| 1 |
"Pluking" or as it is called in every other game "trolling". Its misguiding though as trolling might refer to griefing wich is purposly spoiling somebody's gameplay.
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1 |
"Pluking" or as it is called in every other game "trolling". Its misguiding though as trolling might refer to griefing wich is purposly spoiling somebody's gameplay.
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| 2 |
For the sake of this post and not to confuse you too much i will use "pluking" as a reference to playing in unusuall and weird way while not explicityl and straightforwardly spoiling a game for other players.
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2 |
For the sake of this post and not to confuse you too much i will use "pluking" as a reference to playing in unusuall and weird way while not explicityl and straightforwardly spoiling a game for other players.
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| 3 |
So basically: Trolling = Pluking + Griefing
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3 |
So basically: Trolling = Pluking + Griefing
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| 4 |
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| 5 |
Let's analyse the situation:
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5 |
Let's analyse the situation:
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| 6 |
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6 |
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| 7 |
First we need to find the source of so called trolling in online games.
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7 |
First we need to find the source of so called trolling in online games.
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| 8 |
Of course the closest that come to mind is general assholery, quarells with some certain players and just to spoil somebody else's day but these are not reformable so they are not that important to this discussion as they are not avoidable in any way (at least not game design wise). These people grief and they will continue to do so.
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8 |
Of course the closest that come to mind is general assholery, quarells with some certain players and just to spoil somebody else's day but these are not reformable so they are not that important to this discussion as they are not avoidable in any way (at least not game design wise). These people grief and they will continue to do so.
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| 9 |
However the source of what I call "pluking" is a whole another story.
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9 |
However the source of what I call "pluking" is a whole another story.
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| 10 |
When a player first discovers a game he has a lot of areas to explore within the game. I remember my first experience with ZK and I was just overthrown by the number of units, their utilities and diffrent strategies. Some of the players leave here because they dont like the game/athmosphere/engine/GUI/support or whatever.
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10 |
When a player first discovers a game he has a lot of areas to explore within the game. I remember my first experience with ZK and I was just overthrown by the number of units, their utilities and diffrent strategies. Some of the players leave here because they dont like the game/athmosphere/engine/GUI/support or whatever.
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| 11 |
Then player slowly accomodates and learns how the game works. Most of these players learn basics and some strategies and don't improve much later on or they do it slowly. They are still decent players though (1500-1650 elo) and they still enjoy the game itself as it still pose a challenge wich makes the game engaging and fun for them. They are the majority of actual ZK playerbase and they often look after better players and bait the meta (more on that later).
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11 |
Then player slowly accomodates and learns how the game works. Most of these players learn basics and some strategies and don't improve much later on or they do it slowly. They are still decent players though (1500-1650 elo) and they still enjoy the game itself as it still pose a challenge wich makes the game engaging and fun for them. They are the majority of actual ZK playerbase and they often look after better players and bait the meta (more on that later).
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| 12 |
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| 13 |
Next some players enter a veteran phase. These players know the game well and their elo usually ranges from 1650-1850 but that doesnt apply sometimes as veteran players can have lower elo and know many strategies and tricks while not having enough apm or ecoing skill (like @[ffc]killer). They might develop meta strategies and tactics for the game. Trollcoms are good example of this as a weaker player sees it is masterly used by @Xieviender they will also follow that strategy trying to recreate it. But these people are also slowly reaching the equibrium of gameplay. As they know the game very well and more and slightly less obvious tricks are known alaredy they feel like there is not much left to learn. But they still are not quite at the tipping point yet. They still take fun from playing the hard way and improving but less so and most don't try too much anymore.
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13 |
Next some players enter a veteran phase. These players know the game well and their elo usually ranges from 1650-1850 but that doesnt apply sometimes as veteran players can have lower elo and know many strategies and tricks while not having enough apm or ecoing skill (like @[ffc]killer). They might develop meta strategies and tactics for the game. Trollcoms are good example of this as a weaker player sees it is masterly used by @Xieviender they will also follow that strategy trying to recreate it. But these people are also slowly reaching the equibrium of gameplay. As they know the game very well and more and slightly less obvious tricks are known alaredy they feel like there is not much left to learn. But they still are not quite at the tipping point yet. They still take fun from playing the hard way and improving but less so and most don't try too much anymore.
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| 14 |
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| 15 |
Then
come
a
phase
I
would
describe
as
"old
veteran".
These
are
basically
your
veteran
players
but
with
one
distinction
they
-
they
are
also
the
most
attached
group
to
the
game
having
spent
lots
on
hours
into
it.
They
have
played
so
much
of
the
game
that
they
think
they
know
all
ins
and
outs
of
the
game.
This
also
means
that
there
is
veeeeery
little
room
to
improve
without
taking
apm
to
account
and
some
players
just
don't
want
to
do
so
because
they
don't
feel
like
playing
hard
(
look
at
@ShamanPluk)
.
This
"eldering"
process
is
the
key
to
pluking.
The
old
veterans
will
start
to
do
odd/risky/weird/silly
things
just
to
break
the
boring
usuall
playstyle
in
favour
of
one
diffrent
but
still
in
frames
of
their
beloved
game.
This
happens
or
will
happen
to
all
of
us
at
some
point
propably,
for
some
people
sooner
for
some
later.
|
15 |
Then
come
a
phase
I
would
describe
as
"old
veteran".
These
are
basically
your
veteran
players
but
with
one
distinction
they
-
they
are
also
the
most
attached
group
to
the
game
having
spent
lots
on
hours
into
it.
They
have
played
so
much
of
the
game
that
they
think
they
know
all
ins
and
outs
of
the
game.
This
also
means
that
there
is
veeeeery
little
room
to
improve
without
taking
apm
to
account
and
some
players
just
don't
want
to
do
so
because
they
don't
feel
like
playing
hard
(
look
at
@ShamanPluk)
.
This
aging
process
is
the
key
to
pluking.
The
old
veterans
will
start
to
do
odd/risky/weird/silly
things
just
to
break
the
boring
usuall
playstyle
in
favour
of
one
diffrent
but
still
in
frames
of
their
beloved
game.
This
happens
or
will
happen
to
all
of
us
at
some
point
propably,
for
some
people
sooner
for
some
later.
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| 16 |
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16 |
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| 17 |
I should also mention, that the process is reversable but not quite: look at Sfireman and imagine that he will just start playing normally all the time again. It can be prevented or slowed down at least. So here are the methods i could have thought of:
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17 |
I should also mention, that the process is reversable but not quite: look at Sfireman and imagine that he will just start playing normally all the time again. It can be prevented or slowed down at least. So here are the methods i could have thought of:
|
| 18 |
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18 |
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| 19 |
1. In theory this can be entirely avoided by making just enough (or faster) content at the rate that players are learning the game. In practice it is impossible to make because even with enormous amount of work to do in short period of time it would be hard to keep everything in one peace so it would create good experience.
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19 |
1. In theory this can be entirely avoided by making just enough (or faster) content at the rate that players are learning the game. In practice it is impossible to make because even with enormous amount of work to do in short period of time it would be hard to keep everything in one peace so it would create good experience.
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| 20 |
However delivering new content overtime is overall a good idea. It brings new interaction between other gameplay elements and this effect stacks with itself when there is more content (because of more combination possibilities). Also changing units from each other brings up a new interactions and force players to rethink their way of playing (like Wolverine meta lately made a lot of players use Firewalker a lot more recently).
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20 |
However delivering new content overtime is overall a good idea. It brings new interaction between other gameplay elements and this effect stacks with itself when there is more content (because of more combination possibilities). Also changing units from each other brings up a new interactions and force players to rethink their way of playing (like Wolverine meta lately made a lot of players use Firewalker a lot more recently).
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| 21 |
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21 |
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| 22 |
2. Forbiding pluking by CoC. This is the worst solution of all. The game would lose not only most dedicated players but it would also create a deadly spiral of game community: noob -> decent -> good -> troll -> ban -> troll -> ban and so on and so on. This would be basically saying that you cant have fun the way that person wants to have fun.
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22 |
2. Forbiding pluking by CoC. This is the worst solution of all. The game would lose not only most dedicated players but it would also create a deadly spiral of game community: noob -> decent -> good -> troll -> ban -> troll -> ban and so on and so on. This would be basically saying that you cant have fun the way that person wants to have fun.
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| 23 |
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| 24 |
3. Reducing game size. Honestly I don't think its the best idea ever as you don't avoid the problem you just scale it down. If clusterfuck 10v10s would get reduced to merely 6v6 at max there would be 1 pluk annoying 5 more players instead of 9. Its not of much help tbh.
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24 |
3. Reducing game size. Honestly I don't think its the best idea ever as you don't avoid the problem you just scale it down. If clusterfuck 10v10s would get reduced to merely 6v6 at max there would be 1 pluk annoying 5 more players instead of 9. Its not of much help tbh.
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| 25 |
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25 |
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| 26 |
4. One way is to social engineer the ZK community to totally condemn this kind of behaviour as bad for fun. as what ArchShaman refers to as "tryharding". Because it IS the only way to play ZK properly, wich also kind of dimishes the casual side of ZK and all of the changes that make ZK more accessable to slightly more casual players (automation, formations, fight command and stuff alike). This would make the game more hardcore and serious (like higher level LoL). This solution has too many problems and it would require too much effort to accomplish with possible little effect (as it is not easy to play with other people's minds :P).
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26 |
4. One way is to social engineer the ZK community to totally condemn this kind of behaviour as bad for fun. as what ArchShaman refers to as "tryharding". Because it IS the only way to play ZK properly, wich also kind of dimishes the casual side of ZK and all of the changes that make ZK more accessable to slightly more casual players (automation, formations, fight command and stuff alike). This would make the game more hardcore and serious (like higher level LoL). This solution has too many problems and it would require too much effort to accomplish with possible little effect (as it is not easy to play with other people's minds :P).
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| 27 |
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27 |
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| 28 |
5. The easiest solution to all of this is... just to play less ZK games. This might seem trivial but playing less games you slow down the "eldering" process as you don't get used to the game as fast (because you play less) and thus game wont get boring as much for you. You might even forget some of the stuff while taking a slightly longer break or mayby some things would be added or changed or perhaps meta would shift.
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28 |
5. The easiest solution to all of this is... just to play less ZK games. This might seem trivial but playing less games you slow down the "eldering" process as you don't get used to the game as fast (because you play less) and thus game wont get boring as much for you. You might even forget some of the stuff while taking a slightly longer break or mayby some things would be added or changed or perhaps meta would shift.
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| 29 |
The problem is that this cannot be controlled from administrative point of view. The player decides when s/he wants to play the game or how much they want to do it. However this kind of splitting can also be encouraged in online gaming in a shape of boosts or some sort of logging lottery. In many F2P games there are experience boost for first match or item lottery or some sort of daily challenge wich yields rewards. All of these not only encourage frequent logging in but also encourage splitting playtime into couple smaller sessions. Because lets face it. The facts are that people that play the most @Firepluk @Svatopluk @Shamanpluk (@Failer but not recently) "pluk" the most!
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29 |
The problem is that this cannot be controlled from administrative point of view. The player decides when s/he wants to play the game or how much they want to do it. However this kind of splitting can also be encouraged in online gaming in a shape of boosts or some sort of logging lottery. In many F2P games there are experience boost for first match or item lottery or some sort of daily challenge wich yields rewards. All of these not only encourage frequent logging in but also encourage splitting playtime into couple smaller sessions. Because lets face it. The facts are that people that play the most @Firepluk @Svatopluk @Shamanpluk (@Failer but not recently) "pluk" the most!
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| 30 |
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| 31 |
The bottom point is: pluking is normal thing. People will do odd things whether you want it or not. If you don' want ANY pluking play only with organised teams or 1v1s. That is the only real solution.
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31 |
The bottom point is: pluking is normal thing. People will do odd things whether you want it or not. If you don' want ANY pluking play only with organised teams or 1v1s. That is the only real solution.
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On pluking