Someone got a new job.

[Count Nerfedalot]

Why would there be a limit to reporting bots?  Or a limit to an ignore list, for that matter, so nevermind.

In this case, maybe because so many people would report so many bots the database would asplode?   

[UnSub]

I'd say that the degree of botting seen in Aion probably surprised NCsoft West quite a bit.

But it could be the start of a trend - if NCsoft (or others) transition MMOs with sub fees from Korea to NA / EU, it provides both a test market to optimise botting (iirc, Korean players don't use unofficial RMT to the same extent because they are more likely to use official RMT channels and are more used to the idea) and then the main market to launch at full strength.

[Numtini]

But it could be the start of a trend - if NCsoft (or others) transition MMOs with sub fees from Korea to NA / EU, it provides both a test market to optimise botting (iirc, Korean players don't use unofficial RMT to the same extent because they are more likely to use official RMT channels and are more used to the idea) and then the main market to launch at full strength.

I don't think that's it, I'm not aware of any games that allow legal RMT. Microtransactions are not the same thing. And botting and gold selling is rampant in most Korean games I've heard of. I think it's more likely that the culture of Korean gaming got transplanted with the game. And NCsoft has a rep for poor enforcement of anti-bot and goldselling.

[Ingmar]

I could swear I've read that there are some (many?) MMOs in China that have literal RMT.

EDIT: Mind you that really has nothing to do with Korea so I think your point stands.

[IainC]

But it could be the start of a trend - if NCsoft (or others) transition MMOs with sub fees from Korea to NA / EU, it provides both a test market to optimise botting (iirc, Korean players don't use unofficial RMT to the same extent because they are more likely to use official RMT channels and are more used to the idea) and then the main market to launch at full strength.

I don't think that's it, I'm not aware of any games that allow legal RMT. Microtransactions are not the same thing.

Entropia Universe is one, depending on your definition of 'game' then Second Life would be another.

[apocrypha]

Doesn't EVE still have RMT via the timecards?

[IainC]

Doesn't EVE still have RMT via the timecards?

Not in the way where you can convert ingame money/items to real cash legally. You can turn real cash into pretend money but not vice versa.

[Numtini]

I've always wondered about Eve, how many people actually do that other than to get a character started. It seemed appealing to not have to worry about grinding money to get a few ships in the hangar, but in the long term, buying and losing ships with real money seemed kind of pathetic and not really impacting anyone except as a pvp loot pinata.

[IainC]

I've sold timecards when I needed a fast infusion of ingame cash for some reason. A lot of people do it the other way because they make enough money ingame that they'd be dumb if they weren't using it to pay for their sub. The market is pretty busy so I guess the answer to the question is 'a lot'.

[Feverdream]

I'd say that the degree of botting seen in Aion probably surprised NCsoft West quite a bit.

Log into Lineage2 sometime and I don't think you'd say that.  I suppose if NCSoft West had zero communication with Korean HQ and zero direct experience with Lineage2, they might be surprised...but a lot of us who know about the bot insanity in L2 were afraid from the start that it would translate straight into Aion.

I am interested in exactly why they're suddenly so concerned.  I'm glad they are, but I'd still like to know what resulted in the sudden shift in approach.

[Numtini]

I am interested in exactly why they're suddenly so concerned

Because Aion actually sold well in the west.

[Shatter]

Im sure they look at the Western market and want to have successful games here which means they have to deal with issues like this and cant continue to ignore them.  Granted they should of saw this coming a mile away and took steps before launch and not 2 months later. 

[Sky]

Should have seen.

Taken.

Also, have some apostrophes: ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 

[Xanthippe]

Why would there be a limit to reporting bots?  Or a limit to an ignore list, for that matter, so nevermind.

There's also a report on how many petitions one can submit.  Once you go over that limit (which is called a daily limit, but it's apparently lifetime), you can no longer submit petitions.

One gets the feeling that NCSoft doesn't want people reporting bots, ignoring spam, or submitting petitions.

[UnSub]

I don't think that's it, I'm not aware of any games that allow legal RMT. Microtransactions are not the same thing.

I did use the terms interchangeably to some degree - official vs unofficial RMT, or internal vs external - since I think the overall offering (receiving in-game items / rewards / benefits for RL money) is the same. F2P is more familiar in Korean markets, so I think it probably isn't considered a factor to the same extent. It's obviously not frowned on or seen as a major problem, or else Aion would have arrived at NCsoft West full of anti-gold farming systems.

[gryeyes]

The one system they did have is disabled in the western version. And now "click to block" is disabled.

[Count Nerfedalot]

The one system they did have is disabled in the western version. And now "click to block" is disabled.

what?  They won't let you mute spammers?  Or what exactly was disabled?

Oh, and it seems as if the comments portion of Lum's blog has been assimilated by GeldonYetich, so by all means check out what Lum says on the main page, but click into the comments page at your own risk!

[IainC]

The one system they did have is disabled in the western version. And now "click to block" is disabled.

what?  They won't let you mute spammers?  Or what exactly was disabled?

Oh, and it seems as if the comments portion of Lum's blog has been assimilated by GeldonYetich, so by all means check out what Lum says on the main page, but click into the comments page at your own risk!

There are a whole bunch of painfully clueless commentators on Lum's blog who make me roll my eyes every time I see their names. Geldon isn't even the worst of them, the guy who posts gigantic walls of text about his ongoing struggle with the evil moderators of MMORPG.com and the various high-school libertarians are a whole lot worse.

[gryeyes]

what?  They won't let you mute spammers?  Or what exactly was disabled?

The "right click to block" was broken by a recent patch, I believe it still is. The anti-RMT feature of reporting bots and having automatic penalties to the account in question is disabled in the western version, but functional in the Korean.

[UnSub]

what?  They won't let you mute spammers?  Or what exactly was disabled?

The "right click to block" was broken by a recent patch, I believe it still is. The anti-RMT feature of reporting bots and having automatic penalties to the account in question is disabled in the western version, but functional in the Korean.

That sound you hear is Lum banging his forehead against a wall of ineptitude.

[Cadaverine]

The thing I miss most about EQ was the East Commons tunnel, which was where everyone sold their loot on 7th Hammer before SoL.  More so than anything, that fostered a lot of the community on 7th Hammer, which died out when they put in the bartering doodad in SoL.  Then WoW came along, and drove the final stake through the heart of that with the AH, and the mail system.

Yeah, they're more convenient, and all, but I think from a server community standpoint, the game suffers.  Outside of my guild in WoW, I don't know anyone's name, there's no "stars" on the server.  Whereas in EQ, a lot of people really built reputations and while maybe not everyone knew them, there was certainly a high percentage of people who did.