Griefing With Datamasses

[je11yfish]

Okay, it goes like this:

 

I joined an alert mission, and Lotus said to gather 4 datamasses, so we split up (2 and 2) to go grab them.  The guy that goes with me allows me to unlock the datamasses so that he can be the one to carry them.

 

Now here is the problem:

 

He used that datamass as a way to keep the entire group waiting while he farmed the entire zone.  Working on research, he says.  Keeping the entire group waiting, I say.  Not my problem, he says.

 

So now 3 people have to wait or leave and there is nothing they can do about it.  I know that what he is doing is completely against the co-op spirit of the game, but it is smart, even though it is very rude -- he used us to clear the zone so that he could farm it as his leisure.

 

I am hoping that a dev reading this might consider changing the "mission complete" mechanic for datamass-related missions.

 

Here are the alternatives:

1) mitigate griefing by refusing to be the one that unlocks the datamass, so that (hopefully) you can be the one to carry it -- no guarantee of success.

2) griefing in this manner continues or escalates in frequency -- expect escalation now that everyone is farming for research.

3) griefing gets worse -- such as deliberately dropping/hiding datamasses to keep the group from completing the mission.

 

Thank you for consideration.

[MXXVI]

Personally, I'd say you should be asking for a vote kick system, rather than a change to any existing gameplay mechanic.

 

Because let's face it; people are going to be asshats at some point, somehow. They will always find a way.

[mogamu]

A kick system would be an over reaching disaster just because one dude trolled the datamasses.  I have never seen anyone do that but you can believe that kick-trolling will be a widespread catastrophe.

[Kroul]

Hmmm, how about a timer on holding the datamass (Like hot potato kinda...)

After 1-2 mins of holding the datamass you are forced to drop it and can not pick it up again for 10-30 seconds.

This way a teamate can nab the datamass and continue on without any one person controlling it for good.

It will also push people towards teamwork

Edit: Also implemenet a timer on the data mass to respawn after no one picks it up for 1 minute (Since it can and will get stuck somewhere unobtainable)

Edited June 3, 2013 by Kroul

[Barbzilla]

Personally, I'd say you should be asking for a vote kick system, rather than a change to any existing gameplay mechanic.

 

Because let's face it; people are going to be asshats at some point, somehow. They will always find a way.

Pretty much this.  When you are dealing with online games, you will almost always end up dealing with idiots and rude people.  The only real way to mitigate that is to have a system in place to vote kick.  Of course then you also have to deal with trolls abusing the votekick system.  Anyone who has ever played games like Chivalry or Left 4 Dead will know what I mean.

[InFlames]

Pretty much this.  When you are dealing with online games, you will almost always end up dealing with idiots and rude people.  The only real way to mitigate that is to have a system in place to vote kick.  Of course then you also have to deal with trolls abusing the votekick system.  Anyone who has ever played games like Chivalry or Left 4 Dead will know what I mean.

 

Oh the tryhards....

[HandsomeMask]

Just add a timer after collecting all four data-masses so it's either you get to the extraction or lose the mission, or the person holding them gets the timer that doesn't reset after picking them up and must drop them off our lose the mission.

[RogueDarkJedi]

I've had this happen as well. One guy had one of the datamasses, I had two and another had one. Three of us were at the extraction, while one guy started going around and just meleeing the air, delaying the extraction for whatever reason. He wouldn't answer chat, he just kept on screwing off. This went on for about 3-6 minutes. Little did the guy know that I recorded him being a jerkface. I'm debating on reporting him or not.

[Hybridon]

I was playing along with 3 other random people, and 2 of them kept rushing ahead and closing elevators in my face, on purpose, even after I asked for them to stop.

 

Not only did they rush, but they also left hoards of enemys while me and this other guy had to kill them all, he got left behind being a Rhino, but also stood beside me as I was carrying 3 of the 4 datamasses.

 

If he hadnt helped me, I would have not only died, but also have fallen with 3 of the 4 datamasses, nobody to revive me, and they would have to rush back to get them and then leave me behind again.

 

So we decided to keep farming for around 30-40 mins while they kept waiting at the end zone. I usually fit in to the teams desire, if they want to patrol and farm and look for resources I will gladly help, if they want to rush ill gladly rush along and when I get too far ahead wait up.

 

You got trolled one way, I got trolled another and had to use datamasses as a revenge, unfortunatly.

 

Problems like these will happen all the time, Vaubans, Lokis and Mags using there troll powers, and so on. Theres no fix, just praying to have a co-op team or play along with friends that you know will only troll you for fun once in a while.

[Xylia]

Personally, I'd say you should be asking for a vote kick system, rather than a change to any existing gameplay mechanic.

 

Because let's face it; people are going to be asshats at some point, somehow. They will always find a way.

 

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, and NO.

 

NO FREAKING VOTE KICKING.

 

That is THE worst thing you coudl POSSIBLY do to the game.

 

I mean, seriously? "OH MY GOD SOMEONE WANTS TO FARM! START THE PRESSES!"

 

Uh, OP... why didn't you just follow the guy around and pick up all the resources instead of whining?

 

Oh, Heaven Forbid you take 5-10min to farm a zone of resources. If I had been in that group I would have been like "Freaking YES! FINALLY I get a chance to actually open some lockers and boxes!" because everybody is just rush rush rush rush.

 

Maybe if people would Rush Rush Rush less, then the guy wouldn't have needed to grab a datamass just to be able to open some boxes?

[theammostore]

Okay, it goes like this:

 

I joined an alert mission, and Lotus said to gather 4 datamasses, so we split up (2 and 2) to go grab them.  The guy that goes with me allows me to unlock the datamasses so that he can be the one to carry them.

 

Now here is the problem:

 

He used that datamass as a way to keep the entire group waiting while he farmed the entire zone.  Working on research, he says.  Keeping the entire group waiting, I say.  Not my problem, he says.

 

So now 3 people have to wait or leave and there is nothing they can do about it.  I know that what he is doing is completely against the co-op spirit of the game, but it is smart, even though it is very rude -- he used us to clear the zone so that he could farm it as his leisure.

 

I am hoping that a dev reading this might consider changing the "mission complete" mechanic for datamass-related missions.

 

Here are the alternatives:

1) mitigate griefing by refusing to be the one that unlocks the datamass, so that (hopefully) you can be the one to carry it -- no guarantee of success.

2) griefing in this manner continues or escalates in frequency -- expect escalation now that everyone is farming for research.

3) griefing gets worse -- such as deliberately dropping/hiding datamasses to keep the group from completing the mission.

 

Thank you for consideration.

I was that guy. I remember that day. Whoever was mag got so fed up that they just pulled me into extraction even though I was already there.

 

Also, it wasn't on purpose. Really. I was just going to run around getting the stuff whiel you all went to extraction, but then somehow I ended up with the datamasses because the other guy whoever who had it died and so I picked them up so we could have more firepower going around, then I just went about my business honestly forgetting I had them most of the time.

 

But yeah, it's an alert mission, they tend to have a lot of good things in them resources and redits wise, so why not go looking for it? It's not like an extra 10min or so is going to kill you.

 

EDIT: didn't I also mark every single recource drop for you guys, and didn't you all come back and get them?

 

EDIT2: and weren't we also waiting for a hotfix to be deployed? with the redtext telling us not to leave the mission?

Edited June 3, 2013 by theammostore

[je11yfish]

I was that guy. I remember that day. Whoever was mag got so fed up that they just pulled me into extraction even though I was already there.

 

 

 

I don't remember you, or that occasion, if we happened to be grouped together. The event I speak of actually happened earlier today.

 

Edit:  Also, I should probably mention that most of the groups I am in are good or great, this is just one time where things could have been better.

Edited June 3, 2013 by je11yfish

[Enot83]

I've said this for other games, specifically ME3, a vote kick would be abused by people, we have seen things already abused by people in the U8 patch, so there is precedent for this claim.

 

There have been some other suggestions in this that would help to solve the problem, and this subject has been discussed in other threads.

 

-Things like being able to blacklist to prevent future game matching or the player from joining you would help to avoid future problems of this nature.

-Things like if at least x (could be 1 could be majority amount to be determined) amount of the datamass is present, along with the majority of players, you have an extended timer, from the 1 min but the game would end.  How long could be reviewed by the general placement of datamasses on tilesets so that it was not exploitable and always faster to bring all the datamasses.  (this doesn't solve for if the player has all of them).

-The hot potatoe idea that enables after x minutes when the majority of players are in the extract zone.  (hey maybe 2 birds with 1 stone, people who simply rush ahead without helping the team will end up having to go back to pick that thing up or wait extra long).

 

Point being there are other ways, beyond a vote kick during the middle of the game.

[theammostore]

I don't remember you, or that occasion, if we happened to be grouped together. The event I speak of actually happened earlier today.

 

Edit:  Also, I should probably mention that most of the groups I am in are good or great, this is just one time where things could have been better.

Oh. Because what you described was pretty much exactly what happened one time with me and someone else. Same exact chat messages too. My bad.

[Barbzilla]

Oh the tryhards....

Not sure what you mean there.