Is bumping an exploit? The answer may surprise you.

[Anaryl]

I have had a suspicion for quite sometime that bumping may have been ore of an exploit than previously thought.

Bumping, or hugging, as it is alternatively known, is the practise of ensconcing an ACU within a spam units to prevent it from escaping or kiting.

Excuse my rather awful play, but if you go the end of the replay before I die, you will notice that ACU stops firing whilst being bumped. That's right bumping an acu breaks its order chain, so it stops firing, pathfinds and then resumes firing. If you notice in the replay, this actually contributes to teh ACU's death, as is fire rate drops, and he doesn't hit vet because he's too busy firing.

Even more distressingly this can occur with friendly units.

I'd be interested to see if anyone else has experienced this.

Thoughts?

[Nombringer]

Yes, it's undoubtedly effective, but why is it an exploit, and why is it a bad thing?

[Anaryl]

If bumping forces the ACU to crash it's orders via pathfinding could be construed as abusing the order system to stop the acu from firing.

[ColonelSheppard]

Unitblocking is a legit tactic.

[snuffles]

I suppose - perhaps we could trial making the ACU a 'massive' unit? Sounds stupid, but seems legit that it should be able to stomp hunters and flares with few fucks given. (pardon the language)

[Anaryl]

Unitblocking is a legit tactic.

On what assumption are you basing this? If it's effectiveness is shown to derive from a bug, would that not by very definition, be an illegitimate tactic? The alternative would be acknowledging that bug abusing is okay or that some are and some aren't according to some arbitrary notion.

I suppose - perhaps we could trial making the ACU a 'massive' unit?

It's conceivable that a new class could be written where perhaps this only applied to units that would be unable to physically stop an acu (using common sense). If it is shown to be broken that is.

[IceDreamer]

Unitblocking is a legit tactic.

Sure, cos it's been around for yonks.

The question is, SHOULD it be? I think no...

[Mr-Smith]

ya it should be.

[ColonelSheppard]

look the replay:

By the point the blocking happened anaryl was massivly outeco'ed (10 - 59), his commander stood in the middle of nowhere with no units.
- OC would have saved him
- Monngoose would have saved him
- Air would have saved him

he had none of this he overextended with gun commander thats all, this replay shows nothing (wp red btw that early drop was nice)

[Myxir]

the other question is, what do you plan to do against unit blocking if it's really an exploit?
banning people who do this is obviously not a good plan (because almost everybody does), also you can't fix it in the engine

and in my own opinion, when your commander is completely surrounded by your opponent's units, you've already done something wrong