Pacification Zone exploiting

**LtCmdr_Tsusai** · 09/02/2008 14:06:51

Over the course of a few days, I've seen some people use these on non hostile servers for the lamest BS ever, and these are usually snipers. What I've seen them do, is that they scram away from the fight, regardless if their side is zerging or not, and run to a pacification zone to deflag. Now that they are friendly again, they come back and get another kill, and run back to deflag. Honestly, in my opinion, its as annoying and exploiting as when people were jumping around like rabbits to screw people's interlock timers.

Yes, I'll agree that using pacification zones to deflag on a casual basis is fine, or if you use it to become deflagged after a long PvP fest, but if one does this over and over, like after every kill, then this ranks high on the BS list. Its an abuse for one n00b's ends.

I don't think that anything needs to be changed, but rather, if provided with proof (timemarked photos, or video), this should be considered an exploit.

privaronT

You havnt seen nothing yet till you have people jump around in one to get a flag lock on people at a live event and attack you in a Pacification zone at a live event.

Check the event with Veil where she burned down the redpill depot.

**nubious81**

Whats worse is the people who are dueling in the pacification zones and you have certaint indvidulas who like to get a cheap kill and kill them after the duel when the flag for that 5 seconds. we had a zion Combat trail a few weeks ago and had several people inturpeted it by using that exploit.

**LtCmdr_Tsusai**

privaronT wrote:

You havnt seen nothing yet till you have people jump around in one to get a flag lock on people at a live event and attack you in a Pacification zone at a live event.
Check the event with Veil where she burned down the redpill depot.

I understand, and I would think that would probably constitute as an exploit on Vector, but I believe what I mentioned for non-hostiles is becoming a high annoyance on Recursion.

**ShiXinFeng**

What's the point of pacification zones on non-hostile servers?

Get rid of 'em.

**LtCmdr_Tsusai**

ShiXinFeng wrote:

What's the point of pacification zones on non-hostile servers?
Get rid of 'em.

On Recursion, dunno about Syntax, people host things in the Sphinx club without having people flagged ruining it.

**Denary**

I don't think you can call this an exploit, A pacification zone is meant to deflag you. therefore I guess it's more of a tactic rather than an exploit since an exploit is using a bug or unintended effect to give your player an advantage. Since as I said the pacification zone is meant to deflag your character then keeping under that "guideline" for determining an exploit with no leeway would mean that it is not an exploit. Although I'm going to say this isn't what this post is about.

Now I'm only taking what I see from your post so if I get this wrong point it out. Using a Sniper as an example, you're saying that the sniper will attempt to snipe someone, run and hardline out before going to the pacification zone then coming back to do one more snipe? Well I find the exploit currently pointless. I'm guessing it takes the player around about a minute give or take to find the pacification zone which will I'm guessing be the leftover from a live event which will be disabled within the near future. In which time if they hadn't bothered another sniper could have used Sniper shot another 2 times already. The only advantage the other one has is he can approach the battlefield unstealthed although the same can be acheived if the flagged sniper enters sneak so.......

I unfortunately find it hard to see it as a problem. Admittedly I play on a hostile server so this tactic/exploit is one I've not experienced but thats just my 2 cent.

**Bayamos**

Cheap tactics? Yes. Exploit? No. It works as designed.

**ZaneZavin**

Camp the zone and kill them as they retreat to it.

**LtCmdr_Tsusai**

Denary wrote:

I don't think you can call this an exploit, A pacification zone is meant to deflag you. therefore I guess it's more of a tactic rather than an exploit since an exploit is using a bug or unintended effect to give your player an advantage. Since as I said the pacification zone is meant to deflag your character then keeping under that "guideline" for determining an exploit with no leeway would mean that it is not an exploit. Although I'm going to say this isn't what this post is about.

Now I'm only taking what I see from your post so if I get this wrong point it out. Using a Sniper as an example, you're saying that the sniper will attempt to snipe someone, run and hardline out before going to the pacification zone then coming back to do one more snipe? Well I find the exploit currently pointless. I'm guessing it takes the player around about a minute give or take to find the pacification zone which will I'm guessing be the leftover from a live event which will be disabled within the near future. In which time if they hadn't bothered another sniper could have used Sniper shot another 2 times already. The only advantage the other one has is he can approach the battlefield unstealthed although the same can be acheived if the flagged sniper enters sneak so.......

I unfortunately find it hard to see it as a problem. Admittedly I play on a hostile server so this tactic/exploit is one I've not experienced but thats just my 2 cent.

RE First underline: That's the basis. Exploiting has also been defined by SOE in the past as using the system for your advantage beyond its original design intentions very frequently, not necessarily abusing a bug or imperfection.

RE Second underline: Its not if they just blue snipe, although it is a signature move. And it doesn't matter how the battle is fairing at the time, as soon as the persons in question are left alone or hurt, they'll make a dash for it to be deflagged.

RE Third underline: Its not a left over from a LE. Its the 3 static ones that are in the game. The snipers I know using this, will run to the Roger's Way Central Pacification zone, run in to the basement, and be deflagged within 5 seconds. With hyperspeed, overall, its a 30 second trip from Mara Central, to Mara NW, to hardline, run in and out, and be back in Mara, immune to being attacked and ready to do the first strike.

Bayamos wrote:

Cheap tactics? Yes. Exploit? No. It works as designed.

AI works as designed, doesn't stop people from using it to their advantage, which in some cases has been dreamed exploiting for knowing how the designed AI works.

ZaneZavin wrote:

Camp the zone and kill them as they retreat to it.

Doesn't stop the person from randomly choosing the other two, and being harder to kill for being lame.

**Denary** · 09/02/2008 14:57:10

Well then the simple thing to do is to..... not have permanent pacification zones on non-hostile worlds. Is there a need?

Edit: In all fairness though from my expeirience as a sniper just because you're flagged even up against 10 people isn't going to be any more disadvantageous than someone who is not. Someone who is about to perform Sniper Shot will inevitably have to be in concealment meaning unless someone runs through them or you just happen to become visible for a second (Which is rare if you don't mash the sniper shot action) nobody will know you are there, red or blue and as soon as that sniper shot hits or misses, that player will be flagged. At which point it will be upto you to root and Interlock him to keep him from escaping.

**ZaneZavin**

Maybe it should be classified as an exploit. Seriously though, if anyone is lame enough to do this, they deserve to be called coward at every possible opportunity. I would never help them if they were in my org.

**LtCmdr_Tsusai** · 09/02/2008 14:58:05

Denary wrote:

Well then the simple thing to do is to..... not have permanent pacification zones on non-hostile worlds. Is there a need?

There really isn't a big need for them on non-hostile other than personal events to keep PvP'ers out, but if they would reflag the player who came in flagged, that would be marvelous in my opinion, or rather, change the combat rules in there, treat like flagged, but turn on that admin-unattackable feature that prevents Rare's hostile characters from being interlocked or shot at.

ZaneZavin wrote:

Maybe it should be classified as an exploit. Seriously though, if anyone is lame enough to do this, they deserve to be called coward at every possible opportunity. I would never help them if they were in my org.

I'm not the only one calling them on this. I know some people who use pretty cheap tactics in PvP, but not as low or cowardly as these players.

Croesis · 09/02/2008 15:03:33

I've seen a lot of this on Syntax, although I won't mention who the usual people are, they will either go to the fight club in rogers way or the Sphinx, failing that, they jack out then back in again. It's an irritation and cheap, but yeah, problem is the zones do what they're designed to do. The only way around it I can think of is pacification zones won't allow you to flag while inside them but don't force you to deflag when inside, although this will allow deliberate inturruption to parties, fight club events if people go in pre-flagged.

For snipers, its a free blue snipe into IL, usually finishes off the person in IL then the sniper HJ's away to a close HL and goes to deflag, thankyou CQ. Rinse and repeat.

**Syna**

Surely this can be classified as an exploit. When you use a function of the game to your advantage and it wasn't the intention to be used like that then it's a valid exploit, regardless of how easy it is to pull off. When you abuse the purpose of the pacification zone to your advantages, as in entering to deflag, launching an attack and leaving immediatly afterwards, you're exploiting. The zone wasn't meant to be used like that.

Perhaps people shouldn't be deflagged immediatly. The deflag timer inside the zone should be the same as being on a non-hostile server, outside of the pacification zone. Another option would be to be unable to pvp for 10 minutes after leaving the pacification zone.

Or perhaps exploiters should be taken care of, but that'd be a big thing to ask. =P