Is there any talk about solution implementation for Self-Destructors in GSF?

[MasterAtin]

As we all know, self destructors are essentially win trading in gsf.  I mean they're not, as there isn't any actual evidence or proof, but lets be real.  Matches have been won and lost because of it.

And yes, I am well aware of the vote kick option.  It however doesn't always work and the player isn't always qualifying as "inactive" or "not contributing."

There isn't a slashed zero beside their name

 

So before I make another post that's a bit more spicy and make a fool of myself for assuming there isn't any talk from those who can actually do anything about it, is there any talk from Bioware or associates about any solution more optimized to discourage this sort of degeneracy?

[Ramalina]

There hasn't ever been as far as I know.    The problem is that there's not a good, simple, reliable algorithm that can sort between new players hitting boost, barrel roll, or power dive at the wrong moment multiple times and someone deliberately self destructing.    Even a time from spawn, or distance from spawn limited option is problematic in games where a team is getting spawn camped.

 

I guess the closest devs ever got to a mention was an April Fools related post about releasing an "Asteroid" ship, in homage to the number of players that have died to terrain collisions in GSF.

 

I doubt there's any win trading going on.  The reward structure isn't really set up for that to be profitable.  More likely is Conquest fly 5/5 matches in [Ship Class].   So you have a scout, a strike, a gunship and a bomber on your bar, self destruct in at least three so you tick all four boxes for that match, and then if it's a TDM continue to SD so you can get to the next match as quick as possible to do it again.   At least those are per legacy goals, so after five matches of SDs there's no longer an incentive to keep doing it.  Unless [Ship Class] Eternal is up, though I'm not sure it's really worth it for 6 k Conquest, especially since you get almost double that by scoring a win.

 

Otherwise it's generally someone throwing a tantrum because they have no clue what they're doing and keep losing GSF matches.   Though if they're really bad enough to be enough of a handicap to cause pretty much any team they're on to lose a TDM due to their incompetence, I'm not sure enraged deliberate SDs would actually make that much of a difference.

 

I think the only reasonable shot in terms of lobbying the devs SD detection would be a modification to the respawn timer, assuming that they have someone who can modify it without breaking it.   After a set threshold of "freebie" deaths per time period, additional deaths in close sequence would stack some extra time on the player in question's respawn timer.   Basically rate limit it in the most extreme cases.   Possibly with a conditional that only counts deaths with no enemy damage taken.

 

Given that there are people so bad at GSF that they'll legitimately die 10-20 times per match when trying to survive, you'd have to set the bar pretty generously.  There's also the issue that if a working SD system were in place, the easy workaround is to fly slowly, in a straight line, not using defensive cooldowns, in front of a highly competent pilot.   In terms of damage to one's own team, there's not much difference in effectiveness between that and just ramming a capital ship at spawn.

 

Making Conquest, Seasons, and gear currency reward structure more medals earned based and less mere presence based would probably be more effective though.   It's hard to earn medals and be completely useless to your team at the same time, and if earning medals is a faster easier path to the loot than serial SDs are, then the bulk of your SDers will start farming medals instead.   Of  course, BW would have to fix the scoreboard so  it shows medals again, and redo the reward structure, so fairly unlikely, at least before 8.0, 9.0 or some other full number version where they're completely redoing the reward structure anyway.

[Nee-Elder]

3 hours ago, MasterAtin said:

self destructors are essentially win trading in gsf.  

is there any talk from Bioware  about any solution ?

They barely even acknowledge GSF still exists , much less talk about solutions or development anymore.

So the short answer is, unfortunately: No.

However, you're a bit late to the discussion ( gonna take a wild guess you didn't forum search real quick before posting, so i found these 3 same topic threads for you if you're bored and wanna read them ) ....

• https://forums.swtor.com/topic/918412-time-to-take-action-against-self-destructors/
• https://forums.swtor.com/topic/922542-something-needs-to-be-done-about-the-afks-and-suiciders/
• https://forums.swtor.com/topic/924406-the-guys-who-ruin-matches-by-suiciding-and-then-staying-dead/

Edited March 19 by Nee-Elder

[sharpenedstick]

To be fair, communication from the devs is minimal on any issue other than an inability to purchase cartel coins, so it's not GSF is alone in neglect.

[MasterAtin]

2 hours ago, Nee-Elder said:

However, you're a bit late to the discussion ( gonna take a wild guess you didn't forum search real quick before posting, so i found these 3 same topic threads for you if you're bored and wanna read them ) ....

I kinda already figured there were more threads, I did come across some a while back.  I purposely made another one as I'm told that if the player base makes enough noise about an issue, devs actually give it a bit attention.  And I wanted more heat and attention on the issue.

Edited March 19 by MasterAtin

[Nee-Elder]

28 minutes ago, MasterAtin said:

 as I'm told that if the player base makes enough noise about an issue, devs actually give it a bit attention. 

If only that were actually true, then maybe  GSF would've gotten more than one BioWare post in past 4 years.

Maybe 2023 will be different though.

[remylion]

There is already a very simple solution in the game. Dailies and Weeklies should be based on medals earned like Galactic Season.

It could use a bit of tweaking because it is very hard to earn medals in TDM maps.

A player that self-destructs the whole game will not complete their dailies or weeklies which is why they are there.

Edited Sunday at 09:49 PM by remylion

[NikovUmSar]

The biggest problem is that players begin to stop trying when they see a known SDer. 

I sent a ticket with match recording once, but ofc no one watched it. Kort and their 'buddies' are still here and BW seemingly doesn't care.

https://youtu.be/Xjg-48mJX3A - well then, we eventually will get smth like this much more often. 

[fabsus]

there are many issues, hard to find the sweet spot.

at first we have conquest tasks. the tasks get people into gsf, not liking it, but doing it for the points. 
they wanna get out as fast as possible. a short weekly and the 5 matches all types task do their thing.

if you get rid of these tasks, you just lower the amount of matches. even during prime time i see
people on the french and german server begging to q for gsf. so i can imagine, that getting rid of
these matches will cause the a near death status, again.
if you change it to wins, like we had before, people will hate it, too.

even if there are some good guides around, most people don't know where to find them and mostly
are not interested at all. but compared to the rest of the game, it another world. 

also there are some decisions in the game, while playing gsf when you randomly are kicked out,
even if you are in a fight, for being inactive. and sometimes there is a need to be a bit more inactive,
for example if you are deffing a sat. even here you get kicked out for inactivity, sometimes. so everytime
something red pops up, people tend to destroy themself to stay in the match and don't get a group finder
penalty for another bug. 

also the design of gsf at all is no fun for beginners. you start with a paper ship not able to take a single shot
and even with the strongest of your hits, you don't even do a scratch on a top tier scout. so better players don't
only have a hugh advantage with their skill, but also with their ships. the descriptions on what your components do
and why you may want to change your crew, if you ever notice that there are options, is not well described at all.
so to find an entry to gsf, you really need to go the full way. and most just don't want to, because they don't have to.
and if they would have to, they won't Q anymore. 

and of course there is the "community". i can't remember the last time, when there was any positive feedback in a match
or better pilots not insulting beginners, but inviting them to explain tactics and setups. last i have seen such things was
when invis was around. now there are just insults, that all are trash and that they should stop q'ing. 10min later they beg
to q for gsf. so the visible community got quite toxic.

Edited Tuesday at 10:56 AM by fabsus
community part

[Paulsutherland]

Maybe increase the respawn time if the game registers the player 'self-destructing' or change the rewards to medals earned in a match?? 

[NikovUmSar]

Forum bot removed one of my messages with another video of Kort doing his usual dirty stuff, lmao

Anyway, I have recording of another match when he actually opened his mouth and stated that he's right because we as players are abusing vote kicks to remove those who don't want to actually play this game mode, but are here only for conquest points. This is unhealthy. 

[Toraak]

They removed it because your not allowed to call people out by name on the forums, and never have it's against the Forum policy. I'd suggest trying to send it to one of the Devs. (Perhaps JackieKo) in a DM. Hopefully that may work.

Edited Wednesday at 12:34 PM by Toraak

[NikovUmSar]

Fair enough. But now it's an interesting situation when some players can do something that's against game's harassment policy, but sending tickets doesn't work and now this.