Expoilts that should be dealt with ASAP

[Mneuromancer]

After spending the better part of half an hour reading the rants, whines, and complaints about the PLing exploit, I just wanted to bring to attention a few other "innocent" exploits that should be dealt with in the same manner as the Pling in all fairness..

Transfers

Giving your alt twink 3 million cash to start with is an unfair advantage over other players at same level, same goes with armor, nano, weapon transfers... Your characters shouldn't be able to afford or mission for full sets of armor at same ql, all your nanos, or implants, and not have outgrown them by the time you finally collect all pieces (pre lvl 20 of course). Is it possible for a n00b to get a Yalmaha at lvl29 without outside help? NO That in itself is an extreme advantage imo...funcom's crappy mission terminals ALWAYS gives you missions to places you cannot possibly get to alive (eg lvl 45 NT rolling a mission in Avalon desert for a dumba$$ nano he cannot afford) but if you buy your alt a Yalm you don't have to worry about those things, but then, you also don't have to take the mission in Avalon to get the nano either, the same nano you use to kill a n00b trying to PvP... And most wonder why n00bs cry when getting owned in PvP...you should be ashamed of yourself >:/ heh
Anyways, you get my point



Buffs

Is it not unfair and disrupting the way the game was intended to play by buffing a lvl 16 trader with behemoth?? I always begged high lvl enforcers for behemoth so i could do 100% missions, own a few Omni, etc... But i am an experienced player, my goal is to get my trader to higher lvls so i can enjoy the gameplay, (sorry funcom, this game sucks worse than getting butt-raped by cops using a broomstick at low lvls, cash and equipment being the main reasons) but for a n00b it isn't good, he will gimp his char and whine and be frustrated cuz he can't afford armor or implants later on... then find some silly "exploit" someone is using and whine on the boards crying FOUL (you know who you are) Quick question, why are the fixer team NCU buffs lvl reqed? hmmm? Maybe, just maybe, ALL profession buffs should be lvl reqed...it would make it fair after all...



Before anyone flames, I personally do not believe these are exploits, but they should and do fall under the same category as the so called powerleveling "exploit"
I personally believe that the PLing "exploit" is rediculous and should be dropped, Funcom has more important issues to deal with than this... And they know it (one can dream, right?)
Stop worrying about the whiners and haters that have no real life (ie Ayabe) and fix the real problems with your game, cuz frankly, the more I play, the more I realize that the game sucks :/
The idea is fascinating, it's what keeps my account open


Free advice from a nobody...

Stop screwing with these so called "exploits", stop screwing with the professions, breeds, nanos, dynamics, mechanics, etc and fix your game engine, fix the memory leak, fix the lag issues that cause players to lose all of thier XP cuz ur crappy servers cannot handle the load (www.ibm.com) switch from UDP connections to TCP, fix the client so it doesn't crash with WinXP Service Pack 1 cuz ur nuts if u think Microsucks will spend the money for you...

I really like this game, believe it or not, I think it would be the best MMORPG for a long time if you fix these problems first instead of screwing things up for everyone who PAYS you to be frustrated and stressed... If you don't, you will prolly be forgotten in a year or so, cuz when SWG comes out, you are going to take a helluva hit, and you know it... hell, it may even break you
Please understand that I am a loyal customer and enjoy your game on most occassions, but you are walking a mighty fine line Funcom. Do the right thing, especially for your customers, we feed you, put your kids through school, and pay for your hookers







please send all flames, rants, raves to

tanyalind@microsofthq.net

[Czarina]

well... just to say the difference between these items and the NT exploit....

If a lvl200 teams with a lvl 1, then lvl 1 is not supposed to gain any experience from the lvl200. Now to enter the team, start fight, leave team and finish fight is clearly an exploit. You are using a bug in game mechanics to gain unnatural benefits. The lvl 1 should not gain any xp, as he would not if the level 200 were still in his team. No matter how you look at it, this was not intended by the game...


Now for your list:

Giving money to a noob is not a way around game mechanics... I could give money to any level 1 character, so why not give it to someone else to give to my alt.

In terms of buffs, NCU is supposed to be the limitting factor on buffs. Any low level character who has not exploited should not be able to get enough buffs to give a significant advantage. This is clearly not diverting game mechanics either.


There is a huge difference between a rich Lvl 1 who still has to spend time getting to level 60.. and someone who goes from level 1 to 60 without every playing the character and does it in a few hours.

This exploit is also unfair to anyone who doesn't have a high level NanoTech friend.




I agree we need game fixes, new items, and content.... but I think this falls under game fixes.

[________Billy Talent]

Demono,

you have to think like a business man. Making those things exploits will make more players quit. Why do you ask? Easy, once you hit 200 there isn't much to do, but PvP. 18 hr spawn times on special mobs makes this game less playable for lvl 200 players. So what is next for the player? To start over and play another character. If a player is not in the position to have some type advantage with his/her new alt then I don't believe they will restart from scratch again. They will just hit the cancel button. I am not saying all will do this, but most will.

AO has suffered enough blows with cancelled accounts. I don't think they need more.

[secondkenlon]

Twinking is incredibly pathetic, but it's certainly not an exploit.








Edited because speelin iz haerd.

[Brueskie]

Originally posted by Kenlon
Twinking is incredibly pathetic, but it's certainly not an exploit.

What the hell kind of statement is that? Just what makes it pathetic? At high levels, the only thing left to do is twink alts and PvP. The RP scene is pretty frickin' weak at the moment, so that's out; especially if you play a lot during off hours and there is hardly anyone on who rp's to interact with.

[Oljalyn]

You don't need a yalm at level 29. I spent a whole week blitzing mission at level 52 to be able to buy a yalm with my first char. I didn't know anyone "rich" at that time, I wasn't in a guild to help me. I did it on my own. Everyone in this game can do the same, but the darn noobs are so lazy and expect to get everything handed to them. I had to blitz for my nanos, my armor everything back then. I did just fine and dandy. Before anyone starts saying BS like "Oh, I'm an (insert what you think is a weak prof here), and I can't blitz missions", my first char was an engie and was able to blitz missions just fine even without good equipment. I did however get to know fixers and enforcers well, since I asked for essence and runspeed buffs at a regular basis. I gave them AC buffs back (back when people thought they were usefull), so we were all happy about the arrangement.

I DID blitz for my weapons, nanos and money for my implants back then. It isn't hard, just takes some time. Just stop levelling for a sec and everyone can do it. Noobs are just too envious and lazy to bother doing anything for themselves.

Of course I give cash to my alts. I don't want to spend weeks upon weeks doing the same stupid things I did with my first char. Because FC made my first char incredibly frustrating to play, of course I start another one I like to be able to have _fun_ in this game. I don't see starting again as level 1 without any outside assistance as being fun at all, so I do what makes the game enjoyable to me. Anyways, giving money to low level alts will always be in the game because you can't refuse any player to give away whatever he/she likes to a level 1. If I want to give away a Grid Armor IV disc to a level 1, that is my choice, and will always be like that.

And you say the game is so horrible at lower levels. Why? Because you have to *gasp* work to get what you need? Just use some IPs into runspeed, and off you go blitzing missions for whatever you like. Don't think that you have to be level 150 just because everyone is red to you at level 31.

I'm not flaming you "....." but I flame all the lazy n00bs in this game who go around begging for 5 mill for a yalm at level 12 because they think it is unfair that they don't have one. Do like all of us had to do in the beginning. WORK for the money. Not sit around crying in Omni Trade because you can't afford a yalm at level 12.

[deatheyes]

Hey, I'm not sure why you're rantin about what protocol they use. Why do you prefer they use TCP? TCP = guaranteed delivery, and even with sliding window protocols and other fun stuff that still means more ACK's on the wire. I assume you want them to use it to reduce lag. Well, decreasing available bandwidth should do the opposite (congestion increases latency).

UDP is a broadcast protocol. Just dump all your data, I dont care if it gets there or not. With good client side prediction making up for lost and out of order messages, (eg any of ID software's games) UDP is much less latent and therefore preferred.

And if I remember correctly I had to punch holes in the 7500-7510 TCP (!) range in the firewall at work to play AO there.

Have you any idea what the acedemic exercise worlds like this are to create?

[Czarina]

Originally posted by Vegan
Demono,

you have to think like a business man. Making those things exploits will make more players quit. Why do you ask? Easy, once you hit 200 there isn't much to do, but PvP. 18 hr spawn times on special mobs makes this game less playable for lvl 200 players. So what is next for the player? To start over and play another character. If a player is not in the position to have some type advantage with his/her new alt then I don't believe they will restart from scratch again. They will just hit the cancel button. I am not saying all will do this, but most will.

AO has suffered enough blows with cancelled accounts. I don't think they need more.

I think like a business man, because I am one :P

It is clear why the NT exploit is considered an exploit... whereas the others are clearly intended by the gameplay... if not, then higher levels would've never been allowed to buff lower level or trade with lower level characters.

Twinking is the fun of rerolling... although I have also had a great deal of fun and challenge by starting over without giving an alt any starter help... It's funny how much more challenging the game is when you are short on gear and money.

The two problems I see...
1) it was too easy to get to level 200 and nothing to do once you got there.
2) a twinked alt is not as fun as many people think once they realize that they are just doing the same mission for 200 levels thing that they just did with their main only with a different name.

[Fistgoddess]

In a response to the above mentioned fixing of AO to not crash with Windows XP SP1. It is not really Funcom's problem to do so. They really don't have to support Windows XP at all. Just take a look at all the other MMORPG's and see how many of them supported Windows 2000. The other complaints this person has I really can't comment on. I do give my alts money and equipment to start with, but not to such a gross degree. I am only level 78 and don't have a hell of a lot of money to give. I don't really think that some starting equipment and about 10 grand is too much to give them.

[Atremis]

Interestingly enough, I seem to remember a big flap over FC's decision to use TCP as the protocol of choice for AO. I was overseas from ~11.5 to ~13.2 or so, so I missed a lot of the reworking that FC apparently did to the backend of the game. Coulda sworn they switched to UDP somewhere along the line (correct me if I am wrong, please).

As for which OS to use, that is of course user preference, however my personal choice is still Win2K. Can't really beat its stability, even when XP is based on it. You are, of course, still going to be prone to crashes and lagouts if your machine is unstable (caused by bad drivers, faulty hardware, etc) and if your connection is poor.

[kiltz]

Originally posted by .....
Transfers

Giving your alt twink 3 million cash to start with is an unfair advantage over other players at same level, same goes with armor, nano, weapon transfers...

Buffs

Is it not unfair and disrupting the way the game was intended to play by buffing a lvl 16 trader with behemoth?? ALL profession buffs should be lvl reqed ...it would make it fair after all...

this is the dumbest complaint i have ever heard.

[secondkenlon]

Originally posted by Bhaaz

What the hell kind of statement is that? Just what makes it pathetic? At high levels, the only thing left to do is twink alts and PvP. The RP scene is pretty frickin' weak at the moment, so that's out; especially if you play a lot during off hours and there is hardly anyone on who rp's to interact with.

It's *not* *hard* to get enough cash/gear for a new character without twinking.

Twinking is lazy.

I find it pathetic that you aren't bothering to actually *play* the game you are paying for.

You are more than welcome to twink if you want. I will make alts and play them as actual independent characters rather than feed them from my higher level chars.

[Thyrra]

Originally posted by Kenlon
Twinking is incredibly pathetic, but it's certainly not an exploit.

Edited because speelin iz haerd.

i love you for the smile from that.

---

the game ran on TCP/IP connection in the beginning. lag was horrendous. everybody, and their little brother that saw a movie with robots once, was crying to have the thing switched to UDP to help decrease the horror. the game has improved tremendously since it went live, though it is still far from where we'd expect it to be a year after release.

[WhistlinJoe]

Originally posted by Kenlon
Edited because speelin iz haerd.

LMAO!!
.
.
.

The original poster makes no valid arguments.

#1 People that have played the game longer should have an advantage. No way you could remove that advantage unless you had a 1 day sign up period.

#2 You're pretty much sayin "Im smart enough to know how to do things, but you should protect everyone else from their own stupidity"

Why dont you quit worrying about how everyone else plays the game.

Twinking is not lazy...its efficient. Some people have different ideas of enjoyment than others. I dont understand how you wouldn't take advantage of everything available to you.

Joseph

[________________Caol]

Originally posted by Kenlon
Edited because speelin iz haerd.

lol nice one

[____________Intrepid]

yeah that made me laugh too :P

[_______________ayabe]

Well Ms. (......) since you called me out I feel compelled to defend myself. I stated many times that I wished no ill effects to be brought down on anyone, I just discovered a broken feature of the game that I wished to be addressed. Call me a whiner, loser whatever personal insults you wish you inflict. I could have posted under the veil of anomynity like yourself but Im not afraid to let people know who I am and how I feel. I guess I have no life because I want the game to work as its supposed to. You dont know me, you have never played with me, so save the personal attacks for youself. Those who have played with me respect me.

Secondly PLing and the other 'exploits' you mentioned are apples and oranges, without getting into a big discussion about it again let me put it into simple terms. Transferring money/items, getting high level buffs to help you 'overequip' were intended to be part of the game, PLing like that was not. If they [FC] wanted you to gain levels without firing a shot or doing anything they would have better tradeskills :-).

[___________Tangretti]

If I start a new character I am going to twink it as much as I want.
I was the one who built my "main" character high enough to do so. I put a great amount of time and effort to build that character.
I pay for the game so I will do as I see fit to get whatever enjoyment out of it as possible. There is absolutely no enjoyment about playing a lvl 1 - ~30 character. I could care less whether someone twinks another player. They earned the right to do so by developing one or many characters that are in the position to twink. I suppose you would kick your 10 year old out on the street with no help. My main is my parent, the low lvls are the children till they can truly earn they way and move out. I pay the monthly fee.. you pay yours.. for people to tell me how I should play a game is rediculous. Everyone has their own opinion of what they want to get out of the game. Quit pushing yours on others.. (that goes to anyone that says someone shouldn't do something that is allowed) I get a kick out people trying to tell everyone how they feel the game *should* be played. I did my time.. now it is my time to enjoy.. simple as that!

It's a game... Have fun!!!!

[________ThePaperWork]

Have you ever thought that other people enjoy twinking noobs?
why dont you stop worrying what other people want to do and play the game. you dont need a yal to play either. even if you did then a lvl 1 person could get one if they wanted, just takes some initiative. Say a lvl 5 person sold 5 wen wens when they came out, he'd have millions and millions of dollars. Also, if you wanted every buff profession only, then whats the point of playing a mmorpg if you cant even be useful to one another

[_______________lilao]

Kenlon, your argument/opinion really depends on what you consider twinking.

I do not consider leveling up a char and saving certain items in a bag that can be passed onto another char twinking. Ever hear of hand-me-downs ? I would consider 3mil passed to a level <10 a bit extreme :P

I personally save little ncu belts and memories, back and shoulder items for alts and friends that start the game.

I have given friends that started after me 130k credits before. This is just enough to buy most but not all of the nano/weapon expertises, ability boosts and low level nano's for their class.

I do not pl them, but I will help them get started with information and advise (mental twinking?). I don't even feel guilty despite your passing judgement...

If your playstyle that you enjoy, is to play each char as a separate entity more power to you.