Can we talk about IP blocks?

[Bishop]

The credit card verification charges a dollar, but also checks DBs of names, among other things.

I have 4 cards, can I have 4 accounts? Proving a person exists in no way provs the accounts aren't being xlogged to assist each other. An IP block removes that advantage.

[chadde]

You are so naive Chadde.

You think more than 50% of the players of this nostalgia game are looking to cheat? Because if it's less than 50% the system ain't right.

[Korp]

You think more than 50% of the players of this nostalgia game are looking to cheat? Because if it's less than 50% the system ain't right.

Point 3 and 4 is a emotional argument that holds no bearing to reality. Hence you are naive cause you don't have the experience and knowledge.

[chadde]

Y'all are right, there are at least 30 people that would go out of their way to cheat to win at an online game at all cost.
Then there are (staying on the safe side) 2000 players that just want to play the game, with possibly more to come.

so they can either punish the players that just want to play the game, which is what is currently happening.
or they can just punish the 30 that cheat.(yes i know there are a few more sadly)

everyone knows who they are, shouldnt be too hard really. Half of them openly admit and even brag about it.

Yep, instead of targeting the 140 cheaters (according to Bishop's 4% estimation) we're all getting punished.

[chadde]

I have 4 cards, can I have 4 accounts? Proving a person exists in no way provs the accounts aren't being xlogged to assist each other. An IP block removes that advantage.

Do they all have different names on them?

[chadde]

Point 3 and 4 is a emotional argument that holds no bearing to reality. Hence you are naive cause you don't have the experience and knowledge.

Hm ok.. well I have around 15 years experience with Utopia and 10 years experience building commercial web applications including automated spam and/or cheating detection. That's something, right?

[chadde]

We use heuristics to detect cheating already but what you are describing is basically a neural network to detect cheating. That's huge overkill and would probably affect genuine players not even on the same network. An IP block is low effort and have proved hugely successful.

Well... first thing you learn in the software industry is "low effort" isn't exactly going to cut it... If you're happy with that, good on you, but a lot of us aren't. I thought this game was commercial and actually wanted to grow its player base? Low effort isn't going to get you there mate.

[Korp]

Hm ok.. well I have around 15 years experience with Utopia and 10 years experience building commercial web applications including automated spam and/or cheating detection. That's something, right?

You have 15 years of playing utopia and you still think almost nobody cheat and we should trust people. Hahahaha

[Bishop]

Yep, instead of targeting the 140 cheaters (according to Bishop's 4% estimation) we're all getting punished.

Read that again. The IP block affected 4% of players at some stage. 96% were completely unaffected. Of the 4% affected another small % of their interactions were affected with the majority working as normal.

[Bishop]

Do they all have different names on them?

My 4 cards obviously have my name on them. If you want to discuss cards I can get access to I would have approximately 92 cards available to me, all with different names and all 100% legitimate.

[Panthira]

My 4 cards obviously have my name on them. If you want to discuss cards I can get access to I would have approximately 92 cards available to me, all with different names and all 100% legitimate.

How do you have 92 100% legitimate names? I'm curious.
I didn't look too closely at this, so this could be bad, but here is one service.
https://veratad.com/solutions/identity-verification/

It is a real pia to play and do wars with 3 members of the same household.

[Pillz]

How do you have 92 100% legitimate names? I'm curious.
I didn't look too closely at this, so this could be bad, but here is one service.
https://veratad.com/solutions/identity-verification/

It is a real pia to play and do wars with 3 members of the same household.

Obviously you should stop cheating and just have 1 account.

Pushing for 3300 people to submit credit card details and pay $1 so that you can have three accounts available is pretty underhanded.

[MyNameIsMatija]

What does it usually tell about someone when they assume a characteristic about everyone else?
Like being a multi/cheater/untrustworthy...

[Panthira]

The quick glance I had at that link didn't require a credit card, I don't think. I'm not saying everyone should do it, but those who want to go through the effort and scrutiny might want that option. I know steam requires $5 in your steam wallet that is verified through a very secure process with identity checking.

This is what I mean. Limited accounts unless unlocked. https://support.steampowered.com/kb_...3330-IAGK-7663

[chadde]

Obviously you should stop cheating and just have 1 account.

Pushing for 3300 people to submit credit card details and pay $1 so that you can have three accounts available is pretty underhanded.

Ok my dudes, can we get off the topic of credit cards? That is not at all what I am suggesting, that was just something that was mentioned earlier in the thread. What I want to discuss is how we are actively discouraged from recruiting friends and family by limiting the game for us.

So far the only real reason I've seen is that it is "low effort".