Get the Rakghoul infection plague mechanics right

[Starglitter]

Hi:

 

There has been a lot of complaints over the players going around infecting people, while some finding fun others find it annoying.

 

The current mechanic allowsd an infected person to pass it on with total annonimity, and even if you were by miracle figure who did it, there is nothing you can do but to pay for 2K every 6 hours, or after any defeat (whichever comes sooner) to prevent the infection effects.

 

It ocurs to me that all the information provided in-game of this plague/infection is indicative that the victim must be attacked and injured (biten, scratched, etc) in order to get the disease, in other words its not contagious, but transmittable.

 

My suggestion, while too late for this pass, but could be done for the next time is:

 

Since the lore indicates that in order to get infected, you must be injured...

 

The infected player must attack the victim and at least score a point of damage to succeed passing on the infection, this would satisfy the documented infection mechanic.

 

Then the question, is how can this be accomplished?

 

To begin with, the infecting person by definition according to the plague lore, is essentially out of their minds and excreeting as they mutate which are observable characteristics. According to lore, the player can behave normal and show no symptons while in the non-capable to infect stage; thus being able to elude early detection and thus penetrate sanctuary areas such as fleet.

 

Now to progress on how the infected player can attack non-PvP flagged players, after all the infecting player must have a mechanic to infect their victims...

 

I propose a special PvP flag be created for this event, in which an infected player at the moment they are capable to infect others, automatically becomes Infector PvP Flagged "IPF". Once a player is IPF they can attack any other player at will, for the standard restriction of a PvP flag is not enforced. But just like PvP flags, anyone not flagged can engage a flagged player, but for the IPF flagged person being attacked will not result with the attackers getting flagged at all, but do recognize if the attacker does as a minimum 1 point of damage to any player (AOE for instance) those injured players are now infected.

 

Finally to even the playing field, i nfecting players can cause their victims to spend 2K for an antidote that only last 6 hours or less if the player si s defeated in combat; so it would seem only just that the infecting player should have a tangeable credit cost impact to them upon being defeated while in "IPF" mode, it seems to me it would only be fair the repair cost to be 2K as well.

 

If this could be established by the Bioware developer team, would be a fantastic new thing, for you now have folks on both sides playing both the hunter and the hunted; and also make the plague thing more realistic in play which would be a major bonus for the role players such as myself. I could see this really being a boon for Role Players playing Bounty Hunters for instance, as they go to fleet and planets in search of infecting mutant people, and just like the infectors get tittles and accomplishments for getting otehrs infected, the hunters of the infectors can also get titles and accomplishements to match them, and yet another form of balance.

 

Sue

[FrozenGoalie]

There has been a lot of complaints over the players going around infecting people, while some finding fun others find it annoying.

[...]

I propose a special PvP flag be created for this event, in which an infected player at the moment they are capable to infect others, automatically becomes Infector PvP Flagged "IPF". Once a player is IPF they can attack any other player at will, for the standard restriction of a PvP flag is not enforced. But just like PvP flags, anyone not flagged can engage a flagged player, but for the IPF flagged person being attacked will not result with the attackers getting flagged at all, but do recognize if the attacker does as a minimum 1 point of damage to any player (AOE for instance) those injured players are now infected.

 

How is this better? It sounds much, much more obnoxious than what is currently happening, as not only would you be getting attacked, but you're getting damaged. A lot of people would not stop at one point of damage. You're not stopping people from infecting people who don't want to be, you're offering a different visual (by way of your flag) for seeing if they're infected, and adding being able to attack and infect anyone you want, too (as opposed to having to wait 20 minutes). Definitely one of the worst ideas I've heard.

 

Also, it takes less than one event to get the rep you need for your anti-viral kit. For 5k you can protect your entire legacy from the plague by mailing it over whenever you want to play a different character.

Edited August 8, 2014 by FrozenGoalie

[Starglitter]

Mmm...

 

For one it is better from the perspective, that you can return the favor to the one who infected you. It is also better, for there would be a consequence to go out trolling and infecting people, a consequence that is directly proportional to what the troll did to their victim.

 

Of course, I can see the cowardly troller not liking this suggestion, after all they have to relish and likethe ability to go ruining the game for so many others while being anonymous and never having to endure any form of repercussions. Trust me, if I ever learn the names of the troller that infected me, just wait till they go to an OP and they need my healer to do something for them, payback is a ...

 

The whole purpose of this suggestions, while allowing the trolls to have their jollies is to allow thier victims to get theirs too.

 

But to address the damage on victims, the added proviso would make sense...

 

Players attacking Infecting PvP Flagged players, not only do not get themselves flagged, they suffer no equipment damage from the engagement.

 

Good catch on that one :<)

 

The old answer of doing the content, 2K is nothing, are just self-serving statements issued by troll minded folks, who obviosuly and logically are trying to keep the status-quo.

 

Sue

[Lotharofxev]

So wait, my 55 Assassin can get infected, stealth and gank his own faction?

 

Oh HADES TO THE YES.

 

You think there's tears over the mechanics NOW? Wait until "IPF - flagged" players are roaming the galaxy, showing up at Korriban / Coruscant and just DECIMATING people. I'd get the "Infect 100 people" achievement in about 20 minutes.

 

And 2k for repairs? Sheit. I'd pay 200K EASY.

[LordArtemis]

I don't know, I don't mind how it is now. I just use the vaccine.

 

I do think the vaccine needs to persist through death though. That is a common complaint among PVP folks.

[Malastare]

This sounds great.

 

It would be way easier to get the DAILY and the Achievement. I mean, by the time you realized you were Afflicted, you'd have no chance of avoiding the Thundering Blast and the following Chain Lightning. Add the ticks of Affliction and a couple more quick-cast abilities, and that's infection followed by guaranteed death for any player under 8000HP.

 

I could terrorize Nar Shadaa.... or Taris... and she's only level 48.

 

And that's nothing compared to the chaos that a L55 Assassin could create. With 7000HP backstabs? Or even the chain-stabbing of a L55 Operative?

 

Fleet would certainly be more exciting. Good luck trying to make it to your cargo hold.

[XiamaraSimi]

Ok, I guess I don't get it.. rez and move on with your life or do a couple dailies and buy the legacy vaccine relic?

 

If you don't like the coughing bit get on your mount til you explode, problem solved?

 

I have been blown up a few times doing my daily gtn routine, I just use the first option I posted... but I guess cooties in tor is SRS BZNS to some...

 

. Edited August 8, 2014 by XiamaraSimi

[LordArtemis]

If I had my choice as to how I would have set this up, it would have been like this....

Vaccines for 100 credits each, or reusable.

Vaccines persist through death.

Vaccines do not just prevent the plague....they cure it.

 

However.....

Plague, in final stage, turns you into an NPC Rakghoul when you "explode" that you do not control. It runs around attacking anyone nearby until it is killed. Everyone that is attacked is hit with the plague. Once killed, you respawn normally in full health with no gear deterioration.

 

You can infect folks from stage two on....when you cough. Stage three infects everyone close to you, with chance to infect dropping off as you move away from the infected.

 

IMO THAT would have made the event much more fun.

[Lotharofxev]

Plague, in final stage, turns you into an NPC Rakghoul when you "explode" that you do not control

 

The issue comes when players do not have control of their toon. I believe this was tried in WoW (don't quote me, it's been years) with mixed results.

[JouerTue]

just mount on the fleet or buy the relics

[FrozenGoalie]

Vaccines do not just prevent the plague....they cure it.

 

The vaccines does cure the plague. Get infected, stab yourself, and the plague is gone and you're immune to it for the next six hours.

[JediJabroni]

Personally I think the mechanics of the disease should remain what they are, but add a stage 4: You turn into a Rackghoul.

 

You are scaled down to the lowest level PVE critter of that planet (in my hypothetical world, no one who is infected is allowed on the fleet). You can run around and attack other players with a very limited number of basic attacks. If you approach a settlement, all NPC defenses (guards, turrets, droids) turn on you, too, of course. When they kill you (or you reach the end of the stage 4 timer), then you explode and infect any non-vaccinated survivors in the area.

 

That would at least be more entertaining to watch. And fit the theme of what the disease is supposed to do to people. This would be assuming that the game employed the opt-out suggestions in the other thread.

[Muljo_Stpho]

Ok, I guess I don't get it.. rez and move on with your life or do a couple dailies and buy the legacy vaccine relic?

 

If you don't like the coughing bit get on your mount til you explode, problem solved?

 

I have been blown up a few times doing my daily gtn routine, I just use the first option I posted... but I guess cooties in tor is SRS BZNS to some...

 

.

 

Yeah, I don't really get these rage topics either. The plague is sort of goofy and stupid (something involving an actual Rakghoul transformation really would make more sense than the explosion, and it is weird how they talk all tough about quarantine and destroying the infected but then they don't actually do anything about it) but I don't see it actually "ruining" anything. It seems to be not that much more obnoxious than throwing snowballs and tinsel at people for Life Day.

 

Although I could kind of see it being considered kind of mildly troll-like to spread the infection just in terms of that daily being a really inefficient method for obtaining a dna canister and a rep token. It's kind of a waste of time to get infected, wait for the explosion, and hope it hits enough people (and repeat the whole thing if it didn't) when you could be running story or dailies or whatever on some character in that time instead. And it's really a waste of time if anybody's doing it beyond the daily and beyond the final achievement for it.

 

Something that seems to be going on from the tone of these rage posts though... I think maybe they have this fierce hatred of anybody carrying the infection and they get this angry monologue playing in their heads about "dirty filthy trolleses *gollum!*" and then when they too have the infection they begin to fear that that's what others are thinking about them so they get all paranoid and defensive and feel like they need to yell about it and play up how much of a victim they are in this. That's my guess at the thinking here.

 

On the other hand, I could also easily picture trolls being the ones crying the loudest about it in an attempt to hide their actions and pass the blame on to someone else. Perhaps they're merely putting on a show of crying foul about trolls when really they're the ones working hardest at trying to piss people off.

[PavSalco]

If I had my choice as to how I would have set this up, it would have been like this....

Vaccines for 100 credits each, or reusable.

Vaccines persist through death.

Vaccines do not just prevent the plague....they cure it.

Get Newcomer status and buy a relic for 5k that is reusable.

[JubeiLev]

People aren't doing it for fun, there is a mission to infect others for a reward

its simply a part of the event and it only last a week, no changes needed

Edited August 13, 2014 by JubeiLev
Added Signature

[Turajin]

there is a mission to infect others for a reward

and this mission, and thus the possibility to infect others, should be immediately deleted frm the event.

 

its simply a part of the event and it only last a week, no changes needed

It is an annoying part of an bad designed event that should have been changed before the events occured for the first time.

[rkamm]

I really do not see the problem, the majority of the People who are trying to get the achievement for infecting people gather together in one or two spots on fleet, so just avoid them when on fleet. I have spent a lot of time on fleet and rarely do I get infected. There isn't anything that you need to get around them that cannot be found in other areas of fleet.

[MaximusRex]

There has been a lot of complaints over the players going around infecting people, while some finding fun others find it annoying.

 

The complaints total less than a tenth of a % of the population of the game, its just that this ultra small population is really whinny and likes to spam the forums with their tears.

 

I think it would be fair to change it so the vaccine persists through death, though its so cheap and death is so rare unless you are PvPing, that its probably not a big deal anyhow. Otherwise I don't see any need to spend any real amount of developer time, that could be spent better elsewhere, to adjust how the plague works for such a super minority group.

[Ozzyioto]

There is a free cure. Kill your character on fleet(plenty of drops). Just watch out for those gits who keep the plague on a character after event to get the hidden 1000 infected achievement!

[Muljo_Stpho]

There is a free cure. Kill your character on fleet(plenty of drops). Just watch out for those gits who keep the plague on a character after event to get the hidden 1000 infected achievement!

 

Does it even count when the event isn't running? I'm pretty sure they disable things when the event turns off so that nobody new can pick up the plague. It fades out as those characters that do still have it die out. It can't spread.

 

And even if it did count for your spread count despite not actually spreading anymore, it's just that one shot (for each character holding the plague in save file stasis) and then you're not picking the plague up again until the next time the event goes active.

[Transcendent]

If I had my choice as to how I would have set this up, it would have been like this....

Vaccines for 100 credits each, or reusable.

Vaccines persist through death.

Vaccines do not just prevent the plague....they cure it.

...

 

IMO THAT would have made the event much more fun.

 

Partially in agreement with this post.

 

Bioware should have made a reusable vaccine that cures you of the plague (but offers no protection of being infected), and had the cost set at something like 1000 credits. Buy it once, use it forever. If you want immunity from the plague then get the relic for 5000 credits (make the relic available with no reputation requirement)

 

So that way you can either completely ignore the event, or partake in it without excessive costs and have fun.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Transcendent

[orangefishboy]

I actually had a better idea for how the plague should work. I was thinking, there should be a special "Thorn Rakghoul Hunter" flag that you can activate. This allows you to PvP with anyone who has been infected. Meanwhile, anyone who is infected goes through the usual two phases of infection, during which time they can use their own abilities to kill rakghoul hunters. If one of these players survives to the third phase (currently the explosion), they then transform into an actual rakghoul (or nekghoul, depending on class). Once they have transformed, their ability bar is switched out for a rakghoul ability bar, which allows them more powerful abilities to fight rakghoul hunters.

 

Meanwhile, rakghoul hunters can only attack infected, and infected can only attack hunters, so anyone vaccinated (maybe on a 12 hour timer or still 6 hour but lasts through death), can safely ignore any hunters or rakghouls they see.

 

I think that this would be a fun and unique way to tie PvP into the event, and rewards could be given to players who kill hunters and rakghouls (maybe greater for those who kill rakghouls, since most people would probably prefer to be them).