Board Thread:Game Discussion/@comment-11784273-20130902154747/@comment-10214922-20130903140140

SchappX54G wrote: GoC, these sites aren't taking a loss on the Moba or they wouldn't do it. Some say they hack and add coin, but my theory is that they're more likely an overseas located group who collects stolen credit card info and racks up the mobacoin at market price on the stolen cards. Then, either someone else is fraudulently charged. Regardless, I doubt the Moba ever gets paid for, whether apple, the card company, or mobage is the one that gets screwed in the end.

The problem with looking the other way on cheating is that it falsely inflates scores, points, and money spent for everyone else. I still don't know if she is cheating, and at this point I am no longer a paid player so it doesn't really affect me AS MUCH, but my stake in this thread is to explain to people that using third party sites to circumvent standard pricing is NOT ok. Hi SchappX, this is roundabout where I am on this issue, albeit with a few caveats. This is also not a direct rebuttal to you; instead I am using your response as a station to launch my train of thought.

1.) Indeed cheating would inflate scores, and it is what we would expect if those scam hack-tools claiming to create currency/cubes/credits out of thin air were real. However we have no evidence that these exist or influence the game in reality.

2.) I don't believe with any conviction that purchasing discounted game currency is cheating. It's not a clear cut issue. As a consumer it's your prerogative to chase the best price, whether for digital items or real items. People are irate that someone is getting a discount when they themselves pay full price for mobacoins, arguing they could spend that money saved on other things (if they got the same discount).

To try to illustrate why it's a grey area:

- One gets 50% off mobacoins and pays full price on a digital device.

- One gets a 50% discount on a digital device and has extra money to funnel into the game.

When is saving money cheating and when is it a smart consumer choice?

I think it's a bit warped if we accept that the dollar is the almighty equalizer in TFL. If anything, Mobage not capping the maximum spend is what inflates the costs for everyone. Mobage pits us as 'players' against each other to bid for digital items under smokescreen of a contested ranking system. *

Another thing that muddies the waters is the situation for players where the currency exchange rate and cost of living makes it near impossible to even spend conscientiously. Do we accept that some players have to sacrifice a lot more to receive a lot less or is this just again international market forces working as expected? It's fine as long as we are in the US, but if someone is doing even better in the US than us, that's cheating?

See: http://transformers-legends.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Masarujasu/Android_Pricing

3.) A separate issue is after understanding how third party sites potentially generate revenue, is it ethical or condoned as a 'gaming' community? This has arguably nothing to do with the game and more to do with life experience and awareness, and how we deal with it is entirely to do with education and maturity. I feel the maturity element has been largely lacking in this dialogue.

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 * They watch the coffers fill up as we claw over and step over each other. It's quite ugly how the community has devolved into a manifestation of envy and hatred, professing ideals of fairness while being most unfair to certain individuals.

' Terms of Use are here: http://app.mobage.com/terms

I cannot locate a clause that prohibits circumvention of standard pricing.

I cannot locate a clause that prohibits allowing the sharing of passwords. This clause only speaks to solicitation of login credentials.

General Prohibitions

You agree not to do any of the following while using our Services, ngmoco Content, or User Content:

Solicit Member login credentials from another Member or collect User content or otherwise access the Services by automated means including but not limited to, bots, robots, spiders;

However this is against the Terms of use:

General Prohibitions

You agree not to do any of the following while using our Services, ngmoco Content, or User Content:

Bully, harass or intimidate any Member of the Services;