Bazooka Bamboozle

Day 2,408, 15:10 • Published in USA USA • by Gnilraps
Lie To Me
(eRepbulik's response to Plato)
Day 2408 of the New World
June 24, 2014


MASSIVE SCANDAL REVEALS ALLEGED ILLEGAL ACTIVITY BY PLATO

I do not often write in criticism of eRepbulik, but this time I must.

Citizens of the New World, you have been scammed.



In the world of business, there is an illegal scam known as "bait and switch." This term describes the practice of advertising a particular product, then after the consumer has responded to the advertisement, changing the quality or substance of the product leaving the consumer with less than what had been advertised. It is illegal to practice such a scam.

Exhibit A: New World Cup announcement.

As can be seen by clicking the "Day 2404" Update, the New World Cup contest includes several different types of prizes. Among them is a special regiment-based prize - a "Bazooka Multiplier" which is rewarded to members of regiments which achieve a high level of Prestige Points. Here is the chart:



And here is Plato's explanation:

Regiment rewards

The total number of Prestige Points achieved by a Regiment will award a temporary damage upgrade to Bazookas. The required amount of Prestige Points is calculated based on 35 members reaching a certain amount of Prestige Points. The milestones listed above are the same for every Regiment, no matter how many members they have. So the above example applies to everyone and the first column just explains how the requirements were calculated.

Please notice that Bazooka Boosters, if you have any, will be added on top of the multiplier. The temporary damage upgrade will expire 7 days after the end of the tournament, at the end of Day 2,421.

In short, as a regiment progresses in total Prestige Points accumulated, they gain a damage multiplier for their bazookas.

Exhibit B: Rank Points Promise.

The question was asked of Admin via the official eRepublik Forum as to whether the additional damage done by bazookas would yield a similar increase in the amount of rank points gained by the player who fought with them. (See here where the question is raised, then see here where the question is acknowledged.)

Admin finally returned an answer, and the answer was "Yes". To quote exactly,

Q: Does the extra Bazooka damage give me extra rank points as well?
A: Yes, you will get the rank points according to the damage you deal.

Exhibit C- Plato offers Bazooka parts for Gold in special sale.



If you logged on yesterday, you saw that Bazooka parts were being offered in exchange for your Gold. Normally, these sales are not a very good bargain since Bazooka parts come for free to anyone who fights, and since the amount of damage they do does not justify the amount of Gold they cost.

However, this time it was going to be different. With bazookas promising to award their users with extremely increased rank points, they were suddenly a very good idea for anyone who wanted to rank up extremely quickly without blowing a ton of fights. For any member of an active Regiment, bazookas were suddenly a ticket to greatly increased rank!

Good job Plato!!! I am certain your Bazooka Parts sale was a winner for you!!!


Exhibit D- Many players bought Bazooka Parts.

I am aware of at least two Military Units whose players spent hundreds of Gold on Bazooka Parts.

Myrmidons
Fortele Speciale Romane

I am willing to bet my eRepublik account that there were many others. I myself suggested the strategy to several younger players who asked for my advice.

Exhibit E: The Switch.

In what Admin refers to as a "small edit", the promised rank increase for boosted bazookas was withdrawn.



This "edit" came after the contest had already begun, and of course after many players had spent their Gold on rank-building bazookas which would no longer build their rank.



I do not think you could find a more cut and dried form of bait and switch. A product was described as having certain features, said product was offered for sale, then after the sale was completed the promised features of said product were removed.

In my opinion this is fraud.



And one of the most impressive military units in the game is VERY PISSED.

Listen to the Commander of Fortele Speciale Romane rant for 12 minutes about how pissed he is.



I am glad and lucky that I did not spend any Gold on Bazooka parts. However, I am writing this in support of all of those players who were sold a fraudulent product and now deserve some reasonable remuneration for their loss.


You may now return to your regularly scheduled clicking