Player Reputation/Trust System

[KoertLichtendonk]

Proposal: Player Reputation/Trust System

Overview

This proposal outlines a Player Reputation/Trust system inspired by the old SA:MP forums. The system aims to encourage positive community behavior, help distinguish long-term, engaged players from newcomers, and serve as a gate for sensitive features that might be exploited if unlocked too easily.

Key Features

• Giving away reputation:
  Players can give out a limited number of reputation points based on several factors:

  • Registration Duration: The longer a player is registered, the more reputation they can give out.
  • Playtime: The more playtime a player has, the more reputation you can give out.
  • Peer Feedback: Reputation points can be awarded (or removed) by other players as a reflection of their experience with that player.

• Limited Reputation Giving:
  To prevent abuse, each player is given a limited "budget" of reputation points they can give out, with the limit scaling based on the above points.

• Dynamic Titles and Privileges:

  • Chat Titles: Reputation levels will determine player titles (e.g., "Newbie," "Helper," "Veteran") that are visible in chat channels such as newbie/help chat.
  • Feature Access: Certain sensitive features (for example, the ability to place roleplay objects anywhere on the map) can be locked behind a minimum reputation threshold. I'm not too sure about this one yet as generally I want to give players the benefit of the doubt, but that may be too optimistic.

• Reputation Adjustment:
  Reputation can be both added and removed. This dynamic system allows players' trust levels to change over time in response to their behavior.

Implementation Considerations

• User Feedback:
  Display reputation data transparently so that players can see how their reputation is calculated and what privileges are unlocked at each level.

• Time-Based Decay (Optional):
  Consider whether reputation should decay over time to encourage ongoing positive behavior, or if it should be permanent until manually adjusted.

Benefits

• Enhanced Community Engagement:
  Reward players for positive behavior and long-term participation.
• Clear Distinction Between Newcomers and Veterans:
  Reputation-based titles can help players quickly identify who is experienced and trusted.
• Controlled Access to Sensitive Features:
  By gating certain functionalities behind reputation thresholds, the server can minimize abuse while still fostering an inclusive environment for new players.
• Fast Apply to Helper Team?
  Maybe players with a certain amount of reputation can have easy access/priority to joining the helper team.

Open Questions

• What specific thresholds should be set for title changes and feature unlocks?
• How do we best balance reputation accumulation with preventing abuse?
• Should reputation decay over time, or remain static once earned?

This system would help create a self-regulating community where trust and contribution are visibly rewarded, and sensitive features are only accessible to those who have proven themselves over time.