Ghost Kingdoms - A StarKingdoms Issue

Scars

There is currently an issue that has been exploited that has to deal with kingdom creation. With research from one of the players, it has been deemed possible to create a ghost kingdom that can interact in an agressive manner, with no retaliation possible against the kingdom. It must also be noted that is not a very hard process.

It is possible to create two kingdoms that occupy the same spot in a sector with 1 BSGid. The issue with the second kingdom is that you can not be messaged, probed, or attacked. You are only seen in your sector if you are online at the time that your sector updates, and then will disappear if not online during the next update. (There is more information on this, and can be provided if needed, but should not be posted here as it will give even more players the ability to exploit this bug).

Because this exploit is known to the player base, there are two events that will take place. Either the player base will all begin using ghost kingdom's (which will drive away any player that does not know how), or everyone will leave before it gets to that point. Either way, this has a real possibility of destroying StarKingdoms.

The solution that we believe is best for this is to recode the kingdom creation process so that this is not an exploitable bug.

Thank you to SkyDragon for putting in the effort to pinpoint the problem, so that BCart can hopefully come up with a solution.

Please everyone feel free to discuss. And make sure to add @Bcartfall.

Crash

@bcartfall

Scars

For current examples, please see Bruce Wayne 1:14, and Final Apocalypse 2:13.

@bcartfall

campbell511

@bcartfall

SkyDragonX

There's two Bruce Wayne Ghost kingdoms in 1:14 - One is quite large, and one is still in newbie mode.

@Bcartfall

Bean

SK policy - Abuse it so badly he has no choice but to fix it!

PBReeceII

The ghost kingdom gives all the advantage to the ghost, making the game unfair and not very much fun for those that the ghost decides to prey on. Get hit by a ghost and you become a victim, because there is nothing you or anyone else can do about. I believe everything possible should be done to remove this 'bug' from the coding of the game. I fear this might ruin a great game and I would hate to see that happen.

@Bcartfall

Qwjvfiil

@Bcartfall

Darubian

@BCartfall - I will not continue playing this game unless this bug is fixed.

SkyDragonX

SK policy - Abuse it so badly he has no choice but to fix it!

The question is will he fix it now or after the player base leaves?

Darubian

@Bean, I take it this is something that can be easily fixed?

@Bcartfall

Mal

Good luck getting him to see this. The last time we needed his attention it took Darkfort stalking his family.

Dogtown

can't someone just post a picture of his sister again?

@bcartfall

Bean

I don't know how his code works, looks pretty shotty that it allows for such exploits. Every bug is fixable thou, just takes some effort.

Bean

can't someone just post a picture of his sister again?

I second that!

lynog

Posting HOW to ghost was perhaps the dumbest thing to do; also, it is against the forum rules [something I was banned two weeks for, for posting game exploits on the forums]

Talnoy

Is his sister good enough for the wank bank?
@bcartfall

Darubian

Be that as it may, its over now. I can't say I understand sky's reasoning behind it, I may not agree with it, but in a sense a private pm would have been left unnoticed.

However, sky destroyed an online game. I guess we all really need to hunker down this time through and refuse to make kd's next round. Maybe even go as far, and I know its crazy talk, but place our accounts in deletion. Think about, a statement such as that would defiantly catch his attention.

Maybe we can use it is an effort to get an active admin who cares more than just a log every couple of months. Begging and pleading has only led to failure, so let's try making our own demands known.

But bringing the carts family into this is out of the question. Proceed as adults ladies and gentleman, and we will get a better response.

@bcartfall

NoSocialGroup

It's been the player base having to fix all the previous problems, why not rely on us again to try to fix this one?

Darubian

Exactly, if we delete our accounts now, he would notice.

Mal

He would not notice at all. He has no idea what the population of this game is anymore. And I was just pointing out creepy stalker Darkfort's actions when the bots started to pop up en masse.

lynog

It's still dumb as fuck to have posted it. If it isn't fixed, you ruined a game people have been playing for 11+ years on and off, myself included. Sure, it may be a way for people to work on pixel-recognition bot-making in C++, but still.

Talnoy

yes everyone...... delete your accounts.....

shadowspace

there use to be a download to hit gosted kingdom was a sk explorer and u entered the spot and it hit for u

shadowspace

i been trying to work on a way around the gosts but no luck so far

shadowspace

true

Damdred

...and a op shadow lands pt :P imo of course

SkyDragonX

Posting HOW to ghost was perhaps the dumbest thing to do; also, it is against the forum rules [something I was banned two weeks for, for posting game exploits on the forums]

No, I do not believe so. You know, I could've kept quiet about it all. I could've seen the second Bruce kingdom, and thought who cares? I asked him who he was, and he didn't tell me. But I kept thinking: What would happen if he told all the wrong players in the game?

To be honest, if being raped by multi's is bad in a normal round, imagine what someone with multiple Ghost kingdoms can do in a round, with absolutely no consequences whatsoever. Right now, you can Uni KT these multi's, but these Ghost kingdoms would be in an entirely different league. All would be DW's, all offense and would rape with impunity. That would kill the game off anyway. I took a chance, as a possible preventative measure in the hope that if BCart knows about this early enough, he may fix it before this game is ruined for good. I was just looking ahead, that's all.

I know you're not really lynog but I'm not here to argue with you even if you were.

Qwjvfiil

It's been the player base having to fix all the previous problems, why not rely on us again to try to fix this one?

It was hard enough getting 1 ghost napped this round, it took me sky and 1 or 2 others quite a while creating accounts to land in the sector.

With multiple ghosts in multiple sectors its simply unfix-able by the players

Sanduskyclause

@bcartfall

Tyrsis

Thanks BCart!