*KNOWN ISSUE* Join/Spectate/Join Exploit

[Hartsblade}12th VR{]

I did a little looking on the forum but could not find this possible exploit listed, however it is very similar to, or another variation of, the Suicides to start with Heavy Mechs exploit discussed here:

http://forum.mechlivinglegends.net/index.php/topic,6927.0.html

So I apologize in advance if this is a Known Issue.

I was on a server the other night when a a member of the other team was able to field a Heavy Mech in the first couple of minutes (before any combat had ensued), I figured it was just a case of CBill sharing (which is super helpful IMHO), but a player on my team started to scream "CHEATER" and asked how he was able to purchase the Heavy.  It turns out he did use an exploit and even went as far as to explain it to everyone, saying that everyone used it.  Here is what he did:

1) Join a team
2) Buy most expensive Mech/Vehicle he could afford with starting CBills
3) Drive Mech out of Hanger and stop/power down
4) Hit "M" and choose "Spectate"
5) Rejoin the same Team
6) Run out to parked Mech
7) Return to base and sell Mech

This results in the price of the Mech being added to his new bank of starting CBills, giving him well over 80,000 CBills to start the match (and was done without the help of other team members).

I did try this on a server the other night and it worked, I was able to field a Heavy Mech within 2 to 3 minutes without having any CBills traded to me

[~SJ~KorbinWimmer]

Not to mention that Spectate/rejoining resets your C-bills so that you could potentially load up an ally with Cbills. 

[^sPikE-]

I did a little looking on the forum but could not find this possible exploit listed, however it is very similar to, or another variation of, the Suicides to start with Heavy Mechs exploit discussed here:

http://forum.mechlivinglegends.net/index.php/topic,6927.0.html

So I apologize in advance if this is a Known Issue.

I was on a server the other night when a a member of the other team was able to field a Heavy Mech in the first couple of minutes (before any combat had ensued), I figured it was just a case of CBill sharing (which is super helpful IMHO), but a player on my team started to scream "CHEATER" and asked how he was able to purchase the Heavy.  It turns out he did use an exploit and even went as far as to explain it to everyone, saying that everyone used it.  Here is what he did:

1) Join a team
2) Buy most expensive Mech/Vehicle he could afford with starting CBills
3) Drive Mech out of Hanger and stop/power down
4) Hit "M" and choose "Spectate"
5) Rejoin the same Team
6) Run out to parked Mech
7) Return to base and sell Mech

This results in the price of the Mech being added to his new bank of starting CBills, giving him well over 80,000 CBills to start the match (and was done without the help of other team members).

I did try this on a server the other night and it worked, I was able to field a Heavy Mech within 2 to 3 minutes without having any CBills traded to me

good find! should totally be fixed.

but keep in mind, no heavy mech is going to help such a noob from being obliterated. less score for them, more score for us.

[(TLL)CapperDeluxe]

The thing is that it really doesn't help someone all that much to spend the first 3 minutes of the match in pursuit of this cheat.  Why?  Because it won't increase their rank.  Also because all the other team now has to do is focus on destroying the asset and suddenly those points now go towards the enemy and their ranks.  Plus keep in mind at any time a player could decide to go dedicated BA, thus being able to transfer nearly 100% of starting funds to another player to start with a heavy mech as well.

[(TLL)Siilk]

The thing is that it really doesn't help someone all that much to spend the first 3 minutes of the match in pursuit of this cheat.  Why?  Because it won't increase their rank.  Also because all the other team now has to do is focus on destroying the asset and suddenly those points now go towards the enemy and their ranks.  Plus keep in mind at any time a player could decide to go dedicated BA, thus being able to transfer nearly 100% of starting funds to another player to start with a heavy mech as well.

 I wouldn't say that. Two words: Hellbringer C. With it's twin LBX20s you can own any light mech or vehicle in one or two salvos. Above that, Hellbringer is have too much armour for even a couple of light mechs to chew through fast. And if it finds itself in trouble, it could just retreat easily due to it's superior speed. I know all that because I saw "Hellbringer C spam" first hand(it was bought legitimly but that wasn't really comforting), and even being a good player, I couldn't really counter that in any way. In other words, cbills out of nowhere in the beginning of the game is a serious trouble, and we shouldn't take that exploit lightly.

[7.[WD]Ragor]

The thing is that it really doesn't help someone all that much to spend the first 3 minutes of the match in pursuit of this cheat.  Why?  Because it won't increase their rank.  Also because all the other team now has to do is focus on destroying the asset and suddenly those points now go towards the enemy and their ranks.  Plus keep in mind at any time a player could decide to go dedicated BA, thus being able to transfer nearly 100% of starting funds to another player to start with a heavy mech as well.

 I wouldn't say that. Two words: Hellbringer C. With it's twin LBX20s you can own any light mech or vehicle in one or two salvos. Above that, Hellbringer is have too much armour for even a couple of light mechs to chew through fast. And if it finds itself in trouble, it could just retreat easily due to it's superior speed. I know all that because I saw "Hellbringer C spam" first hand(it was bought legitimly but that wasn't really comforting), and even being a good player, I couldn't really counter that in any way. In other words, cbills out of nowhere in the beginning of the game is a serious trouble, and we shouldn't take that exploit lightly.

I agree with Siilk here. Going out as Heavy (repeat the step once more -> Assault) in the first 5 min of a match and focus on staying alive you rape everything the enemy throws at you and rank up damn fast. And cbills en masse -> probably gamebreaking since enemy has hard time to catch up.

And when 2+ players do that and work together -> for sure gamebreaking.

[Hartsblade}12th VR{]

The thing is that it really doesn't help someone all that much to spend the first 3 minutes of the match in pursuit of this cheat.  Why?  Because it won't increase their rank.  Also because all the other team now has to do is focus on destroying the asset and suddenly those points now go towards the enemy and their ranks.  Plus keep in mind at any time a player could decide to go dedicated BA, thus being able to transfer nearly 100% of starting funds to another player to start with a heavy mech as well.

I did a little more playing around with this and 2 -3 minutes was an over estimate of the time.  Actually a player can switch to "Spectate" as soon as the Mech assembly has been completed and then can rejoin to basically find the Mech still in the bay ready for sale...so in the time it takes to pick, build, spectate and rejoin you've made quite a nice sum of CBills.

Now while I agree that in the hands of a poor player this means nothing (unless they keep doing it over and over through out the match), but in the hands of a descent player it can have a major impact.  A descent player will be able to cruise though the ranks so that the first time he has to respawn he will have 80,000 CBills to start.  Don't think that this is an exploit just for noobs, the player I saw do it was an experienced pilot and ended the match with something like a 20/0 k/d ratio...experienced players are not above using exploits.

[7.[WD]Ragor]

(...)

I was there as well, was 2 or 3 nights ago, server Mechwars1, map Mirage, player was IS, started with an Huit Prime, relyed on longrange, had an APC beside and raped everything.  K/D was 20/0 after 60min match.


Now come again with:

The thing is that it really doesn't help someone all that much to spend the first 3 minutes of the match in pursuit of this cheat.  Why?  Because it won't increase their rank.  Also because all the other team now has to do is focus on destroying the asset and suddenly those points now go towards the enemy and their ranks.  Plus keep in mind at any time a player could decide to go dedicated BA, thus being able to transfer nearly 100% of starting funds to another player to start with a heavy mech as well.

[(TLL)CapperDeluxe]

(...)

I was there as well, was 2 or 3 nights ago, server Mechwars1, map Mirage, player was IS, started with an Huit Prime, relyed on longrange, had an APC beside and raped everything.  K/D was 20/0 after 60min match.


Now come again with:

The thing is that it really doesn't help someone all that much to spend the first 3 minutes of the match in pursuit of this cheat.  Why?  Because it won't increase their rank.  Also because all the other team now has to do is focus on destroying the asset and suddenly those points now go towards the enemy and their ranks.  Plus keep in mind at any time a player could decide to go dedicated BA, thus being able to transfer nearly 100% of starting funds to another player to start with a heavy mech as well.

ok thanks for for clarifying

[(TLL)KitLightning]

...

...

Doing either of these exploits on a TLL server will get you banned permanently.

[~SJ~KorbinWimmer]

Doing either of these exploits on a TLL server will get you banned permanently.

Rightfully so.  Using a cheap asset or going BA in order to upgrade an ally is one thing, but  spamming spectator and donate is just lame... 

[Threesan]

(Modification of something 7.[WD]Ragor said)

If the vehicle were marked as unsellable for the purchasing team after the purchaser's death, the super-early extra money exploit would be prevented (even through teamwork). The player could still park the vehicle, suicide, respawn and reclaim the vehicle, and then amass money starting from CDT wages instead of whatever was left after purchasing the asset - BUT, not being able to sell the vehicle back to "trade up" later, it would come closer to balancing out. Of course, such a change prevents scavenging discarded friendly Mechs (but not hostile) from the battlefield for profit - but maybe that makes sense. The purchaser would have gotten their wages back after dieing, meaning the "owner" of the asset would be whoever gives out the cbills/equipment - the quartermaster, or whatever. You can't sell the quartermaster's goods back to the quartermaster.

[(TLL)KitLightning]

That would give so many troubles on the server with leftover assets near the friendly Hangar. And also the fact that the Player would need to earn enough to trade up on one life. New Players will be stuck in lower tonnages for far to long and will eventuallly be pawned by heavier chassis. And yes this goes against the already implemented function to sell your assets.

[Threesan]

I meant that vehicles could still be sold normally, so that you could still trade up or sideways or replace a lost arm or whatever. The change is only when the person who purchased the vehicle dies (spectates, disconnects). Then the vehicle they purchased can no longer be sold (until it changes team, i.e., is stolen by the enemy).

[(TLL)KitLightning]

My bad for misreading your comment. What you want is the asset to be rendered useless for the friendly team if a Client disconnects and thus leaves it behind, wherever that may be, whilst being a profit for the enemy team? This would then disallow friendlies from stealing the asset, i.e. by destroying the cockpit, enter it and the asset, as it currently is afaik, would be given a new Player ID.