Countering Combat Logging

[Captain Hooch]

I know there is no way to fully solve the issue of combat logging, but I have some suggestions to make it better for everyone.

1. The 15 second timer needs an overhaul!

Right now 15 seconds is just not enough time for a legal log out. Most ships that combat log legally are able to survive in 15 seconds, and for pirates 15 seconds is more than enough time for a trade ship at 100% shields and hull to log out immediately after interdiction. Now I don't claim to know what the best solution or combination of solutions is so I've thought up a bunch of possible solutions which I'll list below:

• Increase the Timer to 30, 45, or 60 seconds - and send a message to any player targeting that ship to inform them a legal log is in process. It could say something like "Ship Scan Disrupted" to keep it lore friendly which will alert the players fighting the logging out player that this player is currently logging out.
• Disallow log out if you've been on the giving or receiving end of a hostile action anytime in the last 15 seconds, then have a 15 second timer to log out over the next 60 seconds after the hostile action timer has expired. (if you shoot someone, get shot, interdict, get interdicted etc it resets the timer back to 15 seconds before you can even click log out before it kicks over to the 60 seconds where a 15 second log out is required)
• Reset the seconds on the log out timer anytime you receive a hostile action while logging out (example you start to log, 15, 14, 13, 12 *get shot* 15, 13, *get shot* 15, *get shot* 15)

Again I don't know which solution or combination of solutions would be best so I've got 3 possible ones. Personally I feel a combination of 1 and 3 would best, increase the timer, send a message to players targeting a ship in the process of logging out, and reset the timer any time the logging ship is shot. It's easy to implement and totally fair.


2. Spawn an identical NPC after log out!
We know combat logging will still happen so when a ship logs out if its possible could the game just spawn in an NPC with the same ranking, loadout, cargo, name, and bounty if any to replace them. This allows the combat to continue for the players who were the victims of a combat logger.


3. Illegal Log Out Explanation Screen!
Finally to round out the solutions, if a player illegally combat logs have them be met with a screen upon their next log in. This screen would say "We detected an illegal disconnect from the game servers, please explain what happened" They would then be met with a list of 5 options.

• Power Went Out
• Internet Went Out
• Personal Emergency
• Combat Logging
• Other

This data is then sent to Frontier as a report against that player and is required before that player can log back in. Once they select an option and hit send they get the main menu screen and can continue on. Now of course we know people will combat log and lie about it so let me say this I have over 1,000 hours in this game. I have only had an illegal log out in combat happen to me ONCE, my internet went out in the middle of a fight. So someone who is constantly sending illegal combat log reports with reasons like Power Out, Net Out will obviously be flagged as a lair. This whole thing could even be automated to flag people as lairs. This means Frontier Support doesn't have to keep busy with it. They would only get an actual report from the system when it recommends a player to be banned from Open Play.

 

[X-Terminator]

For PvP all we need is both agree to fight or you only take damage (not kill) if one runs away without landing a shot (they can still provoke )

 

[Asp Explorer]

Unfortunately - it would be very open to abuse, and simple (but not exactly trivial) to circumvent.

 

[X-Terminator]

Did I want to reduce the Insurance Costs? - YES
Is this necessary with my above solution? - NO
Have I discovered the solution to COMBAT LOGGING, INSURANCE COSTS, LITTLE IN CHANGE TO PROGRAM? - YES

 

[Captain Hooch]

For PvP all we need is both agree to fight or you only take damage (not kill) if one runs away without landing a shot (they can still provoke )

Well thats all fine and dandy for arranged battles. But what about pvp that happens naturally? Such as in the case of pirates chasing a trader? A Blockade of a Community Goal? Two players who have just about enough of each other? Opposing Factions in powerplay, etc.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Unfortunately - it would be very open to abuse, and simple (but not exactly trivial) to circumvent.

Care to explain how

 

[Asp Explorer]

Care to explain how

Of course not!!!

 

[Herbrand]

Or implement real consequences for being a          and killing random people for no reason. This will reduce the amount of combat logging for real.

 

[Captain Hooch]

Or implement real consequences for being a and killing random people for no reason. This will reduce the amount of combat logging for real.

Well of course we could use a better crime and punishment system, but being a pirate or murderhobo is just as valid of a play style as being a trader or miner and those guys are getting hurt right now a lot more than the traders and miners because their gameplay is negatively impacted by people being able to so easily combat log and the combat loggers are suffering no consequences for their actions.

 

[vrasuk]

what we need more is a way to punish pirates and player killers. right now there are zero consequences for the attackers. as long as they attack who they want, where they want, without any consequences, people will log out to evade these encounters. if someone kills a player in a high security system, they should be hunted by the local security forces all over the system and they should be denied access to all stations of that system for a fixed amount of time, so they can't repair/restock there.

 

[Chrystoph]

Since the majority of your proposal amounts to you being able to control the other player's gaming experience, I am all for it if you accept the following addendum to the proposal.

"Any time that a player attempts to interdict another player, there is a 1 in 4 chance that the player being interdicted will be offered the option to cause the interdicting player's ship to self destruct."

That way, both players have the chance of forcing the other player into an experience that they don't want. Anything less is simply you complaining that you don't get privilege.

 

[Herbrand]

Well of course we could use a better crime and punishment system, but being a pirate or murderhobo is just as valid of a play style as being a trader or miner and those guys are getting hurt right now a lot more than the traders and miners because their gameplay is negatively impacted by people being able to so easily combat log and the combat loggers are suffering no consequences for their actions.

No, I disagree.
Attacking other people for no reason is a hostile choice that should come with consequences. Known mass murderers should be denied docking in the civilised world, or penalised in a way other than the current, farcical one.

This doesn't happen, and as a consequence people have the option of engaging in antisocial activities just to annoy other players. Sure, they can come up with bull rp "reasons", but that doesn't hold water - when you hunt down harmless explorers going to Jacques or around Merope you are just being a , and you deserve no fair play nor respect.

Piracy makes RP sense and I accept it, but when it comes to blatant griefing I fully support combat-logging and practice it myself.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Well of course we could use a better crime and punishment system, but being a pirate or murderhobo is just as valid of a play style as being a trader or miner and those guys are getting hurt right now a lot more than the traders and miners because their gameplay is negatively impacted by people being able to so easily combat log and the combat loggers are suffering no consequences for their actions.

Are you suggesting the gameplay of targets who may lose millions of credits each time they are destroyed is being impacted less than those who players chose to combat log in front of (who would get a 6,000 Cr. bounty at the most for destroying the other player)?

To be clear about definitions, the 15-second delayed-exit-in-danger is not Combat Logging according to Sandro and may be used at any time. They are aware that not all players will agree with their stance.

Combat Logging is, however, ungraceful exit from the game - be it killing the client, pulling the network cable out of the PC, switching off the router, resetting the PC, etc..

As to keeping a player's ship in game after their connection fails, Sandro has also stated that there is no impartial arbiter available to take on the simulation of that ship.