Exclusive interview with Anti-Cheat GM Ephi

[t0lkien]

I still think there is some ambivalence on the RMT issue from the devs. Both Sirken and Ephi now have offered soft (or at least less than hardline) responses to its existence. I think they underestimate the negative effect it has on "honest" players (all those I've spoken to about it while grouping have been angry and disappointed, and disillusioned by it, and it has reduced their desire to log in and play). It is the inevitable long term death of the server if not properly addressed. I really don't think the devs understand this. P99 will end up full of RMT buyers and traders in the end (a la D3). Normal players are not going to invest long term in characters when the playing field isn't level - I suggest this may account for a lot of the high turnover.

But meh, it's their server, as has been said. If they're not (particularly) worried about it, no point us being either. For my money, it's the single biggest threat to the value of the game (the other being guild corruption, which ties logically in to RMTing anyway). But that's me, and I appreciate not everyone feels the same way.

[Ephi]

Originally Posted by t0lkien [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I still think there is some ambivalence on the RMT issue from the devs. Both Sirken and Ephi now have offered soft (or at least less than hardline) responses to its existence. I think they underestimate the negative effect it has on "honest" players (all those I've spoken to about it while grouping have been angry and disappointed, and disillusioned by it, and it has reduced their desire to log in and play). It is the inevitable long term death of the server if not properly addressed. I really don't think the devs understand this. P99 will end up full of RMT buyers and traders in the end (a la D3). Normal players are not going to invest long term in characters when the playing field isn't level - I suggest this may account for a lot of the high turnover.

But meh, it's their server, as has been said. If they're not (particularly) worried about it, no point us being either. For my money, it's the single biggest threat to the value of the game (the other being guild corruption, which ties logically in to RMTing anyway). But that's me, and I appreciate not everyone feels the same way.

I wouldn't take such a hard line. It's not that we're not worried, or soft. It's that there are only so many hours in a day, a very long priority list (RMT is at the top), and we're realists. We're going to do what we can as volunteers. We're going to bring it more people to help, but it's not a black and white "RMT will be off the server by 2014" thing. Have to look at the big picture and realize that GM staff and developer is just a game too... a different kind of game, but still a game.

[t0lkien]

Originally Posted by Ephi [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I wouldn't take such a hard line. It's not that we're not worried, or soft. It's that there are only so many hours in a day, a very long priority list (RMT is at the top), and we're realists. We're going to do what we can as volunteers. We're going to bring it more people to help, but it's not a black and white "RMT will be off the server by 2014" thing. Have to look at the big picture and realize that GM staff and developer is just a game too... a different kind of game, but still a game.

Yes, I totally understand the manpower issue. However on the hard/soft line thing, I think there is only one way to go with this. RMT involves an entire worldview of dishonesty, deception, exploitation, trust-breaking, and ultimately real world illegality (that's not hyperbole - making money off anything has Federal implications in the US irrespective of anyone's personal view of that; this is one of the things that happens when you link game economies with the real world via RMT). All these things are bad and have more than a trivial trickledown effect on the rest of the server and wider community. People have to deal with this stuff in the real world, they don't want to log in and be affected by it there as well. It's a game.

I would argue strongly that the only reason there is any desire for ingame items via RMT in the first place is because the game world has some continuity and separation from the real world, and so those items represent real effort and reward (this is their "value"). Using RMT as a player devalues the very value system they are buying into - the irony is bizarre. The sellers, of course, could care less. They are just cashing in on a very odd skewing of perception.

Either way, no-one's saying it can be permanently eradicated, but that desire should be there IMO, and a level of vigilance maintained to keep it at a minimum. There should be a zero-tolerance policy and that should be understood, and be seen to be enforced. The value of the game (and passion for things in the game) will only be increased if this done. But this can't happen if you guys don't feel that way, or are ambivalent about it in principle.

However, as I said before I understand and appreciate this is a free server. I'm only speaking as one player.

EDITS: To clarify my meaning - it's quite a big discussion and summarizing it is not easy.

[Ephi]

Originally Posted by t0lkien [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Either way, no-one's saying it can be permanently eradicated, but that desire should be there IMO, and a level of vigilance maintained to keep it at a minimum. There should be a zero-tolerance policy and that should be understood, and be seen to be enforced. The value of the game (and passion for things in the game) will only be increased if this done. But this can't happen if you guys don't feel that way, or are ambivalent about it in principle.

I get what you're saying. I'll just say this: Don't confuse ambivalence with complacency. If there were no desire to eradicate it, I wouldn't be here in the first place. Same could be said about a lot of the issues the server faces and the CSR staff.