Security Advancements and Reinstatements

#1 - June 28, 2013, 4:15 p.m.

Here’s an update about progress in game security and the resolution of a recent situation from Chris, the lead of our Game Security Team:

Since launch, we have refined and expanded our tools and processes to investigate malicious player activity. In the last couple of months we have deployed numerous methods of detection that have been highly successful in identifying players performing actions that violate our User Agreement. In the month of June alone, we have taken action against more than 10,000 accounts that were identified to have performed malicious activity in Guild Wars 2. While not immediately apparent in game, this has made a significant overall impact on the number of players attempting to abuse cheats and exploits in our game.

We use all available information, including player reports, when taking action on an account. Unfortunately not all detection methods and are perfect, and data can sometimes be misleading. This became readily clear to us when players began reporting that their accounts were being terminated after attempting to run the Metrica Province jumping puzzle.

After significant investigation, we were able to determine that a bug in the jumping puzzle itself was causing players to fall out of the intended boundaries of the puzzle. Due to this bug, there was an unintended side effect that caused false positives on an element of our malicious activity detection system. We have since identified players that were caught up in this false detection and have reinstated their accounts.

It was unfortunate that this happened, but as Guild Wars 2 grows, so do we. We would like to thank the community for bringing this to our attention. Due to your passion for our game, we were able to come to a swift resolution for this issue. We have made huge strides in keeping the game fair for everyone, and could not continue to do it without your support.

#4 - June 28, 2013, 5:18 p.m.

Thundolfe.9302:

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You must do better.

Yes, and that is our intention and our goal, every single day.

We do know how sad this situation made people, and we truly are very sorry. I think that we should look at those who were erroneously impacted with complete sympathy. We’ve reinstated, we’ve sent emails, and we’ve posted. We will continue with that same level of transparency for situations — good and bad — in the future.

However, even while considering those players (whose numbers were modest) first, we also should look at the removal of 10,000 (!) exploiters, cheaters, and botters and remember that the game is better for a higher level of diligence against those who breach the User Agreement.

I am not — I promise you — making excuses. I am just looking at things from a broad view. I know how seriously folks around here took those false positives and I feel sure that we’ll continue to improve on systems in the future.

#6 - June 28, 2013, 5:33 p.m.

Robles.7458:

I understand that this problems can happen, but banned people in game shouldn´t be banned at acount issues forum because it is hard that they tell their problem if they can´t write here.

They always can use other webs like reddit, but I think that if they have bought the game, they should have the right to write here without ask for help to a friend.

I appreciate your position. I used to feel the same way, but since we all do have other means to get help, I’m not sure that having 100 people posting “I was unjustly banned,” when maybe only 1 was really involved in an error — is quite a risk and it will cloud the forums.

#36 - June 30, 2013, 6:47 p.m.

Crimsony.2514:

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But I also feel like it would be helpful to make the appeal process more explicit and less informal, so everyone knows how to access it and what a truly final decision looks like. Someone shouldn’t get a mail saying “the decision is final” when they still have a route to appeal.

Yep! And…

Thundolfe.9302:

Gaile Gray.6028:

-le snip

I certainly don’t blame you for this Gaile, I know that you spend a ridiculous amount of time answering questions and complaints. I’m just saying, I think your agents and processes need a little bit of refining

You’re very kind, but I’m just one team member. I agree with the comments that suggest that we can improve; yes, absolutely! That is one of the key elements of my role at ArenaNet: to help with outreach, to review processes and policies, and to help make our communications clearer and just all-around better. Change and improvement takes time, but it’s definitely top of the list!

Again, we’re a team, but we’re a team with a mission: to give Triple-A customer service to every player of our games.

Robles.7458:

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They always can use other webs like reddit, but I think that if they have bought the game, they should have the right to write here without ask for help to a friend.

I think we need to get better at the ticket appeal process, and then the forum (official or external) elements won’t be so much a factor. We’ll be looking at that on every level.

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

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It took me no significant investigation to determine that this bug has been reported many, many times: https://www.google.de/#q=site:forum-en.guildwars2.com+goemm

For fun, here’s a bug report from October 2012.

That’s definitely a valuable observation to include in internal discussion. Thank you for pointing it out.

BilboBaggins.5620:

Could we please just fix the jumping puzzles? Then there will be no false positives.

That is definitely the objective, yes!

Katz.5143:

It doesn’t matter that it was a bug. It matters that the letters sound rude to customers. They can actually change that. The words of the letters sent out aren’t chiseled in concrete never to be changed. It is surely possible to sound firm but not rude. They should think, how can this be said so that the rare innocent person won’t be offended greatly. There are many words in our language and many ways to say things. I honestly believe they can craft a response that sounds better.

Yes, I agree. We are and will always be working on this: Clarity, compassion, and correctness coupled with consider clout against cheaters. Ok, it’s Fun with Alliteration Day for me.

#38 - June 30, 2013, 7:21 p.m.

MF — I believe what MR was saying was that some of the protests are not legitimate. Like “I did that thing, too, and I was not reinstated.” (No mention of the half-dozen cheats used on the same account.) Or, “I did that thing” (with no mention of the RMT sales associated with the account). Some protests are genuine, absolutely. Some are not.

And once again: Giving details that answer the question “What did I do?” is, for the cheater, almost “a blueprint to cheat.” Say there are four ways that Bad Player Bob is cheating (because usually cheaters don’t stop with just one cheat). Bob gets banned, and asks “What did I do?” We say, “You did A.” He then may feel, “Oh, I can now continue to do B, C, and D on my other cheat accounts (or tell my cheater friends what they are presumably safe to do) because I was told that I was banned for A.”

The truth is, it’s a fair question, but it’s not really appropriate to give an answer because it increases the risk of continued cheating, which is not good for the game, the game economy, or the player community as a whole.

Michael Fejervary.8576:

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That is what bothers me the most, and why right now I am just having a hard time logging in to want to play

-snip-

Michael — I really believe you can and should count on improvements on every level: heightened diligence about bugs; better, clearer communications; a continued refinement of the cheat detection system (as mentioned in the OP on this thread), and more.

I can’t say we’ll never make another mistake. But as that thread states, we constantly are learning and improving and no one wants that to happen more than we do! I hope our transparency about this situation, our explanation of what happened, and our intentions for the future will restore your desire to hop back into Tyria.

#52 - July 2, 2013, 11:36 a.m.

Kilyan II.7164:

The bug is still up or has been fixed? I’d like (I need) to do the jp to get the last achivement to complete Sky Pirates, but I’m not sure… It possible to do the jp in safely without get the ban? I’d not be banned for this. Thank you.

It’s highly unlikely that anyone would be actioned for doing this jumping puzzle. We’ll get the issue fixed when possible, but as stated in this thread, all administrative action is taken only after a human review, so you should be able to go about your business.