Bug Alert: Dragging Glitch Overrides Door Locks

Hey everyone, let's dive into a peculiar bug reported by rSpray on a game platform. This isn't just a minor inconvenience; it's a glitch where a dragging mechanic unexpectedly overrides the door-locking mechanic, leading to some unintended consequences. This issue mainly affects situations where players are interacting with lockable doors or objects while attempting to drag another player.

The Core Issue: Combining Actions

At the heart of the matter, the problem arises when a player tries to drag or undrag someone near a lockable door. Instead of these actions occurring separately, they get combined. This means if you're trying to drag someone, and you're close to a door, the game might simultaneously attempt to lock or unlock that door, even if it's not the intended action. The situation is not limited to doors; the same issue occurs when interacting with other objects like evidence lockers, where the actions get merged. You might accidentally open the evidence locker room door while also trying to access the locker itself. The primary objective is to make sure actions do not get override each other. This can be reproduced easily in some areas, especially in stations, and can be frustrating in scenarios requiring precise actions.

The Scenario: Dragging Near Doors

Let's paint a picture of how this plays out. Imagine a scenario where you, as a player, are trying to drag someone who is in a drag-able state. This person is standing right in front of a door or a gate. The environment could be anything from the MRPD gates or even the doors to the MRPD cells. Now, if you attempt to grab this person by the arm, as you would in the normal course of dragging someone, the glitch activates. This usually happens because the interaction distance for locking and unlocking a door is relatively close, about two meters. So, as you reach out to drag the player, the game mistakenly executes both the dragging action and the door-related action together. This results in the actions being performed simultaneously.

Why This Matters

This is not a purely cosmetic issue. It can lead to gameplay problems. For instance, it can disrupt the flow of interaction. If the door unlocks, it could potentially allow unwanted access to secure areas, especially when combined with the ongoing dragging action. Alternatively, the door may lock unexpectedly, preventing a player from moving through it. This glitch undermines the expected behavior of the game's mechanics, creating confusion and potential exploits.

Reproduction and Expected Outcome

To fully understand the issue, let's break down the reproduction steps and the expected outcome. This clarity is essential for anyone trying to replicate the bug or for the developers who are looking to fix it. These steps outline how the glitch can be consistently triggered. By following these steps, anyone can observe the problematic behavior firsthand, providing crucial information for understanding the issue and its broader implications. The goal is to make the process as straightforward as possible so that others can easily recognize and reproduce the bug, assisting in its swift resolution.

Reproducing the Glitch: Step-by-Step

1. Preparation: Start by positioning a player in a "drag-able" state right in front of a door or gate. These are the crucial elements for triggering the bug. The player needs to be in a condition where they can be dragged. The specific doors or gates that trigger the bug. This could be anything from the main gates of a police department to the doors of individual cells. The key is that the door or gate needs to be lockable. The environment is important because that is where the bug manifests. The area must also have interactive objects such as doors, gates, or evidence lockers.
2. Interaction: The player needs to attempt to grab the person by the arm in front of the door. This simulates the standard action of trying to drag someone. The distance from the door is crucial, as the interaction zones of dragging and the door’s locking mechanism might overlap. It is the proximity of these actions that causes the glitch. Any time a player attempts to drag another player while close to the lockable door, the bug is likely to occur.
3. Observation: Watch what happens. Instead of only dragging the player, observe how the game attempts to lock or unlock the door simultaneously. The game's system merges the commands in an unintended way. At this stage, the player should note if the actions are combined. The goal is to confirm whether the dragging and the door interaction occur together, which confirms the bug. If the dragging and door operation are completed at the same time, the glitch is confirmed.

Expected Result: A Smooth, Predictable Experience

The expected outcome is quite straightforward: The actions should not override each other. When a player attempts to drag someone, the game should only execute that action. If there's a door nearby, the dragging should not interfere with its locking mechanism. Specifically, the game should perform each action independently. If the player attempts to drag someone, that action should be executed without accidentally affecting the lock status of nearby doors or other objects. Likewise, if the player attempts to open or close a door, this action should not interfere with any ongoing dragging actions. The gameplay should allow distinct actions and prevent them from conflicting.

Workarounds and Additional Insights

While the situation is not ideal, there are some workarounds, that can help to ease the consequences of this issue. These temporary solutions allow players to navigate the glitch. These are not fixes, but provide alternative ways of performing the actions until the bug is completely resolved. Although these solutions are imperfect, they provide a measure of usability until the issue is properly fixed. These workarounds involve changing key binds or reconfiguring interactions to maintain gameplay.

Workaround 1: Re-Adding Drag Option

One potential workaround is to re-add the drag option to a key. This would allow players to have a direct method of dragging others. Since the current issue is rooted in how the dragging action interacts with other actions, having an easily accessible drag command could bypass the combined action problem. By reintroducing this option, players can more effectively control the dragging action and reduce the chances of inadvertently activating the door-locking mechanism at the same time.

Workaround 2: Separate Keybinds

Another approach is to have separate, changeable keybinds for dragging someone. This means that players can customize the controls for dragging independently from other actions such as door interaction. By assigning a dedicated key to dragging, players can prevent it from being accidentally triggered along with other commands. This keybind system offers a greater level of control over the game mechanics. This allows players to customize their gameplay experience, making interactions more precise and less prone to accidental combinations.

Additional Information

It is important to understand the scope and impact of this bug to ensure it can be resolved quickly and effectively. Knowing the context of this glitch can enhance the understanding of its importance. This also helps in creating the context for other possible issues. By taking the workarounds into consideration, the players can make the necessary changes, which is helpful until an update comes that fixes the issue. It gives players a way to avoid the problem and continue playing without the frustration of the glitch.

Conclusion

This bug, where the dragging mechanic interferes with door locking and unlocking, is a notable issue that impacts the player's experience. This glitch, where actions are not performed as intended, can disrupt gameplay, especially in critical situations. While workarounds such as re-adding a drag option or using separate keybinds are available, the core problem needs a comprehensive fix to restore smooth and predictable interactions within the game. For players, this means adapting to alternative methods until the issue is resolved. For developers, this bug report offers a precise outline of the problem, complete with reproduction steps and potential solutions. Addressing this issue will enhance the overall quality of gameplay.

For more information on the game mechanics and potential fixes, you may want to check out the official game forum.