Since PC players with mods have access to seeing the time remaining on beacons, and the devs explicitly allow PC mods, I think they should let EVERYONE see time remaining on beacons across the board - evenly. This would be most fair to all. This should be insanely easy to implement, too.
I’m not calling for a ban on mods in any way. However, this is one area where I think the most fair way to do things would be to give everyone the same advantage. This is a pretty important part of the game and it is unfair for people to have an advantage here. I say this even though I have BL on PC now, and I’d say it if I was a PC-main player too.
On hacking vs modding: If there are hacks that are undesirable according to the devs, in my opinion they should say EXPLICITLY what is or isn’t allowed, even if there isn’t yet a system for detecting and booting players who use these hacks like VAC (valve anti-cheat) etc. If they don’t make such a statement, I’d argue that they are mods and not hacks.
Also note I’m not saying that seeing time on beacons is good or bad. That’s a different discussion. Nor am I taking a position on scavenging, good or bad. I’m saying that since PC players have access to this key function, it’s only fair to let everyone have it (especially since it shuld be an easy function for the devs to implement).
Lots of explanations in the (older) linked thread, but off-hand, a few examples:
I run a mall and it would be helpful (reassuring) to know when inactive shops will disappear - both to free up those plots for others, and also so that if a friend’s shop is expiring, I can warn them or save their shop for them
If there’s an ugly build next to you that you hate and which appears inactive, you might decide to move away (or not move) depending on if it is getting fueled or not
So people can save their friends’ builds (know when it is expiring so they know when to come by and beacon and save the builds)
For scavengers (which is a whole thread/topic I don’t want to get into here - but given that scavenging is a thing, it’s only fair for PS4 players to get the same advantage that PC players can get)
Also note I’m not saying that seeing time on beacons is good or bad. That’s a different discussion. I’m saying that since PC players have access to this key function, it’s only fair to let everyone have it (especially since it would be an easy function for the devs to implement)
Tja…the last point…I’m not sure if that’s really a good reason in my opinion…but the other three make sense to me…I would not be opposed then I guess thx for the comment
Np! I have mixed feelings about scavenging. That said, even if you’re anti-scavenging I think it would still be most reasonable to say “I oppose scavenging, but if seeing beacon timers is a thing, I think it should be equal for all”
On the other thread it was brought up modding-vs-hacking; I’d love to see a definitive statement on this by the devs.
I’d suggest issuing a statement that those that hacked the game to read the beacons need to stop or be banned. Then I’d focus on removing the parts that allow people to hack the game. Those people that are hacking things to see stuff that people cannot see in the game the native way (and in the same way) need to be removed or blocked.
I’m just not on board with sharing information on a beacon to all people. It only moves the game in a worse way I feel.
Has it been confirmed by the devs that using a mod to check beacon time remaining is considered a TOS violation? I’ve never seen that. All I’ve seen is encouragement of open modding. I haven’t heard of a single person getting banned for “hacking”, or seen an explanation of what differentiates hacking from modding.
Not to sound like that other thread, but absent a dev reply this is all speculation as far as it looks to me!
Actually a person has been banned for hacking previous.
I haven’t seen “encouragement” of modding that goes the direction some people have taken it. I’d consider the direction things were taken were violations of what the intentions were. But, I’m not looking to share details or get in a this or that type conversation.
Either way, people seeing stuff they normal can’t see is something I considering a hack. Each person I guess can make up their own mind and have their own opinion, I’m not here to argue those views.
At the end of the day, I don’t see any value in beacon times becoming a public consumption view.
I am saying the following because it’s not the first time (and probably won’t be the last ) that I see comments about this:
We, PC players, in general don’t have this access. Very simply, only PC players who can code and hack into the game have such access – that’s probably going to be a fairly limited subset of people, I would think.
But if it’s a hack then it should probably be a bannable offence. Pretty much every MMO I can think of doesn’t allow hacking of any kind, at all… Most of the time, any mods they allow are just interface/simple client-side stuff that is only possible through the provided APIs to do so.
Yes that is for guild controlled and aligned (I think). That is ok because people are choosing to join them. I mean for general players that haven’t done this.
Message to Hackerman: I have 25 weeks left, please keep checking my beacon every day and also have friends check just in case. Maybe we will meet while I’m at the beacon picking up the footfall and I can give more specific timer details :>
The smoke will still show, but clients will only receive a single bool value. The expire time will change to be dynamically requested ensuring permissions.
Cool will be able to still hunt for almost dead, smoking beacons, just there will be no way to know exactly when it runs out. makes it more fun to find the dying one if that’s the case.
Just wish when a beacon expires, that the area had like a 8-12 hour pause on natural world regen or something.
thx for the comment
) that I see comments about this: