Right now as I have been browsing the forums, I have come across many threads that have given the name of a hacker, and those people have been called out for “naming and shaming”. Honestly what is the deal with this? With the current state of the reporting system (too convoluted to be useful) I can see why people turn to the forums for help. I have seen many hackers but only reported one because the system is a mess. My personal comment on “naming and shaming” is that it is perfectly acceptable. These people willingly detract from the game experience of other players, and in doing so deserve to be identified publicly so that if other people should encounter them in game they can take measures to report the player as well (if they decide that they want to do that) These people should not be protected by this no naming and shaming rule. They have made the decision to hack the game, and we should be allowed to identify them to the community as a whole, not just some convoluted reporting system. Any moderators who would like to comment on this thread please do as I would like to hear your opinion on this as well. @Amerika @MissMurder (sorry you two are the only ones that I know of)
State of the Reporting System
Naming and shaming players promotes negativity in the community. People will chime in and argue, and it only results in a lot of hate and negative behavior.
Simply posting an accusation, even with evidence, means you have a lot of unregulated finger-pointing going on. If you play FPS, you know how much any game is riddled with people who see hacks around every corner. Bringing that to the forums can’t possibly be anyone’s idea of positive community interaction.
And unless it’s confirmed by a GM, that’s all it is – an accusation. GMs are the only official source in this game that can declare someone to be cheating. Instead of having to search through the forums, it is best the evidence is sent to them via the ticket system, where those of us who value fair play have the best chance of having those cheaters removed from the game.
And let’s face it – some people believe everything they read. If I posted saying I saw you cheating in game and you had a really good score and look – your name proves you’re hacking, there are people who would believe it.
It’s got to be an all-or-nothing type policy. It’s really for the best.