GA please address Banning Rumors
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- FeRaLcHiLdE2
- Archmage
Despite clear guidelines in TOS that define bannable offense, players are getting scared they will be banned randomly and mistakenly. An unconfirmed list of banned players was circulated today. In public posts, players were either irate to have friends gone or scared that they would be next. A couple worried that they would be banned if they sat in the passenger seat of a car and logged in.
While ignorance of TOS is a sure way to not know what is happening, the thing keeping us in the dark is NOT published material but rather what is NOT being revealed to players. Gray Area staff: by acting without clear explanation detailing exactly what and why you are doing, you are breeding fear. The rumoring is harmful to your player community. Please use more transparency when exercising your power. After all, your handful of staff serves thousands if paying customers. Ethically, these customers deserve more respect than you have been showing by practicing silence.
I am not advocating violation of any person's privacy. I am advocating clear explanation of your business management. Simply put: do what is right for us and yourselves. That is good customer service and great business ethics.
While ignorance of TOS is a sure way to not know what is happening, the thing keeping us in the dark is NOT published material but rather what is NOT being revealed to players. Gray Area staff: by acting without clear explanation detailing exactly what and why you are doing, you are breeding fear. The rumoring is harmful to your player community. Please use more transparency when exercising your power. After all, your handful of staff serves thousands if paying customers. Ethically, these customers deserve more respect than you have been showing by practicing silence.
I am not advocating violation of any person's privacy. I am advocating clear explanation of your business management. Simply put: do what is right for us and yourselves. That is good customer service and great business ethics.
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- FeRaLcHiLdE2
- Archmage
As things stand, I will be surprised to get a reply to this from staff.
If I do, I expect it will be cryptic or non-commital.
These are the responses players have come to expect in recent months.
Am I wrong? Prove me wrong by addressing what us going on in a reply to this post. Please make your reply comprehensible (some if us are not as smart as some of us) and responsible.
If I do, I expect it will be cryptic or non-commital.
These are the responses players have come to expect in recent months.
Am I wrong? Prove me wrong by addressing what us going on in a reply to this post. Please make your reply comprehensible (some if us are not as smart as some of us) and responsible.
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- Hnktong
- Archmage
The standards for banning must be reviewed and revised. The mages I know who were recently banned have invested much time and energy, and probably money, into their accounts, and to my mind have done nothing warranting the wholesale destruction of their investments. When added to the irritations and frustrations of frequent game crashes, lag issues, and disappearing spiders and such, SC becomes less and less appealing. As have many players, I am placing protest beacons around Helsinki. So far a truce there has held and Animators and Architects are both joining in this effort. When last I was there, I'd say there were hundreds of beacons and other structures.
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- Chadj
- Staff
We've provided a couple of responses regarding the recent account closures, beginning on the second page of the following thread - http://www.shadowcities.com/forum/topic/3281/?page=2#post-29075. Please also keep in mind that we have an 'Exploits and Cheating in Shadow Cities FAQ', in the appropriate FAQ forum.
http://www.shadowcities.com/forum/4/
http://www.shadowcities.com/forum/4/
Edited by Chadj (May 24, 2012 13:51:21)
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- FeRaLcHiLdE2
- Archmage
I love being wrong I guess.
; D
; D
Chadj
We've provided a couple of responses regarding the recent account closures, beginning on the second page of the following thread - http://www.shadowcities.com/forum/topic/3281/?page=2#post-29075. Please also keep in mind that we have an 'Exploits and Cheating in Shadow Cities FAQ', in the appropriate FAQ forum.
http://www.shadowcities.com/forum/4/
Edited by Chadj (yesterday 13:51:21)
FeRaLcHiLdE2
As things stand, I will be surprised to get a reply to this from staff.
If I do, I expect it will be cryptic or non-commital.
These are the responses players have come to expect in recent months.
Am I wrong? Prove me wrong by addressing what us going on in a reply to this post. Please make your reply comprehensible (some if us are not as smart as some of us) and responsible.
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- FeRaLcHiLdE2
- Archmage
Rewind. Play.
The reference to another post was fine... at first.
I went there eagerly looking for explanation.
The reply posted there gave NO REAL INFORMATION.
That means referring on my topic to another topic without resolution is doubly irresponsible. Chad, your action here was like pouring salt onto an open wound simply because you couldn't be bothered to have it filling the shaker anymore.
The reference to another post was fine... at first.
I went there eagerly looking for explanation.
The reply posted there gave NO REAL INFORMATION.
That means referring on my topic to another topic without resolution is doubly irresponsible. Chad, your action here was like pouring salt onto an open wound simply because you couldn't be bothered to have it filling the shaker anymore.
Edited by FeRaLcHiLdE2 (May 27, 2012 02:01:49)
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- PleaseListen
- Acolyte
Sadly, Feral nailed it. I wish GA would understand that refusing to adopt a transparent and fair process forces the players to risk losing hours of playing time and the money spent on potions. Why should we take that risk? I feel like and idiot now for having spent hundreds of hours amassing 5000+ pots for my realms. (Sorry I keep talking about myself - I just want people to understand that this isn't a trivial or abstract issue.) GA, you've spent a lot of time making a really enjoyable SC world with different mage levels, different spirits, different missions, different playing strategies. Please spend just a little more time now on a player misbehavior process - you're going to want one for your future games too. Investing in transparency and fairness is the smart thing to do.