Discussion: Zone Plugging

[YendorLootmonkey]

Turn up your virtual memory size and defrag your HD. You know what I meant -- people with faster computers generally have an advantage over those who don't in FPS, multiplayer games, etc. You turned your reso down in BF2 and maybe your view distance, but that guy running his reso at 1600x1200 at 100% view distance had the advantage over you.

[raptorak]

Hmm I have an awesome computer but I often crash when zoning, it was pretty much 50% of the time until I turned off texture cacheing, now it is about 20%. As long as we can't be looted and we don't lose any exp I guess I can live with this system.

[Buhbuh]

Originally Posted by Halister [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

The people that zone fast will make it most of the time, the people that don't will die most of the time. I zone pretty fast myself. Just saying it seems just as gamebreaking to me as zoneplugging does.

This is where I have a "fuck 'em" attitude.

Now, let's remember why EQ sucked ass after Velious.

First, let me preface my explanation by first stating that zone plugging was a pretty novel thing to do in EQ during the Velious era (essentially no one devised doing it in PvP. It was mostly a way to get to PoM.)

With that in mind, Luclin came out and had safe zones. BUT, not only did it have safe zones, it had instant click exodus's and portals for Druids and Wizards!

Then came PoP with more safe zones, more AA's, more insane gear without proper scaling to help end the lives of people in much the same quick manner as previously seen in Velious and before then. That was Sony's fault. Moving on...

LDoN-- yay! Instances! (By this point plugging was rampant.)

Then later some bullshit gating AA for all classes? I hardly remember.

Case in point: EQ sucked because there became too many ways for people to A) escape PvP, and B) the gear scaled with PvP mechanics over time made a PvP battle between 2 people sometimes last 3 hours (some of them were epic, don't get me wrong).

So if we're making a list of things that were wrong with EQ, the terrible things that prevented real, honest PvP, it would start as follows:

1. Safe zones
2. Alternate Advancement (some were actually good ideas, ironically enough).
3. Instances
4. Hackers
5. Zone pluggers
6. Too much gear with too many stats
7. More levels
-----------------
8. Sony
9. My mom yelling at me to take out the garbage
10. Guilds ran by people who didn't want to stir anyone up
11. Iloveyou
12. That Constellations chick in the RL pic forum is really quite gorgeous and stunning, amirite or wut?
13. I've got a thing for those deep, dark brown peepers. I MELT, BREW.

But seriously, 1-7. Dying isn't a big deal. I suicide by going Rambo on full groups all the time, pals. I zone, sure. I don't plug. It isn't really a "tactic."

The reality is that you've lost at the point if plugging. You're just denying anyone else the pleasure of getting the kill of you out of spite and pride. I'm surprised no one else has said that. Don't call plugging something it isn't, something tactical or noble or even remotely natural to the game.

It is an exploit. What's that quote?

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right." -- Thomas Paine, y'all.

[Galacticus]

Originally Posted by Rogean [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Originally I had decided not to devise a system against users intentionally going LD while zoning, but we have brought it up internally and are now considering it. A system like this may or may not be difficult to implement, and there's no guarantee that it will be available at the launch of the server, or even at all. With that said,
I am opening it for discussion. The system would force a player spawn even if their client has closed the connection while zoning, and they would appear linkdead for the 30 seconds. Due to the nature of the zoning process, it could take up to 5 minutes for a player to pop out linkdead while zoning.

Yes. Good idea.

[Amuk]

Keep plugging in ahah, I like suicide missions against several players, but at least I know I have a slim ass fucken chance of maken it to the ZL - I can understand both sides, I just won't be able to attempt to solo fight grps anymore.

[Lazortag]

If you're going to have exp loss on death then you have to allow zone plugging. If I'm running away from a mob (that can kill me and take away my exp), I'm safe so long as I reach a zoneline. Why should it be different with a player? I'm okay with taking away plugging but only if you don't allow exp loss on death.

[raptorak]

Exp loss on death is a horrible idea - these emu servers barely work properly as it is, let alone losing exp from being consistently griefed as you fail to log back on to the server after crashing at zone. And what was wrong with loosing cash?

[Rushmore]

There needs to be at least 5 mins of downtime if you do decide to plug...

I would prefer 10mins. Plugging YES we all do it.... Why wouldn't you?

But if you do there should be some punishment. Especially in massive pvp fights for Naggy etc. 10 mins is a life time....and when you puss out you should be punished.

I know occasionally it happens on accident; not plugging itself but other problems that you may have. And yes that sucks...but plugging is a real problem and something should be put in place to protect everyone.

This is a simple fix as opposed to implementing some Jesus like system to save us all.

[Envious]

/signed

[Rushmore]

Originally Posted by Envious [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

/signed

?