Can Combat Logging be fixed please?

[Stormvill]

Frontier, can you provide an update on what you're doing regarding people who Combat Log? It really is not a very enjoyable experience if you're playing in Open and it happens to you.

I was in a Conflict Zone today in a Vulture and there were two players in Pythons there in a wing. Now, these 2 players have previously attacked me for no reason and I'm even in the same PP faction as them! No honor among Archon's pirates it seems. Ok I thought, I'll just pick the same Conflict Zone faction as them and stay away while I farm the NPCs. This worked for a while but I guess at some point they ran out of things to shoot and attacked me anyway. I ran back to station and repaired and decided to go back and see if I could get them while they were disadvantaged somehow.

Back in the Conflict Zone and I noticed one of them had really low shields so I pounced and forced that Python to leave. The other one then starts going after me but he can't catch me. Eventually having being chased for a good few minutes my shields come back online and I've had enough so I turn 180 and boost ram him head on with the Chaff activated. This is fine as I have a good Hull Reinforcement module and Mil-Spec Armor. We both lost our shields but I came off better in terms of positioning and hull damage.

I don't think he expected the ramming and he turned and fled. At 77% hull he combat logged. Great success I thought! I'd managed to fight off these 2 playground bullies in my Vulture. Of course a few minutes later as I was just about ready to leave for the day they both re-enter the Conflict Zone I guess looking for revenge. They then interdicted me 3 times as I escaped back to the local base, taunting me over the comms.

So, please Frontier can you look into fixing combat logging. I love playing in Open when there are meaningful interactions with other players. Not "I'm going to be a big bully and cheat my way out of losing" like these 2 scumbags did today.

Thank you.

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

Report them, move on, and wait for the thread to be closed as a duplicate.

 

[LKx]

It can't be fixed

 

[-SOVEREIGN-]

I don't understand:
You fly a Vulture, he a Python. He has lost shields and 77% hull left. You can't masslock him, he can escape in 5 seconds.

Why do you think he logged and didn't just jump away? He has no reason to log at all.

 

[Derath]

You can't be trash talked by a python that lost to a vulture, so Just ignore them shame about the logging but the first 2 replies cover it.

 

[Stormvill]

I don't understand:
You fly a Vulture, he a Python. He has lost shields and 77% hull left. You can't masslock him, he can escape in 5 seconds.

Why do you think he logged and didn't just jump away? He has no reason to log at all.

I suspect he's never had fight that's gone badly before seeing as he's in a wing of 2 Pythons. He must have just panicked.

Is combat logging something to report then? Has Frontier said it's something that is "against the rules"?

 

[fourty6to3]

After being reported for Combat Logging a few times, doing so should initiate self destruct.

 

[AnnuverScotinExile]

I suspect he's never had fight that's gone badly before seeing as he's in a wing of 2 Pythons. He must have just panicked.

Is combat logging something to report then? Has Frontier said it's something that is "against the rules"?

Yes, it is against the rules. They say they take such things seriously. There is little (aka no) sign that anyone has been banned for combat logging, but, yes, report them.

 

[Mad Doctor X]

Is combat logging something to report then? Has Frontier said it's something that is "against the rules"?

Yes it is, report it. Players can get shadow banned, not sure if this sanction applies to combat logging though.

 

[Asp Explorer]

After being reported for Combat Logging a few times, doing so should initiate self destruct.

And if reported player Combat Logs after that, the next reported instance should initiate Clear Save

 

[fourty6to3]

And if reported player Combat Logs after that, the next reported instance should initiate Clear Save

And then after that, a quick format of C:\

 

[Ant_Solo]

And if reported player Combat Logs after that, the next reported instance should initiate Clear Save

I hate combat logging, but can't you see a problem with your suggestion? Seriously, you can't see any way this could be abused?

 

[Stormvill]

I at least like to think a 77% hull isn't going to be cheap to repair!

 

[Asp Explorer]

I hate combat logging, but can't you see a problem with your suggestion? Seriously, you can't see any way this could be abused?

Oh it would be utterly open to abuse

And then after that, a quick format of C:\

Definitely - and a reflash of your motherboard BIOS with 0's, and may as well do the router too

 

[fourty6to3]

Definitely - and a reflash of your motherboard BIOS with 0's, and may as well do the router too

That might be going a little too far. A quick format of all your data should be enough

 

[excalibus]

if you report them, FDev can investigate, are you certain they combat logged and not just jumped out? I am assuming the ship in question just dissapeared with no FS wake left behind...

I think the tactic of CL is a pretty low one really... I know I have never combat logged but I have had the game crash on me numerous times when hyperjumping (it seems to be at the instance transition) and if I had been in a pvp fight another player if it crashed I am sure they could think I had... so thankfully that has never occured with me...

Hopefully if they did indeed combat log and that the devs can prove it, they get at least a warning from the devs or a shadow ban for a month...

One way to help avoid it in the future is to add BOTH commanders to your block list...

 

[Stormvill]

if you report them, FDev can investigate, are you certain they combat logged and not just jumped out? I am assuming the ship in question just dissapeared with no FS wake left behind...

I think the tactic of CL is a pretty low one really... I know I have never combat logged but I have had the game crash on me numerous times when hyperjumping (it seems to be at the instance transition) and if I had been in a pvp fight another player if it crashed I am sure they could think I had... so thankfully that has never occured with me...

Hopefully if they did indeed combat log and that the devs can prove it, they get at least a warning from the devs or a shadow ban for a month...

One way to help avoid it in the future is to add BOTH commanders to your block list...

Excuse me for my ignorance but how does putting them on my block list prevent anything other than communication?

As to whether or not it was a combat log, the ship was flying forward on a straight path for about 45 seconds, weapons fire wasn't doing any damage. I actually can't remember if a wake was left or not.

 

[Asp Explorer]

That might be going a little too far. A quick format of all your data should be enough

Well you are rather less sadistic than me I suppose. Personally I'd just automatically sign Combat Loggers up to AOL

But anyway - joking aside - it's not a trivial problem to solve, as FD (or anyone) cannot reliably tell when someone combat logs, suffers a power cut, their cat eats an Ethernet cable, some drunk crashes into a phone exchange, their ISP goes bust, some backbone router plots incorrect routes, their PC overheats, their laptop battery dies, their shiny Mac gets stolen in Starbucks, anything.

 

[Derath]

I think it was pretty trivial to solve actually, though by solve I mean prevent a majority of if they simply banned some people for it and let everyone know they had, there are plenty of people with multiple instances of damning evidence, I'm pretty much certain nobody has had any repercussions from combat logging, if they have FD have done their best to keep it quiet which I really wouldn't understand.

 

[Jim Steinman]

Well you are rather less sadistic than me I suppose. Personally I'd just automatically sign Combat Loggers up to AOL .

Or we can send them all the spare AOL CDs....