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Script wars! Have we had enough? [BBC]
I started it as a harmless comment, but it turned into a larger point of view. Here are my $0,02 on scripts:
Every professional soldier / commander is actively seeking any possible loophole in order to increase the advantage of his own team. If scripts are usable, then we have them and they have them. I'm not talking about any particular battle-script, but tools in general.
We were building prototypes years ago, I can definitely imagine that similar things (or way better ones) are still being used today. Everybody remember the "operatiunea mamaliga"? That was a script used to donate q1 food in order to fill the inventory of enemy tanks. In effect, it was a dramatic tank jamming weapon, which limited the effectiveness of tanks to the size of the initial weapons inventory. It won some battles for us, generated some frustration. Quickly after that, the Indonesian army started to use volunteers to manually achieve similar effects (although less effective). Eventually CAPTCHA was introduced for all donations, rendering our weapon useless.
I wrote once a brief history of such operations during my active time in Erepublik, feel free to read it here: http://tinyurl.com/2welh2f
I've said it before: whatever CAN be done, WILL be done. We (EDEN, PEACE, ATLANTIS, whatever Erep multi-national elite we are referring to by "we") always outnumbered (and outgunned) Erepublik developers, due to the following two reasons:
1. This is a true social MMPORG. Human intelligence + social interaction + REAL WORLD IDENTITIES = massive hardcore motivation. The "I'll die on your throat" kinda motivation. Ugly to mess with.
2. Regardless of the bunch of kids playing this game, it is still an adult playground. Adults tend to have lots of shiny toys like skills, money, companies, enterprize-class infrastructure, access to data centers, employed programmers and much more. AND a stupid agenda, like having fun.
Every time the developers worked for and with the community, things were good: population was growing rapidly, the new world was thriving. Of course, lots of this growth was lost due to the inability of the game to retain newcomers (although supported by MASSIVE efforts of the community itself, think Labour / Education Ministries across the world, just to name one example) or because of sluggish administration - but this is hardly our fault.
Every time the developers (say management) did things against the community, things turned ugly. There are really few options left for doing something good out of this (same as years before):
A. Work on the game balance and mechanics. There are lots of brilliant and simple ways to restrict the usage of scripts and clones. Find them. Or crowdsource the problem, I'm sure we can find a way, given a proper motivation (a clean game maybe?) . But in order for us to follow, you have to lead.
B. Listen to the community. Don't do what the community asks for, but do what you know they want. Human interaction, human intelligence, real drama in a safe environment. That's what I would pay for. The game is, after almost 3 years, quite playable and enjoyable. It would be a good time to consolidate and improve, now that most ridiculous ideas are out of the way. Think bugfixing, 6 sigma, thorough marketing and great community moderation.
C. Get rid of all the human interaction component and do another Shitville, that would work brilliantly. Well, without us, but it may work. Hell, I know so many games that are producing billions without having any human interaction / multis / scripts, etc. Oh wait, there're all on Facebook...
Cheers!
dsalageanu
Every professional soldier / commander is actively seeking any possible loophole in order to increase the advantage of his own team. If scripts are usable, then we have them and they have them. I'm not talking about any particular battle-script, but tools in general.
We were building prototypes years ago, I can definitely imagine that similar things (or way better ones) are still being used today. Everybody remember the "operatiunea mamaliga"? That was a script used to donate q1 food in order to fill the inventory of enemy tanks. In effect, it was a dramatic tank jamming weapon, which limited the effectiveness of tanks to the size of the initial weapons inventory. It won some battles for us, generated some frustration. Quickly after that, the Indonesian army started to use volunteers to manually achieve similar effects (although less effective). Eventually CAPTCHA was introduced for all donations, rendering our weapon useless.
I wrote once a brief history of such operations during my active time in Erepublik, feel free to read it here: http://tinyurl.com/2welh2f
I've said it before: whatever CAN be done, WILL be done. We (EDEN, PEACE, ATLANTIS, whatever Erep multi-national elite we are referring to by "we") always outnumbered (and outgunned) Erepublik developers, due to the following two reasons:
1. This is a true social MMPORG. Human intelligence + social interaction + REAL WORLD IDENTITIES = massive hardcore motivation. The "I'll die on your throat" kinda motivation. Ugly to mess with.
2. Regardless of the bunch of kids playing this game, it is still an adult playground. Adults tend to have lots of shiny toys like skills, money, companies, enterprize-class infrastructure, access to data centers, employed programmers and much more. AND a stupid agenda, like having fun.
Every time the developers worked for and with the community, things were good: population was growing rapidly, the new world was thriving. Of course, lots of this growth was lost due to the inability of the game to retain newcomers (although supported by MASSIVE efforts of the community itself, think Labour / Education Ministries across the world, just to name one example) or because of sluggish administration - but this is hardly our fault.
Every time the developers (say management) did things against the community, things turned ugly. There are really few options left for doing something good out of this (same as years before):
A. Work on the game balance and mechanics. There are lots of brilliant and simple ways to restrict the usage of scripts and clones. Find them. Or crowdsource the problem, I'm sure we can find a way, given a proper motivation (a clean game maybe?) . But in order for us to follow, you have to lead.
B. Listen to the community. Don't do what the community asks for, but do what you know they want. Human interaction, human intelligence, real drama in a safe environment. That's what I would pay for. The game is, after almost 3 years, quite playable and enjoyable. It would be a good time to consolidate and improve, now that most ridiculous ideas are out of the way. Think bugfixing, 6 sigma, thorough marketing and great community moderation.
C. Get rid of all the human interaction component and do another Shitville, that would work brilliantly. Well, without us, but it may work. Hell, I know so many games that are producing billions without having any human interaction / multis / scripts, etc. Oh wait, there're all on Facebook...
Cheers!
dsalageanu
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First. : >
Voted
E cam enervant sa vezi mereu pe final, in ultimul minut, cum brusc se inverseaza bara de influenta...in favoarea lor, evident.
As I said a couple of times before, my favorite eRepublik moment is when EMC tanks were dominating every last minute of every battle. I always had chickens, huge lags, but those guys could always hit. And i mean always: any given battle, they were there, be it day or night.
Funny part was when some of them posted articles with "hey guys, i didn't log in for a few weeks, did something interesting happen?". One of these people is an admin today.
Anybody who takes this game seriously has lost it from the very beginning. The cheating on both sides is so huge. Use it as a social site, nothing more.
Am avut si eu un vis dragos.. se facea ca erep se scufunda in varianta C.. cosmar pentru mine.. b0n3r pentru ei...
sau n-o fi fost vis.
Vezi ca se folosesc multis si pe Facebook. Nu greu. Trebuie doar sa nu ai ce face in timpul liber.
Neah
wise words, thanks Dragos
de ce ungurii le folosesc si noi nu?
@iuliusv, Constantin Prezan: pe cand noi foloseam si ei nu, ne laudam cu capacitatea superioara de a inova, o mai buna cunoastere a mecanicii jocului si o determinare in plus de a castiga. For real. Ne-om fi iesit din mana...
Serios acuma: nu zic ca TREBUIE sa jucam jocul asa. Il putem juca si altfel, desigur, dar intotdeauna vom fi limitati de ceea ce se poate face concret in joc: daca se pot utiliza script-uri si clone, se vor utiliza script-uri si clone. Si, foarte important, intotdeauna lumea va avea o balanta, chit ca aceasta va fi dezechilibrata pe alocuri, cand intr-o parte, cand in alta. Nu exista faza cu "ei sunt naspa, noi suntem Alba ca Zapada". Se aude Clawy?
Noi nu folosim ca nu avem , avem dar luam ban...
And justice for All It IS ol' school pice of crap ...
V Ds* welcome Back
Fain art. As always.
+1 dsalageanu: article and comment.
Noi suntem "Alba ca Zapada" e doar un alt fel de a spune "si mai am 7 pitici" ; ).
Good article as always Dsalageanu. Thumbs up for you my friend.
Ti-ai facut norma si pentru anul viitor : ) poti sa mai scrii, sa stii!
Un articol de calitate. La mai multe dsalageanu. Voted
Human interaction, human intelligence, real drama in a safe environment.
And I was wondering why I haven't let go until now. Been makin' some friends too...
Welcome Back!!!
Update: added a closing sentence at point A.
Hohoo, romanians are crying (as usual), then we will face rulechanging in the near future : )
"Hohoo, romanians are crying (as usual), then we will face rulechanging in the near future : )"
And then you'll start crying. Again. = )
Felicitari autorului , un articol frumos si o engleza corecta ...ideile sunt personale, de aceea v-o impartasesc si eu pe a mea : "Ori suntem corecti ori nu mai suntem !"
+1 clawy
erepublik.com <- socializing site
@Dan Pop & dsalageanu: defapt e "thriving" nu "striving" daca vrei sa pastrezi sensul ideii (si mai e un typo: "hardly" in loc de "hardy")
Oricum, departe de a ma vrea un "grammar nazi", foarte bun articol! Felicitari!
Articolul asta imi aduce aminte de Vantu si Faceti-va statul mai puternic :grin:
@Mihai Trascau: jawohl, corectat! Multumesc
Parerea mea e ca adminilor le este frica sa baneze jucatorii care folosesc aceste scripturi. Le e frica deoarece acesti jucatori sunt cea mai mare parte din cei activi...
Sau exista posibilitatea ca adminii sa fie retarzi si sa nu ii poata prinda... ?!
SharkyXXL : e greu de demonstrat ca cineva foloseste scripturi ,poate unii sunt mai iuti de mana (la dat clickuri desigur) decat altii :grin:
Singurul mod de a rezolva probleme din aceastea este sa te asiguri ca chiar daca folosesc scripturi nu isi creeaza un avantaj mare din asta.
nice and straight :0) Welcome back!