[MUD-Dev] SOC: Will company sanctioned cheating hurt the MMO community?

[ghovs]

Peter Yu wrote:
> Peter de Freitas wrote:

>> To put your metaphor in a bit of perspective, how would you feel
>> about golf if some dude who hasn't the foggiest idea of how to
>> play golf, couldn't even tell you what a birdie is and doesn't
>> wear regulation shoes just walks in, takes the tour trophy and
>> the officials declare him the winner?

> Allow me to jump in here:

> True, getting the officials to admit that the person is a winner
> is unlikely, but, if one had enough resources, one could always
> buy the trophy from someone who won the tournament, then go to the
> trophy shop and have the name plate at the bottom changed.

That depends on who owns the trophy. Some sporters are very touchy
about selling a trophy. But I've heard anecdotal evidence that some
people actually do buy trophies or medals (including military) and
display them as if they had earned something, sometimes even lying
outright about their prowess. They function as conversation pieces,
I suppose. It's really a form of roleplay.

> This, in fact, is the same type of situation as the ones people
> encounter in MMOs.  As you say, most people who buy high level
> accounts don't actually have the ability or the patience to play
> their characters properly.  So, just like the trophy buyer --
> having a golf tournament trophy does not magically make them a
> better golfer.

It helps when you're trying to fib in front of your friends,
though. It works right up until a display of skill is required, and
the crafty fibber can avoid that moment indefinitely, or plead an
injury which is conspiciously difficult to observe objectively.

> I think this is the distinction that most anti-"cheating"
> advocates overlook, and Sony's marketing / PR people certainly
> should have emphasized this when talking to the people up in arms
> about this new change in policy.

I don't think it would have helped one whit. I am perfectly secure
in knowing I am more skilful than someone who bought a top-end
character, others are not. I don't view RMT users as people who are
trying to buy respect and stature, others do. I don't honestly
believe that RMT users are all that dangerous (if they are bad, I
can avoid them in the future), and I've certainly met plenty players
being plenty detrimental on their own self-made character. All these
arguments fall on deaf ears.

Some players are simply outraged and anything you say against that
is either 'contributing to the problem' or 'lack of
understanding'. They don't want to listen. RMT is anathema. It is
taboo. There are no words which can make it more palateable.

It's sad, though, because their desire (a MMORPG without RMT) isn't
attainable, and the people they want to have shelter them (game
publishers, maybe the governement) can't protect them.

rgds,
Peter de Freitas
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