Rinzler o7o7o7
Banned
How did we get here?
Late last year, we posted the results of our investigation into FDev’s actions on combat logging and found, unsurprisingly, that they were doing nothing. The project had two phases:
* Phase 1 involved reporting a bunch of combat logs while providing the videos for them and seeing if they were ever watched. None of the videos were watched, but we learned that FDev can apparently figure it out using “internal methods”. This wasn’t going to cut it on its own, obviously.
* Phase 2 included multiple SDC members combat logging on each other with video evidence and proper tickets being submitted. No accounts received any warnings from FDev
What we found was that while telling the community they were punishing combat loggers, they were actually doing nothing at all. FDev responded to the post predictably, assuring everyone that they *totally do punish loggers*, but that they messed up and didn’t follow the process for these specific combat logs over the course of 3 months or so. Shocking.
Obviously, we were still incredibly skeptical, despite FDev’s assurances that the process would be followed in the future, so we decided to test them again.
Before we move on to our new investigation, I think we should go over what combat logging is, as well as why it’s bad. I’m going to shamelessly lift from the previous post here:
What is combat logging?
Combat logging is the act of forcefully quitting (by either program task-kill or forced internet disconnect) the game while engaged in combat with another player. Frontier has clarified this act as an exploit, and a bannable offense.
Combat logging to the main menu/desktop via the 15 second timer is a different matter and discussion to be had entirely. Currently, this action is confirmed by Frontier as “legitimate”, and as such is not being addressed in this post.
Why is combat logging bad?
Aside from being classed as exploiting by Frontier themselves, combat logging is bad for the game (and gameplay experience) of both the exploiter and the victim. Not only does logging deprive both players of meaningful interaction in game that is vastly empty and void of a human element, but it stifles the rare emergent experiences that make the game more than a sterile grind.
Furthermore, the very nature of risk and reward is upended (a fundamental aspect of any game) because the combat logging party is never faces any risk of loss. Because the combat logger faces no negative consequences for any action, non-combat loggers must shoulder the full—and completely asymmetrical—burden of risk for any interaction: this disincentivizes meaningful PvP gameplay in a game billed as a space MMO.
Prime examples of gameplay styles that are hard-countered by combat logging include:
* PvP piracy
* Powerplay undermining defense/attacks
* Inter-faction warfare
* Player bounty hunting
* Hunting newbie-killers
* Blockades
* System protection
What does Frontier claim to be doing about it?
After much consternation and discussion involving the relative legality of combat logging with the devs, community, and community managers, Frontier ruled the action of combat logging to be “exploiting” and as such is punishable by shadowbanning offenders (a “shadowban” is a client restriction preventing them from accessing “open play,” which is the online mode with other players.) After this ruling, Frontier has encouraged the reporting and documenting (usually with a YouTube link and supporting chat screenshots) of CMDRs engaging in exploiting. This reporting is done via the support ticketing system, and is usually accompanied by confirmation from Frontier that they have received, and are reviewing, the case of exploiting: they have a stated response time of “usually within 48 hours” for reviewing tickets and supporting documents related to the case.
In the previous post, some commenters brought up some great criticisms of our methods. One that stuck out in our minds was that our process was too randomized. Nearly every reported log came from a different account, so if it was the first offense for all of those, maybe FDev wouldn’t action them at all.
The new plan
Given the shortcomings of our previous plans, we put the lone SDC brain cell to use to establish as fool proof a plan as we were capable of forming:
* A secure alt would combat log multiple times on multiple different players
* All combat logs would be recorded from the aggressor’s perspective, from interdiction through the in-game report after the combat log
* An additional ticket would be opened on the FDev website, and a short description of the events would be provided, along with the video of the incident
Following this procedure would ensure multiple tickets submitted for combat logging, which would establish a pattern of behavior for this account. The “logger” account was active, participating in PvE activities like trade CG’s and exploring. The account was purchased in June 2017, and was played as a normal account for this timeframe. Currently, the account has the following stats:
* Assets: 87 mil
* Combat/Trade/Explorer rank: Novice/Broker/Pathfinder
* Farseer/Elvira/Blaster unlocked and upgraded to G5
* Ships owned: AspX, Viper Mk3
A total of 5 combat logs were recorded over the course of 5 months. We did this to simulate what we felt a real player would do. No one combat logs 10 times in a week, they space it out when they run into PvP activity.
* Ticket from combat log #1
* Ticket from combat logs #2 & 3
* Ticket from combat log #4
* Ticket from combat log #5
In summary, what we have here are 5 different clear combat logs done from the same account over a length of time, which should be crystal clear to FDev as such. All logs were task-kills and were reported minutes after they occurred.
What we found
Frontier is still doing literally nothing about punishing combat loggers. An account that had 5 clear task-kills received no punishments, no account limitations, not even a single warning letter.
This is now the 2nd time we have caught Frontier red-handed lying about their procedures surrounding this exploit, which has existed since game launch and has still not been fixed. FDev’s continual refusal to punish combat loggers is an absolute disgrace to the playerbase of this game. At this point, we can only assume that Frontier does not punish combat logging at all, either because they can’t detect it or because they don’t want to.
FDev, be straightforward with us. If you don’t care about combat logging, say so. It will save people a bunch of time if we don’t have to submit tickets for this stuff every time we see someone cheating. Instead, what you’re doing is undermining faith in yourselves, because you’re telling people to report exploiters because you totally do punish them while taking those reports and tossing them in the garbage can.
Late last year, we posted the results of our investigation into FDev’s actions on combat logging and found, unsurprisingly, that they were doing nothing. The project had two phases:
* Phase 1 involved reporting a bunch of combat logs while providing the videos for them and seeing if they were ever watched. None of the videos were watched, but we learned that FDev can apparently figure it out using “internal methods”. This wasn’t going to cut it on its own, obviously.
* Phase 2 included multiple SDC members combat logging on each other with video evidence and proper tickets being submitted. No accounts received any warnings from FDev
What we found was that while telling the community they were punishing combat loggers, they were actually doing nothing at all. FDev responded to the post predictably, assuring everyone that they *totally do punish loggers*, but that they messed up and didn’t follow the process for these specific combat logs over the course of 3 months or so. Shocking.
Obviously, we were still incredibly skeptical, despite FDev’s assurances that the process would be followed in the future, so we decided to test them again.
Before we move on to our new investigation, I think we should go over what combat logging is, as well as why it’s bad. I’m going to shamelessly lift from the previous post here:
What is combat logging?
Combat logging is the act of forcefully quitting (by either program task-kill or forced internet disconnect) the game while engaged in combat with another player. Frontier has clarified this act as an exploit, and a bannable offense.
Combat logging to the main menu/desktop via the 15 second timer is a different matter and discussion to be had entirely. Currently, this action is confirmed by Frontier as “legitimate”, and as such is not being addressed in this post.
Why is combat logging bad?
Aside from being classed as exploiting by Frontier themselves, combat logging is bad for the game (and gameplay experience) of both the exploiter and the victim. Not only does logging deprive both players of meaningful interaction in game that is vastly empty and void of a human element, but it stifles the rare emergent experiences that make the game more than a sterile grind.
Furthermore, the very nature of risk and reward is upended (a fundamental aspect of any game) because the combat logging party is never faces any risk of loss. Because the combat logger faces no negative consequences for any action, non-combat loggers must shoulder the full—and completely asymmetrical—burden of risk for any interaction: this disincentivizes meaningful PvP gameplay in a game billed as a space MMO.
Prime examples of gameplay styles that are hard-countered by combat logging include:
* PvP piracy
* Powerplay undermining defense/attacks
* Inter-faction warfare
* Player bounty hunting
* Hunting newbie-killers
* Blockades
* System protection
What does Frontier claim to be doing about it?
After much consternation and discussion involving the relative legality of combat logging with the devs, community, and community managers, Frontier ruled the action of combat logging to be “exploiting” and as such is punishable by shadowbanning offenders (a “shadowban” is a client restriction preventing them from accessing “open play,” which is the online mode with other players.) After this ruling, Frontier has encouraged the reporting and documenting (usually with a YouTube link and supporting chat screenshots) of CMDRs engaging in exploiting. This reporting is done via the support ticketing system, and is usually accompanied by confirmation from Frontier that they have received, and are reviewing, the case of exploiting: they have a stated response time of “usually within 48 hours” for reviewing tickets and supporting documents related to the case.
In the previous post, some commenters brought up some great criticisms of our methods. One that stuck out in our minds was that our process was too randomized. Nearly every reported log came from a different account, so if it was the first offense for all of those, maybe FDev wouldn’t action them at all.
The new plan
Given the shortcomings of our previous plans, we put the lone SDC brain cell to use to establish as fool proof a plan as we were capable of forming:
* A secure alt would combat log multiple times on multiple different players
* All combat logs would be recorded from the aggressor’s perspective, from interdiction through the in-game report after the combat log
* An additional ticket would be opened on the FDev website, and a short description of the events would be provided, along with the video of the incident
Following this procedure would ensure multiple tickets submitted for combat logging, which would establish a pattern of behavior for this account. The “logger” account was active, participating in PvE activities like trade CG’s and exploring. The account was purchased in June 2017, and was played as a normal account for this timeframe. Currently, the account has the following stats:
* Assets: 87 mil
* Combat/Trade/Explorer rank: Novice/Broker/Pathfinder
* Farseer/Elvira/Blaster unlocked and upgraded to G5
* Ships owned: AspX, Viper Mk3
A total of 5 combat logs were recorded over the course of 5 months. We did this to simulate what we felt a real player would do. No one combat logs 10 times in a week, they space it out when they run into PvP activity.
* Ticket from combat log #1
* Ticket from combat logs #2 & 3
* Ticket from combat log #4
* Ticket from combat log #5
In summary, what we have here are 5 different clear combat logs done from the same account over a length of time, which should be crystal clear to FDev as such. All logs were task-kills and were reported minutes after they occurred.
What we found
Frontier is still doing literally nothing about punishing combat loggers. An account that had 5 clear task-kills received no punishments, no account limitations, not even a single warning letter.
This is now the 2nd time we have caught Frontier red-handed lying about their procedures surrounding this exploit, which has existed since game launch and has still not been fixed. FDev’s continual refusal to punish combat loggers is an absolute disgrace to the playerbase of this game. At this point, we can only assume that Frontier does not punish combat logging at all, either because they can’t detect it or because they don’t want to.
FDev, be straightforward with us. If you don’t care about combat logging, say so. It will save people a bunch of time if we don’t have to submit tickets for this stuff every time we see someone cheating. Instead, what you’re doing is undermining faith in yourselves, because you’re telling people to report exploiters because you totally do punish them while taking those reports and tossing them in the garbage can.
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