Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: When does a clever loophole become a bannable exploit?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/07/the-daily-grind-when-does-a-clever-loophole-become-a-bannable-e/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/07/the-daily-grind-when-does-a-clever-loophole-become-a-bannable-e/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/07/the-daily-grind-when-does-a-clever-loophole-become-a-bannable-e/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

SWTOR's Ilum
Trouble has been brewing this week over a Star Wars: The Old Republic "exploit" in which people use seemingly legitimate (but perhaps unintended) game mechanics to tip the balance of the game in their favor. Of course, this is nothing new to veteran MMO players, who have seen hundreds, even thousands, of such loopholes and bugs spackled and patched since first MMO came online. Entire World of Warcraft guilds have been banned, however temporarily, for "exploiting" poorly coded raid AI, for example.

I've always felt that it's the game company's responsibility to counter loopholes before anyone takes advantage of them; the onus should be on the developer, not the player, to set the rules of the game using hardcoded mechanics. The players can't be expected to suss out the game-designers' intent, after all. Other gamers believe that "exploiters" really ought to know better and deserve whatever punishments the game's GMs mete out. What do you think? When does a clever loophole become a bannable exploit?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: When does a clever loophole become a bannable exploit? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banbannedbanningbrianna-royce-tdgbugcheatingexploitexploitersexploitsgamemastergmguildsloopholeloopholesopinionstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindtorWorld-of-WarcraftwowSat, 07 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[[Updated] If you cheat in Guild Wars, Dhuum will kill you]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/if-you-cheat-in-guild-wars-dhuum-will-kill-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/if-you-cheat-in-guild-wars-dhuum-will-kill-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/if-you-cheat-in-guild-wars-dhuum-will-kill-you/#commentsFiled under: , ,

No, seriously. Guild Wars players hanging out in Heroes' Ascent this afternoon noticed an interesting sight. Dhuum in all his giant shiny glory was popping in and out of different districts, banning people with a swing of his scythe. What was it all about?

ArenaNet announced today that they have banned over 3,700 accounts and disbanded over a dozen guilds in Guild Wars for botting and match manipulation. Design Director James Phinney, addressed the issue in the newest ArenaNet blog post, explaining more about what they're doing. First of all, if you break the User Agreement, you may get banned at any time in the future, it's as simple as that. "...there is no expiration date for breaches of the User Agreement or RoC." Just don't cheat.

Second, they plan to take a much more active and public approach to this problem from here on out, so you'll see more in the future. All Guild Wars players need to read through the blog post to understand what's going to happen from here on out, but James' closing statement encompassed it nicely: "For those of you who raised concerns about this issue, we're sorry it took as long as it did to put these changes in place. We should have been faster and more prepared. With your help, we will be more responsive in the future. We are listening, and we are ready to take action."

[Update] The Guild Wars team, including Emily Diehl, spent some time in Great Temple of Balthazar this afternoon, and Emily stated: "We checked and have been told that the following mods are OK: KSmod, GWstats, TextMod, and MultiLaunch. NOTE THOUGH: this is the original code of these guys. So we cannot guarantee that future updates of these mods will remain pure. So use caution, and if you're truly unsure, err on the side of caution." Regina chimed in as well on the forums to remind us that while it's okay, you are on your own should anything go wrong.

Want to see the Dhuum-slaughter for yourself? Follow along after the jump for a video.

Continue reading [Updated] If you cheat in Guild Wars, Dhuum will kill you

Massively[Updated] If you cheat in Guild Wars, Dhuum will kill you originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 May 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenanetarenanet-blogbannedbottingBreakingdhuumguild-warshackingJames-Phinneymatch-manipulationncsoftWed, 26 May 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[CrimeCraft banned in Australia]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/crimecraft-banned-in-australia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/crimecraft-banned-in-australia/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/crimecraft-banned-in-australia/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Vogster's MMOFPS CrimeCraft hasn't had the easiest time, and it took another hit last week when it was banned in Australia. The Australian Classification Board refused classification of the game thanks to the availability of Boosts, drugs that give the player character various buffs. The reason given? "In the board's opinion, there is insufficient delineation between the 'fictional drugs' available in game and real-world proscribed drugs."

The board elaborated a bit on their decision, pointing out strong similarities to real-world drugs: "In addition, the names of boosts mimic the chemicals and colloquial names of proscribed drugs. Examples include K-Dust, Birth, Chimera, Majoun, Betadyne ResistX and Zymek Stim-Ex, as well as the anabolics Raze and Frenzy."

Australia currently does not have any sort of R18+ classification, so a game that would receive that rating is banned. Valve worked around this in October by submitting a censored version of Left 4 Dead 2, so CrimeCraft may not be entirely without hope.

MassivelyCrimeCraft banned in Australia originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australian-classification-boardbannedcrimecraftrefused-classificationvogstervogster-entertainmentMon, 30 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online's largest player-run bank rocked by embezzlement]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/eve-onlines-largest-player-run-bank-rocked-by-embezzlement/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/eve-onlines-largest-player-run-bank-rocked-by-embezzlement/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/06/10/eve-onlines-largest-player-run-bank-rocked-by-embezzlement/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We've just gotten word that EBANK, a player-run bank in EVE Online self-described as "the largest financial entity ever seen in EVE" has been rocked by embezzlement from its own CEO, Ricdic. The former CEO stole roughly 200 billion ISK from EBANK, which is roughly 8.6% of the entire 2.3 trillion ISK that EVE's playerbase has deposited. EBANK chairman Hexxx has issued a statement on the game's official forums, stating that Ricdic has been banned by CCP Games for engaging in RMT, also adding that the former CEO "has scammed."

The loss of nearly 9% of EBANK's deposits is a serious blow to the player-run institution, perhaps as much to investor confidence in the bank as it is to their funds, but Hexxx says their liquidity is still between 400 billion and 500 billion ISK. A June 6th news item on the EBANK site written by bank auditor LaVista Vista states, "We are currently experiencing some technical problems. Therefore, we ask that people do not deposit any ISK, until we have solved the problem." EBANK's director and head teller Athre has now assumed the role of interim CEO, as the EBANK staff determines the best way forward from here.

Continue reading EVE Online's largest player-run bank rocked by embezzlement

MassivelyEVE Online's largest player-run bank rocked by embezzlement originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>athrebanbankingbannedbansbreakingccp-gamesebankeconomyembezzlementforumshexxxisklavista-vistaplayer-run-venturesricdicrmtscamscandaltheftthieftrustvirtual-currencyWed, 10 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Age of Conan: Senior CSR responds to the recent mass banning]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/age-of-conan-senior-csr-responds-to-the-recent-mass-banning/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/age-of-conan-senior-csr-responds-to-the-recent-mass-banning/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/30/age-of-conan-senior-csr-responds-to-the-recent-mass-banning/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Customer service in MMOGs leaves a lot to be desired. Normally you get a ticket, and you wait with ticket in mind, and your issue normally isn't resolved until your mind is lost. The petty bug that caused an item to disappear or quest reward isn't unheard of in EverQuest or World of Warcraft, but what about the larger exploitations like duping? Exploitation that involves players amassing an inordinate amount of items or gold in a relatively short amount of time requires prompt action before severe damage is caused.

Not long after launch day, Age of Conan, fell victim to such exploits. One involved the Demonologist class and leveling, and the other was a severe duping exploit via the trader system. Funcom is now under scrutiny for their handling of the situation. In many cases, Funcom opted to ban now, and suspend players for investigatory purposes before determining the final outcome. The aftermath from their decision had players crying foul, claiming that they did nothing wrong. In this interview with Ten Ton Hammer, the Senior Customer Service & QA Manager for Age of Conan explains the situation and admits that some suspended accounts were free from any illicit activity and reinstated. Some players are still awaiting word on their fate.

How do you think Funcom is handling the situation?

MassivelyAge of Conan: Senior CSR responds to the recent mass banning originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 30 May 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conanaocbanbannedcustomer-servicecustomer-supportexploitfuncomlaunchplayer-bantentonhammerFri, 30 May 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Vigilante Meridian 59 players wage war against pirate servers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/vigilante-meridian-59-players-wage-war-against-pirate-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/vigilante-meridian-59-players-wage-war-against-pirate-servers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/24/vigilante-meridian-59-players-wage-war-against-pirate-servers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Meridian 59 is a game with a pirate problem. A while back, the server source code leaked onto the internet and seedy players began hosting their own servers without subscription fees. Pirate servers are a problem for many MMOs, but because of M59's comparatively small scale, it has a lot more to lose to the trend.

Amidst these troubles, some M59 players can be quite loyal. Case in point: the blog of game developer Patrick Rogers tells the story of two former M59 players hacking into a pirate server and mass-killing all its residents with powerful admin commands. The vigilantes hoped to make life (and death) on the pirate servers as unpleasant as possible so as to encourage the residents to migrate to the legitimate servers hosted by Near Death Studios. That's not the most amazing bit, though.

Continue reading Vigilante Meridian 59 players wage war against pirate servers

MassivelyVigilante Meridian 59 players wage war against pirate servers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 May 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dobanbannedbrian-greencheatingdupingexploitimaekgaemzloyaltym59meridianmeridian-59near-death-studiospatrick-rogerspiracypiratepiratesserversvigilantesSat, 24 May 2008 20:00:00 EST