(GAME) Temporary Solution to Dethreaters

[Nessie 81]

I remember suggesting this years ago, but of course under G1 domain it was often impossible to receive real consideration even for the most needed adjustments. I'm sure now things may 

 

First of all, lets remember that Little Orbit already stated they plan to have the Threat system reworked, if not completely scrapped and rebuilt to function properly. But since this may be a long term project that we won't see efficiently in use for a while, I think it would be helpful if they could adopt a faster, easier solution to get rid of this exploit asap.

 

Current Situation:

A player (normally Gold Threat) purposely exploits the threat system to join normally inaccessible districts (of Bronze Threat) in order to play missions against easier opponents, trolling and/or griefing with the higher skill and rank obtained. As a consequence, new players are pushed away from the game due to the immediate bad experience, only promoting the wrong idea of "p2w" and "cheaters" in the game.

 

Solution:

Disable mission matchmaking for players whose threat doesn't match the one of the district.

> Optional: Prompt a message warning to change districts to correct ones, with an auto-kick if the player doesn't in 5 mins.

 

 

Since the threat level is updated after a mission ends, simply locking the "Ready" status when their threat is increased will prevent the players from causing any further damage. This means that:

1) if the player is a true gold, he either has to keep playing bad (fair for the bronzes) or he will continuously lose the ability to play missions (and be kicked), rendering the action of dethreating not worth it;

2) if the player is a silver who got lucky, he will probably dethreat by normal means after moving to the correct district;

 

In case you begin asking "what about players who keep changing between the two threats", lets first understand that the current threats are incorrectly being altered by the dethreaters: a silver would not keep getting gold and back if he didn't bounce between fighting bronzes and golds. With such simple fix, the districts will begin balancing themself autonomously given enough time.

While it isn't a solution to the issue of the threats, it can quickly address some of the main problems currently faced for the time it takes to create a new proper system.

 

Feel free to share opinions! Criticism is welcome.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Nessie

[EventideOne 10]

I personally go into Bronze servers instead of Silvers because I’m usually silver, get matched against a full team of veteran golds with good builds and get rekt back down to bronze anyway. I’d rather the new system accommodate for where people are in roles and contact progression as well as W/L otherwise you’re gonna need someone to carry you or take a full day of Ls and take forever to get through your contacts and roles. 

 

I want a more realistic challenge, and I don’t think a quick fix like this will give me that. I still get matched with silvers in the bronze district so that aspect works. I’d rather have mixed teams so those players can get a challenge. But there’s too few tiers of threat ranking that’s why its a pain. They need to tier the system so those chronic buttkickers get a real challenge and the chronic losers won’t ragequit. 

Edited May 27, 2018 by EventideOne

[Nessie 81]

You misunderstand; the suggestion is not about how the threat system should be.

It's merely a quick patchwork to the current mechanic, preventing dethreaters to cause further damage and allowing new players to breath and play while a new better threat system gets worked on.

[Fortune Runner 796]

no bronze learns how to play by a gold dropping a nuke on them

 

only ashes would remain

 

as for this fix idea - i doubt they can do anything with all the spaghetti coding they have to go through

so adding more spaghetti just to fix things so they can fix things isnt ideal which is also why new major updates arent planned but possibly something small like a new outfit or something when they can

[cyral 25]

Thanks Nessie, i've been trying to convey somethings along the same thinking as you just put down....but my normal post here i do after i've been brutally raped in a series of back/back/back missions.....i know it's not right, but at times i cannot help it.....and if i did take a moment to sit and think about things after i calm down a little, i would sound a lot more respectful like you just did.....and not a raving lunatic....like most of my post usually are.....

[Nessie 81]

19 hours ago, Fortune Runner said:

no bronze learns how to play by a gold dropping a nuke on them

 

only ashes would remain

 

as for this fix idea - i doubt they can do anything with all the spaghetti coding they have to go through

so adding more spaghetti just to fix things so they can fix things isnt ideal which is also why new major updates arent planned but possibly something small like a new outfit or something when they can

 

Being able to do it or not is matter for LO.

I still propose it and hope, I still think this kind of hotfix is way more important than adding new content, as dethreaters continuously cause damage to the game (most of new players ragequit because of them).

Edited May 29, 2018 by Nessie

[Fortune Runner 796]

Yeah a hotfix like this would definitely be needed.

 

From Little Orbit's posts on the forum and the dev feed Q&A ,  they are getting situated to see what needs fixing and  drawing up a game plan and not planning on adding any major changes until they are ready

for the engine upgrade or it would only make the workload worse on getting it done

 

I'm just hoping that spaghetti coding isn't too annoying for them  - it has to be a mess from all this time

 

 

[LilyV3 323]

oh this old old suggestion again, maybe this time it can happen.

[TheFreelancer 27]

I’d like to see this as a hotfix

[ninetenduh 40]

that won't fix de-threating, as dope suggested before, make all districts open conflict. That removes the threat.

[Nessie 81]

5 hours ago, ninetenduh said:

that won't fix de-threating, as dope suggested before, make all districts open conflict. That removes the threat.

Open conflict doesn't prevent veterans to fight newbies. This fix does. At least partially. And makes de-threating not worth the effort, so why not? better than nothing

Edited May 30, 2018 by Nessie

[ninetenduh 40]

urgh, no it won't fix anything. It will eventually make people quite because mechanics are forced on them, that's not how games of this kind work. 

 

The only thing that would kinda work is that a gold in bronze would be automatically kicked after let's say 5 missions. but Making them lose the ability to play missions won't have any Positive effects, none at all.

[Nessie 81]

7 hours ago, ninetenduh said:

urgh, no it won't fix anything. It will eventually make people quite because mechanics are forced on them, that's not how games of this kind work. 

 

The only thing that would kinda work is that a gold in bronze would be automatically kicked after let's say 5 missions. but Making them lose the ability to play missions won't have any Positive effects, none at all.

 

I appreciate your opinion, but I'm not sure I see your point at all..? Are you saying that dethreaters would quit because they can't play in bronze anymore?

 

EVEN BETTER THEN! 

[Clandestine 390]

This looks like threat lock from 2013 and that ended up with huge exodus of players...