Kicking off the Q&A for the code update announcement made here.The primary thrust of this update is to deliver the first major action items based on the December poll for changes desired to excite existing players:
Vote: Best changes to retain/excite existing playersSpecifically, Item #4 is 'More regulation: Hoarding'. So we have a new package of updates designed to better define and regulate hoarding and other types of multiplay related cheating. Some of these changes have been in for a few months and were soft announced here in the forums when they went in. Other tracking changes also went in some time ago and were gathering data over the last month or two. But the trigger on monthly update actions did not take affect until last night.
Quote:
- Thieves will steal any excess unworn limited wearable items
This bullet point has been active since January and is already explained in a thread starting from here:
Ideas: More regulation for hoarding / item transfersQuote:
- Containers are now de-hoarded during the monthly update
This bullet point has been active since the February monthly update and is explained in a thread starting from here:
Get all back. Can't hold that many itemsQuote:
- Time spent in no-transport rooms doesn't count for keeping items
- Time spent in the wilderness counts less for keeping items
- Time spent at the inn counts more for keeping items
The thrust of these changes is discussed here and went active during February with the first affects seen last night:
De-Hoarding CodeDue to some feedback, I did not make wilderness time count for nothing, but it does count less than a normal room. To offset the loss of some miscellaneous hours spent in your HQ or wandering around the wilderness, you get something more than 1:1 hours when you spend quality time at the inn.
Quote:
- Hoarder status prevents obtaining new items for one week
Being a hoarder has now been quantified with a status that will show up on their character score. During the monthly update, the game tracks how many limited items they lost due to low hours. If that number of item goes above a specific threshold, they will get the Scarlet
[H] on their score sheet
for the next 7 real days.
Code:
oOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOoOOOo
o [Scores] [H] Hoarder - Holds Good EQ But Sits In A Saferoom All Day o
o===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===o
Only that character (and admins) can see this status.
While the status is in force (see above), the character will not be able to acquire NEW items. (Meaning new for them, not newly spawned items). Any newly acquired items will always be stolen by thieves at logout. The point of this is so that characters who are hoarders cannot just log back on immediately after the update and reacquire all the items that they just lost. They will be forced to wait awhile so that other people have a chance to acquire them first.
Quote:
- Searchable tracking of all item transfers (for admins)
- Enhanced tools used to investigate cheating (by admins)
You won't see these tools first-hand, but they are available for investigative purposes. They will make it much easier for admins to prove accusations of cheating or hoarding and therefore actively penalize it. But they still require active use and admins can't investigate everyone. So even with all the other updates, we need people to speak up when they believe another player is cheating or hoarding.
Quote:
- Use of proxies to connect is now against the rules
What's a proxy?
Let Me Google That For YouSometimes there are legitimate uses for proxies, but playing SK is no longer one of them. Cheaters use proxies to try to hide their cheating. The game now detects the use of many kinds of proxies automatically. If we catch you using them, we will assume that you are trying to cheat and proceed with penalties. Even if they are not automatically detected, if we have other evidence to believe you are using them, you will be prosecuted accordingly. Don't use proxies. Connect to the game via a normal local connection, or you can safely use the FMUD client we host at the
main website and via our
Facebook page.