! The Block List is a Horrendous Idea !

[Stagger Lee]

Originally Posted by byblo

Yeah great idea... Lets kick everyone from the lobby to see who is blocking our friend. EASY!

Yep. Will work very well. Kick them one at a time until you find the idiot. It does 2 things. Let's you back in to the lobby with your friends and also let's you weed out the one using the block tool as a griefing weapon.

I am convinced that most of the ones moaning about the block tool are actually griefers who can see the Sun setting on their griefing ways.

[chaotic]

Originally Posted by Stagger Lee

Yep. Will work very well. Kick them one at a time until you find the idiot. It does 2 things. Let's you back in to the lobby with your friends and also let's you weed out the one using the block tool as a griefing weapon.

I am convinced that most of the ones moaning about the block tool are actually griefers who can see the Sun setting on their griefing ways.

Yes, because someone showing a general concern about these implications must be a griefer /sarcasm

[chaotic]

Originally Posted by Stagger Lee

Nah, won't happen and I'll tell you why...

You bring up the hypothetical scenario of not being able to join a lobby where your friends are waiting. Let's examine that one.

Stagger: "I can't join. Someone evidently has me blocked".
Friends: "Really? Hold on."
....
Friends: "Try now".
Stagger: "Nope"
Friends: "Ok, now try"

Stagger makes it in.

Friends: "We asked who it was and no one fessed up so we kicked until you could join. It was "XXXXXX" who had blocked you".

Easy.

Not so easy if your friends gets DCed and they block him while in the game. So really its not that easy and kicking random people to figure out who it is is pretty ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ if you ask me. 3 other people have to get kick and suffer just because one ♥♥♥ clown. You don't think this will be a problem but it will.

[Lim214]

Originally Posted by bassistist

I for one love the idea. In every session of L4D, I run across at least one person I would be happy to never spend a moment with again.

Exactly. and hey if a block list makes it so no one can connect to a game ever again, no loss. Maybe people shouldn't be such complete scumbags eh.

you know who's really gonna hate this block list after a few hours,Stomptards. they might be stuck playing against only other stomptards after a day or so since all the pubs will have blocked them.

[R12]

Originally Posted by Lim214

Exactly. and hey if a block list makes it so no one can connect to a game ever again, no loss. Maybe people shouldn't be such complete scumbags eh.

you know who's really gonna hate this block list after a few hours,Stomptards. they might be stuck playing against only other stomptards after a day or so since all the pubs will have blocked them.

It's very easy to just go into a game ---> block the opposing team members ---> unblock them a few days later --->

During the game, if any of them disconnects. GG. They can't rejoin for that duration. But then you later unblock and follow and repeat the process.

That's what can happen. They don't need to block you forever. They just walk into a game and block now and then unblock shortly after so they can still find you in another game at another time.

[Stagger Lee]

Originally Posted by R12

It's very easy to just go into a game ---> block the opposing team members ---> unblock them a few days later --->

During the game, if any of them disconnects. GG. They can't rejoin for that duration. But then you later unblock and follow and repeat the process.

That's what can happen. They don't need to block you forever. They just walk into a game and block now and then unblock shortly after so they can still find you in another game at another time.

And it is also easy for Valve to see such behavior and treat you accordingly.

[Sleepy Ben]

Just out of interest - how do I block players?

Came across 3 teamkillers this evening and would like to use this new feature but with typical Valve ineptitude it isn't easy or intuitive to find.

Also like to point out the obvious - this is a tool that griefers will use a lot - anything they can do to spoil other peoples fun - they'll do it.

Another obvious point - blocking should NOT be anonymous. It can easily be abused and therefore should be transparent to deter ppl from using it lightly. Valve has stopped votekicking from being anonymous (you have take responsibility for that)
but allowed blocking to be anonymous - makes no sense at all.

Personally I would only use it on teamkillers and blatant griefers and I sure as **** want them to know I'm blocking them.

[Genoa]

Originally Posted by Sleepy Ben

Just out of interest - how do I block players?

Came across 3 teamkillers this evening and would like to use this new feature but with typical Valve ineptitude it isn't easy or intuitive to find.

Also like to point out the obvious - this is a tool that griefers will use a lot - anything they can do to spoil other peoples fun - they'll do it.

Another obvious point - blocking should NOT be anonymous. It can easily be abused and therefore should be transparent to deter ppl from using it lightly.

Personally I would only use it on teamkillers and blatant griefers and I sure as **** want them to know I'm blocking them.

Go to their profile page via the Steam Player list

Block all Communications

[jneutron]

Originally Posted by Genoa

Go to their profile page via the Steam Player list

Block all Communications

And if they don't have a profile set up? Id like to block a few of them as well but they do not have a block all communication option.

[Sleepy Ben]

Originally Posted by Genoa

Go to their profile page via the Steam Player list

Block all Communications

Thanks and I was right that its not intuitive. If they changed that option to 'Block All Contact' it may help but 'Block all Communications' does not imply blocking someone from joining your game.

[chaotic]

Originally Posted by Stagger Lee

And it is also easy for Valve to see such behavior and treat you accordingly.

I highly doubt that.

[chetf]

You guys have really run wild with some scenarios.

A couple of points.

We took a while to implement this because we were at first looking at people case by case. We suspended griefers. Talked with them. Warned them and looked at their behavior.

We learned a few points.

That solution doesn't scale. The community is much bigger than you think.

If someone is a jerk, they are a jerk. They are a jerk in every game they join - MW3 though L4D2. They can behave in bursts but always go back to their negative behavior.

The system will take time to work. So if you think someone is a blocking you on purpose etc - that kind of stupid will manifest itself in other ways and they will be added onto other people's lists. They will fade away.

There are more people playing than you think. Many, many, more. If you can reach an official server, you are in an area where there are more than enough people to support you if you yourself aren't the jerk. We hope hardcore jerks DO have a problem finding games.

Jerks don't have one or two reports/blocks, they have 10s of reports. They don't have three people conspiring to block them. They have 20 completely random strangers on the Internet all deciding they no longer want to play with them.
They can at each interaction choose to not be a jerk. The players they are playing with have no information about their prior behavior. At each of these points the jerk is doing something to a new group that makes them think – I don’t want to play with this jerk anymore. All we are doing is letting each of these people decide to not play with a jerk.

We can look at "skill" and we can look at other pieces of data, being good does not get you blocked. Changing your name to what you are going to do to their mom that night while team killing does.

Forming a group just so you can invite players you griefed into that group? Was always fun talking to those people. They loved to deny what they were doing and then you ask them about their name changes... well um.. uh...

If jerks who behave horribly have fewer games to play in - good. Giving power to the players is always a goal. They get to decide who they want to play with. It really is that simple.

L4D2 is the first test for this system and it will roll out to other games.

99.9999999999% of all the people reading this will not be impacted in a negative way by blocking. I have zero sympathy for anyone who tries and ruins any game on steam for other players.

That said this is just the early start to the rollout. We are going to make some of the functionality easier and more apparent thanks to feedback here and other places. Thanks!

[Stagger Lee]

Bravo. As I said, Valve has access to data concerning the blocks (and many other things) that people don't even consider.

For the record, I haven't blocked a single player yet since it was implemented. I've run across 2 that deserve it but we were in the middle of a game. I couldn't remember his name when we were done. I'd really like the "players you've recently played with" search tool back.

[Genoa]

Originally Posted by Stagger Lee

Bravo. As I said, Valve has access to data concerning the blocks (and many other things) that people don't even consider.

For the record, I haven't blocked a single player yet since it was implemented. I've run across 2 that deserve it but we were in the middle of a game. I couldn't remember his name when we were done. I'd really like the "players you've recently played with" search tool back.

It's in the steam interface mate

View -----Players

I know there is a way to get at it in game, but I can't think of it at the moment

If I remember right

Shift tab ------ Players

[gashadokuro]

Originally Posted by Stagger Lee

I am convinced that most of the ones moaning about the block tool are actually griefers who can see the Sun setting on their griefing ways.

You know, I was thinking the same thing. They're just afraid of getting blocked by a majority of people themselves and want to avoid it.