Needed! Offical Rule Add please (Solo Popping & Normal Players | Crystals )

[fleet copper]

This is my opinion, I feel like a lot of players really need this rule...

I know a lot of players have strong feelings about solo popping. The issue: Problems happen when players abuse solo popping in PVE by forming groups or clans specifically to harass others trying to reach the crystal. That behavior causes frustration and isn’t okay.

⭐️ Solo popping is allowed. This rule only applies when players intentionally form groups or clans to harass PVE players or solo poppers by targeting crystals.

Lastly I know some people might argue about this, but the key is: playing solo is fine, harassing others is not. Whats your opinions about this? Do u guys think this rule is bad or good? I know someone else made a thread about this.

Here was the other active thread i see going on: (#1363005876604239932)

[quaint marsh]

[Informational]
Harassment and attempts to enforce private eldering rules on official servers or otherwise misinform players to the official eldering rules are already against official server rules. #official-server-rules

If you witness or experience harassment from other players, please screenshot and report that through the report form in #links

[high tide]

In general, I agree with the overall idea regarding harassment. If a player has proof that another player is solo popping crystals to grief other players (for example, if they say as much in chat, or follow a dragon trying to pop crystals just to pop it before they get close enough to get credit), it should be reportable under the harassment/griefing rules.

However, I think it's wrong to ban such players from creating clans or groups with similar players. Mainly, because a lot of solo poppers WILL be griefed or blacklisted, even if they're not intentionally harassing other players. These players will probably join clans made of other solo poppers because they are not invited to join other clans, or because they simply want company of like-minded players who aren't going to give them grief for crystal hunting solo. Solo popping isn't a crime, and neither is joining a community of other people who solo pop. Its only when people are harassing others when it becomes a problem

[fleet copper]

I agree with what you’re saying. Solo popping itself isn’t a problem, and joining a group or clan of other solo poppers isn’t inherently wrong.

The concern is harassment, trolling, teasing, or intentionally blocking someone from getting to the crystals. That’s what should be reported and dealt with. I don’t think solo poppers need to be banned automatically, but temporary measures like muting someone for 24 hours or a week could help prevent ongoing harassment without punishing them for simply playing solo.

[oak juniper]

I feel like at this point eldering needs to be looked at again, I only got back to the game about a week ago and the amount of hate people are showing towards eachother just for these crystals is shocking, and now even the solo poppers are harrasing its slowly getting worse

[wise drift]

I just got the game 2 days ago, I play PVE and what I’ve noticed off the bat is people will announce it in global and within seconds it’s popped, every single time people don’t even have time to lift off before it’s already popped. They announce it in global every time just to not wait for anyone

[fleet copper]

I also believe, this is also my opinion. Solo poppers wait. For them to announce in chat to go and chase after the crystal's to just pop em. Example A: "Omw C" or "C for Cyan". They see that in chat. They see it annouced in global. So they have time to react. Just like any other player. The issue is, I completely agree with what your saying. I saw it totaly in sancaruty PVE. Then before anyone could get to them or players could react on the compus they would disspear matter in 5 mins or less preventing players to elder.

[wise drift]

That’s where I’m talking about and today it was non stop lots of crystals and it caused alot of players to hop off the game. I totally get they can solo pop 1000% I just see it causes alot of tension as a newbie reading chat etc

[valid shuttle]

problems begin when yall groupers whine about losing a geode 😹 chill out lmao youll get another some other time
rules clearly state that anyone and everyone is allowed to elder in any way they want
its an open mechanic for all players
just the fact you called this thread "solos and normal people" is insane 💀 hypocrisy at its finest

@queen summit there wouldnt be that kinda people in the first place if people didnt whine about the solos
which is a repeat of what i already said above

[queen summit]

I don't think the OP has anything against people solo popping a crystal, only when they do it to intentionally grief another player.
its like a light armour character taking all the plate mail despite not being able to use it just so others don't get loot. its done in spite and on purpose just for a reaction.
it was an issue with the mushroom eldering too. people would eat the wrong ones just so others couldnt.
honestly, group eldering needs to stop and everyone becomes a "solo popper" it should be client side only so no one can steal it. the crystals can still be contention points for PVP because its the only places you need to go to elder faster so people are going to camp them. High risk high reward (i think elder % for crystals should be much higher but less of them on the map)

[chilly crater]

Forever my favourite thing is them changing eldering because shrooming was considered toxic then changing it to something that arguably causes more toxicity

[wise drift]

Client side would help a TON! And if you’re in a clan it can be group wide yet still only for them so then other solo poppers or clans can get to it I still get. Though I still do get that it should be hard to get to and that’s why anyone can pop it I think they’d have to change it totally if it ended up this way. Idk. Just viewing things still as someone who is new and it’s very prevalent in chat so I’ve read ALOT already in game about it

[fleet copper]

This is the issue was I dealing with legacy. Main reason i was making the thread. Thank you for defining it. Appreciate the understanding! They are still trying find ways to prevent players to "elder". That is a very good point to make, they still are finding ways to do so. Making groups and even clans. Proving so even for PvE when they were going out their way to eat the mushroom and run.

I honestly do believe this group thing would still backfire, I do really love this feature. I wish that people wouldn't abuse it.

[oak juniper]

The honestly did such a good job with this system but ig since theres a way people can "ruin" it for others it will always be a feature that makes the community toxic

[fleet copper]

Needed! Offical Rule Add please (Solo Popping & Normal Players | Crystals )

[manic delta]

yea this is honestly frustrating for new players who are trying to get into the game and become elder for the first time, and now people are making clans just for popping crystals and preventing others from enjoying the game. Cant someone make it stay un activatable for like 5 minutes so people atleast have a chance to get there?

[restive jacinth]

I wish there was a timer at least.
Even if it was just 2 minutes until it can be popped) preferably more time in my opinion )
At this point I prefer the elder shrooms, even tho I was cursed out once and threatened because I got one before another player. Perhaps if there were only ticks, and Daly quests you can do that help elder instead of gems, that way it doesn't ruin anything for anyone they just have to put in the work for ticks and Daly quests.
Overall the idea all people can get tick at the same time is good, however the toxicity that comes with it in my opinion puts the good just because of how bad people get about it, harassing, saying bad things even wishing bad things on people or even small stupid things still is messed up.

I hope something is done but I won't hold out hope.
The only time I in a way see it's ok to pop is of its about to change soon, or if it's too old, but doing it just to make others upset and not giving people a chance I don't like.

[fleet copper]

From what i read the thread #1363005876604239932 , a lot of players really want a timer. And i really wish there was one too. But I insistly hate seeing on my compass overtime I crystal hunt, whenever people “intentionally” solo pop by the time I get to it, it disappears, but I understand if the crystal is old then the issue is different, the term gets thrown around a lot. Which is aggravating to me.

Which players abuse it a lot. Solo popping is where the player does it “alone” and not in a group. Where the player chases and does it to harm and prevent players to elder. I sound like a broken record. It is true.

But yes i completely i agree with you

[teal hazel]

Please do not bump feedback threads in the forum. Comments should be contributing to the thread topic on how something should be changed and how it should be improved. If you are unsure of the rules please read the following channels:

https://discord.com/channels/576933363672285186/1216491835866742976

#readme message

We only allow for clan recruitment posts to be bumped every once and awhile in their given location. Members who don’t have feedback to give on the thread can react to the following emotes that are posted with feedback threads which allow for users to vote up or down on if they want it or not. All is seen by developers and staff alike.

[fleet copper]

I apologize! I will keep that in mind! Whenever i post the thread. Will re-read the rules! Thank you for moderating and responding my thread and at least keeping it open!

[teal hazel]

No problem, it’s easy to forget some of the rules or places to look for them so I get it takes me awhile whenever I join new discords to learn the rules and ropes of them.

[modest orchid]

What if the radius was increased, and the farther you are the less you get? So at least you get SOME compared to NONE but the effect needs to effectively be a LARGE boom radius.

[fleet copper]

I think that question would be more situable in #1363005876604239932 , but i don’t know how to effectively answer that since its not on topic. I do like the idea.

[plucky agate]

This is… Already a thing?

Solo Poppers can literally only solo pop because it’s their crystal.
It’s not possible to harass/target people over it since you’re locked to that crystal.

PvErs have been targeting solo poppers, putting them on blacklist and being really aggressive being closed doors.

[fleet copper]

I see what your saying, although. At the same not really. It hasn’t been a thing confirmed by a mod there hasn’t been a rule for a lonnng time. More a less im making a rule. People have intentionally targeting, the “mushrooms” and now this is a thing. Even for PVE.

Heres the proof. #general-chat message & #official-server-rules

PvErs have been targeting solo poppers, putting them on blacklist and being really aggressive being closed doors.
Edit: Forgot to respond to that! A lot of times. The reason they put these players up on "blacklist" is because of the harrasment & preventing of eldering. I'm hopping that this rule. That prevents "intentional", targeting allows, the mods to take care of it quickly.

[plucky agate]

Keyword.
Mushrooms.

Mushrooms were able to be eaten by EVERY species even elder.

Crystals you cannot do that thus voiding that.

[fleet copper]

I get what you’re saying about mushrooms being universal and crystals being species locked. Mechanically they’re different, I’m not arguing that. What I’m pointing out is the behavior pattern, not the mechanic. I was only use it as an example. Like wise: Back then, players used mushrooms to intentionally block others from progressing. Now, some players use solo popping the same way, running in, popping instantly, and leaving.

Different mechanic Same outcome: one player preventing another from progressing. That’s why the comparison matters. The problem isn’t the object (mushroom vs crystal), it’s how players use it when there’s no clear written rule. A mechanic doesn’t have to be identical to create the same harassment issues.

I talked about that is the big concern. Which is up here https://discordapp.com/channels/576933363672285186/1440814135054045276/1440823779071758519

The concern is harassment, trolling, teasing, or intentionally blocking someone from getting to the crystals.
By the time the player gets to the crystal it is gone.
https://discordapp.com/channels/576933363672285186/1440814135054045276/1440941968036466738 Now you may agrue. (What if the crstyal is old?) Then it doesn't even matter anymore

Hope this clears up any misunderstanding. If not feel free to ask more!

[jaunty vine]

I totally get where you are coming from when talking about the similarities of mushrooms and crystals but I have to agree with what Kiu is saying. Crystals and mushrooms are different in an important way, crystals require you to actually need them while mushrooms were able to be eaten by anyone regardless of whether they needed them or not to progress to elder.

This simple distinction between the two is very important!

• Crystals cannot be wasted (except for when they fade)
  The people who got there fast enough get rewarded with elder progression. It could be due to luck or skill why someone couldn’t get to the crystal while at least one other person could. There will always be at least one person progressing to elder with each Crystal.

• It’s hard to prove that people are popping early to prevent other people from eldering.
  If they were able to make it to the crystal to pop it that should usually give other people the time to get to the crystal as well. There are multiple ways to increase the likelihood of getting to a Crystal fast like staying on the dragon you want to elder the most, staying in areas with a high density of crystals, or resting on elevated areas so you can glide to crystals without needing to stop for stamina breaks.

• How would people find out who was popping crystals “early”
  There is no way to figure out who pops a Crystal because their username isn’t shown. I feel like this rule would just lead to witch hunts to figure out who is popping early and ultimately lead to toxicity. In the past, solo hunters were chased down after being accused of popping too early to confirm who they were so they could be put on clan blacklists which was against the DoD rules. I don’t see how implementing this rule wouldn’t lead to this happening again.

Overall I do agree that it does feel bad to not make it to a Crystal on time but I don’t see how making this a rule would lead to a less toxic player experience as harassment is already against the rules.

[fleet copper]

Sorry for the late response. I was eating ! I appericate you commenting and sharing your opinon!

I understand your points about the mechanics and how crystals differ from mushrooms. I’m not disputing that reaching crystals requires progression, and usernames aren’t shown.

My focus is on behavior, not mechanics. Harassment, teasing, trolling, or intentionally blocking, other players can still happen with crystals, just like it did with mushrooms before rules were clarified. The rule I’m suggesting isn’t about punishing someone for reaching a crystal first or controlling gameplay, it’s about clarifying what counts as harassment so the community has a clear guideline to follow. Even though usernames aren’t visible, harassment can still occur through repeated interference, teasing, or blocking others from getting to crystals. Players can report these patterns to mods without exposing anyone publicly.

The goal of the rule isn’t to punish players for progressing, but to define that intentionally targeting others is harassment. Written rules give clear guidance for both players and mods, helping prevent toxicity while avoiding witch hunts. It helps reduce toxicity without changing how crystals work or who gets to elder.

If im missing points! I am re-reading them over! Feel free to comment back! x3

[jaunty vine]

Yeah, I can see where a little clarification of the rules on eldering would be helpful in preventing confusion and toxic behavior. I guess what I was really trying to say is that the rules already state that any form of harassment is not allowed so I am unsure of what would be gained from this other than clarifying already existing rules? Thanks for clarifying everything else tho ❤️

[fleet copper]

They actually don’t clarify this specific situation, sadly. The rules only say “harassment isn’t allowed,” but they don’t explain what counts as harassment in the context of crystals or grouping, which is why so many players interpret it differently, What I’m suggesting focuses on intentional behavior, like players creating temporary groups/clans just to pop crystals as a team and interfere with PVE players. That’s not normal gameplay, and it’s not covered in detail under the current rules. So this isn’t adding a new mechanic rule, it’s just giving clearer guidelines for when grouping becomes intentional trolling/harassment around crystals. That’s the part players keep arguing about because it isn’t written anywhere.

Editing sorry i was fixing this! Hopefully i am not missing anything

[quaint marsh]

[Informational]
The lead dev adressed what is intended ("normal") crystal gameplay during a recent twitch stream. There is #official-server-rules addressing eldering, specifically that there are no rules against eldering solo or in groups.

Both a screenshot of said rule, and a relivant clip from the stream are attached.

[fleet copper]

Thank you for posting that! I really appreciate you for that ! That’s actually why I started this discussion in the first place! not to remove solo popping, but because there’s still confusion and issues happening around it. Even if the dev doesn’t plan to add a solo popping rule, I still think having clearer guidelines about intentional trolling or harassment around crystals would really help the community. My suggestion is meant to keep both solo poppers and regular players able to enjoy the mechanic, while preventing the small group of players who use it to intentionally cause issues.

[languid cargo]

The issue isnt someones desire to elder alone, its that there are groups of people gathering to solo pop for attention and reaction.

The rule would be to stop mass griefing via solo popping(ie the groups of ppl doing it just to cause problems) not solo popping itself.

[rapid anvil]

Solo popping is not griefing

[patent heron]

solo popping to elder your dragon is indeed not griefing
while solo popping to annoy people / prevent them from eldering is griefing

this post is to prevent/punish the second one only, not the first
which is fully understandable for PvE where you are not competing and dont need to prevent eldering

i think adding intentionally messing other people up without intending to elder as griefing is pretty valid, tho i think it would be really hard to prove when trying to show video proof to admins, you never know if people are doing it just to be mean or to actually elder - and the people would obv also claim they are trying to elder so they dont get in trouble

overall good idea, just really hard to work out, which means its probably not gonna happen

[royal oxide]

Regardless of if a rule gets implemented or not, i doubt anything will change.. my clan "clan pops" crystals that we need, and we automatically get all of the hate/assumptions that were doing it to troll. We just want to play the game and elder. Clarifications on what is considered harassment would be a nice addition to the rules, however, im unsure as to if pve players will even follow them >.>

[rapid anvil]

Jao literally said crystals were intended to be able to pop them alone. I like that eldering on PvE is competitive, some people dont like it, I do. I hope it stays that way. Not everyone has 8-9 hours to sit on a game daily to wait for crystals, and thats okay.

[patent heron]

i said nothing about wanting people to be unable to pop crystals alone, nor does it say that in the main post for this thread
the whole thing is about anybody being able to pop them to elder
and the only rule this post wants is people not be allowed to pop them JUST to troll (without wanting to elder) - be it in group or solo

[delicate glacier]

Funnily enough, none of our clan pops them to troll others or stop them from getting them. If anything at all our clan is one of the most hated on the server because of this. It's not a matter if we like competition or not, it's a matter of being left alone and not having people grief us in global, or even local because we do. The game is a free for all and many people can't handle it when they miss a crystal. Or they'll toxify global chat with death threats. I'm with anyone who wants to stop the drama and move on.

[quaint marsh]

[General reminder statement]
Death threats and verbal harassment in chat are against the rules on official servers. If you notice it happening, please report it #links message

[fleet copper]

I totally understand, and I’m not trying to remove solo popping or change the competitive side of eldering at all. Jao made it clear it’s intended, and I’m not arguing against that. What I’m specifically talking about is when groups intentionally gather to mass pop crystals with the purpose of trolling, provoking reactions, or repeatedly blocking certain players. While competition is fine, this behavior crosses the line into targeted interference and falls into the same category as griefing. A rule clarifying this specific behavior wouldn’t affect normal solo poppers or legitimate competitive play. It would only address people who openly do it “for attention” or to stir problems, which already goes against the spirit of the harassment rules, but isn’t clearly written anywhere.

Also, just to clarify what I said earlier (not sure if you saw it):
When I said “solo popping is meant to be alone,” I meant exactly that, a single player popping a crystal as the dev intended. I wasn’t saying it should be removed. My concern is only with groups intentionally trolling, not with legitimate solo popping.
(Ref to my earlier message: #1440814135054045276 message)

[royal oxide]

Can i ask how one would seperate lets say, clans group popping from trolling popping groups? because i feel like this could get confusing real quick

[fleet copper]

That’s a really good question It can get confusing if it isn’t worded carefully. That’s why I’m focusing on behavior patterns and intent, not on whether people are popping in groups or clans.

Normal clan/group popping looks like:

• They pop crystals while progressing themselves
• They aren’t targeting specific players
• They aren’t teasing, provoking, or announcing “we’re gonna pop it to make you mad”
• They aren’t following specific people around to block them repeatedly
• It happens naturally during gameplay, not as a coordinated attempt to upset others

Trolling/malicious popping looks like:

• People openly say they’re doing it “for reaction,” “for attention,” or “to stop XYZ person from progressing”
• The same group repeatedly targets the same players over multiple crystals
• They brag in chat about griefing or taunt players (“lol watch us pop it early”)
• Their goal isn’t to progress, just to interfere

Those patterns are what make something reportable.
The rule wouldn’t punish clan popping, only clear, repeated, intentional harassment behavior that mods already try to deal with, just not clearly written for this specific situation.

Hopefully this makes it better! Im trying to explain “greifing” and intentional popping. Not “solo popping players”

The definition of griefing is: Griefing is the act of deliberately annoying or frustrating other players in online games, or members of an online community, for one's own amusement. This can be done by spoiling the fun for others through disruptive and malicious behavior, such as destroying creations, preventing progress, or using social engineering tactics, and is different from standard gameplay.

[quaint marsh]

we do ask that suggestion threads be kept one topic=one thread
If you would like to discuss the option to mute or block players, that topic can be found here: https://discord.com/channels/576933363672285186/1208765879878295562

But unfortunately we do need to keep this one on topic, thank you.

[neon bear]

My suggestion to mute or block players was relevant to this discussion... it would solve all of the problems Rose has been having and would likely cut back on the server negativity.

What she's otherwise suggesting is a dead horse that's been laid to rest a number of times.

Harassment is against the rules and already punishable.

Crystals can only be popped by those who can pop them, and solo popping is allowed.

I will also post my support in Mute Players, though. Thank you for letting me know there was already a thread regarding that, as I was going to bring it up today.