How do you deal with combat logging?

[Fishy]

I agree. All risk should be taken out of the game because risk dosent benefit anyone. FD...2.4 please.

Not sure if serious, but just in case...

Risk is fine, and adds a bit of spice to the game. A bit, but not too much, since credits are plentiful. But psychologically, having to click on the rebuy button feels expensive enough that you don't want it to happen. Some players don't want it to happen and fly in solo or private group, which is cool. Some want everything and fly in open while still refusing the risk. It's not great, but it hardly hurts anyone. And I'd rather see unsporting opponents log out (and I see my fair share when undermining...) than see a rebuy screen the (rare, and thankfully never in combat) times my client crashes to desktop just to enforce sporting conduct.

 

[Imo]

Since most players prefer to believe in bad will when it happens I suggest not to play in open until Frontier gets the net code working. The game too often looses connections or crashes to desktop. Let this happen during pvp and everyone will fall over you as the bad guy who wants to cheat.

 

[Rakaposhi]

I've been dealing with a player lately who combat logs every time his conda looses shields........I've used report button in game already, any other options?

Stop trying to kill him? That would stop him logging. If he attacks you, just log out.

 

[Noctover]

Not sure if serious, but just in case...

Risk is fine, and adds a bit of spice to the game. A bit, but not too much, since credits are plentiful. But psychologically, having to click on the rebuy button feels expensive enough that you don't want it to happen. Some players don't want it to happen and fly in solo or private group, which is cool. Some want everything and fly in open while still refusing the risk. It's not great, but it hardly hurts anyone. And I'd rather see unsporting opponents log out (and I see my fair share when undermining...) than see a rebuy screen the (rare, and thankfully never in combat) times my client crashes to desktop just to enforce sporting conduct.

Luckily the game comes with risk levels. Solo = low risk, Open = high risk. Why login to high risk and exploit the game so that its no risk.

 

[Fishy]

Luckily the game comes with risk levels. Solo = low risk, Open = high risk. Why login to high risk and exploit the game so that its no risk.

Dunno, ask them?

The point I'm trying to make is that it hardly matters. If anything, it makes me feel warm inside from all the moral superiority.

 

[Noctover]

Dunno, ask them?

The point I'm trying to make is that it hardly matters. If anything, it makes me feel warm inside from all the moral superiority.

Tried asking, but it says "This player no longer exists"

 

[Vorxian]

I've been dealing with a player lately who combat logs every time his conda looses shields, mind you that happens regardless of who initiates combat - he'll interdict me and then leave when loosing or when I'm on him he'll just pull the plug on his internet (he gets all kinds of laggy before disappearing) I've used report button in game allready, any other options?

If your opponent combat logs, it simply means YOU WIN

Just for the fact that he loses, and doesn't get a 40m credit fine for losing (indeed insurance bill is a losers fine), just makes it easier to come back again for another go. He may be trying different tactics, and if you're winning every time, and he's presenting you with a free win via combat logging, you're holding absolute superiority over him. Take pride. Beat ones chest, and stand tall and proud. You won.

I can't think of any advantage in ED to actually destroy your opponent. There's no reason to pay a victim fee either tbh. (other than good / bad sportsman, and let the victim pay a huge, detrimental and heavy price for it).

TLDR;

I'm on the fence with this. Just treat a combat logged opponent as a win for yourself. The ultimate fact is, there are no real options to deal with this, it is (as they say) in the game.

 

[RhymeRhyme]

Firstly, you're using "You" and "Your" alot, i am not a part of any player group, i play on my own 99.9% of the time.

Secondly, its like a seal clubber complaining about animal rights but in the same breath saying "as long as the problem exists i'll be part of it". You're not willing to lose hours/day/weeks of work but instead of having the solution "i wont put it at risk" you pick fights knowing you'll just exploit game mechanics to get out of them. Your not an anti-hero, your a cheat...Sorry that's just how it is. You only fight, because you know you cant die, then you blame the mechanics of the game or other players for having combat capable ships you yourself could get if you wanted to... Sorry mate your just a giant hypocrite.

Whatever works for you man! Whatever works and makes you happy. I'm with you in these times of darkness.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I keep suggesting the same, err, let's call it a consequence, for illegal combat logging, that literally only punishes those who do it on purpose, leaving the accidental disconnects and crashes to continue as normal. It's relatively simple too.
It's the closest thing to a solution I've seen, but it gets widely ignored.
Mainly because it's not a solution.

Because you can't actually prevent anyone combat logging on a P2P system. So there's no point trying.

 

[RhymeRhyme]

I keep suggesting the same, err, let's call it a consequence, for illegal combat logging, that literally only punishes those who do it on purpose, leaving the accidental disconnects and crashes to continue as normal. It's relatively simple too.
It's the closest thing to a solution I've seen, but it gets widely ignored.
Mainly because it's not a solution.

Because you can't actually prevent anyone combat logging on a P2P system. So there's no point trying.

The Devs can hardly differentiate between someone pulling the plug and a network connection error. It's not that simple.

But I think punishment is the wrong approach here. Getting rid of the reasons why people log is more the path to success.

 

[jasonbarron]

This has been a great thread to read through. It's like a who's who of clogging at a task kill convention. I especially like RhymeRhyme's jujitsu reasoning and justifications for his practices; highly entertaining.

 

[Fishy]

a task kill convention

I'd watch that live stream.

 

[Powderpanic]

Lol the replies on this thread at priceless.

Combat logging is fine if the rebuy is too expensive
Block them so they cannot hurt your feelings.

QQQQQQQQQQ

How much of a victim do you want to be?

You cannot deal with combat logging because FDEV don't care.

All you can do is get annoyed at how stupidly designed the game is and how soft FDEV are on cheaters.

Then just do what most PVP players who tried to play in the spirit of the game do.
Expect everyone to combat log and turn to straight up player killing as quickly as possible, than gradually accept how broken the Multiplayer part of this game is and just stop playing it.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

The Devs can hardly differentiate between someone pulling the plug and a network connection error. It's not that simple.

But I think punishment is the wrong approach here. Getting rid of the reasons why people log is more the path to success.

I double agree.

But!
My clever little idea actually punishes everyone, but those playing normally won't really notice, in theory.
If the game can distinguish between PvP danger and PvE danger, then it'll work even better, but not required.

But the basic premise, is when you enter any form of danger (but ideally PvP only), your save is 'marked'.
When you leave danger, or log out using the menu, the mark is cleared from your save.

If you pull the plug, crash, get disconnected, etc, the mark is left in place for when you next load.
So when you next go to start the game, it'll see the mark and only allow you back in to the previous mode, within a certain a time limit. I think 30 minutes from when the mark is placed is fair, but it's debatable.

Anyone pulling the plug to avoid death, can still do so(cuz' it can't be stopped), but if it's PvP, everyone will know you can only return to that mode.
There's a good chance people might be waiting for you. (Assuming you get instanced again).
So your choice is return to where you left off and hope for the best, or don't come back at all for 30 minutes or so.

If you're just doing some solo PvE bounty hunting, and you unexpectedly disconnect during combat, you just log back in to solo, where you was before.
The only unwanted side effect I can think of is if you get disconnected while in danger, just before you plan on mode flipping for mission stacking. But 30 minutes isn't so long that you'll feel your game time is being ruined by it.

Ideally the 'mark' would contain all the information needed to enforce it, such as time logged, and which mode or exact private group you was in.

That's my idea anyway. Lol

 

[GreyAreaUK]

The Devs can hardly differentiate between someone pulling the plug and a network connection error. It's not that simple.

[Citation needed]

 

[Powderpanic]

I double agree.

But!
My clever little idea actually punishes everyone, but those playing normally won't really notice, in theory.
If the game can distinguish between PvP danger and PvE danger, then it'll work even better, but not required.

But the basic premise, is when you enter any form of danger (but ideally PvP only), your save is 'marked'.
When you leave danger, or log out using the menu, the mark is cleared from your save.

If you pull the plug, crash, get disconnected, etc, the mark is left in place for when you next load.
So when you next go to start the game, it'll see the mark and only allow you back in to the previous mode, within a certain a time limit. I think 30 minutes from when the mark is placed is fair, but it's debatable.

Anyone pulling the plug to avoid death, can still do so(cuz' it can't be stopped), but if it's PvP, everyone will know you can only return to that mode.
There's a good chance people might be waiting for you. (Assuming you get instanced again).
So your choice is return to where you left off and hope for the best, or don't come back at all for 30 minutes or so.

If you're just doing some solo PvE bounty hunting, and you unexpectedly disconnect during combat, you just log back in to solo, where you was before.
The only unwanted side effect I can think of is if you get disconnected while in danger, just before you plan on mode flipping for mission stacking. But 30 minutes isn't so long that you'll feel your game time is being ruined by it.

Ideally the 'mark' would contain all the information needed to enforce it, such as time logged, and which mode or exact private group you was in.

That's my idea anyway. Lol

While I agree that it is probably near impossible to detect the different between a crash in FDEV's terrible networking or a player pulling a cable.

If they player is constantly getting a ahem "random" disconnect, shortly after being interdicted by another player and taking fire.
Wait till 3 examples of this and force them into solo for a week.

It will be better for them because they wont suffer any disconnections caused by another players laser fire.
It will be better for the other player because he wont be frustrated by someone with... ahem "network" issues
If you cannot maintain a steady connection in the vicinity of other players, you shouldn't be in Open.

 

[Phoenix_Dfire]

Actually, we're having quite a nice grown up discussion (Well Kind of) about Undesirable player behavior (Including Combat Logging) over at https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/349769-Deliberate-Ramming.

From Sandro's comments there, it shows that they do care and are actively trying to come up with solutions but unfortunatly with the 'NO ETA, No Guarantee!' Caveat as always

 

[Aurinkoinen]

How to deal with combat logging. Easy, report and just move on.

 

[Robert Maynard]

[Citation needed]

From the Deliberate Ramming thread:

The point is, if we could absolutely guarantee we understood exactly why an ungraceful disconnect occurred then we wouldn't need the system, we could simply apply a punitive measure there and then.

But the fact is that we can't tell the difference between network outage and someone disabling their network connection, just like we can't 100% tell who is really to blame in a starport collision (if we could, we'd consider working for traffic enforcement).

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Actually, we're having quite a nice grown up discussion (Well Kind of) about Undesirable player behavior (Including Combat Logging) over at https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/349769-Deliberate-Ramming.

From Sandro's comments there, it shows that they do care and are actively trying to come up with solutions but unfortunatly with the 'NO ETA, No Guarantee!' Caveat as always

I posted my idea there too.

And anywhere else I've noticed combat logging be mentioned. Lol