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I was thinking about several problems in SWG that arise like people getting killed while loading into a shuttle- or starport without the ability to defend themselves, being image designed or stat migrated inside a tent and attacked which stops the image design action, sitting in the medcenter and getting killed while being treated by a doctor healed, people getting clonecamped in the clonecenter, Jedi and other people showing off and dueling inside starports.
1. Institution of non-combat zones
In these zones, players and NPCs alike would not be able to initiate combat at all. No duels, no special forces vs. special forces combat, no TEF combat whatsoever.
Non-combat zones include:
- Starports
- The landing Area around shuttleports
- Clonecenters
- Medcenters
- Image design salons
- Cantinas
- Taverns
- other public buildings in cities (theaters, capitol buildings, etc.)
There is already code for players not being able to initiate combat in place on multipassenger ships, so I believe it could be adapted for non-combat zones with relative ease as well. Or, even better, just use the current code for (the broken) battlefields to create non-combat zones, as battlefields are essentially non-combat zones rigth now anyway.
2. Non-Combat Zones cannot be entered while in combat
This prevents people from fleeing into non-combat zones and thus breaking combat and also prevents people to bring combat into these zones.
The barring of combatants for such zones could work in a similar fashion to not allowing people with TEF or unauthorized people to enter private buildings or the village of Aurilia.
3. Post-combat cool off timer before you could enter a non-combat zone again
This timer prevents people abusing non-combat zone boundaries to quickly sweep out of them, get off a few shots, /peace, jump back to safety and repeat the procedure.
For the cool off timer, the code for the timer similar to the one for storing pets after combat could be used.
4. People in non-combat zones cannot affect people outside these zones and vice versa
This prevents people outside of non-combat zones from attacking people that are inside non-combat zones. It also prevents abuse of the non-combat zone boundary like medics, doctors and combat medics inside the non-combat zone healing combatants on the outside without being vulnerable to attack, trades from inside non-combat zones to the outside and other possible abuses of the non-combat zone.
To achieve this, zone status checking from current (disabled) battlefields could be used. The code would have to be modified so people inside the non-combat zones would be able to perform non-combat actions like healing to others inside the zone.
5. Special Forces inside non-combat zones are not visible as such on the map
This prevents people from camping the exit spots of these areas because they see a red dot inside and can target it. Targeting via 'TAB' (default key) shouldn't be possible for those either.
Code from current battlefields, where everything inside (and outside, for the poeple inside a non-combat zone) turns white could be used.
6. Safe travel routes
Some may have noticed that there are many roads and paths on each planet. These should be made non-combat zones as well. However, they should only prevent people on the roads from being attacked by player characters, non-player characters and NPCs while traveling on them. This will allow non-combat characters to travel safely on main travel routes and really make these main travel routes useful and not just some weird things on the map.
If you are already in combat, you will still be able to enter them and finish combat. This is a contrast to the other non-combat zones to prevent these paths to block the way for people in combat.
Thoughts: I do not think non-combat zones would be overly hard to implement (especially since the code for such things is already in place in other parts of the game and could be reused), it would get rid of many problems, annoyances and forms of griefing as well as make the game more enjoyable and give it a more 'mature' feel. Message Edited by Glzmo on 03-10-2005 03:44 AM Message Edited by Glzmo on 07-13-2005 02:48 PM
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. I myself am not a PVP'er but i know that some players find this very attractive and fun therefore it should be addressed fairly, maybe make an arena building for cities where people can duel or PVP without the harrassment from the cops.
