Smuggling

[Ghroznak]

Just came back to game and saw this was an option now.

 

Some comcerns though. Forgive my ignorance in the following writing if what I outline is already covered in some way in game.

 

Can you be instantly identified as a smuggler at any range by just clicking on a player in open world?

 

I tested with NPCs and those are instantly identified at any range, even at the very edge of visual range.

 

if you are identified by other players by merely clicking your ship at any visual range then I think this is wrong. To identifying a ship as a smuggler should require close inspection, eg sailing close to a ship with it targeted for a period of time.

 

This would let smugglers take a gamble that noone checks them out as they sail past ships towards a port, and thus instill a more real sense of smuggling. It would also create a metagame for smugglers and those hunting smugglers. A more fun cat and mouse game of sorts.

 

it could also be officer perks, e.g a smuggler perk that reduces chance of contraband to be identified, or a "counter" perk that speeds up identifying illegal cargo. This is just the tip of the iceberg thoughas I am sure a lot more could be added in terms of perks, upgrades and permanent upgrades (hidden cargoholds?) that could really expand the smuggler 'career' in the game as well as any counter-smuggler careers.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[Guest]

In OW 'Carrying Contrabands' will be shown underneath your Name So yes, everybody can identify you as smuggler. Same as for NPC Traders carrying contrabands.

Edited August 3, 2016 by Guest

[Eishen]

Just came back to game and saw this was an option now.

 

Some comcerns though. Forgive my ignorance in the following writing if what I outline is already covered in some way in game.

 

Can you be instantly identified as a smuggler at any range by just clicking on a player in open world?

 

I tested with NPCs and those are instantly identified at any range, even at the very edge of visual range.

 

if you are identified by other players by merely clicking your ship at any visual range then I think this is wrong. To identifying a ship as a smuggler should require close inspection, eg sailing close to a ship with it targeted for a period of time.

 

This would let smugglers take a gamble that noone checks them out as they sail past ships towards a port, and thus instill a more real sense of smuggling. It would also create a metagame for smugglers and those hunting smugglers. A more fun cat and mouse game of sorts.

 

it could also be officer perks, e.g a smuggler perk that reduces chance of contraband to be identified, or a "counter" perk that speeds up identifying illegal cargo. This is just the tip of the iceberg thoughas I am sure a lot more could be added in terms of perks, upgrades and permanent upgrades (hidden cargoholds?) that could really expand the smuggler 'career' in the game as well as any counter-smuggler careers.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

< Can you be instantly identified as a smuggler at any range by just clicking on a player in open world?

 

sadly yes..thought the effect is the same as it is very uncommon atacking your own side smugglers (smuggling is being used mainly as a teleportation machine and  a economic tool against the enemy)...   , I would like target info dependent on distance/perks and time targeted, including not only "smuggler" tag but nation and identification as a player/IA

[admin]

 

if you are identified by other players by merely clicking your ship at any visual range then I think this is wrong. To identifying a ship as a smuggler should require close inspection, eg sailing close to a ship with it targeted for a period of time.

 

 

 

Two reasons for this

Server capacity (less traffic = more performance)

Potential hacks 

 

If information is sent to the client it can be read by hacking. if you are a potential smuggler this information will be sent to your client. It means that if someone mods the client he will know that you are a smuggler giving an advantage. Thus the only safe choice is to just identify the player as a smuggler immediately. 

 

Unfortunately all multiplayer game has limitations. Smuggler option was liked by the majority as it solves more problems than it creates. 

 

We have not been able to come up with a reasonable and fun mini game to determine the smuggler (a-la paper's please) and thus just tell you who is a smuggler. 

[Tyrdael]

The last sentence was hilarious

 

Why not carry this further? You can hire at Admiralty for police and coastal guard/patrol duty.

[Skully]

Note that for a Pirate carrying the smuggler flag makes no difference. Everybody will remain an enemy. Hence I carry it all the time.

Carrying a smuggler flag as a National brings you up to the same PvP level. Everybody will become an enemy.

Works perfectly, leaves Pirate hardcore, and everybody can figure out how to deal with this on their own.

[Ghroznak]

Two reasons for this

Server capacity (less traffic = more performance)

Potential hacks 

 

If information is sent to the client it can be read by hacking. if you are a potential smuggler this information will be sent to your client. It means that if someone mods the client he will know that you are a smuggler giving an advantage. Thus the only safe choice is to just identify the player as a smuggler immediately. 

 

Unfortunately all multiplayer game has limitations. Smuggler option was liked by the majority as it solves more problems than it creates. 

 

We have not been able to come up with a reasonable and fun mini game to determine the smuggler (a-la paper's please) and thus just tell you who is a smuggler. 

 

I don't understand why it would leave you open for hacks?

 

Also, I wasn't thinking of a Papers Please approach. I was thinking more of something simplistic like staying inside that small circle radius which surrounds a ship for X amount of minutes would "scan" the ship and it would be a random chance whether you discover if he has contraband or not (dependent on officer perks like smuggler hunter or ship upgrades like hidden cargohold).

 

It wouldn't require any interaction between the two ships other than sailing close to each other.

 

Obviously, a nervous smuggler would try to steer away from ships that get to close to avoid being detected, which in turn might make him look suspicious and draw attention... and more experienced smuggler might hold his course irrelevant of ships nearby and take his chance noone gets close enough to find out.

 

As for performance this would only require traffic from the server if a ship is inside the required distance to start a "scan". In other words this wouldn't really draw much extra (except perhaps in the start if it was implemented since everyone would be testing the new smuggler-scan feature). On average though it would require very little.

 

When the contraband flag is visible from miles away then it's not really smuggling anymore is it it? Smuggling is about not being detected... and having a huge red neon sign saying "SMUGGLER HERE" on your head from 1000 leagues away is as far from smuggling as you can get.

 

It needs to be subtle and covert, and largely hidden except when actively hunted.

That's what I would love to see from the smuggling gameplay, and it's a career I would be pursuing for sure.

 

Right now though it's pretty much just an FFA-PvP flag, which is completely uninteresting for me at least.

[Skully]

I don't understand why it would leave you open for hacks?

Picture a "clan" in which the client shares all information across to its members.

So information send to any client, must be "clean".

[Ghroznak]

Picture a "clan" in which the client shares all information across to its members.

So information send to any client, must be "clean".

 

All the information comes from the server...

 

If you set your ship to be smuggler, that information is transmitted to server... and whether others will know the status of your ship (smuggler or clean) depends on if they get that information from the server... which they only do if their "scan" is successful.

 

So I still don't understand. Is information in this game transmitted peer to peer ?

[Skully]

All the information comes from the server...

 

If you set your ship to be smuggler, that information is transmitted to server... and whether others will know the status of your ship (smuggler or clean) depends on if they get that information from the server... which they only do if their "scan" is successful.

 

So I still don't understand. Is information in this game transmitted peer to peer ?

No, it doesn't. Your information stream can be hacked on your computer via for example a trojan horse virus.

So we are always keen to keep an eye out for any of such potential hacks.

Sometimes a bit too keen: http://forum.game-labs.net/index.php?/topic/14811-hunt-for-red-october-spoiler-alert/

[Ghroznak]

Well, I am still not following. Any cargo I load onto ship, type of guns and different upgrades are all information about the ship based on my choices, just like enabling/disabling smuggling flag. When in battle that information has to be passed from server to everyone in the battle for them to see your ship behaving correctly (correct speed, turn rates, heel, reload speed and so forth).

Since this information is passed around all the time wouldn't that be 100 times more vulnerable to hacks than a smuggling flag that would only get passed to one player and only if that player is close enough to your ship and only if he succeeds on a "scan" check?

Edited August 5, 2016 by Ghroznak