Proposal to toughen punishments related to VPN usage

  • It is a known issue in all communities that many players use VPN to acquire premium currency at a incredible lower prices from other countries. The VPN use is currently punished with one week of account ban. However it is not enough since players who abuse this system have a tremendous advantage that it is not equalized in just a week of play, meaning that they don’t really care if they get banned a week, they come back and they still have a huge advantage over non premium players and even over legally premium players. This is especially relevant in new servers, where technology differences between players pays a huge role


    So to solve the problem there is only two options, equalize the prize of the premium currency in all countries (which they will not do) or toughen the punishment of VPN use.


    I propose 2 months of account ban instead of one week, ensuring that this people do not get the huge advantage in the starting of new servers and at least they would think twice before doing so in old servers


    Besides as a collateral benefits, many people use VPN also to abuse illegal multi-accounts, so this change will also improve the game in that sense



    Cheers

  • Do you realize that many people have to use VPN due to also legal reasons? And even better, quite often it might happen without knowing it (e.g.: I have several network providers which assign IP addresses from Estonia. Lithuania, Russia and Sweden, each of the might be in a different price category).

  • Do you realize that many people have to use VPN due also legal reasons? And even better, quite often it might happen without knowing it (e.g.: I have several network providers which assign IP addresses from Estonia. Lithuania, Russia and Sweden, each of the might be in a different price category).

    this is true, in Venezuela for example its iligal to abuse internet band in games. you can be punished in many terms.. its impossible Ban someone for the use of VPNs.. because not everybody use it for abuse gameforge and ambrosia payment, AND even if thats the case, they are paying for a premium coin into the game.. wich gameforge is it revenue.


    :closedthread:

    PsychoSK



    batalla.gif

  • Do you realize that many people have to use VPN due to also legal reasons? And even better, quite often it might happen without knowing it (e.g.: I have several network providers which assign IP addresses from Estonia. Lithuania, Russia and Sweden, each of the might be in a different price category).

    Do you realize that this behavior is already being punished? lol. I am not talking about if it should be punished or not, I am talking about making the punishment longer so it would be effective. Maybe I should have clarified VPN usage to specifically buy premium currency. Besides as a mod you should already know that if a person needs to break a rule due to justified reasons, he can always contact the GOs by ticket first

    this is true, in Venezuela for example its iligal to abuse internet band in games. you can be punished in many terms.. its impossible Ban someone for the use of VPNs.. because not everybody use it for abuse gameforge and ambrosia payment, AND even if thats the case, they are paying for a premium coin into the game.. wich gameforge is it revenue.


    :closedthread:

    As I said above, I should have clarified the focus of this suggestion is to prevent players from abusing VPN to acquire premium currency at a ridiculous ratio and thus an Illegal practice , not just ban players who just use VPN in general



    I am just trying to help fix this broken game, how new players are going to come if the system is broken like this and the issues are ignored. Yea is totally logical that 15 days into a new server someone breaking the rules (without acquiring premium currency legally) can have access to mortars and nothing is done to prevent this, shameful display by the team responsible of this


    It just feels that the team has already given up years ago, very sad

    Edited once, last by PotatoGirl ().

  • Do you realize that many people have to use VPN due to also legal reasons? And even better, quite often it might happen without knowing it (e.g.: I have several network providers which assign IP addresses from Estonia. Lithuania, Russia and Sweden, each of the might be in a different price category).

    How is that a legal necessity?

  • equalize the prize of the premium currency in all countries (which they will not do)

    That is the obvious solution.

    Ambrosia costing the same for all, tied to the current exchange rate, but with Ambrosia features varying on price on different servers.
    That would have the exact same effect as now but with nobody gaining an advantage with cheap ambrosia.

  • Do you realize that many people have to use VPN due to also legal reasons? And even better, quite often it might happen without knowing it (e.g.: I have several network providers which assign IP addresses from Estonia. Lithuania, Russia and Sweden, each of the might be in a different price category).

    How is that a legal necessity?

    The internet is not equally free in all parts of the world - you can check online resources here (PDF).


    During my year abroad in Central Asia one of the first things I purchased was a one year licence at VPN service because half the time I couldn't see the pictures on reddit when the government decided to block imgur again.

    Social Media, Whats App, Telegram were also targeted often enough, especially in the time leading up to the elections.


    Countries like China or Iran have even further reaching censoring and/or surveilance in place, making it sometimes impossible to even access the game.


    Also, dynamic IPs are a thing, as is mobile data connections, where IP adresses may also change quickly and assigned to different users in a short time frame.



    ---


    Though no GM, but I can say from my experience of tracking down forum multis:

    Everyone and their grandma (literally) can install a VPN and run it, be it for some basic privacy concerns, to watch that show on Netflix that they have only in the US version or to access work/uni files and programs.

    Banning just for the usage of a VPN connection would lead to some high collateral damage. A bit like trying to nuke a hurricane.

  • You are missing the point, maybe on purpose.


    The vpn use to get cheaper ambrosia is already being punished, I'm just asking for more punishment since it's clearly not enough


    Or are you all suggesting that abusing VPN to get an unfair advantage in the game should be legal?