Devs please fix the 'fingerprints photo' exploit

[MacKaris]

In about 90% of the cases when we've found fingerprints, we haven't actually seen them with our own eyes, we just happened to take a photo of a room that was lit with UV lights and then there's a photo that's captioned 'fingerprints'. That's just a bit stupid in my opinion, it shouldn't work like that. An easy fix would be to not label the fingerprint photos as such in the journal. A more elaborate fix would be to require that the photo is taken like max 0.5m from the fingerprint to count as a fingerprint photo.

Also what's a bit weird is that ever since the recent updates it's been increasingly difficult to actually find any prints using one's own eyes, even when meticulously searching for them with the UV lights. We've probably played like 50 rounds recently, and I've seen ONE handprint on a door. No footprints and nothing else either. This should be fixed, the fingerprints should be MUCH more obvious when they are there.

[Nate]

There’s no bug to fix, if it required a UV light then solo players can’t take a photo of it

[MacKaris]

Originally posted by Nate:

There’s no bug to fix, if it required a UV light then solo players can’t take a photo of it

Well then you either accept the fact that solo players can't take a photo of it, or you implement the second solution I offered, i.e. you require the player to be standing literally next to the fingerprint instead of just taking a general picture of the entire room. Did you even read what I wrote?

[TNX.]

Originally posted by MacKaris:

Originally posted by Nate:

There’s no bug to fix, if it required a UV light then solo players can’t take a photo of it

Well then you either accept the fact that solo players can't take a photo of it, or you implement the second solution I offered, i.e. you require the player to be standing literally next to the fingerprint instead of just taking a general picture of the entire room. Did you even read what I wrote?

You're complaining about something that's been in the game since the beginning. It's not even an exploit and it doesn't hurt the game at all.

[MacKaris]

What do you mean it's not an exploit and doesn't hurt the game at all? :D Of course it is and of course it does. Did YOU read my original post? How is it NOT an exploit when the best way to find the fingerprints evidence is to not look for the fingerprints yourself but just light up the room with a couple of UV flashlights and then take a photo of the entire room and check if it's automatically labeled as 'fingerprint' in the journal? That is the very definition of an exploit. That's not how it's supposed to be. It's the same as if the ghost writing, spirit box, EMF reader, and DOTS projector evidences would just automatically tick themselves in the journal when they trigger, so you could simply just dump all the kit into the ghost's room and go chilling in the van, then just wait until you have 3 automatically gathered pieces of evidence. It would be stupid, just like the fingerprint photo exploit is now.

[Mandemon]

It's not really a problem. So you get a picture that says "fingerprints". Something you would have gotten anyway. Most likely you got a low quality picture or wasted a picture.

Sounds like you are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

[MacKaris]

Originally posted by Mandemon:

It's not really a problem. So you get a picture that says "fingerprints". Something you would have gotten anyway. Most likely you got a low quality picture or wasted a picture.

Sounds like you are making a mountain out of a mole hill.

What...? "Something you would have gotten anyway"? I don't even....

Do you not realise, that finding fingerprints is one of the possible pieces of evidence when determining the ghost's type? And determining the ghost's type is the whole point of the game? It is a MASSIVE problem if you don't have to find the fingerprints yourself, you just take snapshots in all random directions in the house and then check the journal to see if you *accidentally* got a photo of fingerprint. That's an undisputable fingerprint evidence right there, even if you haven't ACTUALLY seen any fingerprints at all with your own eyes. HOW IS THAT 'NOT REALLY A PROBLEM', for crying out loud? :D

[Mandemon]

You realize how wasteful your "exploit" is? You are taking random pictures without any logic. Meanwhile, more effective method is to wait for ghost to interact and shine UV light on doors and windows, giving you the exact same results: finding out if fingerprints are present.

You are basically whining that extremely wasteful method that can only be used 10 times at best(compared to infinite use of UV lights) is possible, therefore the game is "broken".

When in reality anyone with even basic logical thinking skills realizes that taking random pictures does nothing but waste pictures, and shining UV light is quick and easy way to check for finger prints.

[MacKaris]

Tell me, have you ever actually played the game? Or am I really this inept at getting my point across?

The whole issue arises from the fact that about 9 times out of 10 you will not find any fingerprints even if you kept staring at the walls and doors and door knobs and objects with the UV light all day long. It's only when you check the journal that you'll see that a random photo someone has taken in the room or somewhere in the house is labeled 'fingerprints'. Then you know there were fingerprints there somewhere even if NOBODY actually saw them. So like I said in the very first message: there's two issues here: firstly the fingerprints are next to impossible to see even if technically they are there. And secondly the whole process of searching for the prints is made completely moot by the fact that your journal automatically knows if you've found them, whether you know it yourself or not.

[SiEgE]

Originally posted by MacKaris:

In about 90% of the cases when we've found fingerprints, we haven't actually seen them with our own eyes, we just happened to take a photo of a room that was lit with UV lights and then there's a photo that's captioned 'fingerprints'. That's just a bit stupid in my opinion, it shouldn't work like that. An easy fix would be to not label the fingerprint photos as such in the journal. A more elaborate fix would be to require that the photo is taken like max 0.5m from the fingerprint to count as a fingerprint photo.

Also what's a bit weird is that ever since the recent updates it's been increasingly difficult to actually find any prints using one's own eyes, even when meticulously searching for them with the UV lights. We've probably played like 50 rounds recently, and I've seen ONE handprint on a door. No footprints and nothing else either. This should be fixed, the fingerprints should be MUCH more obvious when they are there.

It is not that bad. Even though I myself would like to see the fingerprint taking rules a bit more tighter, I don't mind having that little cheese, because it is literally QoL vs strict game rules.

I think I understand what exactly you want. You hate that journal ruins the search for you, making fingerprints the most easy photos to take. You can even ruin the run for yourself by taking fingerprint photos by mistake. I honestly think that distance limit is not fun, and should not be implemented. How about this approach:
- You can still take non-UV'd fingerprints, and get money for them, BUT...
- You'll have to set the label yourself. You'll only get the money when you set the photo label properly.
- Allow photos to hold multiple targets(this way, you can make super photos that contain the ghost, an interaction and a fingerprint).
- To combat people picking every single evidence for every single photo - make the photo less valuable for 30%, for every wrong guess.

[MacKaris]

I couldn't care less about the money you get from the photos. I care about the fact that 'fingerprints' is one of the evidence types. And because you can accidentally take a photo that says you've seen this particular evidence, even if you actually haven't, it ruins the fun of trying to find out the ghost's type. It's an exploit, which clearly shouldn't work like that. The fingerprints box could just as well tick itself automatically when you walk into the building if there are any, regardless of whether you see them or not. It's stupid. You should only be able to see them with your own eyes.

[SiEgE]

Another approach:
- fingerprints should be hit with the UV at least once to be "snappable"

[MacKaris]

I have always thought that's exactly how it is. It doesn't remove the problem, though, because when you've found the ghost's room, you ferry EVERYTHING from the van into the room and dump it onto the floor. This includes the lit UV lights and UV sticks. These, along with the UV light someone might be holding while desperately searching for the prints, will illuminate the fingerprints for the random photos someone else keeps snapping. The result is that no one actually sees any prints, but someone will notice there's a photo labeled 'fingerprints' in the journal, and then you only need two more and you can bugger off.

[Mandemon]

Originally posted by MacKaris:

Tell me, have you ever actually played the game? Or am I really this inept at getting my point across?

The whole issue arises from the fact that about 9 times out of 10 you will not find any fingerprints even if you kept staring at the walls and doors and door knobs and objects with the UV light all day long. It's only when you check the journal that you'll see that a random photo someone has taken in the room or somewhere in the house is labeled 'fingerprints'.

It is funny you tell me "have you erver actually played the game" and then put this in here. Like, finger prints are one of the easiest way to get. Just listen to either door opening or window being tapped and shine UV light on it. It's that simple.

This entire "exploit" seems to be you being angry that you can accidentally take a picture.

[MacKaris]

Originally posted by Mandemon:

Originally posted by MacKaris:

Tell me, have you ever actually played the game? Or am I really this inept at getting my point across?

The whole issue arises from the fact that about 9 times out of 10 you will not find any fingerprints even if you kept staring at the walls and doors and door knobs and objects with the UV light all day long. It's only when you check the journal that you'll see that a random photo someone has taken in the room or somewhere in the house is labeled 'fingerprints'.

It is funny you tell me "have you erver actually played the game" and then put this in here. Like, finger prints are one of the easiest way to get. Just listen to either door opening or window being tapped and shine UV light on it. It's that simple.

This entire "exploit" seems to be you being angry that you can accidentally take a picture.

So if it's that easy, then can you please explain to me why (like I have pointed out several times in this thread) does it happen predominantly that no one actually sees any fingerprints, but one of the random photos is labeled 'fingerprints' because there just happened to be a UV lit fingerprint somewhere within the frame, but it obviously was practically invisible to the naked eye? In your own words, please, because I'm struggling here.

[Mandemon]

Do you even search for them? When door opens, does anyone take a UV light and looks both sides of it? When you hear tapping, does anyone shine light on the window?

Or do you just throw an UV stick in the middle of the room and not realize that

A) They don't illuminate entire room
B) They lose strength over time until you need to be right next to object you want to illuminate