Shattered Kingdoms

OA is right in that there are too many variables. You don't have to do anything at all in order to abuse this. Just being in a faction, logging in and listening to the channel for awhile and then logging out and using the info with a rival character is but one of many scenarios.

If you don't trigger a logging event, you aren't a variable in the logged set. Defining the event is the floodgate, and frankly, you shouldn't tell us what those events would be if they were made. If we can make a hoarding flag, we can certainly make an invisible "griefer" flag." But I'm just theory-crafting out of the interesting nature of the topic at this point: in the end, it's the people and their human presence that makes the difference.

I'm not a fan at all of the idea of trying to hard-code some way to keep people from logging into/out of other characters of theirs, nor of hard-coding a "Main" or an "alt" feature. I'm fine with having an automated system keep track of suspicious activity and logging it, but as Dulrik mentioned, I don't think that a feature which prevents someone from being to play is a feature that should be implemented without a real strong reason.

Frankly, there's no real way to have an automated process that will actively prevent info-sharing without making the game lousy in the process. The best thing that can be done from the players' side is to keep logs of your own and send them to the IMMs if you see something fishy, and the best thing that can be done from the coding side would be to implement some advanced logging and/or cheating detection systems, but automated prevention via preventing logins or anything else isn't going to be worth the problems it causes in my opinion.

Also, I haven't been here in a long time but I'm still a little surprised at how people get trolled so easily on these forums still.

I've just joined the forums, and I've been reading this thread for a little bit. Given my lack of experience, I don't have any suggestions that I think would be better than the suggestions of more experienced players, but I do have a question.

Are we specifically talking about individuals sharing information between their own (multiple) chars, or about players sharing information either ooc'ly or ic'ly between each other, and (multiple) chars making this easier/more of a problem? Or both?

It seems like anyone wanting to play a particular char would willingly keep information of their other char separate from first char's knowledge simply to make the game more enjoyable for themselves.... Right?





edited to fix grammar

Some people would, certainly. It really depends on the player though. Players who are more concerned about their character looking cool, being strong, and racking up kills are usually going to be willing to act like they know things that they shouldn't. Some players enjoy playing a character who's in the dark, yet there are other players who just get bored/impatient.

And some people just don't like having to "fake" their way through a quest for the 5th time.

I'll add in that popping into random inns as a lowbie just to ask, "Where should I go after Novice?" "Ayamao Outpost? Where is it?" and so on gets old, so am I guilty of using OOC knowledge to get there? Yup. Especially if I start somewhere that isn't Zhensh or Ayamao, I'll get no mentors with the commands, and possibly nobody at an inn, depending on time of day/night, so I can choose to twiddle my thumbs, or do something. It's a small evil I'll cop to, but occasionally necessary.

There's a NPC in Exile sewers that gives directions to the outpost and teaches Sylvan tongue. We're trying!!