Not trying to judge on this particular issue but people are always creative and inventive when it comes to finding new exploits and using them. That doesn't make it any less of an exploit.

 

There surely is much room for arguments on this one. To me also this one is an exploit no matter how creative people are.

 

It just feels like you are trying to avoid to upset all the players who have leveled using this method.

 

They're looking for a way to address the issue without punishing people who simply out-thought the developers.

 

You don't treat customers badly simply because 'you' missed something. Well, you can, but it's bad business.

Gotta love short term thinking.

 

In a few weeks, this entire issue will be forgotten.

 

Had they gone another route and punished the players for using this side-step, then that animosity, anger and resentment at the punishment would have lingered far longer than your irritation at having someone else side-step the leveling process entirely.

Translation: not pissing people off who give us money is more important than integrity.

 

Not everyone who was doing this pays them money.

 

So you really think people who leveled fast should have action taken against their account? Who did they hurt other than themselves? What integrity do they keep when they made a mistake in the game design and punish the players for it?

They're looking for a way to address the issue without punishing people who simply out-thought the developers.

 

You don't treat customers badly simply because 'you' missed something. Well, you can, but it's bad business.

 

People are always out-thinking the developers also in terms of exploits. Doesn't make them any less of an exploit and exploits are bad for the game in general. Personally, I think that powerleveling in an unintented and such enormously quick way also hurts the game. There are people who think otherwise but this is my opinion.

 

Out-thinking the developers doesn't justify exploits in any way (generally speaking).

 

I know they don't take actions because it would be bad for their business but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Because I don't.

In a few weeks, this entire issue will be forgotten.

 

Had they gone another route and punished the players for using this side-step, then that animosity, anger and resentment at the punishment would have lingered far longer than your irritation at having someone else side-step the leveling process entirely.

 

Animosity, anger and resentment from people who knew they were probably exploiting, and shouldn't be surprised. Long term, they will deal and the devs get to not be a hypocrites.

So is an exploit.

 

Straight from wiki (yeah not the best source, but I don't think dictionary.com's definition of exploit is going to apply to video games all that well):

 

An exploit, in video games, is the use of a bug or glitches, rates, hit boxes, or speed, etc. by a player to their advantage in a manner not intended by the game's designers

 

By that definition, Ilum was clearly an EXPLOIT.

 

They never clearly stated that only 45 and above were allowed.

Moreover, it's THEIR failure to allow sub 45's to get bolstered up. No one abused any system in an unusual way. They just showed up and saw "Oh look, we got bolstered".

 

Keep trying though, your internet rage feeds my entertainment.

Edited March 19, 2013 by islander

I'm disappointed. I think that this weekend was the most fun many people have had in some time. Leveling in SWTOR can simply be boring as hell and an alternative was obviously welcome.

Animosity, anger and resentment from people who knew they were probably exploiting, and shouldn't be surprised. Long term, they will deal and the devs get to not be a hypocrites.

 

But you're forgetting that this would take a lot of work for them to roll back the experience too. It's a lot easier to close a bridge than to find the cars that went across it and tow them back

Animosity, anger and resentment from people who knew they were probably exploiting, and shouldn't be surprised. Long term, they will deal and the devs get to not be a hypocrites.

 

I find that successful hypocrites manage well under the strain of their hypocrisy.

Not everyone who was doing this pays them money.

 

So you really think people who leveled fast should have action taken against their account? Who did they hurt other than themselves? What integrity do they keep when they made a mistake in the game design and punish the players for it?

 

2 choices: take action against exploiters or leave it alone entirely. The middle ground is for hypocrites.

But you're forgetting that this would take a lot of work for them to roll back the experience too. It's a lot easier to close a bridge than to find the cars that went across it and tow them back

 

There is that, too.

And bunch of whiners wins once again.

 

I'm disappointed. I think that this weekend was the most fun many people have had in some time. Leveling in SWTOR can simply be boring as hell and an alternative was obviously welcome.

 

^this

Edited March 19, 2013 by Glower

They never clearly stated that only 45 and above were allowed.

Moreover, it's THEIR failure to allow sub 45's to get bolstered up. No one abused any system in an unusual way. They just showed up and saw "Oh look, we got bolstered".

 

Keep trying though, your internet rage feeds my entertainment.

 

The dev just said it was not what they intended.

But you're forgetting that this would take a lot of work for them to roll back the experience too. It's a lot easier to close a bridge than to find the cars that went across it and tow them back

 

Easier still is to admit you forgot to set a toll and leave the bridge open.

Edited March 19, 2013 by LarryRow

2 choices: take action against exploiters or leave it alone entirely. The middle ground is for hypocrites.

 

A black-and-white perspective is lovely, as it exists only in your head. The world, on the other hand, is a world of greys.

There is that, too.

 

When they refused to retroactively penalize the valor 'exploiters' (using that term for no other reason then because it's being bandied about by the ragers here) for gaming the system (back when valor MATTERED), veterans all knew that IF it was determined this was not intended design, no one would be retroactively punished.

 

At the time, the valor fiasco was much more harmful to the gaming environment then this little soiree will be.

Edited March 19, 2013 by islander

The dev just said it was not what they intended.

 

As of an hour ago. Unless you expect folks to read minds...

 

This simply means anyone who does it from this point forward - until it's patch fixed - is genuinely exploiting.

Hey folks,

 

I wanted to give you all an update on this now that I have all of the information in place.

 

First, we are not considering this an exploit so anyone who had fear of action being taken against their characters, etc, should not be afraid. We will not be doing anything to players who used the Ilum pylons to get to 50.

 

I will say that player ingenuity never ceases to amaze us all. This was not a part of the intended design of the Gree event running simultaneous to the Double XP Weekends. Due to this, we are going to be having a maintenance later this week to deploy a fix to this issue.

 

I wanted to talk a bit about the fix itself since it will mix up things on Ilum temporarily. Our immediate fix to this issue is that for the time being, we are going to disable bolster on Ilum. This will have a couple of different affects.

 

• Low level characters will no longer be treated as level 50 in regards to experience. They will now have the normal experience penalties associated to grouping with a player of a higher level. Meaning those players will now gain little to no experience when grouped.
  
• Players who are levels 45-49 will have a slightly harder time completing some Gree event quests as they are no longer bolstered to level 50.
  

I want to again reiterate that this is only a temporary solution. We are continuing to investigate the issue and intend to have a more permanent solution in place before the Gree event returns.

 

-eric

 

 

 

I almost never post, but I will now. This makes me sad. Making grinds longer won't extend the viability of this game. I wish I had had the time last weekend to get some characters to 50 (like the advertisement said we could).

 

I'm pretty tired of the playstyle where seeing another player kinda sucks.

Easier still is to admit you forgot to set a toll and leave the bridge open.

 

True, but this is how most not game breaking, but not as intended issues are fixed if you're not new to MMOs. I remember way back in the day when an Everquest expansion came out, a bunch of the people in the supreme elite guilds would play 24/7 trying to get items or loot that they felt might be drop removed but not removed for players who had already looted said items.

 

It's typically how these things are handled

As of an hour ago. Unless you expect folks to read minds...

 

This simply means anyone who does it from this point forward - until it's patch fixed - is knowingly exploiting.

 

fixt.

A black-and-white perspective is lovely, as it exists only in your head. The world, on the other hand, is a world of greys.

 

The kind of thinking that lead to the three-fifths compromise.

 

(no I am not comparing this to slavery. But you don't get to win any argument you please by citing "grey area.")

Hey folks,

 

I wanted to give you all an update on this now that I have all of the information in place.

 

First, we are not considering this an exploit so anyone who had fear of action being taken against their characters, etc, should not be afraid. We will not be doing anything to players who used the Ilum pylons to get to 50.

 

I will say that player ingenuity never ceases to amaze us all. This was not a part of the intended design of the Gree event running simultaneous to the Double XP Weekends. Due to this, we are going to be having a maintenance later this week to deploy a fix to this issue.

 

I wanted to talk a bit about the fix itself since it will mix up things on Ilum temporarily. Our immediate fix to this issue is that for the time being, we are going to disable bolster on Ilum. This will have a couple of different affects.

 

• Low level characters will no longer be treated as level 50 in regards to experience. They will now have the normal experience penalties associated to grouping with a player of a higher level. Meaning those players will now gain little to no experience when grouped.
  
• Players who are levels 45-49 will have a slightly harder time completing some Gree event quests as they are no longer bolstered to level 50.
  

I want to again reiterate that this is only a temporary solution. We are continuing to investigate the issue and intend to have a more permanent solution in place before the Gree event returns.

 

-eric

 

Thanks for contacting us and being informative. I am sure the community greatly appreciates your communication with us...as I know I sure do. Thanks again, Eric!

Infernixx nailed it. This is correct.

 

Yeah, he nailed it, except that he neglected to mention that this is the lazy, wishy washy, mamby pamby approach.

 

fixt.

 

I know it's bad when that's the best you got. You've lost twice now. Must make you angry.

Infernixx nailed it. This is correct.

 

So just to be clear...intentionally using ingame mechanics in a way not intended by the devs, to gain personal advantage - is not considered sploiting then? Good to know.