The Worst Exploit in the Game

[verminstar]

A tin foil hat or someone's modules?

The one with the most metal in it...

 

[Nagual]

The basic rule of "I've discovered an Expolit! What happens next?" [available at all good starports] is thus:

Don't tell anyone else except Frontier via their Support Ticket system with very clear, repeatable steps.

Don't repeat the exploit once you have determined it is, you no longer have discovered an exploit but if you knowingly use it again for any reason you are exploiting the game and are a bad person.

Do feel good that by reporting it only to Frontier you are helping them take corrective measures without out it adversely effecting the game state.

 

[Straha Yeagar]

My response to combat logging is still "So what?"

 

[Cageman]

_*_*_*_* DEVS SHOULD READ THIS *_*_*_*_

*snip*

It sounds like you have started the game, looked at the menu and the exited the game. I am afraid that such activity will not get you anywhere... and besides that... how can it matter to you so much what others do in the game? I am puzzled...

 

[Deleted member 38366]

Hm, despite reading the entire OP's Text, I'm still not sure what this is about ?!

Did he log in and (late for the show basically) found out a series of Exploit-modded Modules were gone from the Ships/Storage?

 

[verminstar]

Hard experience from another game, and seeing the issue arise here.

Im constantly having the line being shoved into my face in other threads about bringing other games into elite...same applies here.

Besides...what ye propose we do about it? Something of this nature would require two way communication with frontier. So...whats plan B?

These days, its almost as if exploit simply means something others dont like and dont agree with and point at it and cry "exploit" with several well prepared arguments to back it up with. Ill judge fer meself based on what FD specifically come out and say what an exploit is or is not...players claiming something is an exploit, regardless what the logic is behind it...simply isnt enough to cut the mustard Im afraid.

Things are the way they are because frontier are like agents in the matrix...they guard all the doors and hold all the keys. Apart from creating an unholy stench on the forums, theres really not a helluva lot anyone here can achieve ^

 

[Kyokushin]

The most awful exploit is everything connected with relogging.

Second is abusing PG mechanism to fit 30k of people, instead of few friends. I think now, nobody will have a courage to admit that was never intended to.

 

[Cageman]

The most awful exploit is everything connected with relogging.

Second is abusing PG mechanism to fit 30k of people, instead of few friends. I think now, nobody will have a courage to admit that was never intended to.

Another troll about Mobius? ! And, get into my ignore list.

 

[DeathStroke]

gamer population of 13 year olds

Just because you're 13 doesn't mean that the rest of the players are. Most of the player base are 45-60, go search for the polls around here.

Personally, I think that people who find errors for the dev team should be rewarded, not punished

There are people like this, they're called bug hunters or beta testers, except they don't EXPLOIT the game to get an advantage, they test between 1 and 3 times, and report the bug, then they stop. EXPLIOTers will EXPLOIT the bug dozens if not hundreds of times, they do so to gain an advantage over other players.

So, what's the harm in the devs punishing "exploiting" players?

There is no harm. It's clear that the engineers exploit was just that, an EXPLOIT.

These bugs/exploits are, and I'll say this straight up front, the developers' fault.

The bugs are, the exploits are not. Bugs are faults in the game's code. Exploits are players abusing said faults in the game's code to gain an advantage.

The concept of an exploit is an exploit used to hide errors and avoid responsibility. And metrics padding is a way to keep the suits from seeing the errors too. It is no guarantee you are offering a good game to pad exploits, it is lie.

If you can't handle having your EXPLOITed god-mode engineer mods taken from you (rightfully so), you need to find another game.

 

[S3B4ST13N]

I've been playing for years, have logged more than 3,000 hours, and I'm sick of it.

Stop playing then.

I have far less money and possessions that people have played 1/10th of the time as me.

So?

I've never used an exploit simply because I never learn about them in time because they're the ONLY thing dealt with in a "timely" manner.

As they should be.

But I surely get to experience all the crap-bugs like not being able to walk away from my keyboard for 30 seconds to get a drink because when I get back an Elite Python will have taken me out of super-cruise, taken my shields, and 40% of my hull for ONE meta-alloy...then after I kick his butt anyways I get nothing, not a single credit?!

1. This isn't a bug. This is working as intended. What you're carrying is only partially what influences the rank of ship that attacks you. Being a higher rank will encourage higher ranked NPC's.
2. If you're wanted and he's not, then no, you won't get any credits. If he's wanted, you will get credits.
3. It's your own fault for leaving your ship unattended; don't make your mistake Frontiers problem.

I can look at the Engineers board and see that I'll only need 100,000 combat bond voucher to unlock an engineer and then re-spec my ship to fly there faster (because waiting and paying ridiculous prices for ship transfer is something I've never done either) only to discover that it's actually going to take me 1,000,000 instead.

If this genuinely happened, report it as a bug.

On the contrary, if I actually got to use an "exploit" that benefited me I would actually play more- which is what they should want.

When you exploit you're only hurting yourself; and if an exploit is the only way for you to enjoy and keep playing this game .. play something else because obviously the games slow pace isn't up to your preferences.

...and if they EVER want to have people like me keep playing they'll find a way to fix every problem out there even if it means not releasing a beta to the wild for months instead of weeks as an attempt to attract more players with an "update".

Why on earth would they want a player who is willing to cheat his way through the game? :/

 

[Ralph Vargr]

The basic rule of "I've discovered an Expolit! What happens next?" [available at all good starports] is thus:

Don't tell anyone else except Frontier via their Support Ticket system with very clear, repeatable steps.

Don't repeat the exploit once you have determined it is, you no longer have discovered an exploit but if you knowingly use it again for any reason you are exploiting the game and are a bad person.

Do feel good that by reporting it only to Frontier you are helping them take corrective measures without out it adversely effecting the game state.

I warned Frontier about my "submarine" exploit, long before I went public. Filed ticket, everything.

Essentially, my bad graphics card allowed me to "submerge" beneath planetary surfaces, attack targets, and then submerge again, before they could react. Great griefing tactic. Return fire just bounced off the planet surface (if they could track me). Made Felicity's Casino Of Wonders my home for days, startling people.

Could also hide right under the slot at starports. Cheap, dirty, trick. Never unmasking my weapons, NPC's might fire on me. Also, scanning wanted ships was great fun.

Gave Frontier mountains of screenshots and supporting data. Emailed SJA as well. No gratitude at all. (Sorry, Sarah)

Then, I posted it on the forums, and got vented on for having a cheap graphics card, not the possible exploit.

And, they wonder why I have such a positive impression of White Knights.

 

[Stigbob]

The most awful exploit is everything connected with relogging.

Second is abusing PG mechanism to fit 30k of people, instead of few friends. I think now, nobody will have a courage to admit that was never intended to.

The best thing about Mobius is the ban list, all FDEV have to do is import that to open and hey bingo jobs a good'un.

 

[verminstar]

Second is abusing PG mechanism to fit 30k of people, instead of few friends. I think now, nobody will have a courage to admit that was never intended to.

And as if one needed someone to prove the point perfectly...thanks btw ^

 

[S3B4ST13N]

The most awful exploit is everything connected with relogging.

Second is abusing PG mechanism to fit 30k of people, instead of few friends. I think now, nobody will have a courage to admit that was never intended to.

Wait, what? I wasn't aware there are conditions about opening a PG, conditions like "you can't have tens of thousands of people in your group and it's only for your friends." News to me; amazing that Frontier haven't done anything about it hey?

Shocking Frontier, shocking.

 

[BURL KNIVE5]

Why is it so hard to imagine that there is a point involved, and that is not whining? I am pointing out what decimated Star Trek Online during the Tau Dewa "exploit." If the devs get it in their heads that just crying "exploit" will let them hide their errors, they will start ignoring them too. Everyone loses when that happens, even if the devs don't know it yet.

But by calling it an exploit, aren't the devs admitting to their mistake? The DEVS made an error, that the PLAYERS can exploit.

The way I see it, if you know a game mechanic isn't working as intended, in your favor, then you need to be prepared to deal with any consequences once it's discovered that you've abused that mechanic. I'm not saying don't do it; sometimes the funnest thing you can do in a game is look for glitches/exploits--a peek behind the curtain. But you know the powers that be (the devs) disapprove and you know they have the means to punish you, so this is a you made your bed now lie in it situation. Starting a thread to illicit sympathy probably won't work out all that well.

 

[Roybe]

​

Time to post something no one wants to hear ... again.
So, what is the worst exploit in the game? I'll tell you, but it is not what you are expecting.

Metrics padding.
What the hell is metrics padding, you may ask? In games such as this one and many others like this one, much of the success of the game is measured in metrics, which is to say in player attendance, time spent playing, and the like. What, you didn't know these things were meticulously watched by suits who want the product to make money? Now, this in itself is a necessary function of the game/product and tells the suits whether or not a game/product is worth investing in.

So, where is the exploit? It is not something players do. It is something devs do to maintain their job security, and it can take many forms, the most immediately obvious one being the grind. One other thing is declaring player activities to be "exploits" to cover their own asses. They don't tell you the why of it, of course. They will instead tell you of the nightmarishly horrible-evil-bad-rarr this or that group of players did to justify punishing them for finding a way to attain their goals quickly and efficiently. And, of course, a gamer population of 13 year olds and jealous genius-wannabes lap up the rhetoric, demanding that these players be punished, punished, punished. Always about punishing. It's like they have nothing but malice prowling around in their brains.

So, why don't I think "exploits" really aren't exploits, and why do I think it is not players' fault for "exploiting" the "exploits?" Two reasons:

(1) We are here presented with a game that allows us to make choices based on what we think is in the best interests of their character or of the player himself or herself. Doing so is not only not a reason to punish players, it is the selling point of the game. Pretty graphics, and a challenging environment where you have to figure out how to best proceed. Games like this are built to encourage players to figure out how to play most effectively. That's what drives the sales of the game.

(2) I am willing to wager that almost 0% of the player base has a seat at the desks when the programming of the game was underway or may be continuing. Players to be could not do anything about the bugs the devs left in the game, intentionally or not (for that matter, precious few players are mind readers either). How can someone be responsible for bugs that they could not control. Basic ethics.

Personally, I think that people who find errors for the dev team should be rewarded, not punished - and if it takes a demonstration of the bug in action, then so be it. They are doing the work for the dev team the dev team couldn't be bothered to do while programming: tiger teaming.

So, what's the harm in the devs punishing "exploiting" players? The harm is what happens in the minds of the player base. What is a bug? What is deliberate by the devs. Is stacking missions an exploit? Is the latest credit farm an exploit? Is mission board flipping an exploit? If a dev team wants to present neat puzzles to the playerbase, necessitating the puzzle solving mentality, then it is wildly inconsistent to punish players for for finding something with that same mentality that wasn't noticed in the development room.

These bugs/exploits are, and I'll say this straight up front, the developers' fault. Responsibility starts and ends there, and seeking to punish players for not reading their minds or for using a problem solving mentality the devs exploit when playing the game, is absurd.

The concept of an exploit is an exploit used to hide errors and avoid responsibility. And metrics padding is a way to keep the suits from seeing the errors too. It is no guarantee you are offering a good game to pad exploits, it is lie.

As defined by a different crowd of devs:

An exploit is the misuse of a software feature orbug in a way that allows a player to generate in-game benefits without the risk or time expected by the game's designers. It can involve the use of a third-party program and it includes generating currency, experience, or other things of value to players. It also includes actions that allow one player to gain a gameplay advantage over other players. (Italics bold my point!)

 

[Red Anders]

I warned Frontier about my "submarine" exploit, long before I went public. Filed ticket, everything.

Essentially, my bad graphics card allowed me to "submerge" beneath planetary surfaces, attack targets, and then submerge again, before they could react. Great griefing tactic. Return fire just bounced off the planet surface (if they could track me). Made Felicity's Casino Of Wonders my home for days, startling people.

Could also hide right under the slot at starports. Cheap, dirty, trick. Never unmasking my weapons, NPC's might fire on me. Also, scanning wanted ships was great fun.

Gave Frontier mountains of screenshots and supporting data. Emailed SJA as well. No gratitude at all. (Sorry, Sarah)

Then, I posted it on the forums, and got vented on for having a cheap graphics card, not the possible exploit.

And, they wonder why I have such a positive impression of White Knights.

I remember your posts and that is a very creative interpretation of the storyline. For a start, wasn't your card actually below minimum spec for the game? By some margin too?

 

[Ian Phillips]

This is not an exploit. Closing.