Out of Game Comms should be allowed

[HardEyes]

this thread may be a very controverse one.

i have started to play EOC at the end of g1, have played g2 and also g3. After this time playing i got the feeling (and not only a feeling) that many pilots in EOC are using Out of game Comms (oogc) for "InGame" matters like Email/Instant Messanger and so on.

i still count this as cheating, but if really that many (mostly active) pilots are using this, i'm thinking about a "change of rules".

reasons:

many pilots break the rules, and even more pilots would use them if allowed.

it's hard to tell if someone really is using "oogc", only "proves" for such behaviour are mails were people commiting to this (at least indirect by the content), and i see no way to really prevent this.
there are far to many ways to communicate with each other so it's simply not possible to control this.

many pilots have canged their emailadress (and so on) just to stay in contact, because you can find new friends in EoC, and also many peoples meet themselves in real life (due work/school/relationship/friendship and so on), it's really hard _not_ to talk about ingame matters..

HardEyes

[Zrbyte]

I'll be the first to admit that I have talked about the game outside of comms, but lets face it one of my friends also plays the game and its pretty hard to keep quite about it.
I have NEVER gave out faction information nor have I ever used Information Learned from him about his faction.
I think more pilots are in contact thann we realise, and I also think that we are reading to deeply into the rule. I dont think that the rule means that we are not allowed to talk about the Game externally just that we should not talk about delicate things such as diplomacy FC name/location etc And if we do hear such things we are NOT to Post them on Comms.
There are also other exceptions like when you are in the same faction etc.

BTW I voted NO

[tekno monik]

I still think we should be able to coordinate attacks within a faction using oogc..

[ThePlayer]

How many guys play this game to kill others?

How many guys play this game on their own?

Now, how many guys play this game with friends, or have made friends during this game that they like to keep in touch with?

This is a delicate matter, with use of external systems to communicate attacks could more easily be co-ordinated and perhaps a small force could whip a larger one, etc.

But, I'm still in agreement with HardEyes here.

ThePlayer
Retired

[Whitewolf]

Perhaps they should change the rule to read:

You shall not post any information regarding the status of another faction in the in game comms,nor shall you use this knowledge to take advantage of any faction.

It's really hard to not talk about in game information with friends who play the game.I have friends who know things about the faction I'm in,and I know things about their faction,but we don't tell our faction mates and we keep all out of faction knowledge to ourselves.Sometimes,it's tempting to take advantage of the situation with the knowledge we have,but that's something we have to control.I suppose that it's the same way with you,Zrbyte?

[Taneli]

I voted no, things what can happen if it is allowed:

a) Huge amount of spam mail..

b) "We do not want you ours squad if you do not give us your information, we want you e-mail, telephone number, picture...", "Oh, you are not in same country or city as we are, you are not allowed to join our fine squad of snobs.. ..besides you are too old and we do not like work what you are doing.. ..and you do not have a cat at your pet!"
OR
"We just take friends at out school in our squadron so you can not join, uups, we all just happens to be same faction, is that a good luck or what?"

c) Huge advantage to these players who are active and use ICQ / e-mail and so on..

d) ..I wud hate to see situation where one is "on guard" and others are sleepin. When enemy appears or start firing that one send ICQ message and wake fellow soldiers.. ..not so fun ;(

e) At that point [d] it might be too easy just let the "guarding" person have others id and password.. ..so you can sleep and other do you turn.. ..and same when he is sleeping.. ..not so fun anymore?

[The Boss]

I voted no

I totally agree with Taneli, out side comms can be very bad for the game.

They could be use to try unfluence the way others play. :mad:

[Whitewolf]

Well,it's up to us to control what we tell our mates.
FOr the record,I'm fine either way.

[Taneli]

Originally posted by Whitewolf
Well,it's up to us to control what we tell our mates.
FOr the record,I'm fine either way.

That is allso true, I use bulleting board, and that means at I, kind of, speak of the game some other way then using com :D

But yes, offcourse it is nice, in real life, when you see you friend to tell him how fun it was to kill him and so on. I just do not like an idea at we use mainly ICQ, e-mail or some other ways to communicate inside the EOC.

No way we can stop players who are reallife friends see they friends. I can say at if I wanned to shoot someone when he was somewhere else [heh, like playing Diablo II at battlenet for me, sleeping at my guest room or irc] I have more kills.. ..but it is not the "spirit" of the game. Besides idea of using wrong someones trust :madred:

[2potscreama]

I can see this from both points of view.

I play PA, and if you dont use outside comms in that game, you're at a big disadvantage. Because so many people DO use outside comms, and its not against the rules.

But in this game I think outside comms would just spoil things. I mean, you dont really *need* outside comms, because no-one really sits on the game for 18 hours a day.

Ok, granted, the two games are poles apart, but the principal is the same.

As for talking about it with your mates; I'm the only person I know of in Grimsby that actually plays EOCO anyway, cos my mates are too impatient to play anything that doesnt tick at least once an hour.

But if they did play it, I wouldnt mention anything that could seriously affect the outcome of the game. Mainly we'd be swapping good natured insults.

But maybe thats just me.

[HardEyes]

I agree in most points with taneli, the only reason for this thread is that many pilots, mostly the activest ones, are using out of game comms to coordinate(and other things).. and so all others playing fair have a serious disadvantage. I think everybody was already in a situation he has at least thought of using them.

i would be ready to give this a try in g4, just to see if this spoils the fun.

HardEyes

P.S: excurs squads

The squads taneli has mentioned (the ones taking only mates and so on) exist already in eoco, but your FC has a good chance to clear this. and perhaps there is even nothing wrong with having a squad only friends join.. after all squads are kind of family in eoc, important things can be done by using "mailinglists" or "all in sector" or "all friendlies" COMM.

i prefer active pilots which are having fun in eoco, if they need a own squad only for red haired afroamerican dog hating people, thy shall have this, as long they do not offend other players with their comms. Squads are mostly for keeping peoples happy.. and of course to see where your pilots are..