30-January-2009 Penguin bannings

[Sly_Wizard]

I'm p*ssed. I wanted to see names of the banned :(

[Psycho_Robot]

I think you guys are being too harsh on the people who abused this bug. They were getting unfair advantages, yes, but it was not malicious nor evil in any way. They were just swept up in excitement and shock that something like this would work. I realize that it was clearly bug abuse, and they should have known of the consequences, but it was a lapse of judgment in the light of a startling discovery. I think a temporary ban of no more than a week or so is the worst punishment they should receive.

[Smapla]

Dumb. Guilty till proven innocent

 

 

 

No, it's "Innocent until proven guilty". ;)

 

Not in this case.. ";)"

 

 

 

police also can hold suspects for some length of time, with appropriate evidence.

[Resonae]

I think you guys are being too harsh on the people who abused this bug. They were getting unfair advantages, yes, but it was not malicious nor evil in any way. They were just swept up in excitement and shock that something like this would work. I realize that it was clearly bug abuse, and they should have known of the consequences, but it was a lapse of judgment in the light of a startling discovery. I think a temporary ban of no more than a week or so is the worst punishment they should receive.

 

 

 

Agreed. They should just get a warning and get their skills reset to what they were before the abuse.

[Misterknowitall]

it's funny how when people see a bug some are dumb enough to abuse it when they know what will happen.... geez

 

 

 

I once exploited a bug and I didn't get banned for it.

[Omali]

I think you guys are being too harsh on the people who abused this bug. They were getting unfair advantages, yes, but it was not malicious nor evil in any way. They were just swept up in excitement and shock that something like this would work. I realize that it was clearly bug abuse, and they should have known of the consequences, but it was a lapse of judgment in the light of a startling discovery. I think a temporary ban of no more than a week or so is the worst punishment they should receive.

 

 

 

It's statements like this that remind us how the state of the community is utterly pathetic, not only in the number of people who swarm on a bug to exploit it before it's fixed, but the people who defend them once they're caught at it. Just as sad as when Durial rampaged through Falador in 2006, and people were trying to get him unbanned.

 

 

 

If you take advantage of exploits like this out of "lapse of judgement in light of a startling discovery", then you need to grow up, stop being so greedy and selfish, and get a clue as to how the rules work. These people weren't saying to themselves "I wonder if this is a bug?", they were saying "LoL FREE EXP, and Jagex won't catch me anyway".

 

 

 

These idiots are just as bad as the ones who real world traded, bought gold and stuff, and autoed thinking Jagex didn't care, and were eventually responsible for all the limits and Runescape Classic shutting down. People who exploited this should be permanently banned, and Jagex really should name and shame them so this kind of exploitation doesn't happen in the future.

[Hobgoblinpie]

I agree that they shouldn't be Permanently banned.... I think that they should be Temporarily banned and stat wiped, in a way reminiscient of RSC, where if you were caught macroing, you get all skills back to 1. This sounds very fair to me, I would like to see it implemented asap.

[harbringerjm]

People who exploited this should be permanently banned, and Jagex really should name and shame them so this kind of exploitation doesn't happen in the future.

 

 

 

Yes. Because as we all know, if there is one thing that will shame you into never breaking the rules again, it's having the username of a banned account posted on the front page of an internet game with a low aged target audience, with a statement saying how bad it was that you abused a bug.

[Omali]

People who exploited this should be permanently banned, and Jagex really should name and shame them so this kind of exploitation doesn't happen in the future.

 

 

 

Yes. Because as we all know, if there is one thing that will shame you into never breaking the rules again, it's having the username of a banned account posted on the front page of an internet game with a low aged target audience, with a statement saying how bad it was that you abused a bug.

 

 

 

Finally, here are another 2 examples out of the 4738 players we just banned for real world trading:

 

 

 

Player X

 

Total Level: Over 1440

 

Total time in-game: Over 92 days

 

Status: Permanently banned for real-world trading

 

 

 

Player Y

 

Total Level: Over 1500

 

Total time in-game: Over 113 days

 

Status: Permanently banned for real-world trading

 

 

 

 

They've done this before.

 

 

 

Also yes, being told by a company to a paying member that their money's no good here does shame them into not cheating anymore. At least it should.

[harbringerjm]

People who exploited this should be permanently banned, and Jagex really should name and shame them so this kind of exploitation doesn't happen in the future.

 

 

 

Yes. Because as we all know, if there is one thing that will shame you into never breaking the rules again, it's having the username of a banned account posted on the front page of an internet game with a low aged target audience, with a statement saying how bad it was that you abused a bug.

 

 

 

Finally, here are another 2 examples out of the 4738 players we just banned for real world trading:

 

 

 

Player X

 

Total Level: Over 1440

 

Total time in-game: Over 92 days

 

Status: Permanently banned for real-world trading

 

 

 

Player Y

 

Total Level: Over 1500

 

Total time in-game: Over 113 days

 

Status: Permanently banned for real-world trading

 

 

 

 

They've done this before.

 

 

 

Also yes, being told by a company to a paying member that their money's no good here does shame them into not cheating anymore. At least it should.

 

 

 

Ah, yes, because that is naming them, and giving such specific details of their account.

 

And they get told that when they get banned, why should a vague, non-precise post, or even one with the username of an account they can't use anymore anyway, make a difference to that?

[J35u5_M4]

I think you guys are being too harsh on the people who abused this bug. They were getting unfair advantages, yes, but it was not malicious nor evil in any way. They were just swept up in excitement and shock that something like this would work. I realize that it was clearly bug abuse, and they should have known of the consequences, but it was a lapse of judgment in the light of a startling discovery. I think a temporary ban of no more than a week or so is the worst punishment they should receive.

 

 

 

I think 2 weeks of ban and losing all xp earned that day will do

[Omali]

Ah, yes, because that is naming them, and giving such specific details of their account.

 

And they get told that when they get banned, why should a vague, non-precise post, or even one with the username of an account they can't use anymore anyway, make a difference to that?

 

 

 

That's Jagex's version of "naming and shaming", and a sign of how they're willing to ban high level accounts, which players assume they won't do, just goes to deter cheating even more. Showing how many people got banned for it would be a good indicator as well, maybe a post on the front page reminding players how bug abuse will get you permabanned.

 

 

 

Jagex doesn't name players on Runescape, so this is their version of naming and shaming.

 

 

 

 

 

Players shouldn't need reminding and coddling not to break the rules doing something so stupid and obvious. If you're stupid enough to stick a fork into an electrical outlet, the wall isn't going to push you away and give you a lecture. You're probably going to be dead.

[Unknown_Warrior]

Jagex doesn't name players on Runescape, so this is their version of naming and shaming.

 

 

 

They have explicitly named Rulebreakers in the past:

 

 

 

point-in-case:

 

 

 

We've just permanently banned 957 players, for cheating and using macro software to automatically play the game for them.

 

 

 

We will NOT tolerate cheating, it ruins the game for everyone else. If you do not know the rules, then I recommend you read them.

 

 

 

We now have multiple different ways of detecting macro software, and we're are determined that nobody will get away with cheating like this. If you cheat we will catch you eventually, you WILL be banned and everything you've achieved will be wasted.

 

 

 

I'd also like to point out that just because you are a high level player or a member does NOT mean you can get way with cheating. Many of those 957 were high level, and 284 of them were members. They are banned anyway, we don't want you as customers! You are not welcome in RuneScape if you cheat.

 

 

 

And to prove we're serious, and that we really can detect this type of cheating - Here is a list of 100 of the worst offenders, all of whom are now banned. This is a mere fraction of the players now permanently banned.

 

 

 

Dessert

 

Fai Li

 

Rs Jeroen141

 

X Ph0enix X

 

Brahim Pk

 

Kill Girl 2

 

J A P P A R

 

Menjo

 

Mofo68add1

 

Pray Master

 

Snoopykiller

 

Awaa

 

...

[Returned3]

I feel sorry for those who got permanently banned for this.

 

 

 

Heck, if I found it I would've used it to my advantage too.

[Hobgoblinpie]

The only people that get banned for bug abuse are ones that tell other people about it (by this, I mean they would not have been banned if they hadnt told anyone, because no-one else would know) . For example, someone told people in the clan chats about it, everyone swarmed and loads of people got banned. The two guys that duplicated money using POH's got banned because one of them told someone else, at which point it spread like wildfire, until Jagex found out about it, then screwed them over (Jagex offered one of them unlimited membership if he told them how he did it. He told Jagex, and they perm banned him).

 

 

 

So the lesson here is either:

 

1. Don't bug abuse.

 

2. If you have found a bug and want to abuse it, dont tell anyone.

[Omali]

Jagex doesn't name players on Runescape, so this is their version of naming and shaming.

 

 

 

They have explicitly named Rulebreakers in the past:

 

 

 

point-in-case:

 

 

 

That was five years ago, the policies back then are a lot different than the policies now.

[Kilo]

I hope the players that abused the bug get what they deserve which is a ban. As for the innocent players that are caught up in the mix I hope they get sorted out as well.

 

 

 

I think we all wish that for everyone, I don't get what some of those people were thinking. >.>

[Krazi]

Well it seems like Jagex is doing a much better job of handling this than I thought they would. GF cheaters.

[3rkid]

Well it seems like Jagex is doing a much better job of handling this than I thought they would. GF cheaters.

 

 

 

+1, I expected Jagex to just let is slide...

[Gribbzldinho]

They've dealt with this terribly.

 

 

 

Im still banned, and im completely innocent. Still have a pending appeal, which I figure will be looked at on Monday. One positive is that some innocent players have been unbanned, but the main bug abuser, Red Jude, has also just been unbanned? The best way to deal with this would have been to review all suspects first, before banning. So now many innocent people have been banned, before a weekend which is the most active time people can play. Waiting a couple more days wouldnt have done any more harm.

 

 

 

I bet they dont even offer a refund to those wrongly banned.

[Omali]

I bet they dont even offer a refund to those wrongly banned.

 

 

 

The ToS says you're not guaranteed to have access to the game 24/7 so no, no refund.

[Dr_Vermin]

I think people are being too harsh on Jagex here. It doesn't seem like they recorded how many time people clicked on the penguin, so they don't really have any way of telling who abused the bug. I've seen people suggesting that all exp gained from the penguins that day be removed, which would be a great idea, if Jagex could tell how much of a players exp was from the exp they gained from a specific task or reward. And I'm fairly certain they can't. Jagex don't know whether I got my mining exp from iron or coal.

 

 

 

The only way they can tell who abused this bug is to look at who was there that day and how much exp people gained, which could be anything from super easy to practically impossible depending on how easy it is for them to access that kind of information, or if they record that kind of stuff at all.

[Gribbzldinho]

I bet they dont even offer a refund to those wrongly banned.

 

 

 

The ToS says you're not guaranteed to have access to the game 24/7 so no, no refund.

 

 

 

Truths, but if they had better customer service, id be arguing my case. Only 3 or 4 days, but thats still money we pay out of our own pockets. I'd have the same view if the entire game went offline for 1-2+ days, too.

 

 

 

And to think, it would be a reasonable request with other businesses.

[Maulmachine]

Guilty until proven innocent, admirable sentiment JaGex.

[Resonae]

I think you guys are being too harsh on the people who abused this bug. They were getting unfair advantages, yes, but it was not malicious nor evil in any way. They were just swept up in excitement and shock that something like this would work. I realize that it was clearly bug abuse, and they should have known of the consequences, but it was a lapse of judgment in the light of a startling discovery. I think a temporary ban of no more than a week or so is the worst punishment they should receive.

 

 

 

It's statements like this that remind us how the state of the community is utterly pathetic, not only in the number of people who swarm on a bug to exploit it before it's fixed, but the people who defend them once they're caught at it. Just as sad as when Durial rampaged through Falador in 2006, and people were trying to get him unbanned.

 

 

 

If you take advantage of exploits like this out of "lapse of judgement in light of a startling discovery", then you need to grow up, stop being so greedy and selfish, and get a clue as to how the rules work. These people weren't saying to themselves "I wonder if this is a bug?", they were saying "LoL FREE EXP, and Jagex won't catch me anyway".

 

 

 

These idiots are just as bad as the ones who real world traded, bought gold and stuff, and autoed thinking Jagex didn't care, and were eventually responsible for all the limits and Runescape Classic shutting down. People who exploited this should be permanently banned, and Jagex really should name and shame them so this kind of exploitation doesn't happen in the future.

 

 

 

It's human nature... we find something new and we try it. It's the same as when the filters were loosened - everyone wanted to find out what words became unfiltered and were trying it. There may have been people who abused this bug solely to get a 99, but I'm thinking that many people were simply seeing how far they could take it and now regret it, NOT because they were caught but because they feel guilty about cheating.

 

 

 

If you haven't ever had a moment of discovery and excitement, which it seems you have not, I sincerely feel sorry for you.