How to spot a TROLL in Minetest

[Michael Eh?]

What? A new MOB? Sadly no. Just an old problem. ;)

A troll is a player character on a minetest server that is open like tsundere. Their characteristics other than bad spelling and behavor is they steal and vandalize.

HOW TO SPOT A TROLL
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A troll doesn't explore or mine. They try slipping under you as you work. Most OTHER players on the server has their names displayed as they work. Usually on the horizon. I was working facing down when I noticed the name 'kitman'. Not unusual ... usually. Unusual when it's directly below your position and moving quickly through the rock towards any light source underground.

I followed this TROLL as it moved likewise with 'J' fast-move and 'K' free-move enabled. It moved from forge station to forge station stopping at the chest I had beside them. Eached emptied after the TROLL paused there. At one station, the TROLL turned around and spooked. Bounce back through the wall where it has started hacking to look for hidden chests. Unable to inflict damage on the TROLL, it ran off and went to attack another player.

I swicthed to LOCKED chests only to find that the TROLL returned and destroyed the forge stations.

HOW TO SPOT TROLL DAMAGE
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TROLL damage isn't like Dungeon Masters. They can't destroy Locked Chests like DMs can. Also they are messy destroying in random directions from a central point. Not like the clean 4x4 blast radius of a DM. Something like having a temper trantum of a child that needs his head smack up against the wall he just destroyed.

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT A TROLL
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Not much other than banning and warning other players of the TROLL actions and what to look out for. They have no remorse. No spelling. No manners. No worth. They don't build, nor explore. Just wait until they can sneak UNDER an unsuspecting player then plunder, call names, misspell even SIMPLE 4-letter words. (Something about having a relationship with my mom ... though she died about a year ago.) Keep important resources on you.

[cisoun]

You can also revoke his build privileges and ban him at the same time. It's safe until he makes a new account.
Also: do you play on kray's server? Would you like some privileges to ban them?

[celeron55]

Please do not mix the terms "troll" and "griefer". If you do not understand what a troll or trolling is, do not ever say the word. It means something different than what you think it does.

[neko259]

Please do not mix the terms "troll" and "griefer". If you do not understand what a troll or trolling is, do not ever say the word. It means something different than what you think it does.

++
Griefer damages structures, steals and kills players.
Troll just provokes them with words.

[Michael Eh?]

I think his taunts were all the TROLL be also was part of his actions. A TROLL is more than just talk. The actions are part of a same problem. Lack of sense of playing fairly.

'Griefer' is hardly a title worth giving. PK'ing (Player Killer) Vandal. Thief... it's all the same BAD game play and there is little other than education and reporting. Now that 'kitman' has been OUTed and his technics on how he operates since I caught him in the act as he was doing the 'GRIEFing'. Others on tsundere have even left gifts to me even though I didn't ask or even need.

Call it what you may .... it's still bad game play by a BAD player. Rooting it out so those who think they are anonymous. Your actions are your signature. By knowing how one is acting can lead to others to watch out in case, said players move to other servers or IDs.

[Michael Eh?]

You can also revoke his build privileges and ban him at the same time. It's safe until he makes a new account.
Also: do you play on kray's server? Would you like some privileges to ban them?

Not on any other servers. Just getting a feel of minetest on an open server to see things there and observe. I posted this so that admins and players can look out for this behavior and make solid judgement before banning someone. This case, it is eye witness to specific individual. The post is to make players aware of the tactic and maybe catch those 'griefers', 'trolls', 'PKers', whatever you want to title them as; and get them dealt with so people enjoy the game.

[jn]

Part of a solution may be to disallow new players with empty passwords, whose accounts can easily be took over (there's a thread about this in the "Feature Discussion" forum (and a patch)).

--jn

[jordan4ibanez]

here is tip ..grief them back :3 troll them back! you must troll a troll to find its weakness

[Michael Eh?]

hmm... I changed my password after your post JN. Thanks.

I think if you do that Jordan4ibanez, aren't you just being a troll/griefer? It ends up being a vandetta which will never end.

By watching out for this tactic, catching in the act, confronting then outing the BAD player, you do everyone a favor. I have yet to see 'kitman' back on Tsundere server. I have alot of people on that server glad that one bad player is gone and don't have to accuse their friends or others who might have helped them before.

[jordan4ibanez]

TROLL HARDER..jk..your right..some time you just feed the troll