About 8 years ago I was at the flea market and I saw a decent VCR for sale for 150 bucks (canadian funds). This was a great deal back then for a vcr this nice so I snapped it up. It wasn't so cheap as to be too good to be true, just cheap enough for me to fork out the cash instead of buying it from a dept. store.
Cut to 4 months later- I needed cash to go out one night, so I take a trip to the local pawn shop and got I think 50 bucks in pawn for the VCR. Not selling, just a pawn and you go back later with the 50 bucks and a 10 buck charge on top and get your VCR back.
Around a month later I went back with the 50 bucks for the VCR. They guy took my 50 bucks and told me to wait. Around 5 minutes later the police arrived and made a B-line straight to me. Turns out the VCR was stolen (soooprize, soooprize) and they wanted to know where I got it. I told them the flea market and they said well that VCR was stolen from a house and it has been returned to them. I said what about my 150 bucks? They said take it up with the seller. Obviously I never met the seller before and had no way of getting my money back. Not only was I out the 150 dollars for the VCR, but the pawn shop kept my 50 bucks too! I was righteously pissed, but it has been a long time and I realize it was just a lesson in life.
While I sympathize with the O.P., this is how it is handled in real life. Caveat Emptor- Buyer beware, Seller too. Although at the very least, Mr. Super Investigator GM could have returned your original item.
Originally posted by LlamaLord If you think about it the Gm must have been watching this player with the bad money and could have stepped in and stopped the trade before this happend.
No they read/investigate the server logs after someone reports their gil being "stolen" (cant be stolen per say since all info/virtual money belongs to Square-Enix). The guy stealing the money was banned(or some other action taken) but the GM cannot confirm or deny because of privacy issues (as in any other mmorpg).
How this is to be connected to "unethical business practices" I have no idea, its a ingame issue about virtual money not hard earned cash.("mmorpg sweatshops" is something else & 1-up.com has a good article on it).
o_0 ...and this is why I don't trade with players, and usually solo in games. I used to play FFXI.. I mean yes, I'll trade with those trustworthy/friends but that's it. As far as how this issue was handled, I'd have to say it is a bit of bull. Unfair to say the least. I picked "Yes, this decision needs to be reviewed". Sorry for your loss, I hope you're able to work something out.
i wouldn't say the gm is in the wrong as he was proabbly listening to rules made by square enix, I say square enix is in the wrong. And I don't believe this situation would be handled the same in most mmorpgs, I know GMs aren't good in many mmorpgs, but not many would do something like that. If ANYTHING they would have some kind of no intereference rule, and althuogh thats not the greatest either, the guy who had his money stolen from him would not get it returned, but the guy that sold the item would not get his money stolen.
My main beef with this whole incident is the fact that the GM never clarified what illegal method was used to create the gil. I mean, if it was hacked, say it was hacked, if it was duped, say it was duped. I just can't acept the fact that he appears out of nowhere, and randomly decides to inform the guy "Hey, this isn't yours anymore, bye"
Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...
He did say where the money came from. Player B stole the money somehow from player A. Player B then paid for an item from player C with the solen money. The GM said he was taking the money from player C and giving it back to player A. That's pretty much standard procedure on any MMORPG, regardless of where the money came from.
Sorry about that, but that is how a GM's agenda turns: Around time constraints, rules and regulations (like any company employee in customer relations).
The GM acted professionally, even if it did seem harsh and unjust; the GM is merely an employee of the company that has to deal with all customers on equal footing and it was obvious (from your pics) that he had more than you to deal with at the time.
Although you were a victim in that situation, I doubt that he had the means to assess whether or not you were party to the crime or not: It had been entirely possible that he had stolen the money to trade to you only to try and elude detection.
I am not saying that you are in the wrong, but that the GM cannot be subject to the same expectations that gamers are; they are not playing the game for personal satisfaction, but for economic sustenance. For all you know, the GM could be a single mother.
I can still empathize:
I had been an avid WoW player since it's release; I pre-ordered the game and played it as often as I could casually.
I only had one high lvl character (a lvl 52 Orc Rogue) over all 6-7 months of my play (when it generally only takes a hardcore gamer around a week to attain lvl 60) and most of the time that I had played was spent in PVP or honing my already elite crafting skills (3 points away from max elemental leatherworking).
One day I tried to log on, only to find that my account had been barred; apparently they had banned my account for something called "teleportation hacking" (instant movement from one set of coords to another distant set of coords).
The greatest irony, was that I had saved for eons to buy my mount (which costs 60 gold .. or so.. if I remember correctly), which increases movment speed, only to have my account banned for instantaneous movement only a week later.
It was apparent from the forums that I wasn't alone, but since my account had been banned I had no means of accessing them (nor did I have any friends that played WoW), so that I ultimately lost my account with my high lvl character and (quasi-decent) items.
Another irony was in the fact that they adopted a "no-leniency" policy, which included no communication from the responsible party that banned your account (besides the initial email stating that you had been banned for "x" offense) as well as instant termination for that particular offense...... I think it was a sort of cover-up for a flaw in their game involving the rider (since I had once lagged during a raid and was able to move while on the rider between short distances, only to be teleported back to the intial location).
Their practices were definitely unethical, but since there was no way to take any legal action (because of a clause in the EULA implying that they can terminate their contract with you any time they'd like .. (at their discretion)) it was still "proper" conduct.
I also understand (from having played FFXI myself) that 1.9 million gil isn't a walk in the park.. (I don't even think I ever got 1 million gil total in my 5 months of play ), but it certainly wasn't the worst thing that could have happened: The GM did not go out of his/her way to ensure customer satisfaction, but maybe there were other constraints (such as time constraints or rules) preventing any compensation for your loss.
In any case, you're the victim and you deserve condolences.
This is a sequence of characters intended to produce some profound mental effect, but it has failed.
Originally posted by //\//\oo Sorry about that, but that is how a GM's agenda turns: Around time constraints, rules and regulations (like any company employee in customer relations). The GM acted professionally, even if it did seem harsh and unjust; the GM is merely an employee of the company that has to deal with all customers on equal footing and it was obvious (from your pics) that he had more than you to deal with at the time. Although you were a victim in that situation, I doubt that he had the means to assess whether or not you were party to the crime or not: It had been entirely possible that he had stolen the money to trade to you only to try and elude detection. I am not saying that you are in the wrong, but that the GM cannot be subject to the same expectations that gamers are; they are not playing the game for personal satisfaction, but for economic sustenance. For all you know, the GM could be a single mother. I can still empathize: I had been an avid WoW player since it's release; I pre-ordered the game and played it as often as I could casually. I only had one high lvl character (a lvl 52 Orc Rogue) over all 6-7 months of my play (when it generally only takes a hardcore gamer around a week to attain lvl 60) and most of the time that I had played was spent in PVP or honing my already elite crafting skills (3 points away from max elemental leatherworking). One day I tried to log on, only to find that my account had been barred; apparently they had banned my account for something called "teleportation hacking" (instant movement from one set of coords to another distant set of coords). The greatest irony, was that I had saved for eons to buy my mount (which costs 60 gold .. or so.. if I remember correctly), which increases movment speed, only to have my account banned for instantaneous movement only a week later. It was apparent from the forums that I wasn't alone, but since my account had been banned I had no means of accessing them (nor did I have any friends that played WoW), so that I ultimately lost my account with my high lvl character and (quasi-decent) items. Another irony was in the fact that they adopted a "no-leniency" policy, which included no communication from the responsible party that banned your account (besides the initial email stating that you had been banned for "x" offense) as well as instant termination for that particular offense...... I think it was a sort of cover-up for a flaw in their game involving the rider (since I had once lagged during a raid and was able to move while on the rider between short distances, only to be teleported back to the intial location). Their practices were definitely unethical, but since there was no way to take any legal action (because of a clause in the EULA implying that they can terminate their contract with you any time they'd like .. (at their discretion)) it was still "proper" conduct. I also understand (from having played FFXI myself) that 1.9 million gil isn't a walk in the park.. (I don't even think I ever got 1 million gil total in my 5 months of play ), but it certainly wasn't the worst thing that could have happened: The GM did not go out of his/her way to ensure customer satisfaction, but maybe there were other constraints (such as time constraints or rules) preventing any compensation for your loss. In any case, you're the victim and you deserve condolences.
The EULA is not legally binding and I can't understand why you didn't call CS or something??? Whatever...
Originally posted by lordnoob The EULA is not legally binding.
The EULA is as legally binding as any terms of service agreement for any product. The part of every EULA that says something like, "We reserve the right to change the terms of Service at will" is definitely the part that is legally questionable......however the chances of you defeating even that in court and upholding it at appeal because they banned you are remote.
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
Ok Ive seen people get fired for things far less incompetent than what that GM did. If I was the customer/player, That is an automatic CR phone call, with Emails including pics and logs.
_______________________________ We have nothing to fear but our own goverment _______________________________
Originally posted by anarchyart HEHE poor Shae, but you made me chuckle so thanks *hums sympathy for the devil*
How self-centered could you be to laugh at other people's misfortune. I thought you were a beacon of self-righteousness. Go to your room and think about your callous act. Shame on you for not being your normal self-righteous self.
Originally posted by Vald Ok Ive seen people get fired for things far less incompetent than what that GM did.
Like what?? I'm failing to understand what the GM is supposed to have done.
It just seems like people want to 'shoot the messenger'.
Well...simply enough, he punished someone for NOT breaking the rules. What the GM was supposed to do is confront the person who had violated the EULA, removed the item purchsed with the money, then returned the money to the rightful owner. What he did was violate the person he ended up contacting by removing a large portion of their in game income unjustly. You cant just remove or transfer peoples ingame items unless there is a clear violation of that person breaking the EULA, which there wasnt.
_______________________________ We have nothing to fear but our own goverment _______________________________
Originally posted by Vald Well...simply enough, he punished someone for NOT breaking the rules. What the GM was supposed to do is confront the person who had violated the EULA, removed the item purchsed with the money, then returned the money to the rightful owner. What he did was violate the person he ended up contacting by removing a large portion of their in game income unjustly.
A number of points.
-We don't know that the 'victim' wasn't breaking the rules. I would suggest that the fact they bothered to release the chat logs publically rather than dealing with Customer Support, indicates that they may well have been doing something wrong and are trying to get revenge on the people who caught them.
-If the GMs decision was upheld by Customer Support, then the GM was acting according to the same policies as Customer Support. If this is the case then he didn't do anything wrong.
-An incident such as this would not be a spur of the moment decision it would be the result of an investigation, the action would be decided by someone with the authority to do so who would act according to policy.
-Beyond this it is illogical to think that a GM would take it upon himself to just make up the rules, the idea that 'he was on a power trip' just doesn't make sense, logically he was doing precisely what he had been told to do and what the guidelines he had been given indicated that he should do.
I'm not saying what happened was fair or anything like that I am saying that:
-It is stupid to blame a GM for quite probably doing as he was told. Embarking on a ridiculous witchhunt when there is no rational reason to assume he has done anything wrong is not very sensible.
-It is ridiculous to accuse a company of 'unethical business practices' over something like this.
Originally posted by Vald You cant just remove or transfer peoples ingame items unless there is a clear violation of that person breaking the EULA, which there wasnt.
Who says??? That's happened to me before. I've played games who aren't able to track items around for you..
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
No, a GM cant just remove your items without just cause according to the rules. I came across a similar situation when I traded an item in an MMO and was contacted within the hour by a GM, requesting I trade the items back due to the item I had gained not being rightfully owned by the seller. But, the GM told me (and this was the head gm for the server) that he doesnt have the power, by the user agreement to force me to trade, nor can he remove the item from me. because I had not done the wrong action. And, yes they can track every single item in the game, and whose hands it has passed through. What the GM did was beyond his limits as a GM. He was right for returning the money but, he was wrong in how he regained it.
Also, just because he posted it on the net doesnt mean he isnt in contact with the CR department.
_______________________________ We have nothing to fear but our own goverment _______________________________
The GM was just doing his job and it isn't his problem of how you get the money/item. And yes sometimes they do screw you but you can't blame them cause there onlying doing there job. But if you want to try to fight them chances are that you'll lose cause it probably says something about it in the user agreement.
I would say that's a damn bold assumption. People don't have to rely on due process to be "innocent", especially if they feel they've been shafted/abandoned by it.
Also, if you played/have played FFXI, you know that GM's are notorious for doing absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing. I mean hell, they can't even move your character if you get stuck sometimes without dying. That's another reason why this is such a slap in the face to me in particular. You're trying to tell me that a GM won't refund my money from an AH error, won't move my corpse when I get stuck or fall through a floor/wall, won't ban the known botters and MPKers on the servers, but they'll happily come and take my gil? That's crap, utter crap.
Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...
Originally posted by Cymdai I would say that's a damn bold assumption. People don't have to rely on due process to be "innocent", especially if they feel they've been shafted/abandoned by it.
The thread was not about whether the policy was fair or whether the player had been abandoned it was about whether the GM was in the wrong. If the player appealled to Customer Support and the GM's decision was upheld then the GM did nothing wrong he was only enforcing policy. Which is what this entire thread was about. If the player didn't bother to complain about the GM and instead decided to publically whine about it then it is not much of a leap to suggest that the player was guilty of something - because otherwise why would you do that rather than simply getting the situation calmly resolved??
Originally posted by Cymdai You're trying to tell me that a GM won't refund my money from an AH error, won't move my corpse when I get stuck or fall through a floor/wall, won't ban the known botters and MPKers on the servers, but they'll happily come and take my gil?
Which if you actually bother to think about it rather tells you that there is more to this than meets the eye.
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
Just to clarify, this guy didn't post it on the forums, one of his LSmates originaly posted it on GameFAQS.com
I don't know what you're trying to say by there's more than meets the eye here. All I'm pointing out is that, if GM's won't help players when there's a problem, then why are they so willing to hurt them and inconvenience them? That's just ridiculous to me.
Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...
Originally posted by Cymdai Well, nothing like Mourning, but this is pretty damn ridiculous to me. http://photobucket.com/albums/b185/Jirayaa/ I'd say that's a power trip if I've ever seen one by a GM. Unjust seizure of items is uncalled for, especially without an exact explanation and proof.
Let's remember that all in game items, characters and currency do not belong to the player (they can't they do not exist, they are not real, you only own the right to access their server when it is up. Since it is their stuff they can do whatever they like with it.
I'm glad to see that SquareEnix takes action against people who buy/sell out of game and/or hack peoples accounts.
Unfortunate that you lost something but since it wasn't technically yours to begin with they are not doing anything wrong.
Originally posted by Cymdai My main beef with this whole incident is the fact that the GM never clarified what illegal method was used to create the gil. I mean, if it was hacked, say it was hacked, if it was duped, say it was duped. I just can't acept the fact that he appears out of nowhere, and randomly decides to inform the guy "Hey, this isn't yours anymore, bye"
It may just be that we are not seeing the whole story, we do not know that this was a trade, we know very little except what the OP has chosen to reveal.
Certainly not enough to make an informed judgement.
Originally posted by psydex People are beginning to take matters like these to the courts...I'd say if you are really pissed off, sue them for your virtual property back! :P
You obvioulsy never read the EULA which clearly states that all in game items and the characters belong to the publisher. You cannot 'own' them they do not exist.
If it were possible to own them:
a) The servers could never go down, nor be shut off completely as it would deny you access to your property.
b) They could not deny you access even if your subscription lapsed, you broke the rules etc.
c) They could never re-spec equipment as it would affect your property.
It is for this reason that IGE and other unofficial sellers of in game platinum and equipment lose so much money as people simply cancel their credit card payments after they deliver the goods in game and they cannot be taken to court.
Comments
All I can say is that if you don't get your item back, get his ass fired
No, seriously, it does suck that you got screwed out of an expensive item...
About 8 years ago I was at the flea market and I saw a decent VCR for sale for 150 bucks (canadian funds). This was a great deal back then for a vcr this nice so I snapped it up. It wasn't so cheap as to be too good to be true, just cheap enough for me to fork out the cash instead of buying it from a dept. store.
Cut to 4 months later- I needed cash to go out one night, so I take a trip to the local pawn shop and got I think 50 bucks in pawn for the VCR. Not selling, just a pawn and you go back later with the 50 bucks and a 10 buck charge on top and get your VCR back.
Around a month later I went back with the 50 bucks for the VCR. They guy took my 50 bucks and told me to wait. Around 5 minutes later the police arrived and made a B-line straight to me. Turns out the VCR was stolen (soooprize, soooprize) and they wanted to know where I got it. I told them the flea market and they said well that VCR was stolen from a house and it has been returned to them. I said what about my 150 bucks? They said take it up with the seller. Obviously I never met the seller before and had no way of getting my money back. Not only was I out the 150 dollars for the VCR, but the pawn shop kept my 50 bucks too! I was righteously pissed, but it has been a long time and I realize it was just a lesson in life.
While I sympathize with the O.P., this is how it is handled in real life. Caveat Emptor- Buyer beware, Seller too.
Although at the very least, Mr. Super Investigator GM could have returned your original item.
No they read/investigate the server logs after someone reports their gil being "stolen" (cant be stolen per say since all info/virtual money belongs to Square-Enix).
The guy stealing the money was banned(or some other action taken) but the GM cannot confirm or deny because of privacy issues (as in any other mmorpg).
How this is to be connected to "unethical business practices" I have no idea, its a ingame issue about virtual money not hard earned cash.("mmorpg sweatshops" is something else & 1-up.com has a good article on it).
o_0 ...and this is why I don't trade with players, and usually solo in games. I used to play FFXI.. I mean yes, I'll trade with those trustworthy/friends but that's it. As far as how this issue was handled, I'd have to say it is a bit of bull. Unfair to say the least. I picked "Yes, this decision needs to be reviewed". Sorry for your loss, I hope you're able to work something out.
-Coldflare
i wouldn't say the gm is in the wrong as he was proabbly listening to rules made by square enix, I say square enix is in the wrong. And I don't believe this situation would be handled the same in most mmorpgs, I know GMs aren't good in many mmorpgs, but not many would do something like that. If ANYTHING they would have some kind of no intereference rule, and althuogh thats not the greatest either, the guy who had his money stolen from him would not get it returned, but the guy that sold the item would not get his money stolen.
My main beef with this whole incident is the fact that the GM never clarified what illegal method was used to create the gil. I mean, if it was hacked, say it was hacked, if it was duped, say it was duped. I just can't acept the fact that he appears out of nowhere, and randomly decides to inform the guy "Hey, this isn't yours anymore, bye"
Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...
He did say where the money came from. Player B stole the money somehow from player A. Player B then paid for an item from player C with the solen money. The GM said he was taking the money from player C and giving it back to player A. That's pretty much standard procedure on any MMORPG, regardless of where the money came from.
Sorry about that, but that is how a GM's agenda turns: Around time constraints, rules and regulations (like any company employee in customer relations).
The GM acted professionally, even if it did seem harsh and unjust; the GM is merely an employee of the company that has to deal with all customers on equal footing and it was obvious (from your pics) that he had more than you to deal with at the time.
Although you were a victim in that situation, I doubt that he had the means to assess whether or not you were party to the crime or not: It had been entirely possible that he had stolen the money to trade to you only to try and elude detection.
I am not saying that you are in the wrong, but that the GM cannot be subject to the same expectations that gamers are; they are not playing the game for personal satisfaction, but for economic sustenance. For all you know, the GM could be a single mother.
I can still empathize:
I had been an avid WoW player since it's release; I pre-ordered the game and played it as often as I could casually.
I only had one high lvl character (a lvl 52 Orc Rogue) over all 6-7 months of my play (when it generally only takes a hardcore gamer around a week to attain lvl 60) and most of the time that I had played was spent in PVP or honing my already elite crafting skills (3 points away from max elemental leatherworking).
One day I tried to log on, only to find that my account had been barred; apparently they had banned my account for something called "teleportation hacking" (instant movement from one set of coords to another distant set of coords).
The greatest irony, was that I had saved for eons to buy my mount (which costs 60 gold .. or so.. if I remember correctly), which increases movment speed, only to have my account banned for instantaneous movement only a week later.
It was apparent from the forums that I wasn't alone, but since my account had been banned I had no means of accessing them (nor did I have any friends that played WoW), so that I ultimately lost my account with my high lvl character and (quasi-decent) items.
Another irony was in the fact that they adopted a "no-leniency" policy, which included no communication from the responsible party that banned your account (besides the initial email stating that you had been banned for "x" offense) as well as instant termination for that particular offense...... I think it was a sort of cover-up for a flaw in their game involving the rider (since I had once lagged during a raid and was able to move while on the rider between short distances, only to be teleported back to the intial location).
Their practices were definitely unethical, but since there was no way to take any legal action (because of a clause in the EULA implying that they can terminate their contract with you any time they'd like .. (at their discretion)) it was still "proper" conduct.
I also understand (from having played FFXI myself) that 1.9 million gil isn't a walk in the park.. (I don't even think I ever got 1 million gil total in my 5 months of play
), but it certainly wasn't the worst thing that could have happened: The GM did not go out of his/her way to ensure customer satisfaction, but maybe there were other constraints (such as time constraints or rules) preventing any compensation for your loss.
In any case, you're the victim and you deserve condolences.
This is a sequence of characters intended to produce some profound mental effect, but it has failed.
The EULA is not legally binding and I can't understand why you didn't call CS or something??? Whatever...
The EULA is as legally binding as any terms of service agreement for any product. The part of every EULA that says something like, "We reserve the right to change the terms of Service at will" is definitely the part that is legally questionable......however the chances of you defeating even that in court and upholding it at appeal because they banned you are remote.
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
_______________________________
We have nothing to fear but our own
goverment
_______________________________
Like what?? I'm failing to understand what the GM is supposed to have done.
It just seems like people want to 'shoot the messenger'.
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
How self-centered could you be to laugh at other people's misfortune. I thought you were a beacon of self-righteousness. Go to your room and think about your callous act. Shame on you for not being your normal self-righteous self.
You might as well kick a puppy.
Like what?? I'm failing to understand what the GM is supposed to have done.
It just seems like people want to 'shoot the messenger'.
Well...simply enough, he punished someone for NOT breaking the rules. What the GM was supposed to do is confront the person who had violated the EULA, removed the item purchsed with the money, then returned the money to the rightful owner. What he did was violate the person he ended up contacting by removing a large portion of their in game income unjustly. You cant just remove or transfer peoples ingame items unless there is a clear violation of that person breaking the EULA, which there wasnt.
_______________________________
We have nothing to fear but our own
goverment
_______________________________
A number of points.
-We don't know that the 'victim' wasn't breaking the rules. I would suggest that the fact they bothered to release the chat logs publically rather than dealing with Customer Support, indicates that they may well have been doing something wrong and are trying to get revenge on the people who caught them.
-If the GMs decision was upheld by Customer Support, then the GM was acting according to the same policies as Customer Support. If this is the case then he didn't do anything wrong.
-An incident such as this would not be a spur of the moment decision it would be the result of an investigation, the action would be decided by someone with the authority to do so who would act according to policy.
-Beyond this it is illogical to think that a GM would take it upon himself to just make up the rules, the idea that 'he was on a power trip' just doesn't make sense, logically he was doing precisely what he had been told to do and what the guidelines he had been given indicated that he should do.
I'm not saying what happened was fair or anything like that I am saying that:
-It is stupid to blame a GM for quite probably doing as he was told. Embarking on a ridiculous witchhunt when there is no rational reason to assume he has done anything wrong is not very sensible.
-It is ridiculous to accuse a company of 'unethical business practices' over something like this.
Who says??? That's happened to me before. I've played games who aren't able to track items around for you..
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
No, a GM cant just remove your items without just cause according to the rules. I came across a similar situation when I traded an item in an MMO and was contacted within the hour by a GM, requesting I trade the items back due to the item I had gained not being rightfully owned by the seller. But, the GM told me (and this was the head gm for the server) that he doesnt have the power, by the user agreement to force me to trade, nor can he remove the item from me. because I had not done the wrong action. And, yes they can track every single item in the game, and whose hands it has passed through. What the GM did was beyond his limits as a GM. He was right for returning the money but, he was wrong in how he regained it.
Also, just because he posted it on the net doesnt mean he isnt in contact with the CR department.
_______________________________
We have nothing to fear but our own
goverment
_______________________________
It gives a fairly good indication.......innocent people trust in due process they don't seek publicity.
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
I would say that's a damn bold assumption. People don't have to rely on due process to be "innocent", especially if they feel they've been shafted/abandoned by it.
Also, if you played/have played FFXI, you know that GM's are notorious for doing absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing. I mean hell, they can't even move your character if you get stuck sometimes without dying. That's another reason why this is such a slap in the face to me in particular. You're trying to tell me that a GM won't refund my money from an AH error, won't move my corpse when I get stuck or fall through a floor/wall, won't ban the known botters and MPKers on the servers, but they'll happily come and take my gil? That's crap, utter crap.
Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...
The thread was not about whether the policy was fair or whether the player had been abandoned it was about whether the GM was in the wrong. If the player appealled to Customer Support and the GM's decision was upheld then the GM did nothing wrong he was only enforcing policy. Which is what this entire thread was about. If the player didn't bother to complain about the GM and instead decided to publically whine about it then it is not much of a leap to suggest that the player was guilty of something - because otherwise why would you do that rather than simply getting the situation calmly resolved??
Which if you actually bother to think about it rather tells you that there is more to this than meets the eye.
A good wife deserves more than half the praise, just as a bad one deserves more than half the blame. - Tacitus
Just to clarify, this guy didn't post it on the forums, one of his LSmates originaly posted it on GameFAQS.com
I don't know what you're trying to say by there's more than meets the eye here. All I'm pointing out is that, if GM's won't help players when there's a problem, then why are they so willing to hurt them and inconvenience them? That's just ridiculous to me.
Waiting for something fresh to arrive on the MMO scene...
Let's remember that all in game items, characters and currency do not belong to the player (they can't they do not exist, they are not real, you only own the right to access their server when it is up. Since it is their stuff they can do whatever they like with it.
I'm glad to see that SquareEnix takes action against people who buy/sell out of game and/or hack peoples accounts.
Unfortunate that you lost something but since it wasn't technically yours to begin with they are not doing anything wrong.
It may just be that we are not seeing the whole story, we do not know that this was a trade, we know very little except what the OP has chosen to reveal.
Certainly not enough to make an informed judgement.
You obvioulsy never read the EULA which clearly states that all in game items and the characters belong to the publisher. You cannot 'own' them they do not exist.
If it were possible to own them:
a) The servers could never go down, nor be shut off completely as it would deny you access to your property.
b) They could not deny you access even if your subscription lapsed, you broke the rules etc.
c) They could never re-spec equipment as it would affect your property.
It is for this reason that IGE and other unofficial sellers of in game platinum and equipment lose so much money as people simply cancel their credit card payments after they deliver the goods in game and they cannot be taken to court.