| Author |
Staff Policy: Excessive Beaconing |
Mithrandir
Chief Marshal
Joined: October 22, 2001
Posts: 1276
|  Posted: 2006-12-26 16:00
Its been happening for a while now, but many people seem to enjoy beaconing their enemies into oblivion. There is some validity in heavy beaconing, namely in that it is easier to track targets and attempts at ECM cover are harder or impossible, but there is a point where beaconing stops being useful and just becomes excessive - and potentially exploitative.
You've probably all had it happen - you get enough beacons on you that your sig is breaking 500, maybe 1000 even, and with that comes graphics lag, a really annoyingly loud beacon sound effect, and possibly even the game crashing.
Because of the frequency of not only heavy beaconing but also the negative side effects associated with it, the Staff has been quietly enforcing a vague policy of not beaconing excessively. Since it still is taking place, I've decided to make it public.
There's no set numbers in this policy; it basically just is a rule that you should beacon in moderation. (In the next version, the code is already in place to limit beacons to 10 per ship.. but for now there's no exact formula for a maximum number)
Generally, ships should not equip more than a couple beacons - though the rationale for more than one is kind of weak, especially if there is a supply ship around... and also because most ships seems to equip them now, making the area supply rather high. And targets should not have more than a couple hundred sig. Anything above and beyond that could be considered exploiting.
So keep it light. One beacon is enough to stop a ship from cloaking. A few let it be seen from afar. There's no reason to empty multiple beacon slots onto a single ship - and doing so could get you hit by the staff.
Punishments, as with all attempts to harm others' game play and exploiting, can range from time-outs (push, kick, ban) to stat reductions (most likely in scouting prestige, though not limited to it exclusively).
Thank you, and please beacon responsibly.
This message brought to you by the Committee for Responsible Beacon Usage.
[ This Message was edited by: Shigernafy on 2006-12-28 00:11 ]
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Mersenne Twister
Fleet Admiral
Joined: May 11, 2003
Posts: 1161
From: Sector C Test Labs and Contol Facilities
| Posted: 2007-06-10 15:55
As it appears that excessive beacon use continues to be an issue of much heated debate, the staff will be instituting a more rigid policy regarding beacons, effective immediately.
As per an impromptu public discussion today, the updated policy is as follows:
- Excessive is defined as a signature on the beaconed ship greater than 200, including the natural signature of the ship in motion. Beacons raise ship signature by 20, and are thusly limited to 10 beacons on the target ship.
- Incidences of excessive beaconing will be handled as follows:
1st offense: Warning to player, watchlist entry added to player's record.
2nd offense: Player will be kicked, and their Scout stat will be reduced by half.
3rd offense: Player will be banned for 24 hours, and their Scout stat will be wiped to 0.
Four or more offenses will result in increasing ban durations.
- All reports of excessive beaconing are required to be backed up with AT LEAST one screenshot, and the timestamps on both the report and screenshot must be in agreement (a few seconds difference is permissable). Screenshots may be provided later, but no staff action will be taken untill that time. Players should submit their screenshots as soon as possible for prompt staff action.
This policy has be added to the Rules of Conduct under section 3.3i.
[ This Message was edited by: Mersenne Twister on 2007-06-10 16:24 ]
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I wouldn't screw with it if I were you. The doctor already holds you in poor favor. Messing with this might really fry his shorts.
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Mersenne Twister
Fleet Admiral
Joined: May 11, 2003
Posts: 1161
From: Sector C Test Labs and Contol Facilities
| Posted: 2007-12-13 13:03
Just a reminder, when you /report someone for beacon spamming, you must include a screenshot link with the report, or send it to a staff member. If there isnt a staff member around at the time, /send the link anyway or send a Private Message
_________________
I wouldn't screw with it if I were you. The doctor already holds you in poor favor. Messing with this might really fry his shorts.
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