me it is what it is. But dropping into the middle of a group of people  I can't even see that had 30 minutes to an hour to get organized and set up to catch me when I drop, it's nearly guaranteed that I'm dead. And that's just as bullshit and PVP stifling the 4th-5th rate gank fleets you complain about.

[Sven Silberbart]

1) following a trader on OW

2) get counter tagged

3) no chance to catch him coz of too far distance

4) trader will safe his good and just leave and login maybe after an hour

 

99% chance for a trader to escape, thats the reason.

[Skully]

It means you have 10 seconds before the marker fade in begins. Then after 10 minutes you are logged off for inactivity again.

It's as close as you can get within this mechanic to dissuade the mentioned abuse. The reason you are logging back in should be to go to Open World a.s.a.p. Not to create yourself a hiding spot.

But as always it is up to the player to choose and make the risk assessment. No forcing, just a nudge.

[Skully]

1) following a trader on OW

2) get counter tagged

3) no chance to catch him coz of too far distance

4) trader will safe his good and just leave and login maybe after an hour

 

99% chance for a trader to escape, thats the reason.

Counter tag discussion is at http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/14784-defensive-tagging/

Out of scope for this proposal.

[Sven Silberbart]

Not out of scope coz the combination of counter tag and bs logout is the problem.

You cant see or discuss the one without the other.

 

What i fear is that this will create a "softy" carribean sea. No risk to do transports at the most dangerous place.

Edited August 8, 2016 by Sven Silberbart

[Cmdr RideZ]

BR Screen, I actually like this one.  We are humans, we have to eat and do stuff.  BR Screen is a very good place to end your sailing for example, or have that 30-45 min break.

 

BR Screen is only annoying, if you are in a revenge fleet.  It is only annoying, if you are waiting guys to come out from a battle, so that you can gank them.  For the rest, I think none actually cares.

 

...

 

So I tried to cap a trader, but I failed.  Now I am waiting him to come out from the battle, so that I can attack him again.

imho, You failed with your initial attack, the trader succeeded.  Give a break for the trader, he earned it.

 

Traders should not be able to tag btw.  Without defensive tagging the trader cannot force the situation in the BR Screen.  Instead it is left for the aggressor to succeed in OW, to get in position from which he can cap the trader.

 

If your gank squad of 5 is tagging some solo combat ship, and he uses defensive tagging.  I think this is ok.  5vs1, I could not care less if this kind of gank fleets miss their target.