Tricks and scams in the marketplace

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Brighton Rock, Aug 28, 2016.

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  1. Travitar

    Travitar Avatar

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    Agreed, which is why my solution would be to subscribe to a service that blocks them in-game, like an ad-blocker. Totally optional for players. It isn't a perfect solution as I can already think of abuses of something like that, but the discussion needs to happen.
     
  2. Berek

    Berek Portalarian Emeritus Dev Emeritus

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    Anyone found to be specifically renaming bags in this way to scam people will be instantly banned from the game, or any scams whatsoever. This is your warning.

    Please report all suspicious activity to support@portalarium.com.

    I'm also leaving this in the General Discussion section of the forums for the moment for awareness to the community.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
  3. Myrcello

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    What options do you leave me to play a scoundrel in this game?

    I plan to Rip Off innocent Players to purchase Products of minor quality.


    How about a Scoundrel Skill

    If i am a GM Scoundrel i can cheat the amount of stacked items on my vendor by 10%.


    What current ideas do you leave us to play negative human charateristics?
     
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  4. pherik

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    Nice, glad to hear you guys take this seriously.
     
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  5. Myrcello

    Myrcello Avatar

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    A ingame solition would have been smart.


    A detect skill to reveal a rename of a item.

    And if this happens the gamer ends up in jail with his avatar.

    And the release money is the scam money


    This would make a game more fun.
     
  6. pherik

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    I get a feeling someone posting may have been one of the leading scammers.
     
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  7. Gideon Thrax

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    Some folks would argue that shooting people in the face is more fun.

    A criminal is a criminal is a criminal. Maybe something like this would work if there was a fully fleshed out game mechanic to support it and a jail to send all the criminals to... jail being an empty solitary box for the criminal's account to login to for 6 months. Being an outlaw is supposed to be hard.
     
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  8. Vox Aquila

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    Player that has been reported number times across several threads just listed another scam item 45 minutes ago in Owlshead.
     
  9. Kara Brae

    Kara Brae Avatar

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    @Berek
    What is the difference between reporting illicit activity to support@portalarium.com and reporting illicit activity via the /reportplayer functionality in-game? Is the latter ignored?
     
  10. monkeysmack

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    Ok if this scoundrel gameplay is allowed then there should be real consequences like being red named and forced into PvP mode so that an angry mob can gank you. Right now the game protects scoundrel gameplay which is an unfair advantage. I would accept it if there were real risks built into the game mechanics.
     
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  11. Jaden344

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    how about 2 world? one trammel for the [removed by Berek] and felucca for a real game experience
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 29, 2016
  12. Myrcello

    Myrcello Avatar

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    Exactly.

    UO once had such Features.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
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  13. Gideon Thrax

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    @Myrcello IF this sort of game play could be anticipated and folks could know how to counter it, it would be a built in game mechanic and part of the experience... there'd also be risk/reward considerations plugged into the system. Right now, it's exactly what everyone thinks it is... scamming. Berek coming out and issuing a warning that this sort of thing will not be tolerated is exactly the right play for Portalarium to make.

    Now, if Portalarium wants to balance the game to support illicit behavior in the marketplace ... they've got some game mechanics to design and implement. I wouldn't be opposed to it either... as it is right now though, it's scamming plain and simple.
     
  14. E n v y

    E n v y Avatar

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    Interesting that Portalarium would much rather ban players than implement a real fix of having genuine store/reward items labelled in a way that cannot be replicated. Wasn't this supposed to be a sandbox?
     
  15. Tahru

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    Good post!

    I always love this read from Lord British. It really made me think of the possibilities.

    Sourced from http://uo.com/2012/09/28/memorable-moments-from-richard-garriot/

    The Thief
    One day, early in the life of UO, I was participating as a GM and going to the aid of people who requested it. A note flashed across my screen from a woman, who said something like “Today is my first day trying to play UO, and every time I try to leave town a thief steals all my stuff, so I have to restart, and he does the same. If this continues I will quit and never come back to this game.” So I arrived in her presence as Lord British, not that she cared, she did not know or care who I was, and only wanted her problem fixed. I felt I was up to the seemingly simple task. I told her to come with me, and I would escort her out of town. As we left town, suddenly *ZIP* a thief flew across the screen at speeds I could hardly understand, and stole her gear and disappeared! I told her to wait here, as I teleported to try and get in advance of the speedy ruffian. When I finally froze him with a GM command, I revealed myself as Lord British, and told him to leave this poor woman alone, that this would drive away potential new players which we could not allow. Stop or else I would ban him from the game! He begged for forgiveness, and pledged to never do it to her again.
    Satisfied, I returned the stolen items to the woman and told her, she should be safe now for at least a while, when *ZIP* the same thief came by again and stole all her items and disappeared. So, I chased him down a second time, and told him, hey, you had been warned, now I am going to ban you. He pleaded and pleaded and exclaimed how exuberance had overtaken him, and that he swore this time he would never do it again! Reluctantly, I believed him, and took the belongings back to the woman, again.
    But then, for a third time, the same thief *ZIPPED* by… I froze him to the ground and told him, I was about to ban him! Then for the first time… he broke character, and refered to me out of character as well… “Look Richard Garriott”, he said, “You guys made the rules to this game, the rules include the role of thief, I am playing just as the role would be intended to be played. If the King tells a thief not to steal, of course he will beg for mercy and swear he won’t again. But what do you expect of me… I am a thief!”
    After some thought… I agreed with him. So instead of banning him, I teleported him to the far side of the world. Then I gave the items back to the woman who could finally go about her business. After that, I began to think more carefully about the rules we ourselves put in the game, and the inevitable play styles that would come of it.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
  16. E n v y

    E n v y Avatar

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    I doubt they even read the forums so how would they even know they can't be a little bit "naughty".
     
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  17. Myrcello

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    Once it was possible in the spirituell successor to steal from others bag.
    It was possible to place a box in your house and trap it so someone opening it would explode. Or in the street.
    You also had to look behind you entering your house to be safe and so on.
    you could get a title of being someone negative.


    All i wanted to point out is :

    Before calling out a Rule to Ban someone look first if there us a option to turn into a feature.


    A Skill to learn to detect renaming -
    Detect sabotaged Items
    and a Skill to learn to rename items:
    Sabotage Items

    Then you already implement points you need to invest to do it - a further skill like stealing.


    But hey : i get already assumptions of being a scammer just for posting here.

    Sorry all for thinking around the corner first.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
  18. Myrcello

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    Exactly!
     
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  19. Gideon Thrax

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    This event has definitely captured the community's attention - perhaps you could start a new thread detailing some of your thoughts on how this could be implemented and get a dialog going. I'll contribute where I can - like I said previously, I'm not opposed to illicit actions being part of the game - it would just need a lot of work before it made sense. Right now, it looks like someone exploiting his inventory to scam people... and it's not healthy game play. If there are crime and punishment mechanics put into the game - I'd get in on that.... I'd chase criminals down as the day is long; it could really become something deep and meaningful with the right tuning. But right now, it's just scamming and that's not fun.
     
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  20. Myrcello

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    Happy to do so.
    But i believe we had in the last years of development numerous threads already covering that there is a interest in such features.

    Some requested even a Community Law System and the option to place someone into jail.
    Even so i am not a Fan of POT. I believe they would also love this option in there POT ownership.

    If i see a Developer stating interest in going that direction i would get motivated.

    But Bereks post reasurred me that this is not the case anymore.


    So you are correct. Then better ad a Ban option.

    Lets let them finish the Solo Game first.
    More waiting for that then this.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2016
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