Ranger Archive
Thread: Potential mis-use of ranger skills?
I debated with myself as to whether or not to post this information here. In my random exploring of my ranger skills, I have discovered that /conceal could very easily be misused to grief people. Kind of.
Allow me to explain: We all know that conceal prevents most NPC's and mobs from aggroing against a player (unless said player attacks them first). Normally this is exactly what people want. However, while I was on Corellia a week or so ago, an idea struck me. Why not see what happens when you use it on one of those Commandos or Creature Handlers who stand around, AFK, waiting for meatlumps (or what ever) to spawn and aggro them? Frankly, I found the results hilarious, and slightly fitting. The meatlumps totally ignore the AFK player and wander around aimlessly.
I didn't use this again trick again for a couple days. But, things being as they are, I needed to grind some Creature Handler Xp. All of my favorite hunting grounds were being occupied by AFK players preventing me from attacking a bunch of meatlumps. So, I whip up a camo kit, and go to work. While I'm blasting away at durnis and meatlumps, it begins to bother me that I have to resort to taking away XP from another player, even if the other player is violating the EULA (that part in section seven that says AFK gaming is against the rules).
I've already posted this in the Ahazi board and a minor flame war ensued. I thought I'd bring it to the attention of people who actually know about the skill and can decide what to do about it. The conclusion that I came to was that this is a griefing tactic that can only be used against people violating the EULA. It's a nice moral dilemma. "Is it okay to grief cheaters?"
I can even propose a simple fix for this problem: only allow /conceal to be used on people you are grouping with.
Before you get cranky with me, I've stopped using this trick for now.
"The meatlumps totally ignore the AFK player and wander around aimlessly."
Actually, sounds like some sweet Poetic Justice to me. 
Eh, heck, I'd do it if I had extra camo kits. Thosecamping afkers have "combat classes" one of the more easier to accomplish. They can do it while they're online, not afk.
Grief cheaters all you like.
Well now, maybe I’m just a bitter person or something, but I find this little “trick” completely and totally hilarious: the uber-player AFK macro’ers who can beat the system were stymied by the “gimp” class. Nraas said it right - Poetic Justice at its finest.
Now, as a Master Doctor, I’ve been in a dozen of arguments over a similar situation, where someone is buffed without asking to be, and feel they’ve been prevented from receiving better enhancements. The generally accepted practice now is to never hand out buffs unless someone asks for them (doctors who ignore this, often in the pursuit of fast Medical Experience gain, are usually called “ninja buffers”) to avoid the issue. The most polite thing to do would be to ask anyone if they would like some dirt smeared on them before you open up the camo kits, but if they’re AFK, of course they can’t answer. You know the old saying, silence gives consent *evil grin*.
I would say if it is bothering you, then stop doing it. I would most likely feel that if I don't want people doing things to me then it is best to not do it to them, even though I can understand very well why these "campers" can drive you to seriously think about these things.
Jolandir
While funny, you should listen to your conscience. If you feel like you are doing a bad thing, you probably are. I've also heard of another way to grief with /conceal, during the days when conceal was very bugged and caused more aggro than it prevented, I heard of people ninja-concealing people they don't like on advanced planets so that they would get aggroed by nightsisters or pubams, or whatnot.
Funny, yes. Meanspirited, I would say so.
Outstanding use of a camo kit. Can't wait to see the next "AFK killer" and do this to him/her/it.
"Golly, no xp, what's up with this?"
I do not consider this a mis-use any more than afk macroing is.
If the AFK'ers don't like, oh well, too bad, so sad, stay and play the game instead of grinding.
ty for the laff
JB
I think that you are looking at this all wrong. You are a good person saving these hapless twits from the wild animals. What with rampent decay, who knows how much money you may be saving them.
And think of the animals. As a Ranger have you not gained a better understanding for them. Perhaps even developed a sence of respect? By handleing the interaction between animals and people, you are in fact helping to change the community's view of the wild. Not something to be feared, but admired and treasured.
Well done sir, set your mind at ease you are doing good in the world. Great big creamy gobs of good.
Wow. Talk about a totally different response! When I posted this in the Ahazi forums, I got blasted six ways to sunday. Of course there's a bigdifference between there and here: there probably aren't any of those sneaky AFK combat types here.
Just a note on this trick though, it only works on the "just standing there" AFK combat people. If they're using an auto-targeting macro, it usally won't work.