Just to add the Reefs point, I have read through the posts on here and done a little research before posting.
A couple of things - everyone seems to refer to the
use of
banned scripts.
Banned of course does not actually mean banned at all it means not approved. Banned should also actually read as suspended from the game until a ban is confirmed or a penalty is accepted anyway. There is also another distinction to be very clear upon.
Use of something is not the same as
possession. Please remember this when reading as the ban is not for the use of the script, which did not happen, but for the existence of the script.
It has also been made clear that lack of knowledge of or innocence of installation of such a script is no defence. In fact there is no defense. Existence is the offense. If it exists and we must assume ' it exists' it is clear that despite what is said elsewhere, the offense and the punishment is for having 'it' installed
not of knowing of it or using it, even incredibly if it doesn't even work.
We all know what a script is but do we know what a banned script is? The one in question was described to me by a mod as a farming/ fake script. If this were actually correct, which it is not, it would be (I understand) a type of automated script which can send or be made to send 1000's of attacks, filling in troops in rally points, hitting attack etc and doing all the hard work. On worlds with no fake limit it is used to deluge the enemy with attacks/ scouts/ fakes etc. That would be unfair and under the rules for this server illegal. It would also mean everyone would have to have it and the skill and strategy of the game would be gone. It is
not however the type of script that is being talked about in the case of several players involved in yesterdays punishments.
The one in question is apparently called a K Generator. This I am told takes a player overview and generates a list you can paste of village addresses in total or by the K that they are in, funnily enough exactly as you can with the tools that are part of the game. However that list can then be inserted into a script button. From a rally point page when pressed it fills in the coordinates of the next village on the list. You still have to fill in the troops, hit attack and on the next screen hit OK and then move on to repeat for the next attack. What it saves is typing in the village coordinates from a list or selecting them from history, notebook, attack planner etc.
With regard to is it legal, the clear instruction I am given is that
any script for the rally point is banned.
Actually however from the forum page created by Cheesasaurus we get the following:-
- Interaction with the "Give commands" part of the rally point or its follow-up pages, is not allowed.
- Creating links to the rally point is allowed. Forwarding the page to the rally point, is not.
- Scanning for incoming commands, is not allowed. Analyzing incoming commands that are already displayed on the current page, is allowed.
- Sending or requesting data from any server not managed by InnoGames, is not allowed.
- Emulation of premium features, is not allowed.
The repeat attack with the same or all troops option obviously breaks several of the above but that is excepted. Use of bookmarks or the T method cannot be controlled so is excepted. This K generator script would not fall within any of the above and actually provides no advantage save for not having to write down and then type in the coordinates of the next village, or use the notebook, the village notebook, the attack again option, the map or a handwritten or spreadsheet list, or the groups in the reports folder to do this.
Interesting to note however that "
any script for the rally point is banned" is not actually true at at all. Not only that but creating links to the rally point, which is more than the script in question does, is allowed (if approved for convenience) anyway.
Then we get to the other point I highlighted. The offense is as follows
"your not banned for using it your banned for having it on your quick bar".
We are told on forums that use of bots and illegal scripts and various other cheats can be found easily but is this actually true? Obviously not. If it was why not identify the
use of the script immediately rather than have to ban the
possession of the script discovered when trawling. Also why not trawl everybody left playing the world at the same time as you missed a lot when you did this one? Were you looking at specific people, say people who have no love of ORC perhaps? Anyway it seems in fact that the truth is that you can illegally use a script without getting caught, you just need to take it off when you finish so it will not be there when they come looking. You can then add it again later when you need to use it again. I still consider that cheating and have never done that nor would I but it is the untruthfulness that is the point i make.
Forgetting that there has to be an intention and an actual use of something to commit an offense under UK law, can this rather heavy handed solution to cover for a lie actually be reasonable?
Looking at intention, is it possible to steal your fathers car if you take it for a spin one day? Actually the anser is no. The Theft Act 1976 requires an intention to permanently deprive of the use of before something can be stolen.
How about if we consider carrying an offensive weapon like a corkscrew (banned in Euro Disney) outside your home and without a good reason - rough maybe especially in France where even riot police wielding guns and batons have a legal right to drink alcohol on duty but I suppose fair enough if that is the rule of the Disney site and they are prone to early surrender at the point of something sharp.
What about if you have a shotgun license and are going to a shoot or you have it in a case on your way to the Olympics? Is it still an offensive weapon if it is not loaded and doesn't work and you have no ammo? Actually yes it is still an offense. The points to note are that the qualifiers in the example give the defense and also that a defense is available.
What if someone drops a knife used in a crime (or not) in your garden and the police find it there. You had no knowledge and an alibi and they know you didn't touch it or put it there and they cannot tell you who did but does this mean you should be fined for a third of all your possessions or ejected from the community if you will not accept the fine? Not in my book but clearly we players have no say in how the game is ruled.
Moving on, the suggestion is made that a support ticket is put in and it will be heard, the implication being that there will be someone listening. With the greatest respect I can muster that is rubbish. All i received is childish smugness and a refusal to do any of that. Only on the third time of asking was I provided with a half reply about what the complaints process was if i wished to complain about the moderators involved in the subject of my support ticket.
I have no beef with the forum mods. It is however very frustrating to find everything locked immediately or removed when moderation itself is discussed. It is not your remit to censor criticism if posted within the forum rules nor to prevent further comments being added in the hope nobody will notice. World 1 is so small now that most are in touch with each other by skype or some other method and you cannot control criticism. Doing it on the forums is your opportunity to answer back in public and for all to see so you should embrace it rather than try to strangle it, which is the
impression you have given, hence the frustrations. Nothing gains respect more than someone saying even as little as I will look into it and advise in private. Nothing loses more than a lock and more infractions. Listen to your customers please.
I have tried very hard in this post to avoid sophistry, to be honest, accurate,straightforward and open whilst also being informative, positive and to post within the rules. If I have unintentionally veered over one I was not aware of, please forgive this and consider the content and intent before you do take the easy route and delete or lock it. If you do delete it however please note that I will add a comment to that effect and will be passing a copy to all players on this world on this and other worlds and servers worldwide.
Can we get a sensible mature and commercially aware review of the decisions made over the last 48 hours or so please. I am not asking for anything else but I am prepared to do more to get it if needed.
Hannibal
