Dear Devs: On The Topic of Griefing

Hi all. Quick request:

I enjoy the fact that you are always trying to challenge the player base in different ways, to get us to change up what we use and how we use it. To that end, you've recently created a boss that reacts very badly when we use Orbital Strikes (the Anti-Monitor in the most recent raid). I really do get what you're doing here - the tools on our Utility Belts can be crutches at times. You want us to seek new solutions.

However, in this case, you've also created the perfect storm of an opportunity for griefers. Several times in the last month, I've been in a pug raid where somebody thought it would be funny to drop his/her orbital when the boss is around 5% health. That person then invariably leaves the group, presumably laughing all the way.

(Now I am aware that this could be a series of terribly unfortunate events - even though every group explicitly spells out the 'No Orbital' rule beforehand, it could be an accident followed by an embarrassed, hasty retreat. But it sure hasn't felt that way.)

Thus, in the future, as you design ways to frustrate and stimulate us, could you please consider carefully giving trolls any easily accessible tools for griefing?

Thank you for your consideration.

-MM

I remember fighting Man-bat some time ago, random people would run by and drop orbitals just to make it more difficult. That didn't stop the good people from getting up and keeping up the fight.

When I think about the term griefer... I think of like a bratty teenager that ganks people that stand no chance against him due to raw stats alone and t-bags them over and over again while talking smack over the internet.

What you're referring to sounds more like an idiot who forgot to take it off his bar... or a try hard dps that needs to win the scorecard at any cost... or someone who just wants to watch the world burn even if it means killing himself.

I was not on when that dlc was endgame so maybe things have changed. But as far as I know, the orbital doesn’t do anything to manbat. I hear people say don’t use orbitals or adds spawn, but the adds spawn from the spores. If they are destoryed spores spawn. I’ve soloed manbat without any adds spawning. Or do orbitals do something different that I’m not aware of?

More often then not it’s someone teying to be clever and kill the boss with the “forbidden” attack…but they screw up and do it too early.

I do this, myself. If there's zero risk, it's kinda boring. Dropping an orbital is by no means a ZOMG one-shot, either. People just have to notice its coming and move...keeps everyone on their toes.

I feel like it would be more beneficial to teach people that orbitals are actually ok if done at the proper time. For anti monitor, that correct time is instantly. For some like Zues in fgse, it’s during a certain phase that he does. The lunge phase. Same goes for supply drops in the 1st and 3rd tsde fights. Drop it before Lois and then drop it when that world guy is doing the posieden attack. I get the ops point but you’re lying to people telling them they can’t do certain things at any time.

When someone uses an orbital, you'll see a different effect underneath you. Just move away. Troll defeated! Having the devs design encounters around possible scenarios like this, just would give us Hello Kitty. You'll never get rid of trolls in MMOs. Orbitals can be used, you just have to stick and move. You beat a troll by making them fail.

If someone did that to me I would find it quite funny, to be honest.

If I'm not mistaken, orbital will cause him to spawn more spores (or whatever they're named). I was just running that the other day with a group of heroes and villains, with no issues, until someone jumped in on about the 7th time, and dropped orbital, then we had tons of spawned spores. One of the heroes jumped the guy about it, ran it several more times, no issue.

I'd guess this is the most likely explanation. I think they think it's hilarious to have 5 or 6 of the people down as the final cutscene plays out...which I've seen happen on a run. But it's all timing and most miss it.

Personally I can go either way. I watch for the orbitals and if I see one drop, I roll out of the 'safe' zone a second later for the response orbital...do some pickups...move along. But I also am fine putting a boo in for that fight and avoid the orbital.

Let’s face it, there are some really mean people who play with us, who delight in ruining the experience of others. Unfortunately, the only thing I can think of doing in such a case (if it is a deliberate act) is to kick the individual unless they otherwise leaves on their own accord.

At the start of such missions, I always forewarn the group before we engage. That way no one can claim ignorance of the mechanic. Accidents still do happen but it is the ones who deliberately cause all of us to fail that really irks me.

I think having who killed you, like the breakout damage, show up in your combat log so you can put them on ignore when the battle is over.

Most of the time, even in league, it is definitely done as a last 1% of health thing. If it happens sooner, it was because they forgot and hit it on habit. I've done it twice by accident.

One solution to the problem with these pranksters would be to be able to block anyone who has just left the group.

Roughly two months into this legion DLC I find it harder to accept that folks don't know the mechanics of this LB in TSDR - especially when you kindly ask folks to not use orbitals.

I get that there are SOME out there that need to be reminded - even veteran players. But when you ASK folks to not do it and they do it?

I hope that in future DLC's the Devs place such mechanics on the SECOND bosses - like they did in HIVE raid....OR just dump this mechanic altogether.

Yes - I "DO" run this raid with my league, often.

Yes - I "STILL" do pug often.

This mechanic gives too much power to a few troublemakers.

It’s a rare occasion you’ll get to know the difference between a greifer and a forgetful player. Was running tsde last night. 2 wipes on Lois in a row were from 2 different players dropping a supply drop. 1st one was a friend that was on mic with us. He’s run 3 toons thru full renown in that raid. No biggie. 2nd time, someone just button mashed. It happens. It is instinct for the most part. Removing mechanics shouldn’t be the answer. At most, the one who sent it should be the one targeted if changes are to be made. And only in event/ regular.

Also ran titans terra yesterday. Every 12secs, someone would drop an orbital. I was tanking so wasn’t going to type in. No one else typed it in either. So clearly not everyone cares or even knows no matter how old a raid gets.

And just so I don’t seem like I’m picking on people…. What has 2 thumbs and dropped a supply drop on Mordru in a coue speed run attempt recently???

The problem is that even if you see it coming, others might not, you can get stuck in animation and stuck between other players. Then you get a wipe that could have been obviously avoided.

There are people that still don't know how to block on a skull attack or roll out of AoEs. It's far easier to get everyone on the same page and just don't use your orbitals on that last fight...particularly with PUGs. With coordinated groups, sure...why not.

You wouldn't find it so funny if you were in a low burn group, where you are nearly tripling them in damage and the group wipes with Anti-Monitor almost dead just cause someone wanted a chuckle.