Vadim
Vadim
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2021
- Messages
- 172
- Thread Author
- #1
Hello,
I'd like to preface everything I am about to say here in the context that this is all in favor of supporting more interesting and nuanced Rebel RP, instead of the constant generic shotcops and sweeps, which end in PKs, people whining, and months of progress lost on both sides.
The Problem
In Willard, the Combine side has a problem. This problem has been talked about for months and nothing has been done, so in hopes that a post which organizes everything about such a topic can actually bring about change, I am writing this. The Combine have too many damn pings. This problem severely handicaps what rebels can do, and effectively locks them out of any kind of RP with Combine Tech or Combine at all under threat of a sweep that will cost them months or years of progress.
Everything you do with any Combine tech pings, here is a list (does not feature anything, only what I can recall pings):
- Attempting to crack a biosignature on an AR2
- Actually cracking a biosignature on an AR2
- Disabling a CP's suit
- Disabling a Scanner (via EMP, actually done before)
- Destroying a Scanner
- Downing CP/OTA
- Destroying a Biolock
- Overloading a Biolock
- Removing a Biolock
- Picking up a ration
- Turning off a ration dispenser
- If you manage to try to hack one it probably will ping too
- Accessing a pickup terminal
- Inactive CIDs doing anything (Pickup terminal, rations, etc)
- Activating a workshift
- Sending rewards from a workshift
- Finishing a workshift
- Anything involving Pickup terminals (too lazy to list)
- Actually killing OTA/CP (reasonable)
- If you do any kind of RP with Combine tech, you will receive 7 pings and a squad of OTA
- Using the wrong key on an apartment door
- Using an expired key on an apartment door
- Likely many other things not listed here
The majority of these things (including the apartment door) will ping your exact location, some of them include a unique text alongside it so Combine know exactly where you are, what you are doing and the moment it happens.
Why this is a problem
This is a problem due to the fact that all these unnecessary pings completely shut down an entire avenue of unique RP for rebels that is seen in Half-Life: 2 and its episodes, by common rebels. Hijacking, repurposing, stealing Combine tech is seen throughout the episodes and the main game, showing that it is possible and utilized by common rebels. In Willard, literally frying the circuits of a Scanner to silence a ping will send out a unique ping (as stated before, this has happened). Frying the entire internals of a Biolock through vortal energy gives out a unique ping, both of them have the exact location of you as well when done.
Trying to do anything unique with Combine in roleplay only ends in 5 pings, a CP/OTA sweep, your death and a "<:: haha ::>" from some i5 after watching months of progress get flushed down the toilet. This is severely detrimental and limits rebels. I'd like to add this has been an agreed upon problem for about 2 months, yet nothing gets done about it. Perhaps some level of Combine bias OOC from GMs/Staff preventing some change, or some other Willard fuckery. Point is, this is a problem and it must change.
This reflects such a huge play-to-win mentality that the server is actively trying to dissuade.
How we can fix this
This is not an argument against pinging in general. I believe pings for Biosignal losses from CP/OTA should stay the same, destroying scanners should ping as well. However, needless stuff such as cracking an AR2 should never ping (why does an individual rifle have a ping?), disabling Combine tech with vorts or an EMP should not ping. Tampering with Combine tech should not ping, and should rely on RP in order to decide whether it pings or not (Bad RP, or otherwise results in the tampering going awry and Combine systems become aware). Things such as Scanners, Turrets, Manhacks, Mines, Pulse weapons, should not ping at all if being tampered with. These are mass-produced tools deployed whenever convenient for the Combine and are expected to be lost.
Disabling CP suits should not ping, a unit being downed in combat should not ping. Combine suits should only detect losing a BioSignal, given that they are given to grunts that are expected to die in the Combine's eyes.
TL;DR: BSLs should still ping, tampering with a system that maintains a constant connection to Overwatch (i.e: Combine terminal for info) should rely on RP, things such as Turrets, Manhacks, Mines, Pulse Weapons, Biolocks, shouldn't ping when tampered with or destroyed. Being downed shouldn't give a unit critical ping, CP suits shouldn't be pinging when disabled. When something is disabled, it is fried or fucked up, it shouldn't be pinging at all.
Why should we fix this
Removing most of the annoying OOC prevention pings to stop rebels from even trying to do anything with Combine without an army to win a ground war would be beneficial to more low-profile Rebel RP (anything that isn't attempting to fight the Combine head on). Allowing Rebels to steal, hack, and employ Combine tech against the Combine themselves. Rebels are able to do RP involving these things, allowing characters to exist that are knowledgeable in their technology that won't die after they touch a disabled scanner, and it sends out several pings with its exact location.
Hacking and employing Combine tech is seen throughout Half-Life: 2, it is a staple of the rebels and how they sustain their efforts against the Combine with limited resources. It is seen often enough that we can assume Combine technology isn't completely alien, and isn't foolproof enough that it is rare, as it happens multiple times.
My suggestion
To put it simply.
Rebels can modify and hack Combine technology in RP, including but not limited to:
- Accessing terminals to retrieve information from local systems (hard af)
- Reprogramming Combine tech to fight back against Combine and be friendly (Turrets, mines, manhacks, scanners, Biolocks?,)
- Stealing lesser Combine tech in order to do smaller things (stealing a PDA and hacking it to gain access and snoop on datafiles, and send false pings through the local system)
- Anything else dealt with on a case-to-case basis, but Combine tech shouldn't ping every time its touched, and shouldn't be uncrackable
Conclusion
The issue with Willard Combine, the mega pinging over anything represents a deeper issue of staff/GMs playing to win for the Combine side, locking an entire avenue of interesting RP that is fun for rebels (rare), and makes it easier for rebels to lose months of progress and character development because they literally clicked a button in their inventory. (true story)
If you agree with what I have said, leave a positive reaction.
If you haven't, I'm willing to debate you.
Until next time,
I'd like to preface everything I am about to say here in the context that this is all in favor of supporting more interesting and nuanced Rebel RP, instead of the constant generic shotcops and sweeps, which end in PKs, people whining, and months of progress lost on both sides.
The Problem
In Willard, the Combine side has a problem. This problem has been talked about for months and nothing has been done, so in hopes that a post which organizes everything about such a topic can actually bring about change, I am writing this. The Combine have too many damn pings. This problem severely handicaps what rebels can do, and effectively locks them out of any kind of RP with Combine Tech or Combine at all under threat of a sweep that will cost them months or years of progress.
Everything you do with any Combine tech pings, here is a list (does not feature anything, only what I can recall pings):
- Attempting to crack a biosignature on an AR2
- Actually cracking a biosignature on an AR2
- Disabling a CP's suit
- Disabling a Scanner (via EMP, actually done before)
- Destroying a Scanner
- Downing CP/OTA
- Destroying a Biolock
- Overloading a Biolock
- Removing a Biolock
- Picking up a ration
- Turning off a ration dispenser
- If you manage to try to hack one it probably will ping too
- Accessing a pickup terminal
- Inactive CIDs doing anything (Pickup terminal, rations, etc)
- Activating a workshift
- Sending rewards from a workshift
- Finishing a workshift
- Anything involving Pickup terminals (too lazy to list)
- Actually killing OTA/CP (reasonable)
- If you do any kind of RP with Combine tech, you will receive 7 pings and a squad of OTA
- Using the wrong key on an apartment door
- Using an expired key on an apartment door
- Likely many other things not listed here
The majority of these things (including the apartment door) will ping your exact location, some of them include a unique text alongside it so Combine know exactly where you are, what you are doing and the moment it happens.
Why this is a problem
This is a problem due to the fact that all these unnecessary pings completely shut down an entire avenue of unique RP for rebels that is seen in Half-Life: 2 and its episodes, by common rebels. Hijacking, repurposing, stealing Combine tech is seen throughout the episodes and the main game, showing that it is possible and utilized by common rebels. In Willard, literally frying the circuits of a Scanner to silence a ping will send out a unique ping (as stated before, this has happened). Frying the entire internals of a Biolock through vortal energy gives out a unique ping, both of them have the exact location of you as well when done.
Trying to do anything unique with Combine in roleplay only ends in 5 pings, a CP/OTA sweep, your death and a "<:: haha ::>" from some i5 after watching months of progress get flushed down the toilet. This is severely detrimental and limits rebels. I'd like to add this has been an agreed upon problem for about 2 months, yet nothing gets done about it. Perhaps some level of Combine bias OOC from GMs/Staff preventing some change, or some other Willard fuckery. Point is, this is a problem and it must change.
This reflects such a huge play-to-win mentality that the server is actively trying to dissuade.
How we can fix this
This is not an argument against pinging in general. I believe pings for Biosignal losses from CP/OTA should stay the same, destroying scanners should ping as well. However, needless stuff such as cracking an AR2 should never ping (why does an individual rifle have a ping?), disabling Combine tech with vorts or an EMP should not ping. Tampering with Combine tech should not ping, and should rely on RP in order to decide whether it pings or not (Bad RP, or otherwise results in the tampering going awry and Combine systems become aware). Things such as Scanners, Turrets, Manhacks, Mines, Pulse weapons, should not ping at all if being tampered with. These are mass-produced tools deployed whenever convenient for the Combine and are expected to be lost.
Disabling CP suits should not ping, a unit being downed in combat should not ping. Combine suits should only detect losing a BioSignal, given that they are given to grunts that are expected to die in the Combine's eyes.
TL;DR: BSLs should still ping, tampering with a system that maintains a constant connection to Overwatch (i.e: Combine terminal for info) should rely on RP, things such as Turrets, Manhacks, Mines, Pulse Weapons, Biolocks, shouldn't ping when tampered with or destroyed. Being downed shouldn't give a unit critical ping, CP suits shouldn't be pinging when disabled. When something is disabled, it is fried or fucked up, it shouldn't be pinging at all.
Why should we fix this
Removing most of the annoying OOC prevention pings to stop rebels from even trying to do anything with Combine without an army to win a ground war would be beneficial to more low-profile Rebel RP (anything that isn't attempting to fight the Combine head on). Allowing Rebels to steal, hack, and employ Combine tech against the Combine themselves. Rebels are able to do RP involving these things, allowing characters to exist that are knowledgeable in their technology that won't die after they touch a disabled scanner, and it sends out several pings with its exact location.
Hacking and employing Combine tech is seen throughout Half-Life: 2, it is a staple of the rebels and how they sustain their efforts against the Combine with limited resources. It is seen often enough that we can assume Combine technology isn't completely alien, and isn't foolproof enough that it is rare, as it happens multiple times.
My suggestion
To put it simply.
Rebels can modify and hack Combine technology in RP, including but not limited to:
- Accessing terminals to retrieve information from local systems (hard af)
- Reprogramming Combine tech to fight back against Combine and be friendly (Turrets, mines, manhacks, scanners, Biolocks?,)
- Stealing lesser Combine tech in order to do smaller things (stealing a PDA and hacking it to gain access and snoop on datafiles, and send false pings through the local system)
- Anything else dealt with on a case-to-case basis, but Combine tech shouldn't ping every time its touched, and shouldn't be uncrackable
Conclusion
The issue with Willard Combine, the mega pinging over anything represents a deeper issue of staff/GMs playing to win for the Combine side, locking an entire avenue of interesting RP that is fun for rebels (rare), and makes it easier for rebels to lose months of progress and character development because they literally clicked a button in their inventory. (true story)
If you agree with what I have said, leave a positive reaction.
If you haven't, I'm willing to debate you.
Until next time,
