2.3's Commander Log - A whole instance sensor system that enables considerable abuse

[Morbad]

The new Commander Log, introduced in 2.3, shows the name, face, and time of last contact for any and every CMDR you connect to. The bandwidth meter, present since before release, has always been used as something of an early warning system in Open, which itself is a minor, though nearly unavoidable, exploit. This new feature is far worse.

Want to know how many people are in your instance and if any are likely to be easy targets? Look at the CMDR log.

Want to know if you're being pursued by those potent enough to cause you trouble? Look at the CMDR log.

Unresolved contacts or distant exhaust trails? Look at the CMDR log.

Someone laying in wait, whether simply AFK or setting up an ambush? Look at the CMDR log.

See your bandwidth meter spike for any reason? Look at the CMDR log.

I feel this feature is subject to considerable abuse, trivializing the roles decent senors and basic situational awareness are supposed to play. The range is instance wide, which is often a bubble well in excess of 100km in diameter, or more than an order of magnitude better than the best sensors in the game. Limiting a CMDR's appearance in the log until they speak to you via local or direct; until they fire upon you or a wingmate/crew member; or until they are basic scanned by you or a wingmate/crew member, would be far more sensible.

An example:
[video=youtube;3AZ2SlOm2sQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AZ2SlOm2sQ[/video]

 

[Jake Savage]

Not sure it's that reliable.
Iv been trying this method, and yesterday I jumped into a haz rez and checked the log, no cmdrs.
Then traveled a few kms and a cmdr is there, in a fight with an Annie, looked like he had been at it for a while.
So why did he not show up on the cmdr log?

 

[Monk]

Not sure it's that reliable.
Iv been trying this method, and yesterday I jumped into a haz rez and checked the log, no cmdrs.
Then traveled a few kms and a cmdr is there, in a fight with an Annie, looked like he had been at it for a while.
So why did he not show up on the cmdr log?

They weren't in your instance, yet. In normal space, think of a bubble that surrounds you...that is your instance. The CMDR log will show any others in your instance/bubble. When you moved closer to the other CMDRs location, your bubbles merged into one instance.

I think, in SC, the bubble is much bigger and its size may be related to you relative speed. So often, since most systems have all the good stuff with in a couple thousand LS you will mostly see every CMDR in the system as they are all in your bubble/instance.

 

[Saxon Kili]

Eve online has something similar. You could pull up a player's full bio too.

Does the Commander Log tell you where they are?

 

[Monk]

Eve online has something similar. You could pull up a player's full bio too.

Does the Commander Log tell you where they are?

I pretty sure that if they show up on there then they can be selected in the Contacts panel...so, yes.

 

[Morbad]

They weren't in your instance, yet. In normal space, think of a bubble that surrounds you...that is your instance. The CMDR log will show any others in your instance/bubble. When you moved closer to the other CMDRs location, your bubbles merged into one instance.

I think, in SC, the bubble is much bigger and its size may be related to you relative speed. So often, since most systems have all the good stuff with in a couple thousand LS you will mostly see every CMDR in the system as they are all in your bubble/instance.

Yep, this is the case. It's almost perfectly reliable in normal space.

Does the Commander Log tell you where they are?

No, but knowing they are there and who they are is extremely useful information, even without their exact location.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I keep getting random CMDRs pop up in my history that i don't even recall seeing. Lol

I think the history tab should only record interactions, not everything.

 

[Monk]

I keep getting random CMDRs pop up in my history that i don't even recall seeing. Lol

I think the history tab should only record interactions, not everything.

Yeah, this history view is funny. Though, I understand the purpose behind showing the names of even those you didn't scan. Perhaps you didn't get their CMDR name or you saw them harassing someone else and you would like to block them.

 

[RamirezKurita]

The CMDR log goes way beyond detecting other players beyond sensor range, mine keeps on managing to pick up randomers even when I'm playing in Solo. I presume it's just picking out random names that are within the same system, or even the same sector.