Blocking feature being abused or was it intended to be this way? FDEV?

[Powderpanic]

Hi FDEV

The latest go to tactic and advice, which is being seen on multiple sources here, reddit and on streams. Is to jump into a system with PVP players and populate your block list.

While I know this tactic is not 100% successful, it has to be bad for your match making program and as a mechanic, pretty weak.

If people are abusing something that was meant to stop them being harassed, to being used as a safe space filter. When they have access to Mobius or Solo.
It seems like a badly designed and counter productive mechanic.

So what is your view on its use and are there any plans to change its working?

Instancing is already bad enough and the blue tunnelling at the moment is pretty bad.
I cannot see your match making device having to compare everyone's ban list to see who they can and cannot instance with on their daily whim, being a positive thing for the game.

What if one person in a wing has another person in another wing blocked because he lost in a 1v1 and got butthurt over it. Will this top the wings from instancing?

I mean you already have the 15 second combat log and cable pull to keep you safe in open. Why ruin the instancing for everyone one else.

 

[ForeverN00b]

I always thought it was a bad mechanic myself, I agree with you. The next person I put on my block list will be the first.

My understanding of it is that blocking a player puts that player on the bottom of a priority list for instancing, the opposite of which is having a player as a friend puts that player at the top of the list. In either case I don't think it is a 100% guarantee, but yes it probably isn't helping matters with the MM server if many players are blocking many other players.

 

[Crimson Kaim]

I thought blocking was obly for comms blocking liketext and voice comms as well as multicrew and local chat. For what reason would you need to block a player from instancing? Unless a player is hacking (which is exceedingly rare in ED fortunately) there is no reason to block instancing. Let alone players having access to that feels dumb. I can block players but not force an i stance with my friends? Very social architecture.

 

[verminstar]

My opinions? Sorry op, but Im one of those who keep a litter jotpad beside me to record names of players Id wanna block if I ever started playing again...which I started doing at the weekend. Ive been in solo fer nearly a whole year now and have started wanting a bit more company, but hope to negate the worst of the murder hobos by pre blocking the problem children. I only started this when I saw my name on a KOS list on reddit even though Ive never shot at anyone to deserve such a thing...one can imagine the reasons could be forum related but however...

Sorry op but Ive had experience with open and it wasnt fun fer me before...so the block list will be used extensively in the coming weeks and months ^

 

[ForeverN00b]

Sorry op but Ive had experience with open and it wasnt fun fer me before...so the block list will be used extensively in the coming weeks and months ^

So then....don't play in open? Mobius is right there and available. Why would you turn open into closed when you can play a massive PvE server?

Back to the OP, it's a bad mechanic. Hate the game, not the player.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Why is it a bad thing? If someone doesn't want to instance with you, then they can block you and be less likely to instance with you. In return, you are MORE LIKELY then to be instanced with someone who is happy to share an instance with you.

Seems like a win-win to me. Unless you annoy so many people that you end up having everyone blocking you! :O

 

[Ozric]

It is intended to be that way. The new feature was added so that it is easier to block people who have been harassing you. Blocking has not changed at all and does not guarantee you will not be instanced with the person, it just stops all communications and puts them to the bottom of the instancing list. If you're in a wing with someone who is friends with the person you've blocked, then it will match them as normal and you have more things to worry about like why you've blocked them in the first place It makes far more sense than having to become friends with someone before you can block them, which is how it worked previously (and still does from the main menu).

I've not heard of it as "go to advice" but you can't decide what people choose to do with their own game and you can't determine whether someone is blocking people just because or if it's because they genuinely have a problem with that person's actions. Just as people can't determine whether someone who's interdicting them is going to do it for piracy or blow them up without any communication, just because. You should be careful about throwing words like "safe space" around, as it implies that you have some kind of control over how people should or should not play their own game.

And for what it's worth I always play in Open unless I'm taking hi-res pictures

 

[Agony_Aunt]

So then....don't play in open? Mobius is right there and available. Why would you turn open into closed when you can play a massive PvE server?

Because there is probably only a very tiny % of open players you would want to block?

 

[ForeverN00b]

What is to stop someone from pre-emptively blocking, say, the entire roster of SDC (for example) even if they never met a person from SDC in-game?

Edit: Heck, maybe they could pre-emptively block the whole GCI roster for all I know.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Because there is probably only a very tiny % of open players you would want to block?

This. I play Open 99.99% of the time, and to this date I've blocked exactly two players. I don't block lightly.

Out of interest is there a way of removing a block?

What is to stop someone from pre-emptively blocking, say, the entire roster of SDC (for example) even if they never met a person from SDC in-game?

Edit: Heck, maybe they could pre-emptively block the whole GCI roster for all I know.

I don't think you can. They have to be in your instance already, or in your recent history. I don't think you can just plug names in.

 

[Ozric]

What is to stop someone from pre-emptively blocking, say, the entire roster of SDC (for example) even if they never met a person from SDC in-game?

Edit: Heck, maybe they could pre-emptively block the whole GCI roster for all I know.

The fact the function doesn't exist. If you're going to bash a game, than make sure you know how the mechanics work.

 

[verminstar]

So then....don't play in open? Mobius is right there and available. Why would you turn open into closed when you can play a massive PvE server?

Back to the OP, it's a bad mechanic. Hate the game, not the player.

I know where mobius is thanks, I have a few m8s there...but I fancy open just without the worst excesses. If its a problem fer you then cry to frontier...Im simply using the tools they have provided. It only filters out the worst of the worst so you should only be concerned if that affects you...are you the scum of the game? If so, then yer name will be written down somewhere as thats not permitted here.

Bottom line being that so long as KOS lists exist, so do block lists. Hate the game not the player

 

[sewerratuk]

Why is it a bad thing? If someone doesn't want to instance with you, then they can block you and be less likely to instance with you. In return, you are MORE LIKELY then to be instanced with someone who is happy to share an instance with you.

Seems like a win-win to me. Unless you annoy so many people that you end up having everyone blocking you! :O

I'd hazard a guess it would be about server usage, will it slow things down as more people block others? Will you sit in a loading screen for longer while the server works out who to put you in an instance with?
If either are yes, then I think its bad for the game. It both are no then I couldn't give a fig, better block and CL.

 

[Riverside]

Well look at it this way, how badly do you want to be instanced with that kind of player anyway?

There's a toxic element to the PvP community and it can be hard to tell them apart from a distance. I feel the PvP community can do quite a lot to improve their relationship with those outside their clique without any need for FDev to change the game.

If you want others to play with you, try to distance yourselves from the toxic element. If you are not bothered about playing with them anyway, who cares if they block you? Just saves you blocking them


If you are concerned that you may not be instanced with your friends because someone blocks you & not them, just make sure you all get blocked (or none of you), problem solved imo.

ETA I felt it important to add that there is a similarly toxic element in the PvE crowd.

 

[Vorxian]

Because there is probably only a very tiny % of open players you would want to block?

LOL exactly. It might inspire players to not be at the top of others 'moron' list (if they want to see anyone at all in OPEN)

 

[Noctover]

My (unpopular) opinion is that the way it works at the moment is daft. Im fairly sure the system should be used to block communication from players being rude and abusive via chat/voice, not to filter players who want to kill you in Open out of your instance.

verbal/libel abuse it against the rules hence why there is a block feature; people trying to kill you in open regardless of reason or motive isn't and people shouldent be able to use it as such.

There are several other methods in the form of "game modes" to avoid people who want to play their game within the rules that just happens to different from ones own, i don't think the block feature addition needs to be another.

My 2 credits.

 

[Riverside]

My (unpopular) opinion is that the way it works at the moment is daft. Im fairly sure the system should be used to block communication from players being rude and abusive via chat/voice, not to filter players who want to kill you in Open out of your instance.

verbal/libel abuse it against the rules hence why there is a block feature; people trying to kill you in open regardless of reason or motive isn't and people shouldent be able to use it as such.

There are several other methods in the form of "game modes" to avoid people who want to play their game within the rules that just happens to different from ones own, i don't think the block feature addition needs to be another.

My 2 credits.

Of course you are entitled to your opinion but Groups are a whitelist, block player function is a blacklist. It makes sense to have both in the games feature list.

 

[StiTch]

I really struggle to see what moron thought the block mechanic would work well as an actual instancing tool.

Block comms, as to prevent harassment? Sure. Go for it guys.

Actually prevent instancing where possible? Who in the name of Mary's hairy, sweaty, rank armpits thought of that? I see nothing this brings to the game over blocking comms only, other than blatant and desperate abuse to evade risk. Does removing in-game interactions over just comms actually help fight any other breach of Ts/Cs? Have players found a way to make their avatar give other players the finger out the canopy I wasn't aware of? (please let this be the case...)

I've even seen a semi well known youtuber pull this stunt off - popped into system, saw another player, added them immediately to block list.

Actual instancing prevention should be a last resort tool when someone is proven to be griefing under the terms and conditions - that is, proven to be harassing a specific other player out of simple spite or out-of-game reasons.

If they didn't see this coming a mile off they all need some glasses

 

[Charles Erika von Hackbeil]

Open is more than your personal showbox of reality suggest. Apart from the usual suspects it´s a great place to meet other Cmdrs. I don´t know why I should give up on that.

Blocking works, it works as intented, everything´s fine.

 

[Riverside]

I really struggle to see what moron thought the block mechanic would work well as an actual instancing tool.

Block comms, as to prevent harassment? Sure. Go for it guys.

Actually prevent instancing where possible? Who in the name of Mary's armpits thought of that? I see nothing this brings to the game over blocking comms only, other than blatant and desperate abuse to evade risk.

I've even seen a semi well known youtuber pull this stunt off - popped into system, saw another player, added them immediately to block list.

Actual instancing prevention should be a last resort tool when someone is proven to be griefing under the terms and conditions - that is, proven to be harassing a specific other player out of simple spite or out-of-game reasons.

If they didn't see this coming a mile off they all need some glasses

How do you feel about people leaving the game while they sleep StiTch? Is it really annoying that you can't rob them while they aren't at the keyboard?