@Fightmastermpq
I agree that addressing topics like these in a manner that prevents others from being tempted to cheat is very important. Having said that though, I’m unable to communicate details regarding specific cases. (For example, who an offender is, what a player does, what our action is, etc) We absolutely welcome players to privately report to Customer Support or myself anyone they believe is cheating, as well as any evidence they would like to supply, however beyond that we are unable to disclose any information.
The reason for this is because we want to avoid potentially harmful / vitriolic situations. (For example, witch-hunting and harassing players that are publicly accused, but found innocent after investigation.) We also do not mention details about cheaters, because even explaining their methods would either stimulate more cheaters to emerge or provide clues as to potentially manifest new ways to cheat.
@Brigby I don’t think people are except you to tell us how they are doing, by the way the Line/Facebook/Discord community knows all of the tricks before it is reported on the forums. But its the action AND follow up to that action is what’s important. When you go against these rosters day in and day out you know when something is fishy. Seeing rosters explode for no reason, even hoarding would not explain this, there has to be other ways. I think that is the major disconnect and why a lot of us don’t want to let this go because we see it everyday and it seems nothing is done.
Assuming there’s a non-trivial number of cheaters couldn’t you publish some aggregate numbers. In the last month we identified x number of cheaters who have had their accounts locked or boxed or something. That, at least, helps to build confidence that there’s active policing of the population.
Every time this comes up, I can’t help but think that whales ought to realize exactly how little value there is to what they’ve purchased. I mean, some random dude is cheating in a F2P game that expressly allows cheating, it isn’t really the sort of situation where you’d think spending thousands of dollars makes sense, and yet people do exactly that.
The F2P model is for those easily persuaded to spend. By design. What is it going to take before you stop willfully buying into it?
This is why most other games do periodic ban waves. You wait a while, until the cheaters are nice and comfortable, and then ban them all at the same time. When a ban wave happens, word spreads instantly and people learn not to fuck with the system. Currently, D3/Demiurge’s actions and reputation is a joke.
I agree with punishing the cheaters, but not with your idea of implementation. If you wait until cheaters are “nice and comfortable” it means that
you leave time for their over-bloated roosters to create havok in pvp and pve- to take placement rewards from other players, which other players won’t get to see anyway, even if the cheaters are later banned
you risk having to ban a higher number of people, since cheating gradually becomes the new norm- if everyone is doing it and isn’t being punished, you’d have to be sucker not to do it as well- there’s no gain in banning as many people as possible
the cheaters might be suckers who don’t realize what they’re doing it bad; you’re letting them play, letting them spend money, than you ban them without any warnings- that doesn’t feel right.