So, what is BRAD camping? Thoughts?

[koys]

This stems from something I'm noticing on the US PVE Server.

So, I've done bradley twice so far during this wipe. Both times with my friend. We just get our stuff ready and head over on a horse hoping it would be up. First time, we were lucky and it was there. Second time, not so much. I've played one other wipe where I went and checked multiple times during a day and he wouldn't be there in a similar way. Anyways, this second time we thought we might as well wait a few minutes since A. We live across the map , and B. other people were arriving and we all chilled together, agreeing to 2 HV rockets each.

While we are waiting,  another person joins us and says he has done bradley alot and just has a base where he will bag to and look with a drone. THEN, multiple drones started coming to the launch site to look around. I was just a little confused because what I thought is considered camping would be to: Kill bradley, wait for him to respawn, kill him again... repeat. To me these drones still seem like camping, or maybe "hogging".  Some people are nice enough to ask in chat if people would like to come and shoot bradley so that makes it a bit better.

I think its 1 thing to do it every now and then, like heli towers and such as long as you arent hogging every single heli spawn its not really camping just "being prepared" (same with the drones tbf) but it makes me think some of these players just drone and check when bradley is back up since a lot of the times you go and look, and the tank just isn't there. Even when the pop is below half.

It might be a good idea to consider another launch site/ or a higher bradley spawn rate if something like that is possible.
Anyone else noticing this or have a thought ab it? I'm curious on other's opinions

[Postanou]

Firstly, the definition of camping is hanging at launch, specifically waiting for brad to respawn. So chilling at launch with others as you described would be considered camping. However, it is NOT considered camping if you take brad killing equipment to launch and loot the launch site while you are there. If you are actively doing something, then you are not breaking the no camping rule. Standing in one spot, doing circles, or pacing back & forth waiting for brad is a no-no. This camping rule also extends to any timed event; It used to include players who would loot a puzzle room, log out while still inside the room, wait until everything respawns, log back in, loot, rinse & repeat, but with FP's "kill sleepers at monuments after 20 minutes" function, puzzle room camping is no more.

What is NOT against the rules is taking brad (or heli, or cargo, or oil rig) multiple times in a row. This is a common misunderstanding of the 'no camping' rule. It is even less of an issue now with the introduction of instanced loot. But, if one player (or small number of players) continually take brad, and the rest of the community regularily misses out, you can ask the admins to speak to the players to let someone else have a turn once in a while. The alternative is to get better at anticipating when brad respawns, so you are at launch already looting the place when he does.

There is nothing wrong with having a base next to launch, or using drones to check out if brad is back. If you don't like it, fight fire with fire & start doing it yourself.

Lastly, ANYONE can shoot at the patrol heli (or brad). Doesn't matter if it is already fighting someone else, you are still free to attack it if you wish. And there is no such thing as calling 'dibs' or the like, it is a public server, with public events, that anyone can participate in. And if anyone objects to you participating, keep calm, don't be toxic, and just report bad behaviour to the admins.

The other main problem you have is playing on US servers.

Edited June 9, 2023 by Postanou
Typo

[koys]

Instanced loot does make it a lot better yes, so I can appreciate that there are some of those players who will offer in chat that the tank is there for others to come bring their rockets. Witnessing not one but just multiple drones flying around got me and my friend curious about whether its a common occurrence on the server/worth it to make the trip to launch site since by the time we got there, it would probably be gone again. Our base just happens to be far away so, I definitely think I will try that drone idea if I find its happening alot lol.

I don't have a problem with the drones per say, just if the same people are using them to constantly check on the spawn and taking down bradley often/1 after another. Maybe that's not camping like standing and waiting/running in circles, but I can still see it as being campy considering they can just bag in check, bag out and come back again in a few minutes. I've only seen the drones a couple times now so I'm guessing its not that big of a deal atm anyways. I wouldn't want that method of scoping things out to be not allowed, just if like you say, some players were consistently hogging, that something would be done. We'll see!

My ping would die on anything else : ' (

Edited June 10, 2023 by koys