Board Thread:Game Discussion/@comment-9890645-20131124022446/@comment-9890645-20131124022507

Friday/Saturday

Me: Let me start by saying the only reason I have come out swinging is because I'm representing a lot of people who are, frankly, pissed off about the response to this.

In the prior letter I sent you, I included links from the Wikia. I did this because I wanted you to see that this is something we are all very serious about.

You say it's not your approach to publicly name people, yet you did with Itsme5712. We all have a hard time understanding why this is so as well. I have other responses to your post but I will wait for a response.

Hey Blaise,

I can understand your frustration, but I do believe we have a fair stance on this situation.

I'll make sure to look through our CS center in an attempt to locate this email.

Hopefully it was addressed to me, and will have been assigned.

In regards to Itsme, I think its important to remember that the cat was out of the bag long before we banned that player.

We did not name Itsme. This player was bragging about her exploits all over the internet.

The clear difference between itsme and those who exploited the client code to gain an advantage is simple.

Itsme was using a service which provided discount MobaCoin by using a data block of stolen credit cards.

This is on a whole different level than simply finding an exploit in our code.

We absolutely take the action of these exploiters seriously, and we wont tolerate a second offense from them.

With that being said, if you are involved in identity theft to get ahead in TFL, we can't exactly extend a second chance to that sort of activity.

I hope this kind of helps to clear things up.

Best, Alex

Me: Jerry was bragging about what he did! We have screenshots of him saying he was doing it to "screw Mobage"!!!

Also, they cheated and get to keep the spoils? We have to face these people's decks, Alex. It's not as simple as "first offense," especially because it sends the message that it's OK to cheat, just don't do it more than once.

Jerry said that on Facebook in response to his suspension, for the record. Please, go to the Wikia and see for yourself.

Also understand we are not arguing that Itsme should not have been banned. When she told me what she did, I told her that would likely happen. My argument is what these guys have done is an equal bad of a different sort. There is little comparison, but all of it is equal - their cheating causes the rest of us to expend more resources to keep up with them! This is why we are so strong on this. We spend a lot of money here.

Hey Blaise,

I can understand your point entirely about them being able to keep the spoils of their illegitimate actions.

I'll talk with the TFL Team about this.

Best, Alex

Me: In all honesty, how many players were involved? And if I name specific players... I feel I'm justified in being suspicious of players with, for example, 9 MTM Ravages. I faced one in a non-episode PVP yesterday and screenshot his deck.

But thank you for understanding my point. This has been the biggest gripe from the players I represent, and one I mentioned in the letter I had sent to CS as an individual before the whole representative thing began.

We also have a lot of suggestions for the game in general. Many of us, including myself, are longtime strategy/TCG players - I've been gaming over twenty years - but this issue is so strong with my base that, when I asked for their input on suggestions for the game, players let me know that this was more important and should be first on the list.

A lot of us are regular T1 players, Alex, and have to compete against these guys. The post I left on the Mobage wall on Wednesday has a list of names - look them up. Again, this is why I came out with guns blazing. I don't mean to be a raving maniac, and I apologize if I came off that way.

(Insert image here)

Hey Blaise,

This player was not a user of the exploit.

I cannot give out the names of these players, but I can say that the total number of players who used this exploit can be counted on both hands.

I understand your guys frustration, and I think we are making progress towards a far more healthy relationship.

With that being said, a few members of your community are really working against your efforts.

Willard has made a post in which he manipulates a private message I sent directly to you, quoting pieces of that message to argue, and neglecting / hiding away the other parts of my message where I directly address the concerns he brings up.

This sort of manipulative behavior is entirely intolerable, and it's making the Wikia crowd look quite foolish in front of other major TFL communities who are watching this go on, and commenting on it in private.

I think it would be best if you pick one well rounded delegate from your community to forge a relationship here, because right now you guys aren't exactly working towards the same end, and your tactics aren't really impressing anybody.

I'm sorry to be so candid here, but this is poor form, and whether or not my opinion on the matter concerns you, you should be concerned with the opinions of sister TFL communities.

Best, Alex

Me: First, I want to be clear that Willard has explicitly refused to be represented by anyone and has made that clear on the forum, in addition to explicitly declining to be a representative. That being said, I agree that his post was counterproductive. However, please understand it's a product of the frustration level that players over at Wikia are at right now regarding this situation. As far as your messages to me here, I have not said anything aside from that you've pushed the issue of stripping spoils up the ladder, as my players are eager for some good news. I plan on discussing Willard's contributions with him at my earliest opportunity. (Honestly... I facepalmed when I read his post, man. I knew it wasn't good.)

I'm not worried if Willard is the only real problem child in my community, given the harassment Itsme, myself, and others from Wikia have endured from many members of the TFL Facebook community. They frequently refer to Wikia members as "paint-chip eaters"! I think people can make a distinction between Willard and the rest of us. Willard may be gone soon anyway, as he's been playing Star Wars a lot of late. So it may take care of itself.

Most of us at Wikia are not concerned about other forums or Internet drama. Many of our most active members (including myself) are also active on both AppInvasion and TFL United, and are highly regarded at both - and members of both sites frequent our forum and chat as well. The Wikia crowd is largely 30-something (I'm 40), educated professionals (I'm a teacher) with families (well, not me here) who don't have time for BS. A quick read of our forum would quickly reveal that Willard is our only loose cannon of any merit.

To be honest, the community will likely want me to continue as representative, as I've been the most vocal and have the most weight there. Break TFL is a great guy and the other rep hasn't even made a Facebook account yet! So, really, just worry about dealing with me and forget Willard.

Now, if you no longer wish to deal with me, well, just let me know and I'll send Break to you. Trust me, you won't hurt my feelings. But I am probably the most experienced and knowledgeable of the three the community chose.

I also want to be clear that I only brought up the 9xMTM Ravage deck because, as a top tier player with many top tier friends, I know how hard it is to get one MTM R5 raider, let alone nine. If that guy got that legitimately, he had to have both spent a ridiculous amount of money and the most unprecedented luck I have ever seen in this game. And I'm not alone. I'm just saying it may be worth a look, as there aren't many players who would look at that and assume it was gained legitimately.

Hey Blaise,

Your position regarding Willard is quite fair and reasonable, and I think you are doing a great job of representing your community.

I know that at times you will be eager to share my responses with your community, but please keep in mind that when you do, people like willard can cause a lot of fuss by simply lying about things, and that will kind of put a damper on the growth of our correspondence.

I will synch up with the TFL Team on Monday to discuss the possibility of having cards that were acquired by nefarious methods removed from the game.

I can't make any promises, as decisions like this are not simply mine to make alone, but I will absolutely try my best to advocate for your communities perspective on the matter.

As well, I'll look into this players account that you have brought to my attention. I only know at this point that the account in question was not a participant of the most recent exploit.

Thank you again for being so reasonable and mature. You are quickly scrubbing away the impression that Willard has left.

Best, Alex

First of all, thanks for the kind words.

Your point about Willard is understood. Again, as most of my community isn't even on Facebook - or weren't until I started the group this week, and that was done because the people on the forum wanted to "Like" my efforts - I don't worry much about anyone coming here and blowing things up. (I think I had misinterpreted your point about messaging, as I'm not a big FB user and don't normally use this function, which is why I was using the message board. Now that we are exclusively PMing on this conversation, and the seriousness and timeliness of this specific matter to the community, this shouldn't be a continuing issue.)

I understand this decision isn't yours. To be honest, I know a fair amount of players who are not spending at this time may want to spend on this episode and are hoping a decision is made quickly. I know I already have money aside for iTunes cards if the decision we seek is made, and would love to take a shot at acquiring a Soundwave... 😉

And thanks for taking a peek at that player, as well. There is a part of me that's a little surprised that spot checks of players' inventories aren't done to check for abnormalities like nine copies of an R5 raider, just as assurance that nothing sneaky is occurring under the radar. I'll admit my programming knowledge is limited, but it seems like a part of quality assurance at some level, no?

We also had a short conversation (which I am omitting) regarding a crashing issue I was having.

Monday, late in the day:

Me: Just following up on talking to the TFL Team about the cheating issue.

Tuesday, early:

Hey Blaise,

I can tell you that there has been correspondence with the TFL team about some of the issues you mentioned. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything else we can look into for you.

Thanks,

Charles

Me: Charles, I actually have something for you to look at.

In the following thread from the Wikia forum ( http://transformers-legends.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:44457 ), a poster whose user name is "A Wikia contributor" and signs his posts "GreyFox" has posted pictures on the thread showing him fighting in a Lieutenant Commander streak at 42 and 50-ish wins... But facing decks that are quite weak. The display shows the fights being worth 20 points, though the user claims you get the correct rewards for the streak.

Is this a hack and, if so, has it been prevalent? This same user has shown some propensity and proclivity for hacking game code, as he has leaked some info on upcoming events in the Wikia forum before.

Wednesday, early:

Hey Blaise,

Thanks for the question. I'm going to get our team to dig into this. Thanks again for bringing it to our attention. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything else we can look into for you.

Thanks,

Charles

Me: Thanks! Has there been any word on the original issue (removing illicit spoils from cheaters' decks)? I've got a bunch of players eager to spend money on the next raid episode but who are cautious because of all these concerns.

Thursday, late afternoon:

Me: Hey guys,

Still awaiting word of any resolution to either issue I've sent to you. My players - and myself! - are eager for word here as we lose places in an episode we'd like to compete in. 😊

Thanks!

Hey Blaise,

Sorry for a delay of response. I've been out of the office for the past few days.

This is still an issue that is being discussed, but I have to be honest, it's not looking so good.

The main blocker here seems to be that all the exploiters, with the exception of a few, had also been purchasing throughout the entire event.

The inherent risk of removing something that was legitimately purchased is giving people cold feet on this one, and with good reason.

I know that is not the answer your were hoping for, and I'm still working on this, but that is the honest truth surrounding this issue.

Best, Alex

Friday, early:

Me: Alex,

I completely understand.

However, I know that one Wikia member has requested money back from Apple - and is getting it - due to the cheating and lack of response. Since his revelation, others are planning on requesting refunds for purchases because of the lack of meaningful response to the cheaters. Each one of us who plays and pays honestly has to pay more than we should to compete with cheaters, and we deserve compensation.

Let's be honest. These people were suspended for the one week where their decks could not affect everyone else's, and came back just in time for PVP. In addition, it's obvious the fifth Elita One card was added to the mix so that the suspended players could still complete their login prize, which seems like you are attending to the cheaters, not punishing them.

Alex, the message that no further punishment sends to TFL players is "It's OK to cheat, as long as you don't get caught more than once, and spend money with us." This will inspire a complete lack of confidence with players, and many players will leave. Some have already started their SWFC accounts and are in the process of moving on. Daily, I see posts from my people informing us that they have deleted TFL and have no plans to return because of the slow response.

Cheating is a serious issue. While I understand you don't want to have the cheaters contesting their purchases because of your punishment, the non-cheaters are beginning to contest their purchases because of the lack of meaningful punishment.

A number of formerly paying players, myself included, are finding not paying for but still playing TFL entirely unenjoyable, and you will lose a number of loyal players to other games where cheating is a non-issue.

If you want to stop people from cheating, you must take a firm hand with them and deal with the fallout. If you do not take a firm hand, honest players will continue to walk until the cheaters are all that is left.

This afternoon:

Hey Blaise,

The extra Elita One was added into the login bonus pot because a server crash prevented all players from acquiring this card.

The TFL Team wouldn't assist those who have cheated in anyway, nor would they take the time to code something that would only slightly benefit a small handful of players.

I understand your frustration with these cheaters, but I am starting to wonder how much of this is actually based on their exploitations.

All of the players who utilized this exploit only got to do so for a few days. This allowed a few of them to fill their decks with particular episode cards, but those cards aren't really massive powerhouses anymore.

None of these players have cheated since, and if they do in the future it's all over for them.

The crime simply has to fit the punishment, and while I hope this doesn't seem brash or offensive, I really feel as though your community has distorted the facts of this situation, and are simply bloodthirsty based on those misconceptions.

Best, Alex

Me: No, we are not.

The Elita One offered on Day 30 was moved ahead to day 29. The first question players asked after the server crash was, "Why are we getting five Elita One pieces?" I quickly realized that giving all four pieces by day 23 ensured that any player who missed seven days would get one.

The reason we are taking this seriously is because these are not the only cheaters in the game. I sent you evidence of another player cheating during PVP - who posted his evidence on our forum. He also claims he will do it again next PVP since he is confident you will not fix it so he cannot. No one has responded to this.

Players were using multisession exploits for months. We knew of them, and we reported them repeatedly. It wasn't until the eight R5 Bumblebee picture went up that something was done about it, despite our community bringing such things to Mobage's attention for some time.

We are more upset, Alex, that Mobage turns a blind eye at worst and has a soft hand at best with cheaters. These cheaters cause honest competitors such as ourselves to have to spend more money to keep up with them, and we are frankly tired of it. This is why I keep bringing up money! We WANT to spend on your game. But we cannot do so in an environment that continues to effectively encourage cheaters.

Your last post to me indicated no final decision has yet been made, but this response to me is indicating otherwise. What is the current status?

(I'm omitting a short post I sent here instructing him where to find it in the conversation, as I had discussed it with Charles and not Alex.)

Hey Blaise,

I owe you an apology, as I had forgotten about this most recent PVP exploit.

This was an issue with the release of PVP, which allowed Android users to combat the same opponent over and over.

We can't really dish out bans here, as this was entirely our fault, and didn't require much effort or expertise to discover.

The issue has since been corrected.

I know it's frustrating when an exploit pops up, but in general this is the nature of gaming.

It's nearly impossible for the development team to foresee all of the possible exploits in the game, and they are at a terrible disadvantage, because while there are only a handful of people developing TFL, there are literally hundreds of thousands of people playing TFL.

The best that can be done is to discover these exploits quickly, and squash them before it becomes epidemic.

In regards to the exploiters who were altering JSON code to gain an advantage, it doesn't seem like it's possible for the TFL Team to determine which items were gained illegitimately, and thus we cannot remove assets from their accounts.

I know this kind of sucks, I'm not terribly pleased with it either, but we would be in a lot of hot water if we started removing things that people had payed for.

Best, Alex