Until we have in game moderators to deal with situations as they arise then yes, the devs are the proper resource.
In regards to the whole “my city” topic let’s look at things in a logical manner. What constitutes being in “your city/town/hamlet…” From a game mechanic standpoint only the physically claimed plots and the ones that are shown as reserved are yours to dictate what is and isn’t acceptable in that area.
Maybe a good solution to help avoid things like this is increase the reserved radius around claimed plots to something that would allow room for nee newer players room to expand. There could even be a way to make the plot removal tool unreserve a plot so others can use it. Or make it so plots are only reserved for a set period of time so they are not locked out.
Essentially this is a case of, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. What you see as an eyesore or ugly, someone else might really like. It’s very subjective. It’s certainly not griefing, unless it is something of a particularly offensive nature (but this again is subjective as people are offended by different things). I’d term a construction that is intended to grief as something you wouldn’t want a child to see (such as things of a sexual nature etc).
It doesn’t matter whether a player has dug a hole straight down to the mantle or built a tower up to the top of the world. That is what they have chosen to do with their claimed plots (plots they have earned by playing the game - same as everyone else).
By trying to block access for them being able to get to their claim, that in my mind is griefing. You can work around an “eyesore” hole or tower. They cannot work around a wall if they are not even able to gain access to their claimed location because they’re being blocked from getting to it.
Quick Edit: I am glad that you were both able to solve this particular problem amicably
That’s a lot of What IFs on the bag, because extra reserved radius could be exploited on resources just like palyer nature did with red gleam, but i do agree on a -Crafteable device that allows you to found a city within a radius-
Really dude? you’re contradicting yourself, what if thats what i’ve decided to build 8 towers around a mantle 8x8 hole?, the player with the hole should claim extra plots and do a road
It comes down to intent when it comes to defining griefing. Is the intent of the player to be blatantly offensive to others, malicious in nature (unavoidable death to anyone in the area), damaging to others structure (not possible in this game to my knowledge), or purposefully blocking access to other players claimed areas.
I didn’t contradict myself at all I think you are missing my point.
A single plot with a deep hole or a tower is NOT preventing someone reaching their claimed plot. Building around someone and preventing them from getting to their land IS an issue. Their claim is their claim, whether you wanted to claim it yourself or not.
…and what if you don’t like his road either and decide to build towers all the way around those too?! You’d still be attempting to prevent that player from accessing their claimed land. It’s still griefing.
You’re missing my point and the entire post topic.
Player or city founder (not mayor) should be able to decide who stays and who doesn’t.
Us as players , right now, we don’t have any tools or power to do that and thats a turn off for any city thats not planned plot by plot. (Pixelgate or aquatopia are a clear planned city example)
Regardless of whatever claiming mechanism is used it still comes down to the founding player needs the appropriate number of plots to hold the area in which the new settlement well encompass. Founding a settlement isn’t really something a newer player with limited plots would be reasonably expected to attempt as they can take hundreds of plots.
In this state of the game this is even applicable to old players, the more people roam around , the harder it is to claim a 100 plot area before someone claim one in the way of those.
Not so long ago i saw cookviper claiming the area for the chisel contest and i could put a beacon down. Which will force him to unclaim and claim somewhere else
Plots or a big area of plots should be claimed instantly, like i mentioned before, crafting pylons. Code-wise speaking, something that allows to use all your plot pool on a designed area instantly instead of claiming one by one
Ok, to address your original post (which I only diverted from because you were openly griefing another player, which I thought was a MUCH bigger issue than the one you were trying to raise)…
This is an open world sandbox, played by players from all over the world on public servers. I think the level of control you are suggesting here is more suited to a rented world, where players can be whitelisted, so you have control over who can actually place a beacon on the world. This will allow you to plan out an entire themed city, even at a low level, and allocate locations as you see fit (not only as Mayor or Founder, but as the Ruler of that world).
I’m completely with you on the point that you don’t like that someone can out-prestige you and take over the settlement you founded and built up. Like you, I’d also would like to see the Mayor (Founder) role de-linked from prestige. This would also, in my mind, make it easier to introduce guilds/clans, where you already have an established heirarchy, which could be transposed to settlement leadership.
I think that prestige still has it’s place as well, so that settlements can collectively compete for the title of Capital City … and even as a possible means to display a listing of “Builds of Distinction” within a settlement, so community members can also compete with each other to be on that list.
Extra Note: Pixel Gate, whilst looking like it was well planned, did actually start out as being fairly well planned, but on a much smaller scale than what you see now. The more people that came and settled, the more the theme of the settlement was lost.
On public servers, I think it’s just too difficult (and impractical) to dictate where, what and how people can build.
I fully support idea of griefing players who grief you. Make a big box around it and put lava to make it flow into his plot until he moves out.
As a founder of Pixelgate I’m really pissed off I had to abandom my city in which I put several hundred hours because of some non-imaginative players who claimed land and left the game.
If I were you I’d offer that player some help and move his beacon few hundred blocks away. If that wouldn’t end up with a positive result I’d do the same thing you did.
By claiming an unclaimed plot you are not greifing another player. Just because someone claimsa plot near you and didn’t want to move is no reason to react in that way. Gotta say I’m pretty shocked at this response. In my opinion this is straight up bullying and should result in at least a temp ban.
Of course, however if you live in a wilderness 2000blocks away from a city and some player claims a plot just by yours I’d consider it as griefing. He could at least ask if he can claim this spot.
oh no DonBab. There are some players who plan ahead and put a lot of effort into building and It’s just a pain to deal with a griefer who blocks you from realising your plan. However I can agree, it’s an agressive response.
This all comes back to the definition of “what is griefing”.
You could claim that DashEWz was griefing first by telling another player that he could not place his beacon in an unclaimed spot. You may just see that as wanting to plan your city, but he may see that as you telling him that he can’t play the game … a part of which is claiming prime locations/resources - or setting up a shop in a prime location … which, as I understand, this particular player wanted to do.
Not much else to say on that one.
Much better solution
This could have been a result of the sanctum originally placing new players near to others, instead of where they selected. Or even announcing the start of a settlement before it was fully realised and ready to be populated. Or simply just happenstance. People tend to want to build near to others, especially if they think that they’re joining an up-coming settlement which could grow bigger around them.
Did you happen to share that plan with the person that blocked you? If they were not aware of your intention, I’m finding it very difficult to assign blame to class it as griefing.
I am definitely not onboard with a device to allow for an area to be reserved or controlled by a player for the construction of a town. This is what plots are for. I do appreciate the fact that a newer player may not have the plots to found a town, but on the flip side, do we want every new player reserving/controlling space for a town or multiple towns that they may never build? Is this not the problem we have now with beacons lasting too long? I have no problem with needing to level up to get the plots to create a large build. I do think we should get more plots as we level than are being allocated now.
I also agree with @Stretchious and @DonBab , intent is a large part of what makes it griefing. What they did in taking free plots and building is not griefing. You trying to limit access to plots that they claimed under the rules of the game is griefing If you decide to play a MMO then you always have to deal with other players, and in the case of Boundless, what they may build. If this bothers you too much then your best option is probably to rent a private planet when they are available.
I strongly disagree with this. What happens if after allowing someone to build you decide you do not like the build or you get into a disagreement? They have to remove their build or risk losing everything they put into it? I do think people building in a town should try and respect what the people founding a town are trying to accomplish as far as style and size. But ultimately the risk in a MMO is that someone is going to do something that you do not like. The best alternative if you insist on total control is to get a private planet.
Definition of griefing is different for every player.
For some, griefing is building a stone block house all along the road you made
Player abandons that house after 2 weeks, but you can’t do anything about that. Sometimes it blocks city expansion.
For some griefing is a building in the middle of the city which is composed of literally random blocks. It happened to me several times, and once I even gave this player set of tools and blocks to make a better house. Instead that player claimed even more land and left xD
For some griefing is building a dirt block by your mansion you want to expand.
etc
However If I have a chance I try to inform other players about my intentions.
… and it still comes down to intent (not assumed or perceived, but actual intent). You intended to expand your city, they intended to claim prime real-estate within your city. Unfortunately as this is a persistent world, you can’t be online all the time to explain your intentions. Without knowing of each others intentions, it’s going to lead to problems, which to be honest, I don’t think there is a reasonable solution to (Other than teaming up with a lot of friends and doing a major land grab when you want to start a new settlement!)
This is certainly a learning experience for all of us really. One take-away for me is that, if you want to plan and build a structured settlement, where people cannot claim “too much” land, start with all the roads first!
A lot of my issues will be resolved once I am able to rent a private world. But I don’t agree with you for public worlds.
I do think there should be some fair way to remove someone from a town and give that person the opportunity to remove their stuff. Kind of like when someone is getting legally kicked out of their apartment in real life. Sucks, but if someone doesn’t pay their rent, follow the rules, etc. they deserve to be kicked out.
Being a part of someone’s town isn’t a right. It’s a privilege and one you ask permission to have. Someone that says they’ll move their beacon and plots but doesn’t do so after being told where it is, that’s greifing to me even after I’ve told the person my intentions. It’s straight up griefing.
There are going to be people in this game that just don’t care about what you’re trying to do. These are the kinds of people that will build right next to you no matter what. The majority of us know and respect giving others the creative room in the game by not claiming plots right next to each other’s projects.
Until private worlds are available, we should seek to find a solution now because we need one. Solum already looks like a pin cushion with unused beacons littered everywhere.
In this situation you are renting someone else’s property. They retain legal ownership of said dwelling. This is not an accurate comparison to in game mechanics in which someone claims a plot in which they are the sole owner. If you want full control over an area on s public server claim the entire town and the allow permissions to renters.
Again, if the plot is unclaimed it is not under the control of another player and thus free to be claimed by anyone.
There seems to be a pervading sense of entitlement creeping in with certain people. Either claim the plot from the beginning or plan to adjust course later if someone else comes along later. Unless you have proof that they are deliberately acting in a malicious nature by claiming the plot you really have no leg to stand on and any action you take to “grief them back” will probably not end well in your favor of they go to the devs and inform them of your intentional malicious behavior.
Honestly I can’t believe we would ever have people in this community that are willing to grief other players because they might be jerks first. I am very glad to see the block cube was taken down since this is going completely against what we were trying to do with the Player Charter and everything. We should try to promote communication and working together not more arguments.
@DashEWz I completely understand the frustration you feel about your wishes to expand in an area when someone puts a plot there. I understand because I had many challenges with Eden on Berlyn as I founded that city.
We even had the Critonia situation of the road and them planning to take cities. I must admit it was not a good situation to start and we even through a show of force blocked their road (for a minute) to make better communication between us. I brought in other people like Havok to help have a conversation about them and find a way to work it out. As it actually turns out, once we really sat down and talked with them everyone was able to resolve the miscommunication and SUPPORT everyone’s needs.
In fact we were able to get on very decent terms with them and Fafmaster and SaltySloth even were awesome and built nice houses in Eden after asking and working with me to have them fit into my plans.
We definitely need better tools to help support city planning but we also need to be willing to support people that come into the city and adjust our plan some to maybe accommodate them. The default answer should not always be for the new person to move their plot.
The reality is this type of conflict will happen no matter what system the devs design or try to give us. Even a player charter won’t be a perfect fix. We just need a community that leads by example. Inclusive, willing to adjust, and uses communication. That hopefully will help to make others play nice instead of being jerks.
