TC Bulletin and Policy Change 10/18/09

[Kyle]

Hi Everyone,

We'd like to note a policy revision in our Test Center Rules and Policies.

3.13 All forms of hacking, exploiting, and anything designed to break, bend or in anyway alter or skew SWGEmu gameplay experience in favor of one player or against another player is encouraged within strict guidelines.
3.13.1 All successful exploitations are to be reported to the "Exploitation Team", and not posted in public.
3.13.2 Exploitations will never be used to purposely gain advantage over another player or inflict a negative experience on another player. The only accepted instances of exploiting are those that are reported, and for the purpose of enhancing and securing future gameplay.
3.13.3 Failure to adhere to this policy will result in the following consequences. There will be one warning directing the guilty part to the exploitation team. After this one warning ALL subsequent transgressions will result in an immediate permanent ban with the ability to be appealed after three months and immediate deletion of all known characters, items, disbanding of guilds if guild leader, and removal of all items on the marketplace.

While we still are taking a hardline on exploiting, the staff realizes that during development, there is a need to expose problems before we can enact the Zero-Tolerance policy as needed on a finished server.

With this announcement, we are officially organizing the Exploitation Team as a part of our Quality Assurance team. They will have the sole purpose of uncovering exploits and being a point of contact for community members that do find exploits. More information will be released on this team in the coming weeks.

To clear up a sore subject now that we have all the facts, I would like to address the recent banning of a known exploiting guild. Contrary to public belief and statements made by staff members, no one was able to exploit their way to jedi. The community member in question, Ashur, has in fact been extremely helpful in helping uncover serious Test Center flaws and is part of our Exploitation Team, but due to some communication breakdowns has received an unfair reputation. He did in fact get caught speed hacking, but was immediately cooperative. The subsequent reports are untrue. He was accused of speed hacking publicly, when in fact it was a legitimate use of FR3 which, like many of the jedi skills, are getting there first real tests and many are very bugged and broken. A number of the other members of the guild will continue to stay banned permanently because of their unwillingness to cooperate and immaturity in the matter, but a handful of the mature, and talented members have chosen to leave the Dark Side, and use their powers for good. Please welcome these people and treat them accordingly.

To reiterate the previous post, behavior from the community, and sadly, even staff,will no longer be tolerated when it is designed to undermine the project or community.

Regards,