The Hacker Project - a free online game

Emi,

I'd like to suggest that you change the newbie protection to 250,000 power instead of the server stats like it currently is.  This would give newbies quite a bit of time to start exploring the game, investing in missions and learning the ropes.  This would also remove those players who buy new servers and hide behind their newbie status.  Haven't seen it this round yet, but last was quite annoying.

In addition, a player could break newbie protection by hacking into a private server or disinfecting another players virus.

Of course, a warning would display informing the impending newbie protection destruction when they attempt to hack a private server or disinfect another player's virus.

-Brok

should remove against that player

So, they should be able to have newbie protection, except who they attacked?

Not sure if I like that...  Could be abused.

Suggestion approved.  :5:

Pretty good idea, I tink i suggested someing similar...

http://www.hacker-project.com/forum/index.php?topic=1833.0
Along the same lines

Yeah, that could happen in this scenario as well Alpha.  Get above 250k, cause damage and bomb yourself back into safety...

But I don't think too many people would be doing that... :)

permanent destruction of status after 99,999 power

choice of discard

if you do something on a person's gateway (not hack or view but actually create/destroy process) you lose for that person and their group as well as 4hrs of lost protection from everyone (unless inactive for 2+weeks)

1 month inactivity kills

Why are we so adamant about attacks forcing the target out of protection as well? The only way one would be able to attack is if the target has already lost protection.

I have no idea of what bontrose is talking about...

I'm mainly suggesting that if a person chooses to participate in PVP they are warned of their actions and if they choose to go ahead they are then awarded PVP status for their efforts and are free to be counter-attacked.

In addition, to prevent someone from creating a second account and using that to freely attack another player without fear of reprisal. 

I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about, Brok.  :5:

Like you, however, I'm not entirely sure what Bontrose is talking about. It appears to me, however, that he seems to be thinking that the target of such aggression should also lose protection, for some reason.  :confused2:

+1

I'm going to study the suggestion.

It's usually more difficult to balance a player power restriction protection system then the current server by server, because you would have to account for the attacks of a player in protection.

An option would be to remove protection completely, as since high players can not accept missions on public servers when they are over 1 million and newbie players don't pose a good target for adware virii as they did in the past, the protection is kind of outdated...

Improve it or get rid of it, i'm down with either

VOTE FOR CHANGE

I'd suggest not getting rid of it.  The reason being is that a couple of hacks and the newbie becomes very disgruntled at not being able to get anything done without getting their processes killed.

We may not have a reason to kill their processes, but doesn't mean we don't do it.

They need a reason to want and stay and play.  Getting slaughtered every couple of days won't help them.  Let them get their sea legs before we toss 'em in with the sharks.

Maybe a time limit from account activation or a combination of the above such as a certain power rating and/or certain hardware per server as well. For instance, new servers could have until they reach a certain hardware spec or until they've been around for a week or two whether the player is active or not.

emi why not just add a boolean to the user table - once they get a mission against them or any other thing like hitting 200,000 power etc they get flagged - firstly check the flag if that fails revert back to the old check server method

We all know who the brains behind this operation is ;)

its emi and im sure emi will find a way - i just offer advice - which he is free to ignore :P

 I was actually going to suggest adding the check to the leaderboard.  He's already doing the Power calculation once an hour.  I don't think giving them an extra hour after passing 200k makes much a difference.

Once an hour, as the leader board is calculated then update the players to 'PVP' if they pass the 200k barrier.  If they are already PVP don't change them.

Then would be rather simple and since it's only updating one-way to PVP nothing would happen if they dropped below 200k.

that would add another call to the db - i assume the power values are held in a seperate table to the user and server tables

the less lookups per page the better

LOL... Tri.  I think we both are kind of talking about the same thing.

I was referring to having the system, when calculating the leader board, update the PVP (bit) flag in either the player record or update each of the servers that the person owns.

I think he probably is doing a check, right now, on the various server values.  Adding the bit flag to the server table itself would prevent another call, or adding to the player would properly normalize it. 

If adding to the server table he would need to include a call as well when the person purchases another server.