GM's minning underneath Wintergrasp?!?!?

#0 - March 9, 2010, 8:48 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Is it really that hard to hard to believe? Game Master's trying to make alittle extra money on the side? It wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened. I mean come on. This has been going on for over a year now. It's about as big of an Exploit as you can get and yet they've done next to nothing about it.

What other explanation could they're be?
#9 - March 9, 2010, 8:59 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Characters used by game masters to assist players are used for nothing else. Game masters cannot even log into these characters outside of work. They serve no other purpose than to help you, and everything they do is logged for quality assurance. You're speaking about players hacking the game. They should be reported to our in-game support department for review, though exploitative behavior in the manner to which you refer can often be detected through other means.
#65 - March 10, 2010, 12:11 a.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:


I have a question...

Why wasn't a GM just parked under WG to watch who was hacking instead of letting them go on for weeks while whatever 'other ways' of detection you had took time to work?

It's a matter of resources. It would be a colossal waste to staff enough people to sit under Wintergrasp 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on every realm around the world to pluck people off one at a time.

Q u o t e:
Everyone was telling you where it was happening all day every day, why didn't you just go there 'manually' on live servers and look at the names?

I'm only able to go into so much detail here, but this is sort of a continuation of my first answer. I'll speak in a silly analogy. Catching fish with a pole one at a time does little to help when they might lead us to the entire school where a net can be used.
#67 - March 10, 2010, 12:14 a.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
What i've been trying to get at is......GM's have access to user information. So, they could be Logging onto old accounts that havent been used for awhile. Use that account to mine the Gold and then sell it on the internet.

I'm unable to delve into internal policies, but I can assure you there are a multitude of measures in place to prevent this type of abuse of any powers employees might need to do their jobs.
Q u o t e:

You need to leave the "RP" life and step into reality man. Look at who "Activision Blizzard" really is. Read some of the Share Holder remarks about Activision Blizzard and wake up.

Q u o t e:
bump

I'm the man. As the man, I'm telling you to stop trolling.
#75 - March 10, 2010, 12:41 a.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:


From one man to another. I'm not trolling. I care about the issue and thats why i'm keeping it alive. Man.

I'll take your words at face value then. It's the last time I can address this though. If you want to dip into conspiracy theories, I have the unique disadvantage of having to disprove what hasn't been proven, but only speculated. It's like throwing the scientific method on its head.

Regardless of your opinion of Activision Blizzard, I can only say that what you're inferring in this thread is not only a violation of employee regulations, it's illegal. Employees cannot use other players' accounts for personal use, nor can employees use in-game commands or powers to benefit their own characters on live realms.

The popularity of this game simply wouldn't be possible if such shady practices were condoned or overlooked. Employees using any in-game powers for work are instructed from day one that the most severe actions will take place if they're found to be abusing their powers. There is a quality assurance department that tracks all of the actions people with such powers take in-game to ensure there is no wrongdoing.

I remember the first day I started working here almost exactly five years ago. I was told that no one in the company, from janitorial staff to Mike Morhaime, is allowed to have any sort of direct in-game benefits on live realms, such as free gold, gear, etc. Not only did the message stick, it's one of the reasons I still absolutely love working for Blizzard. There are great standards and practices here exercised from the top down, and that hasn't changed since I first started. :)
#128 - March 10, 2010, 1:55 a.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:


Yarly

GM's are the 'police' of wow so they are being compared.

mmmdurrrrrrrrr

I really don't understand why government employees are being compared to Blizzard employees, regardless of whether or not game masters enforce rules. You don't choose where your tax dollars go or to which laws you're bound other than by voting for who you think will best represent you.

You pay Blizzard, a private software development company, for services as described in the Terms of Use, and are bound by the regulations therein. You have a choice in whether or not you wish to pay for said service and bind yourself to those rules.
#131 - March 10, 2010, 2 a.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:



Do you remember how that guy got a shirt in the mail it had a "Use: Kill enemies around him"

How did he receive this in the mail? I just always assumed an angry ex worker conjured it up and mailed it to a random player, before he got fired, but if no GMs have that power on live servers... where did the shirt come from?


Items exist for testing purposes on internal realms. This makes them technically available on live realms, though unobtainable anywhere in the game. There are times where our account specialists will need to restore items for players, which involves typing in item IDs... it's very important to double check to ensure the correct ID is entered.
#140 - March 10, 2010, 2:16 a.m.
Blizzard Post
This thread's fallen far off the deep end, particularly since the original poster ended up linking an article offensive and hyperbolic enough to warrant him not returning to here.