Tracking Devices.....

[Isleh]

have been used a lot to reasonably justify the use of /findfriend. The problem I'm seeing is that sometimes the device is removed and /findfriend is still accidentally being used.

Lets face it, everyone is going to be an expert at placing non-detectable tracking devices and everyone is going to be an expert at removing said non-detectable tracking devices. I would suggest the following rules.

• No secretly slapping a tracking device on someone. You put a tracking device on someone, you tell them where you placed it OOC or emote something. If you don't tell the person OOC or emote something indicating that you have placed a tracking device on them, then you did not place the device on them successfully. If you emote something, then you should send a tell and maybe even an email with details of the what and how of the device being placed.
  
  If you are searching for a tracking device hidden on someone, RP it out. It will actually be up to the player with the device placed on them to determine if it was found. That's why it's important for the person placing the device to email the what and the how it was placed. This also means that the player being tracked should play along with the information provided to them.
  
  Before you use /findfriend. Send a tell asking if the device is still active. If the person replies that the device is still active, informing the person OOC you are now tracking their movements with /findfriend.
  
  If you have a tracking device on you and someone finds it, note the WP and planet you were at when it was found. If you get a tell from someone saying that they are trying to track you, give them the WP of where it was last active.
  
  If the tracking device is found while you are actively being tracked, inform the person tracking you that the device went dead at the WP where it was found.

[KirtViza]

If the tracking device is found while you are actively being tracked, inform the person tracking you that the device went dead at the WP where it was found.[/list][/quote]

Heres my question, say you find the trackers and place them on the first flight to mos eisly tat, then what? Is the last WP where you removed them or mos eisly?

[Ekade]

Great topic!

This actually touches on another topic which I call the superhero complex. This is the natural tendency (and I am guilty as well to a degree) to be the best, or at least exceedingly good at what they do.

Zo referred to this as the "main character". Meaning, everyone wants to be the main character in the story, the one who does all the amazing flips and has all the cool gadgets and is just a little smarter than everyone else.

There is no right answer, and there never will be. The only mechanism I can think of that will work every time to defer to the event GM, and use the honor system. Let the GM define the rules. We do not use this nearly enough. In many times we get into random RP and there is no GM... what do we do then?

Aside from that, we can come up with a set of general guidelines and hope that people abide by them. However, there is no way to predict every possible circumstance or variation on a circumstance. Having a GM to "judge" such things is ideal.

But what do we do when the GM is not online?

GAH!

Mindboggling, isn't it?

[Isleh]

Heres my question, say you find the trackers and place them on the first flight to mos eisly tat, then what? Is the last WP where you removed them or mos eisly?

I really don't know Kirt. What if their reply to that is that they placed anti-tampering protection on the trackers and as soon as they were removed, they knew they were no longer tracking the original target.

You could counter that you sliced them to disable that feature...

They say they have backup systems to prevent such slicing....

.....


The only reliable way to do what you're suggesting is to have a GM/neutral party mediate between everyone involved. That's fine when the event's GM is on. Like Ekade said, what happens when there is no GM available? We need some guidelines.

[Jaminos]

I fully agree on this topic. But something that bugs me is when I place a tracking device on somebody, normaly they will just some how out ofnot knowing IC just find it when you went to the effort to put it on. I like useing DNA better because all I need is a small sample of DNA such as a hair and I can track someone down. Well it takes longer though because I have to put it in a tracking droid and it would take several days to track down a bounty. Depending how far it might be.

[Dwilah]

Simple answer to complex question (basically rehashing what Isleh said): Use your RP realistically and be courteous OOC. Ask questions IC and OOC.

But yes, what it does come down to is people taking advantage of /findfriend. "But my character WOULD have a radar that detects people!" they might protest. "But my character WOULD have the tracking ability to follow a trail, as a Ranger/Bounty Hunter!" they may say indignantly. And it could go back and forth and back and forth.

It's really just a question of people talking OOC and being willing to say at some point, "I really don't want to be followed/captured at the moment. Can your device please fail and the hunt continue later?"

There's no problem asking this question if you ask it in a polite OOC manner. If the person you're asking takes offense, or refuses, it creates a problem but they can't force you to RP or react. If they harrass you IC using /findfriend after you make a polite request that isn't all that ridiculous (everyone, even Boba Fett and Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker was fallible at times), they're making themselves into a clown and proving themselves to be a not all that courteous an RPer or friend at that moment.

It goes the other way too, of course. If you're being pursued for a plot and you consistently escape or refuse capture without saying at some point, "I really don't want to be a part of this plot as a captured person. Can we pursue these characters' relationship as _______________?" you're not being a very courteous RPer, either.

Some people may view this as scripted RP or puppeteering. I think simple questions OOC that can guide basic plots and character relationships can really help player understanding and help avoid frustration on all lines.

I would argue that we only need mediation with a neutral party if we settle on being unable to communicate together.

[Seret Sajet]

This is very interesting topic. It really just gives way to using common sense in RP. The use of tracking devices should be regulated in one fashion or another. If its part of the event the GM should determine if A. They should be used, B. If the person is capable enough to place them and C. If the tracked is able to find the device and remove it.

But this is hard to regulate. The GM can't be around at all times to observe the situation. Personally I'd regulate it using dice and e-mail or tells. If the tracked thinks they have a device on them contact the GM. Now here is where we get old school. The GM gets together with the player. Have the player roll a 20-sided dice and base the difficulty on the players abilites. Say the player is a slicer so the difficulty would be a 5. If that player rolls a 5 or better they find the device and disable it. This may not apply to ever situation but it may help in some cases.

Personally I use Bio-Signatures. If someone is initially scanned and placed into a database they can be found using a complex scanning system, either from a ship in orbit one area at a time or using ground technology. Now access to a database and the equipment wouldn't come cheap and you'd have to find a good reason to have that sort of stuff, or connections with someone who sells it on the black market, but its doable.

In the case of Bio-Signatures you can RP a lot to interfere or mix up being be tracked. A lot can affect it like body-temperature, evironment, medical procedures, or even sumberging yourself in water. With this many openings it lets RP get a little more creative and tracking a little less infalible.

But thats just my 2 cents. I'm curious to hear more on this subject and look forward to more posts.

[Dariis]

I like the dice idea!

I am not an expert GM or anything so my input might be scewed some, but could we make a system with mods based on skills that we OOC roll a chance cube to determine outcomes. Like a DC.

for instance a Bounty hunter with investigation 4 (or master) or smuggler with connections 4 (or master) would prolly be the best, maybe on like a 2-3+ they pass a lot of tracking issues where as Dariis a Monk might only succeed on a 5-6+ or who knows, could be something cool to try. I will say I see this being VERY difficult to make

[Ekade]

I like the dice roll suggestion.

In fact, we could also implement a generic GM system. People who can serve as that "neutral party" and "roll the dice" when needed. This would be a pool of folks whose judgement and understanding of the SW universe and technology is respected by the community.

Ideally you could find one of these people online most of the time. Call it the "Spontaneous GM" list.

Each "case" should be resolved quickly and without argument. I am thinking it should be a 5 minute ordeal.

"Common Sense RP" is the goal, but there will be times where people will have differing and valid opinions as to how a situation should be played out.

I guess the goal is to avoid the increasingly fantabulous levels of RP BS we can apply to something to acheive a desirable result.

<Simpsons Comic Book Store guy voice> "Well my vessel is equipped with the galaxies most advanced humanoid tracking technology. As such, I can instantaneously know the location of any being within a 4,000 light year radius."

[Ekade]

I like the dice idea!

I am not an expert GM or anything so my input might be scewed some, but could we make a system with mods based on skills that we OOC roll a chance cube to determine outcomes. Like a DC.

for instance a Bounty hunter with investigation 4 (or master) or smuggler with connections 4 (or master) would prolly be the best, maybe on like a 2-3+ they pass a lot of tracking issues where as Dariis a Monk might only succeed on a 5-6+ or who knows, could be something cool to try. I will say I see this being VERY difficult to make

Truth be told, this could be a simple as a coin flip. Modifiers are cool, but they also add a layer of complexity that may not be worth it.

Modifiers can also result in argument.

<again, comic book store guy voice> "I should receive a +3 circumstance bonus on this roll because I was able to successfully slice a datapad while in the tentacles of the sarlaac. If I was able to to do that, I should easily be able to..."

[Jaminos]

Though the dice Idea dose seem good, it also sound complex. To the simple man it might pose as something that just complicates things. Well I am a simple man but I like the Idea just it seems it could pose problems in the long run. I am not sure. It sounds like a good concept just it makes something simple a little more complex then it needs to be.

Well my two bits are not needed here anyhow so I will let the big names figure it all out. I ust wish the system would keep it simple and not make things too complex. I just can not see myself roleing a dice to see if a bounty turns out one way or another. I rather role play it out.

[Seret Sajet]

I once tried to compile a system based on player's skill boxes in order to determine the difficulty of a dice roll action. As you can imagine it became to complex to be used in an online RPG environment. Basically we don't really know how many boxes one person has. It is too hard to remember each person's history to judge difficulty as well.

That's why I think Ekade's "Spontaneous GM" list would work best. Find a group within in the group who is A. Knowledgeable for the Star Wars Universe B. In touch with many of the players in game and C. Well respected among the RPers in this group. With these qualities this person can be trusted to use their good judgment when officiating a dice roll.

I personally would like to use dice rolls more often in RP to add that level of uncertainty. Just allowing players to perform any given actions just because they say they can takes the thrill out of a situation. Dice rolls take me back to those pencil and paper days of Role-playing when a dice roll could mean the difference between life and death... or doing something well or $#%ing it up royal.

[Jabe Adaks]

I have been wanting to post on this topic for a while. The /findfriend command wreaked havoc in the replicant war - so much so at one point that many of us emptied specific people form our friends list on an ongoing basis.

In the replicant war I just flew with it and advised players to remove offending participants from their list. There was a lot of back and forth when it came to this.

I can't say I have a good solution, but to have a list of GM's to contact sounds good in theory but may be intrusive to other RP.

Jabe

[Isleh]

Well, when a tracking device is placed on a person, open a trade window and give them a chance cube.

The GM for the event can decide on what is needed to be rolled.

[E-bo Obi]

But this is hard to regulate. The GM can't be around at all times to observe the situation. Personally I'd regulate it using dice

Actually Zo and I decided we were going to do that on all instances such as these. It really is a great way to go.