Curse

Absolut Monk · Jun 05, 2006, 02:17 AM // 02:17

I agree entirely Loviatar. I can only guess at the number of good and bad accounts that I've bought and sold to in the past year. I would imagine the spirit of the second quote above would be directed to those persons who received real world value from farming gold or items for someone who sells for cash. All of my dealings with potential bot users were a transaction. Gold was given and items received, much like the buying and selling that goes on in Ascalon or LA.

Argen · Jun 05, 2006, 02:18 AM // 02:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheProject

EDIT: IIRC The minimum age was 13 for online games (considering they are not of M rating or above), not 18.

The minimum age is normally 13 for online games or chat rooms, however these are constraints imposed primarily by the manufacturer of the product. In this case, for Guild Wars, the EULA says you must be 18 to be registered as a user. Probably, part of this is give to be able to enforce the EULA for more than just, banning. Basically, to enter into a binding legal contract, i.e. an EULA you have to be 18. If you are under 18, you cannot enter a legally binding agreement, for general purposes. I imagine that is the reason that most of the online games are going to 18 as the age, so they can enforce the EULA as a contract.

Shouldn't have clicked I Accept so fast.

Argen · Jun 05, 2006, 02:23 AM // 02:23

I'm afraid Monk, this might be a permanent ban for you. If you were moving that large of an amount of gold and items, ANet might see you as a middle man.

If you live in Japan there is a new legal precedent that might help you out. A woman was sued for damages for selling items on her husbands MMORPG account and additionally, she was charged with criminal theft, if you're account was worth millions of gold, maybe you can go after ANet in the same manner; call it illegal seizure of assets. But if you're not, you might have to wait for awhile.

Absolut Monk · Jun 05, 2006, 02:40 AM // 02:40

I'll know more when the next tier of support emails me tomorrow. While it would be wonderful, my purpose for posting to this thread isn't to get my account back. I don't have any conspiracy theories, nor do I believe ANet is out to get us all. Quite simply, my goal is to educate other players on the situation I've found myself in.

As a user, no one knows who has been using a bot to farm for items and gold. Some turn a blind eye, while others are genuinely naiive. Boil it down, I am banned for using the existing trade system to expand the in game wealth of my character, it's guild, and it's alliance. I trust in the system that upon further review, this will be plainly seen by those who can right the wrong.

TheProject · Jun 05, 2006, 02:42 AM // 02:42

@Monk: Thats very mature of you, best wishes.

@Argen: Should've printed it to read when i'm so bored, but I'm sure I can find it online

Blacktemplar · Jun 05, 2006, 06:37 AM // 06:37

Let's make it simple in baby talk:

Bots are bad. Me no want robots.

Banning is good, weeeeeee.

Avarre · Jun 05, 2006, 06:50 AM // 06:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argen

If you live in Japan there is a new legal precedent that might help you out. A woman was sued for damages for selling items on her husbands MMORPG account and additionally, she was charged with criminal theft, if you're account was worth millions of gold, maybe you can go after ANet in the same manner; call it illegal seizure of assets. But if you're not, you might have to wait for awhile.

Even with precedent, the EULA gives Anet practical immunity to these kind of charges, as it states that the player owns nothing in the account and has purchased the right to access the game servers, all items/characters in your account are property of ArenaNet.

Only way someone could try to get anything out of that method would be try to and go after them for blocking your purchased access, assuming they can prove they did not violate the EULA and thus void the legality of holding an account, in which case Anet would likely have already restored access :/

Enix · Jun 05, 2006, 06:52 AM // 06:52

Yet, if you go to Elona, it is full of Mino farming bots still. Hmm... When will they consider 55 Monking an Exploit and fix it??? Never?

ArTy · Jun 05, 2006, 06:53 AM // 06:53

I await the day when Elona is fully purged on Mo/W's and I can finally go -

/cheer

MaglorD · Jun 05, 2006, 07:14 AM // 07:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enix

Yet, if you go to Elona, it is full of Mino farming bots still. Hmm... When will they consider 55 Monking an Exploit and fix it??? Never?

This has been bought up before. They can't do anything as they are afraid of offending a huge segment of GW players that rely on Protective Spirit in its current state.

All they have to do to destroy the 55 monk is modify how Protective Spirit works. Currently Protective Spirits gets more powerful the less life a character has. So instead of getting penalised for having less life, it becomes advantageous.

They have added enchantment removers to many areas, but griffins/trolls and other warrior types can't strip enchantments so they are farmed ad nauseum by 55 monks.

Avarre · Jun 05, 2006, 07:14 AM // 07:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enix

Yet, if you go to Elona, it is full of Mino farming bots still. Hmm... When will they consider 55 Monking an Exploit and fix it??? Never?

Because it's not an exploit, and it's one of the few things that allows the farming capability of a caster to parallel that of a warrior. Not going into a discussion of 55hate now though...

The elona monks should be shot down for botting, not for their builds

A possible reason the bots are still around is that anet is trying to ban the people the bot money is going through. The bots are extremely plentiful but if the more important points get shut down it harms bot farming somewhat more. A new monk wouldn't take that long to set up, but a bot-ring mule account with 1000k + rares does. This is probably why most of the accidental bannings are of people with a large amount of in-game money flowing through them.

Argen · Jun 05, 2006, 07:59 AM // 07:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

Even with precedent, the EULA gives Anet practical immunity to these kind of charges, as it states that the player owns nothing in the account and has purchased the right to access the game servers, all items/characters in your account are property of ArenaNet.

This is partly true. How many characters are running around with names from books, movies, and the like? Because they are protected by copyright and trademark law, ANet does not own them, neither does the player using them (in most cases). Hasbro, Sony, MGM, and dozens of other companies are quite a bit a larger than NCSoft, in fact Sony's legal department has a larger budget than NCSoft's net income last year. EULAs are being targeted in courts in the US, finally, and in congress as well. Microsoft, Comp-USA, and Symantec have recently come under a couple of class action lawsuits that have shredded the iron-clad security corporations had original thought possible in EULAs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avarre

Only way someone could try to get anything out of that method would be try to and go after them for blocking your purchased access, assuming they can prove they did not violate the EULA and thus void the legality of holding an account, in which case Anet would likely have already restored access :/

In civil damages court the burden of proof does go both ways. The suit would involve the ANet having to prove that the banned party was in violation of the contract; while the banned party only has to bring up that question, and can even rely on character witnesses. I doubt it could ever go to a criminal court... though I'd like to see the court files and transcripts.

Anyways, my degree is in business ethics, not business law...

Best of luck to those involved personally in the ban, if you deserved being banned hope you stay banned; and if you are not, I hope you get your accounts back. Ban more bots ANet!

Absolut Monk · Jun 05, 2006, 08:41 PM // 20:41

24 hours have passed with no reply from the second tier. Thankfully, I understand that patience is a virtue and shall keep a candle lit. Just to let them know I'm still alive, I added a "Thank you for your perseverance" message to the existing ticket as I continue hoping for the best.

Tickle · Jun 05, 2006, 09:24 PM // 21:24

Six days past and Anet still haven't replied.. I have made a ticket (yes 6 days ago) and added comments to the ticket basically every day, getting to the point where I'm on the verge of throwing my GW and CE games in the bin. Very frustrating as all I have asked of anet is "WHY?" perhaps in a perfect world I would of got a reply but we all know the world is less than perfect. I just hope that in future anet bans the correct people and leaves the innocents alone.
,.|.. °¿° ..|.,
You deserve it..

Absolut Monk · Jun 05, 2006, 10:10 PM // 22:10

Guess who's back? Thanks for all the support!

Response (GM Phields) 06/05/2006 05:04 PM
Hello,

Thank you for contact Guild Wars Support. After reviewing the issue, it appears that your account was blocked in error. Your account is now released and you should be able to log in to Guild Wars. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Take care,
GM Phields
The Guild Wars Support Team

TheProject · Jun 06, 2006, 12:11 AM // 00:11

Congratulations, rather good for you !

Maybe Gaile saw your post and put in an extra word for you :P

EDIT: Maybe they should've given you a rare crystalline sword for your troubles

Zealous Crystalline Sword of Fortitude
15-22 (req 7)
+15% (uncond.)
1e on hit
-1e regen
+30 health

That would be the only way they could make it up to me if they banned me on accident.

SAQ · Jun 06, 2006, 03:13 AM // 03:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Absolut Monk

Guess who's back? Thanks for all the support!

Response (GM Phields) 06/05/2006 05:04 PM
Hello,

Thank you for contact Guild Wars Support. After reviewing the issue, it appears that your account was blocked in error. Your account is now released and you should be able to log in to Guild Wars. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Take care,
GM Phields
The Guild Wars Support Team

OMG congrats!

Absolut Monk, my account was accused of the same thing as you were. But the thing is, I don't trade with other players and they have given me a time of such transaction: 17/5 5:31pm PST, which is 8:31am (18/5) my time in Taiwan and at that time, I am on my way to work! Unless my account is hacked, but I highly doubt it, because I believed I was playing a few days after 17/5 and didn't see anything abnormal.

What did you say to them?? I want to say the same thing! Pity I'm doing this through NCsoft Taiwan, and then they talk to GW America.. not sure if they are doing the translating well or not, since I talk to NCsoft Taiwan in Chinese...

Absolut Monk · Jun 06, 2006, 04:18 AM // 04:18

My only advice SAQ is to be honest and upfront with the support team. If they have an actual time of an infraction, then it seems your account is guilty regardless of your or someone elses actions.

As for "playing a few days after 17/5", that's not an indication of when you were marked for banning. The last massive trade I had made was a week ago, and I wasn't banned until June 3rd.

generik · Jun 06, 2006, 04:20 AM // 04:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

Let's make it simple in baby talk:

Bots are bad. Me no want robots.

Banning is good, weeeeeee.

I look forward to the date when you get the ban stick. Absolut Monk is an innocent who got banned, just because he is rich?

What kind of BS is that?!

Absolut Monk · Jun 06, 2006, 04:29 AM // 04:29

@generik - I appreciate the support, but no one should blame the support team for accidently banning me. I look like a duck, I quack like a duck, and the bot sweeper is an automated process that does a really good job finding ducks.