Curse

Xunil · Feb 06, 2015, 09:53 PM // 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosyfiep

I think they are seeing your 'follow' account as a bot even though you probably hit the keys yourself

That can be. But again, the thing is: I don't know if it is and I am certainly not willing to think of every possible cause which might be remotely connected to something similar to botting and explain it if all I get is copy-paste answers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

You wouldn't get banned for using texmod a lot of players use /ed it for getting the cartographer title and it is the only way.It is use at your own risk.

Sure. But the thing is: I can't think of anything which should get me even near being banned (i.e. doing something suspicious).

Toxon · Feb 06, 2015, 10:39 PM // 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by -andy-

I haven't told many that I was banned in the first few ban waves in jan. Almost 10 years with this game and they decide to ban me for using a bot/third-party program. One thing is for sure, I never touched a bot or any third-party...

Funny thing is I told Max and the other guildies in PhD that if I'm banned A-net surely messed up, next day all my 5 accounts were permabanned lol. I wish all of you who were unfairly banned the best but there is just no excuse for A-net banning so many people for something they didn't do. I support banning botters as much as the next guy but they should have left this game alone for the short time it has left when they obviously have no clue about what they are doing or care for that matter.

You and me experience the same. Puzzling why a legit player like us can get banned. We appealed but no response for days. I really suspect they just want to kill the active players. Put the resources to gw2.

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosyfiep

I think they are seeing your 'follow' account as a bot even though you probably hit the keys yourself---if you read this whole thread, you will find the link to the twit (and I mean the person) who banned all of us saying more or less 'there is no legitimate reason to have more than one account' so if you play on 2 (or more) accounts at one time, you MUST be a bot!!!!!!!!! I dont think the twit even plays gw2 (we know he doesnt play gw)--and his posts have been rather immature,(great example of the kind of people working at anet now I assssume).

and -andy- sorry to hear, I have a nice warm seat next to me on my bench for you. (need a bigger bench)....and yeah, they seem rather...er...slow in responding to gw issues (heavens they are even being slow in responding to gw2 issues /faint).

There is legitimate reason of course for 2 or more account. Why. The answer is collection. For me i collected minis, el potion, skill book, nick items, material for making consumables and keep consumable for speed clear, special weapon and so on. If multiple account is not allowed then why anet allow me to register all my account under my master ncsoft acc?

I believe too many could be innocent. This can be told as their response is too slow. Perhaps not enough evident to proof many appeal persons are guilty so investigation need more time. Some even up to months. If you go gw2 support, there are many tickets open that need help, those non related to ban tickets also lapse for weeks without support responses. Focus of gw2 expansion is no doubt their first priority. I think we will not get response after expansion launch and chances are we are doom.

I definitely dont want to exit gw in this way. Not like this...

Linksys · Feb 06, 2015, 11:18 PM // 23:18

So far so good. I still have my account. So that's another day for me. That's how I think every time I log in now. Before I think about things like Roller Beetle Racing or Dragon Arena or doing a Shining Blade quest, I think, "okay let's see if I still have an account." The atmosphere or whatever of the game seems very demoralized. I don't know if Anet/NC wants to continue having a returning consumer base, nor am I trying to sound like some expert in this industry or whatever. But they don't really have a mainstream presence. Any buzz they try to generate has to start with the current player base. And right now, that player base is being rocked and toss around with ban waves. Gamers are being shut out and there are significant numbers of them who state that they didn't do anything wrong. Other gamers are missing their friends in the game because of the bans. It doesn't even feel like a game and community anymore. Now the objective of whatever this is now is to see if we still have access to our accounts and our verifiable title tracks and other in-game accomplishments. And cringing when we hear of our friends losing their accounts, thus losing the title tracks and other things that verify their years of game play.

Surge goes pre · Feb 08, 2015, 12:33 AM // 00:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by guolisong

For the benefit of the community, I'm posting this:

Latest reply from support, direct quotes:

"The accounts that were terminated since January 14th of 2015 used a disallowed third-party program at some time in the past. This doesn’t mean the program was used within a few days or even within the last few weeks prior to the account's termination, because the scope of our detection efforts extended over a long period of time. Any of the 1,800 accounts that were closed may have used a forbidden third-party program the week of the terminations, the week prior to the terminations, or even a few months prior to the terminations. Some people may have installed and uninstalled such a program in the past, thinking it wouldn’t be detected. Obviously that wasn’t the case. Others may share a computer and not realize that someone else added a disallowed program to their system. And still others may not realize that the program that they were told was “harmless” or even “approved by ArenaNet” is actually a cheat program.
Some players have said they believe that their account was terminated because they used certain third-party programs such as TexMod or Guild Wars Multi-Client. We didn’t action the accounts of people who used only these programs because, in their original form, they didn’t give players a gameplay advantage. The accounts that were terminated on January 14, 2015 however, were using programs designed to give significant gameplay advantages, and thus clearly violated our User Agreement.
Please keep in mind that ArenaNet and NCSOFT don’t “approve” third-party programs. We know that we can’t ensure the integrity of programs we didn’t create. So while we don’t take action on the users of programs that are known to not give a player any gameplay advantages, establishing the integrity of any third-party program falls to the individual user."

This make sense to me. "We didn't action the accounts of people who used only these (TexMod or Multi-Launch) programs because, in their original form, they didn't give players a gameplay advantage."

All along I have been really weary of people saying they got banned and all they did was use TexMod or Multi-Launch. Yes, maybe a few of them were mistakenly banned. But I think that number is far less than people are willing to admit.

It seems like this is a perfectly legitimate response from anet.

Title Points R Us · Feb 08, 2015, 12:49 AM // 00:49

What if ok... a student logged in on a school comp that 1000 other students used & did w/e with that isn't the responsibility of the student to know the computers entire history. Said student gets banned cause that system at one time ran an illegal 3rd party program? Cause that's what is being said in guolisong quote. There should be no way they should be allowed to detect the history of someones computer. Maybe while your playing the game & the 3rd party program is opened yes but otherwise. no.

**cosyfiep** · Feb 08, 2015, 01:10 AM // 01:10

that still make NO sense to me....I have been playing for 9 years on one computer--does it now somehow have a bot or 3rd party program on it that I am unaware of? and my other computer has been playing for 7? years....and then the biggie...if I have been playing on both of these computers that have this 'program' why were only SOME of my accounts banned and not all of them? Its the same computer I play my main, 2nd-6th accounts on --somehow only 3 of them have this while the others do not? explain THAT one to me!

there is something else going on here.

Title Points R Us · Feb 08, 2015, 01:34 AM // 01:34

Yeah your right there is. A fat peice of shit that sees x amount of acc's on y IP & says oh they don't need more than that to play this game ban ban ban ban it's just a button press to him so not a RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO was given.

Toxon · Feb 08, 2015, 02:51 AM // 02:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Title Points R Us

Yeah your right there is. A fat peice of shit that sees x amount of acc's on y IP & says oh they don't need more than that to play this game ban ban ban ban it's just a button press to him so not a RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO was given.

For my case, all my links accounts are banned and those are my family members account thought I use some of the toons as mule. I use multi launch often as I was mislead by gw website it won't get banned. And I frenquence exchange Nick items with multiple toon open depending on how many Nick item I have gathered. But all finger play.

Apart from it I use Logitech macro for /age and /resign. To see how fast I do sc or farming. I wasn't aware this is not allow as my keyboard macro is use for other game and not to the extend that I bot in my oppinion.

As for IP all my house PCs or laptops are link to one broadband. So we share same public IP address.

That is my story of getting all accounts banned. If there is other reason, it is really not aware by me.

Title Points R Us · Feb 08, 2015, 03:11 AM // 03:11

I think shazbawt just saw abunch of acc's on an IP & went button happy. Why else would he ban some acc's & not others like what seems to be the case for quite afew of the players here & myself included. I wasn't innocent by any means but not all my acc's got banned which tells me he just saw what I said previous. IMO he's just a shitter that has no clue why someone would need multiple acc's in a 10 yr old game & saw a chance to make himself look better to Anet by banning so many people guilty or not.

ACWhammy · Feb 08, 2015, 03:37 AM // 03:37

Ok so let me see if I understand this correctly -

If you own a guild wars account, and you get hacked, and that player who hacked you runs bots on his computer, Arenanet helps you get your account back, then Arenanet bans you because your account was accessed on a computer by the hacker who ran bots. Correct?

berat · Feb 08, 2015, 04:48 AM // 04:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by guolisong

For the benefit of the community, I'm posting this:

Latest reply from support, direct quotes:

"The accounts that were terminated since January 14th of 2015 used a disallowed third-party program at some time in the past. This doesn’t mean the program was used within a few days or even within the last few weeks prior to the account's termination, because the scope of our detection efforts extended over a long period of time. Any of the 1,800 accounts that were closed may have used a forbidden third-party program the week of the terminations, the week prior to the terminations, or even a few months prior to the terminations. Some people may have installed and uninstalled such a program in the past, thinking it wouldn’t be detected. Obviously that wasn’t the case. Others may share a computer and not realize that someone else added a disallowed program to their system. And still others may not realize that the program that they were told was “harmless” or even “approved by ArenaNet” is actually a cheat program.
Some players have said they believe that their account was terminated because they used certain third-party programs such as TexMod or Guild Wars Multi-Client. We didn’t action the accounts of people who used only these programs because, in their original form, they didn’t give players a gameplay advantage. The accounts that were terminated on January 14, 2015 however, were using programs designed to give significant gameplay advantages, and thus clearly violated our User Agreement.
Please keep in mind that ArenaNet and NCSOFT don’t “approve” third-party programs. We know that we can’t ensure the integrity of programs we didn’t create. So while we don’t take action on the users of programs that are known to not give a player any gameplay advantages, establishing the integrity of any third-party program falls to the individual user."

Shazbawt clearly ban happy with little evidence.
https://twitter.com/Shazbawt/status/559989842595938304
https://twitter.com/Shazbawt/status/561045532731133953

Good detection Anet!

Title Points R Us · Feb 08, 2015, 04:51 AM // 04:51

Correct. Point is hiring that fat shitbag Shazbawt to do it he doesn't know the acc's history like Anet would. So now it's up to them(whenever they get around to it) to right the wrong for you & many others.

I also hope he gets wind of these threads & someone shoves a print out in his fat mouth & tapes it in there. ;-)

**cosyfiep** · Feb 08, 2015, 08:15 AM // 08:15

This whole thing has made me so ill ....that people who are so clueless can trash the game, I know the new staff are pretty shameless in their praise of gw2, but to hurt so many people---many of whom I think you can now see did NOTHING wrong---for such lame reasons. Please just shut the game down if you are going to make a mockery of it.

And I highly doubt that they will read any of this, that would be beneath them.

Keira Nightgale · Feb 08, 2015, 09:17 AM // 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linksys

So far so good. I still have my account. So that's another day for me. That's how I think every time I log in now. Before I think about things like Roller Beetle Racing or Dragon Arena or doing a Shining Blade quest, I think, "okay let's see if I still have an account." The atmosphere or whatever of the game seems very demoralized. I don't know if Anet/NC wants to continue having a returning consumer base, nor am I trying to sound like some expert in this industry or whatever. But they don't really have a mainstream presence. Any buzz they try to generate has to start with the current player base. And right now, that player base is being rocked and toss around with ban waves. Gamers are being shut out and there are significant numbers of them who state that they didn't do anything wrong. Other gamers are missing their friends in the game because of the bans. It doesn't even feel like a game and community anymore. Now the objective of whatever this is now is to see if we still have access to our accounts and our verifiable title tracks and other in-game accomplishments. And cringing when we hear of our friends losing their accounts, thus losing the title tracks and other things that verify their years of game play.

I assume their goal is to shutdown the game, the best way to avoid any backslash is to alienate its playerbase until only a handful of active players are left thus justifying a shutdown due to economic reason. Give people an incentive to migrate to GW2 and close shop here, PR bomb defused.

**cosyfiep** · Feb 08, 2015, 10:15 AM // 10:15

except that people who get banned from one game will more than likely NOT buy another product from that company (why risk spending more money to get banned?) and people who know people who were erroneously banned will probably not buy anything either--they are alienating the very player base they are hoping to entice?
There is some very flawed logic in there.

MaxBorken · Feb 08, 2015, 10:27 AM // 10:27

I'm a builder. I build houses and bathrooms etc.

When a property is diagnosed with dry rot, the affected timbers and masonry must all be cut out and replaced. But so must all timber within 1.5 metres of the last visible signs of dry rot. Healthy timber must be cut out in order to establish a non-contaminated buffer zone to eliminate any return of the rot. To try and surgically remove only the affected timber and masonry will result in the rot returning.

When military manoeuvres are undertaken, even with careful planning, there are always collateral casualties.

Until we know the algorithms or criteria which were applied, we cannot say for certain what happened, or why.

Perhaps a small reality check may be in order, after all it's a game, and if we attach too much importance to it, these things can consume us. I arrived at this crossroads recently (before the bans), and I'm much more settled now.

Max

-andy- · Feb 08, 2015, 01:41 PM // 13:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxBorken

I'm a builder. I build houses and bathrooms etc.

When a property is diagnosed with dry rot, the affected timbers and masonry must all be cut out and replaced. But so must all timber within 1.5 metres of the last visible signs of dry rot. Healthy timber must be cut out in order to establish a non-contaminated buffer zone to eliminate any return of the rot. To try and surgically remove only the affected timber and masonry will result in the rot returning.

When military manoeuvres are undertaken, even with careful planning, there are always collateral casualties.

Until we know the algorithms or criteria which were applied, we cannot say for certain what happened, or why.

Perhaps a small reality check may be in order, after all it's a game, and if we attach too much importance to it, these things can consume us. I arrived at this crossroads recently (before the bans), and I'm much more settled now.

Max

Sure Max but you don't bring down half the building if a small part of it is affected right? And you probably check what area is affected before you start replacing the materials, you're not randomly taking out parts just because you know a part of it is affected...

I do agree with the fact that we all need to remember that it is just a game, but so should Anet. With this they have taken out a lot more joy from the game than the botters ever did to me. I was planning on buying a few more things and then just casually enjoy what I have collected and let the game die with all the happy memories it has given me. I feel that I have been robbed of this and for no reason.

MaxBorken · Feb 08, 2015, 02:15 PM // 14:15

Yep, you make a good point. And I count you as one of the good friends I have lost through all of Anet's general over-purging. I for one believe that you are innocent. I recruited you precisely because of the way you play the game, and your general nice-guyness. I was saddened to learn of your fate. We lifted a glass to you when we found out. Your collection was worthy of a song around a campfire.

Max

-andy- · Feb 08, 2015, 08:58 PM // 20:58

Thank you Max, you and the others in PhD gave me some great memories and I'm happy I was a part of it. Hopefully I can scrape together some pics to show my shields one more time before they vanish in the mists. I'm still going to keep some hope that Anet does the right thing but we'll see.

Lord Asakurra · Feb 08, 2015, 09:50 PM // 21:50

Ok so after reading the EULA sections regarding account termination, I found no snippet ANYWHERE in their EULA agreement which states that if I've been punished once for botting and since then have been clean (barely playing, mind you) do they have the right to suspend the account or sever the EULA in any way whatsoever. Gaile Gray has even stated that when you get off suspension or buy a new account, you're given a "clean slate".

I have a good idea of how they did the banning. A buddy of mine who used to make mods for texmod told me there's a certain way packets are logged on their server. Some modifications send the same packets that malicious third party programs do due to poor coding, texture updating, etc, and that's one way your account can be flagged.

For example, he said that in the texmod mod "Cartography Made Easy", if you've ever had to restart your client because the textures got way out of wack (white screen, shadows glitching out, etc), that's when your client starts sending bugged packets back to the server, which then registers it as a malicious third party program.

Me personally not being a coder, his explanation sounded pretty convincing. Thoughts?

I only wonder...why now? The timing couldn't be any more coincidental with their expansion announcement for Guild Wars 2... Any smart businessman knows that when you have a steady revenue from one asset you don't cut out half the reason for said revenue UNLESS you're going all in on another, higher stakes asset. It's typical Life 101, you've got to risk it to get the biscuit, however sometimes that means saying goodbye to old things and bringing in a new, more "exciting" opportunity. There's STILL bots in Spamadan advertising gold selling and they haven't gone after them, so clearly it isn't just botters because all it would take is to login the freakin game and see bots in broad daylight.

And Max, having had experience home building with my father the past 10 years I agree with you on the rot analogy. However, as a former cadet at the Air Force Academy I have to disagree with you on the collateral damage aspect- Any intelligent commander knows that there are ALWAYS options to have no collateral damage, and the ones that take the option of terminating their own resources to gain ground will most definitely see a terminal desk job somewhere in the middle of nowhere for the rest of their career. (Source- 17 credits on Leadership, History of War, and Military Strategy at USAFA, as well as my dad who is currently the senior adviser to every wing commander at our local AFB since 2002)

tl;dr- Anet has had a HORRIFIC history of making bad decisions based on some asinine reasoning on their parts, but this can only mean they're done with Guild Wars.