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A "You will be killed on sight" bounty for healing a random player?!

tanner1ie
tanner1ie
I tried post this as a ticket in the support section of this website, but when i clicked, "Find Assistance" a search wheel came up and just kept spinning, so i've no choice but to post here and hope someone at Zenimax reads this.
(Also, i'd no problem logging in to the forum section of this site and am clearly logged in, but i couldn't log into the support section - is that a know bug?)

I've a link to a Youtube video i uploaded to show something that happened to me in game, which had me very confused:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1748Zdr3WY

If you can view the video, as i said in the description, did i suffer the most ridiculous bug ever or did i discover an equally ridiculous extension of this games' justice system?

Do you get a bounty for even unknowingly helping a fugitive or criminal?

If it's the latter, it's as said ridiculous.
The game didn't warn me in any way, it should have a "Confirm decision to help criminal, this will earn you a bounty.", like how it warns you that it'll cost you gold if you fast travel somewhere without using a wayshrine etc.

I didn't have any bounty at all before this, in fact i've had the "prevent attacking of innocents" option activated since my early days of playing this game, because i accidentally earned bounties for hitting an attack button near npcs in towns.

But under the regular system, you earn some bounty for attacking an innocent, more for stealing and more still for killing an innocent npc, but as said, i seem to have gotten an instant, "You will be killed on sight bounty", for helping a random player and effectively got punished for being a helpful person! :( .

If this is an intended part of the game, please take note of my dislike of it and consider warning people about it, giving them an option to confirm that they want to help a criminal or remove bounties for such acts immediately! :) .
Edited by tanner1ie on February 27, 2017 10:32PM
  • KimberlyannKitsuragi
    Sadly I have no idea but I'd like to know for the future as well
    Feel free to add me. I'm part of the Gummy Guars PC/Mac NA server. Master crafter and working on getting 9 traits on everything
  • waterfairy
    waterfairy
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    I used to enjoy healing noob fugitives in town to help them escape guards until they changed it to where you get a bounty if you heal them.
  • MAEK
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    I think that it's intended, as you do help a criminal fight against the guards, but it would be nice if it was blocked by prevent attacking inocents.
  • Khaos_Bane
    Khaos_Bane
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    It's been like this forever.


    However, my proposed solution for this is to NERF Templars. Period.
  • Chrlynsch
    Chrlynsch
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    Working as intended. Shouldn't be casting spells in town, you never know when you could be helping Ted Bundy.
    Caius
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  • ADarklore
    ADarklore
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    If you're helping a criminal, then you aren't 'being a helpful person' you're "aiding and abetting" a criminal and are considered just as guilty- much like our real world justice system. Besides that, I can't help but feel you KNEW you were helping a criminal and are now complaining because you got punished for it.
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  • tanner1ie
    tanner1ie
    Vigarr wrote: »
    I used to enjoy healing noob fugitives in town to help them escape guards until they changed it to where you get a bounty if you heal them.

    Was there anything to warn you they were criminals? - Watching the footage again, there is a tiny animation when the player lands like they were possibly caught in a leg trap.
    Was that supposed to warn me? - If never seen that before either. :_ .
  • dsalter
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    rule of thumb is never heal someone running from a city, your basically helping him run from the law so the bounty is justified, sad but think of it from the laws point of view, you helped em resist arrest :)
    PLEASE REPLY TO ME WITH @dsalter otherwise i'm likely to miss the reply if its not my own thread

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  • BigBragg
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    Aiding and abetting a fugitive of the law often comes with consequences.
  • THEDKEXPERIENCE
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    This has been this way since day 1 of the PC beta. I know because I spent day 1 of the PC beta hiding in the woods trying to lower my bounty.
  • Khaos_Bane
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    dsalter wrote: »
    rule of thumb is never heal someone running from a city, your basically helping him run from the law so the bounty is justified, sad but think of it from the laws point of view, you helped em resist arrest :)

    Are there any armor sets that increase resist arrest ?

  • tanner1ie
    tanner1ie
    ADarklore wrote: »
    If you're helping a criminal, then you aren't 'being a helpful person' you're "aiding and abetting" a criminal and are considered just as guilty- much like our real world justice system. Besides that, I can't help but feel you KNEW you were helping a criminal and are now complaining because you got punished for it.

    I didn't see them fighting anybody, i just came round a corner, saw someone drop from a height and healed them like i have done a million times before and this has never happened to me before :_ .
    Edited by tanner1ie on February 27, 2017 9:40PM
  • Number_51
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    It's an intended part of the justice system. I actually like it. Now they just need to figure out other ways to make the other classes think twice before spamming skills for no apparent reason in towns. ;-)
  • PlaceboSoul
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    So...
    Man steals purse
    Woman calls police for help
    Police give chase
    You pull up and offer the thief a ride in your car and speed off...

    You don't see the problem with that?

    As said already, it has always been this way. If you aid and abet a criminal in any way, you are a criminal too.

    I agree it should be added to the prevent hurting innocent toggle though, shouldn't be able to heal people that have bounty if you are toggled to not harm innocents. Or give us another toggle
    PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!
  • BlackSparrow
    BlackSparrow
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    Heh, for a moment I was worried the fugitive you healed was me, since I was healed yesterday while rocking a 300+ bounty. Then I saw you were on console. :)

    I'm wondering about this: does this happen only when the fugitive is in combat with a guard, or is it any time the healed criminal has heat? It looks like that guy had just done the "lose the guards off the ledge" dive, so he might have still been in active combat... it's hard to tell.
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    Shauna Blackfire, redguard necromancer: "Sounds like paradise. I hate people."
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  • Danksta
    Danksta
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    Vigarr wrote: »
    I used to enjoy healing noob fugitives in town to help them escape guards until they changed it to where you get a bounty if you heal them.

    Me too, especially when they were "too demoralized" to fight back. It's definitely not trolling.
    BawKinTackWarDs PS4/NA

  • tanner1ie
    tanner1ie
    Prothwata wrote: »
    Working as intended. Shouldn't be casting spells in town, you never know when you could be helping Ted Bundy.

    ha ha :) .
  • ADarklore
    ADarklore
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    tanner1ie wrote: »
    ADarklore wrote: »
    If you're helping a criminal, then you aren't 'being a helpful person' you're "aiding and abetting" a criminal and are considered just as guilty- much like our real world justice system. Besides that, I can't help but feel you KNEW you were helping a criminal and are now complaining because you got punished for it.

    I didn't see them fighting anybody, i just came round a corner, saw some drop from a height and healed them like i have done a million times before and this has never happened to me before :_ .

    I guess you'll think twice next time. If some player is jumping from heights because they are too lazy to take the stairs, then it's their problem to deal with the fall damage... but many times players are jumping because they are trying to get away from the guards.
    Edited by ADarklore on February 27, 2017 9:41PM
    CP: 2078 ** ESO+ 2025 Content Pass ** ~~ ***** Strictly a solo PvE quester *****
    ~~Started Playing: May 2015 | Stopped Playing: July 2025~~
  • Sharee
    Sharee
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    So...
    Man steals purse
    Woman calls police for help
    Police give chase
    You pull up and offer the thief a ride in your car and speed off...

    You don't see the problem with that?

    That would be fine if he did it intentionally.

    But if you fall from a ledge, cast rapid regen to heal yourself, and the regen also latches onto another player who you did not even see, and you get bounty for that, that's just wrong.

    As someone pointed out up in the thread, "prevent attacking innocents" setting should prevent you from healing players if doing so would give you a bounty. That's the whole point of the setting - so you do not accidentally commit a crime.

  • runagate
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    Stop spamming heals in town for no reason. I'm gonna start agroing guards and draw them to heal spammers.
  • ADarklore
    ADarklore
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    Sharee wrote: »
    So...
    Man steals purse
    Woman calls police for help
    Police give chase
    You pull up and offer the thief a ride in your car and speed off...

    You don't see the problem with that?

    That would be fine if he did it intentionally.

    But if you fall from a ledge, cast rapid regen to heal yourself, and the regen also latches onto another player who you did not even see, and you get bounty for that, that's just wrong.

    As someone pointed out up in the thread, "prevent attacking innocents" setting should prevent you from healing players if doing so would give you a bounty. That's the whole point of the setting - so you do not accidentally commit a crime.

    There is nothing in the 'Prevent ATTACKING innocents' that says anything about preventing a crime. You can still accidentally STEAL with this option on too.
    CP: 2078 ** ESO+ 2025 Content Pass ** ~~ ***** Strictly a solo PvE quester *****
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  • tanner1ie
    tanner1ie
    ADarklore wrote: »
    tanner1ie wrote: »
    ADarklore wrote: »
    If you're helping a criminal, then you aren't 'being a helpful person' you're "aiding and abetting" a criminal and are considered just as guilty- much like our real world justice system. Besides that, I can't help but feel you KNEW you were helping a criminal and are now complaining because you got punished for it.

    I didn't see them fighting anybody, i just came round a corner, saw some drop from a height and healed them like i have done a million times before and this has never happened to me before :_ .

    I guess you'll think twice next time. If some player is jumping from heights because they are too lazy to take the stairs, then it's their problem to deal with the fall damage... but many times players are jumping because they are trying to get away from the guards.

    I jump all the time, because i'm lazy/can't find the stairs, but i still hate taking damage and instantly heal myself any time i take damage and as a Templar since it's easy for me to heal other people i've always just healed any other players i see take damage.

    I spend most of my time in game in Craglorn and half the time people upstairs in the blacksmiths jump out the window - i'm not sure if you get xp or earn certain achievements for healing other players (which is part of the reason i do it), but in general i just heal anybody who takes damage, because as said, i'm a helpful person.

    If this is as intended, kind of like how since the game doesn't instance resources and treasure chests, it's actively discouraging you from travelling round in groups since other players will only steal such resources by being there :_ .
  • Jeremy
    Jeremy
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    ADarklore wrote: »
    Sharee wrote: »
    So...
    Man steals purse
    Woman calls police for help
    Police give chase
    You pull up and offer the thief a ride in your car and speed off...

    You don't see the problem with that?

    That would be fine if he did it intentionally.

    But if you fall from a ledge, cast rapid regen to heal yourself, and the regen also latches onto another player who you did not even see, and you get bounty for that, that's just wrong.

    As someone pointed out up in the thread, "prevent attacking innocents" setting should prevent you from healing players if doing so would give you a bounty. That's the whole point of the setting - so you do not accidentally commit a crime.

    There is nothing in the 'Prevent ATTACKING innocents' that says anything about preventing a crime. You can still accidentally STEAL with this option on too.

    Which is equally as annoying.

    I've lost count how many times I was branded a criminal because I accidentally clicked a loaf of bread instead of a guild trader. So I'd support a fix for this as well.

    Edited by Jeremy on February 27, 2017 9:54PM
  • waterfairy
    waterfairy
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    tanner1ie wrote: »
    Vigarr wrote: »
    I used to enjoy healing noob fugitives in town to help them escape guards until they changed it to where you get a bounty if you heal them.

    Was there anything to warn you they were criminals? - Watching the footage again, there is a tiny animation when the player lands like they were possibly caught in a leg trap.
    Was that supposed to warn me? - If never seen that before either. :_ .

    Guards have snare trap spells but other then seeing someone run from guards, there's no warning I know of.

    I think the way around getting a bounty when healing fugitives was if you had prevent attacking innocents on but as I've said, that was changed awhile ago.
  • UrQuan
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    It's not a bug, it's intended behavior. It's to prevent people from helping others to escape the guards without incurring a bounty. Having said that:
    MAEK wrote: »
    it would be nice if it was blocked by prevent attacking inocents.
    ^this. A thousand times this.

    I've said this since the launch of the justice system. For those of us who know that healing someone can give us a bounty, it's not a big deal. We just don't heal in towns. For new players, though, they would have no way of knowing this and they're likely to find out the hard way. If there weren't any quests in towns where combat is required then that wouldn't be a big deal either, but as long as there are in-town quests requiring combat, and as long as the first heals new players unlock are smart heals that could target people they have no intention of healing, there are going to be new players getting bounties from healing through no real fault of their own.

    It's not likely to happen a lot, but it is going to happen, and the people it's most likely to happen to (brand new players) are also the ones who are least invested in the game and most likely to quit playing over a single bad/unfair experience.
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  • PlaceboSoul
    PlaceboSoul
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    Hehehe, the real issue:
    Entrapment :)
    PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!
  • Tryxus
    Tryxus
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    Refreshing Path is still safe to use :p
    "Stand strong, stay true and shelter all."
    Tryxus - Guardian of the Green - Warden - PC/EU
  • tanner1ie
    tanner1ie
    Jeremy wrote: »
    ADarklore wrote: »
    Sharee wrote: »
    So...
    Man steals purse
    Woman calls police for help
    Police give chase
    You pull up and offer the thief a ride in your car and speed off...

    You don't see the problem with that?

    That would be fine if he did it intentionally.

    But if you fall from a ledge, cast rapid regen to heal yourself, and the regen also latches onto another player who you did not even see, and you get bounty for that, that's just wrong.

    As someone pointed out up in the thread, "prevent attacking innocents" setting should prevent you from healing players if doing so would give you a bounty. That's the whole point of the setting - so you do not accidentally commit a crime.

    There is nothing in the 'Prevent ATTACKING innocents' that says anything about preventing a crime. You can still accidentally STEAL with this option on too.

    Which is equally as annoying.

    I've lost count how many times I was branded a criminal because I accidentally clicked a loaf of bread instead of a guild trader. So I'd support a fix for this as well.

    Indeed i've gotten a bounty like that at least once, but at least it was a small one.

    On the bounty i received, i stood still 'til the bounty had dropped below "kill on sight" but that was after i'd gone to check my inventory, which you see me going to do at the end of the video, looking for one of those "Clear bounty" sheets, which i've only found since the Homestead patch, only to find i'd put them all in my bank, because i usually don't do anything illegal in this game (or most other games or in real life, for that matter).

    In games such as the Elder Scrolls series i leave any illegal/morally bad quests such as the thieves or assassin's guild quests 'til last thing or never do them at all.
    (I did the thieves guild and assassin's guild quests last in Oblivion, and in Skyrim, while i've done some of the thieves guild quests, i haven't gone near the assassins guild quests :) .)

    In most games, short of the Hitman series (where i still try to not kill anybody but my targets), i actively go out of my way to avoid killing npcs, only wound many i've engaged in combat, if possible.

    When killing real players, like in games such as the Battlefield series, i always feel a little guilty about doing it and never gloat or "teabag" dead enemies, like other players do :) .

    While, i tried to avoid the guards on principle, so i didn't have to pay a bounty i didn't deserve, i was eventually caught still owing about 180 in gold as my stealth stats are pretty low - while i'm a high level player and could well afford to pay the bounty, if i was a low level player that couldn't afford to pay the bounty, the guards would still have tried to attack and chase me and possibly killed me over this silly bounty :_ .
  • Rev Rielle
    Rev Rielle
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    Why on earth would you sprint to heal someone in town like that?

    The system is working as intended, and furthermore should work the way it does. If you help a criminal, you should be punished too.

    If you made an honest mistake like you claim, you'll know better for next time.
    If you can be anything, be kind.
  • tanner1ie
    tanner1ie
    Rev Rielle wrote: »
    Why on earth would you sprint to heal someone in town like that?

    The system is working as intended, and furthermore should work the way it does. If you help a criminal, you should be punished too.

    If you made an honest mistake like you claim, you'll know better for next time.

    I sprint all the time, virtually never using my Imperial horse (which i've had since day one for having the Imperial edition of the game), because i kind of hate the riding animations in this game, also because you're barely any faster on horseback (or on one of the silly fantasy mounts) than you are just sprinting.

    I also think it's silly how people ride their mounts through towns and NEARLY something they should earn a bounty for, at least npcs should be shouting angrily that you for nearly flattened them with your horse/disrespecting their town.

    Even if they don't complain about regular horseriding, they should definitely complain if you're going full pelt :) .

    I feel it breaks the immersion of the game, almost as badly as those silly glitchers/bugged players you see running on top of their mounts.

    That brings me to something else i'd like to see in the game - i'd like it if your character had to, or at least had the option to, automatically switch to "social"/civilian clothes and hide their weapons upon entering towns or anywhere away for combat.
    Even from npcs giving quests on farms or in houses out in the world, it'd be nice if even some of them said, "I'm not talking to you while you're dressed like that!".

    As for running over to heal someone, i've done it since day one.
    Similarly in other games, like in the Battlefield series, if i'm playing as a medic (though i normally play as an engineer :) ), i'll rush to/prioritise healing/reviving friendly players over getting kills.
    (As am i more interested in repairing friendly vehicles and destroying enemy vehicles than getting regular kills as my main engineer class :) .)
    Edited by tanner1ie on February 27, 2017 10:57PM
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