Expanding the functionality of /ignore

[mtz 496]

In its current state, APB's /ignore command only blocks in-game communication with a given player (and mutes their kill themes) - which obviously doesn't ignore them on all fronts. The people you ignore are still very much a part of your gameplay experience, and if they're particularly persistent, they will go out of their way to be actively detrimental to it. I believe the /ignore command could be improved in a couple of ways. Obviously some of these ways (or their aspects) might require more work to be done on the dev side, but in my opinion it would very much be worth it in the long run (provided that the whole phasing thing doesn't fix things in its own way).

 

#1 - Prevent all custom content created by ignored players from being displayed.

This specific part would be an extension of the current functionality which simply mutes the kill themes of the players you ignore, allowing you to counteract players with ear-abusing themes (such as white noise, several instruments filling the entire studio canvas, high pitched whines, or the life support machine sound which is an interesting concept in theory but an obnoxious thing in practice).

Putting someone on your ignore list would essentially drown out anything they have created from your vision:

 

• character and clothing customization (replacing them with our beloved green-hatted Default Player),
• purchased display points (having them be blanked out [in the case of billboards] or in their default state [in the case of statues]),
• vehicle customization (turning the car into its most basic form, removing all kits and decals, showing what's basically the default grey-painted form of it),
• marketplace activity (rendering them unable to bid on/buy things created by the player ignoring them, while also preventing their own auctions from showing up in the ignoring player's marketplace listings),

 

- all of these things would be rendered invisible to the person ignoring a given player.

 

#2 - Also prevent ignored players themselves from showing up.

This one is highly arguable (and may even become obsolete when phasing is introduced), but I still want to throw this idea out there for the sake of a discussion/feedback.

If removing a player's customization isn't effective enough, they could essentially become invisible to the person ignoring them. An ignored player would be prevented from making physical contact with the player who's ignoring them (they would just phase through each other), thus rendering them unable to do things such as push/grief cars when out of a mission, or block an objective with their car. This would obviously not apply if the ignored player is in the same mission as the player ignoring them - in this case, the player would show up normally, and the invisibility/ghost mode would be reinstated the very moment the mission ends.

 

(An idea which I don't want to push here, but I want to get it out there, is for matchmaking to entirely exclude the possibility of matching against a player on one's ignore list.

This wouldn't be without issues though - it would be entirely possible for players to ignore certain specific people for no other reason than "I don't like to play missions against them". This is why I'm only bringing it up for discussion and not actually pushing it for its implementation.)

 

As always, this is a discussion first and a suggestion second. Ultimately, it's Little Orbit who have the final say in the matter - but giving feedback helps gauge the community's opinion on the subject and estimate what is best for the game.

[Iazer 204]

NOTICE ME - Also, do this so we don't have to see that god awful symbol on the wall in social each week (You can probably guess which one)

Edited August 9, 2019 by Iazer

[Hexerin 1142]

You have my support.