I get being upset at cheating and being upset at the delayed response, but taking down the Big Book just seems like a cranky five year old. It doesn’t hurt the cheater or the company, but rather the fellow players whose support the online rant was trying to win over to your side. Present the facts and hope justice wins out, without devaluing yourself with such a temper tantrum.
What you call a temper tantrum, I call leverage.
First and foremost, the Big Book site was Namer's to do as he pleases. If he wants to take it down, for whatever reason, that is his right.
Secondly, if the Book had stayed operational, do you think this would have gotten the traction it did? The main reason that so many people have been vocal about this issue is because losing the Book hurts. A few might have spoken up, but it would have most likely been swept under the rug otherwise.
I'm a player who used the Book often, and its loss has already impacted me. I could be selfish. I could have a similar perspective as you stated. Thinking about how it affects me personally. However, even though I'm not happy the Book is gone, I'm willing to trade that for a fair and level playing field.
If the Book had to be set on fire to illuminate this issue, and bring it to the forefront, so be it. If it means cheaters are dealt with, it's well worth the sacrifice.
To paraphrase a historical quote, "those who would give up essential honesty (a fair and level playing field in events), to purchase a little temporary convenience (the assistance the Book provided), deserve neither honesty nor convenience."
I'm a day 1 player who places high in events every time, so the cheating isn't affecting me directly. It doesn't matter. It's the principle of the matter.
"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth!"
"It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based, and if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to wear that uniform." — Jean-Luc Picard
The evidence has been provided, both publicly and to the Devs privately. If cheating is happening, and it appears clear that it is on some level or another, it needs to be dealt with. Swiftly and decisively.
At the end of the day, if this game is going to allow rampant cheating, I'm out. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. 🖖🏽
Greetings Captains, we're preparing official comms for all of you regarding this matter.
During this time of the year the entire team was off due to the holiday break, we hope you understand.
While discord enable us to create a faster flow of comms, we will not abandon our forums, since here is where we collect some of the richest feedback. We hope you understand, and that you have a great start of the year.
There are a lot of parallels here with the privacy issues from a few years back (i thought about playing forum necro, but meh).
Bigbook braintrust slid their property behind a plate glass window, over privacy concerns that were discovered by braintrust (maybe even namer?) it divided the community, with some people like webberoni saying “hey why should the players suffer?”
All players are already suffering. The greedy people running the game have been able to capitalize on player created resources and they were able to use it to extract even more money from the game while lying to everyones faces about it. After weeks and almost months of speculation about what tp would do about it, all that happened is two checkboxes were added to the game that required people to consent to what was going on already. Just read the room: they arent not some star trek timelines loyalist crew….they are just trying to make a living, at least in part, from a dying game.
They arent going to spend time, money, or any other resource to keep an eye on players who are cheating on events that happen on weekends. Its not going to happen, because if it COULD happen, maybe in one of the previous three years the devs might have thought about putting in some safeguards.
Instead, They will come forward and say that they know cheating can happen and they will rely on the community to present the evidence, for tp to weigh in on. Much like the privacy controversy, at the end of the day, nothing will be done to resolve player concerns. This is the way things are now.
So, just plan on sending a ticket if you see cheating, and someone will reply with “thank you for your concerns”.
For the record i am proud of namer for being brave enough to get the devs attention by using the only leverage that exists against them.
I get being upset at cheating and being upset at the delayed response, but taking down the Big Book just seems like a cranky five year old. It doesn’t hurt the cheater or the company, but rather the fellow players whose support the online rant was trying to win over to your side. Present the facts and hope justice wins out, without devaluing yourself with such a temper tantrum.
I miss the"look ahead" from the Big Book presenting upcoming Crew. And DataCore was very helpful for both FBB and clearing useless Inventory for me.
I personally feel like it affects the player base a lot more than it probably does the company. Since the company doesn't have anyone who actually plays the game, so they never use it.
But, at the end of the day, it is the work of the people doing it and totally their decision to stop, or to at least "hold" until the issue is properly addressed. And, I understand real-life issues were also affecting many of the contributing players.
Hopefully, the decision to shut down will one day be reversed. Whether it is or not, thank you to all the players who took time out of their lives to provide the tools.
"The truth is like a lion; you don't have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."
Greetings Captains, we're preparing official comms for all of you regarding this matter.
During this time of the year the entire team was off due to the holiday break, we hope you understand.
While discord enable us to create a faster flow of comms, we will not abandon our forums, since here is where we collect some of the richest feedback. We hope you understand, and that you have a great start of the year.
LLAP
The irony of not providing updates during a 96 hour PAY TO PLAY - CHEAT TO WIN Event due to staff time off is just adorable.
WRG - “hey, keep spending money and time and stay glued to those screens! If you want a high rank, you wont be able to take a break!”
For me the reality has already completely set in. Even if tp begins to “monitor” for cheating, they arent going to do anything except in the most egregious instances, and thats if they do anything at all.
That means that as the knowledge and awareness of the cheating strategy spreads, it will become a requirement to cheat in order to be competitive.
And what are you competing for at that point? Who can turn on the cheat macro first? Who can correctly answer the bot detector questions the fastest? Who can create a game code to just hand out wins and rewards before the event even starts?
What could tp do to stop people from “stealth” cheating? You know, people hovering at rank 50 or so?
Or how would they stop “casual” cheaters who just macro until they hit rank 750?
And if you are macro’ing every event to get your “rewards”, are they really rewards? Or just participation trophies?
I think we are at a major crossroads for the game and based on the number of people playing it along with TP’s other financial woes, the situation is not going to improve.
Greetings Captains, we're preparing official comms for all of you regarding this matter.
During this time of the year the entire team was off due to the holiday break, we hope you understand.
While discord enable us to create a faster flow of comms, we will not abandon our forums, since here is where we collect some of the richest feedback. We hope you understand, and that you have a great start of the year.
LLAP
The irony of not providing updates during a 96 hour PAY TO PLAY - CHEAT TO WIN Event due to staff time off is just adorable.
WRG - “hey, keep spending money and time and stay glued to those screens! If you want a high rank, you wont be able to take a break!”
For me the reality has already completely set in. Even if tp begins to “monitor” for cheating, they arent going to do anything except in the most egregious instances, and thats if they do anything at all.
That means that as the knowledge and awareness of the cheating strategy spreads, it will become a requirement to cheat in order to be competitive.
And what are you competing for at that point? Who can turn on the cheat macro first? Who can correctly answer the bot detector questions the fastest? Who can create a game code to just hand out wins and rewards before the event even starts?
What could tp do to stop people from “stealth” cheating? You know, people hovering at rank 50 or so?
Or how would they stop “casual” cheaters who just macro until they hit rank 750?
And if you are macro’ing every event to get your “rewards”, are they really rewards? Or just participation trophies?
I think we are at a major crossroads for the game and based on the number of people playing it along with TP’s other financial woes, the situation is not going to improve.
Greetings Captains, we're preparing official comms for all of you regarding this matter.
During this time of the year the entire team was off due to the holiday break, we hope you understand.
While discord enable us to create a faster flow of comms, we will not abandon our forums, since here is where we collect some of the richest feedback. We hope you understand, and that you have a great start of the year.
LLAP
The irony of not providing updates during a 96 hour PAY TO PLAY - CHEAT TO WIN Event due to staff time off is just adorable.
WRG - “hey, keep spending money and time and stay glued to those screens! If you want a high rank, you wont be able to take a break!”
For me the reality has already completely set in. Even if tp begins to “monitor” for cheating, they arent going to do anything except in the most egregious instances, and thats if they do anything at all.
That means that as the knowledge and awareness of the cheating strategy spreads, it will become a requirement to cheat in order to be competitive.
And what are you competing for at that point? Who can turn on the cheat macro first? Who can correctly answer the bot detector questions the fastest? Who can create a game code to just hand out wins and rewards before the event even starts?
What could tp do to stop people from “stealth” cheating? You know, people hovering at rank 50 or so?
Or how would they stop “casual” cheaters who just macro until they hit rank 750?
And if you are macro’ing every event to get your “rewards”, are they really rewards? Or just participation trophies?
I think we are at a major crossroads for the game and based on the number of people playing it along with TP’s other financial woes, the situation is not going to improve.
I hit top 750 pretty regularly now and I don't cheat. Not sure why you feel it is necessary to cheat to hit top 750.
"The truth is like a lion; you don't have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."
Greetings Captains, we're preparing official comms for all of you regarding this matter.
During this time of the year the entire team was off due to the holiday break, we hope you understand.
While discord enable us to create a faster flow of comms, we will not abandon our forums, since here is where we collect some of the richest feedback. We hope you understand, and that you have a great start of the year.
LLAP
I'm fully in favour of work/life balance, and understand you are real people behind these screens. You all deserve vacation/time off.
Having said that, running a 24/7 business like this and having no one monitoring things or on-call at all seems highly irresponsible.
There should have been someone on the bridge at all times. You don't leave the ship completely unmanned.
I can't think of any other real world operation that never closes, that would not have anyone available, for that length of time.
I get being upset at cheating and being upset at the delayed response, but taking down the Big Book just seems like a cranky five year old. It doesn’t hurt the cheater or the company, but rather the fellow players whose support the online rant was trying to win over to your side. Present the facts and hope justice wins out, without devaluing yourself with such a temper tantrum.
I miss the"look ahead" from the Big Book presenting upcoming Crew. And DataCore was very helpful for both FBB and clearing useless Inventory for me.
I personally feel like it affects the player base a lot more than it probably does the company. Since the company doesn't have anyone who actually plays the game, so they never use it.
But, at the end of the day, it is the work of the people doing it and totally their decision to stop, or to at least "hold" until the issue is properly addressed. And, I understand real-life issues were also affecting many of the contributing players.
Hopefully, the decision to shut down will one day be reversed. Whether it is or not, thank you to all the players who took time out of their lives to provide the tools.
Greetings Captains, we're preparing official comms for all of you regarding this matter.
During this time of the year the entire team was off due to the holiday break, we hope you understand.
While discord enable us to create a faster flow of comms, we will not abandon our forums, since here is where we collect some of the richest feedback. We hope you understand, and that you have a great start of the year.
LLAP
The irony of not providing updates during a 96 hour PAY TO PLAY - CHEAT TO WIN Event due to staff time off is just adorable.
WRG - “hey, keep spending money and time and stay glued to those screens! If you want a high rank, you wont be able to take a break!”
For me the reality has already completely set in. Even if tp begins to “monitor” for cheating, they arent going to do anything except in the most egregious instances, and thats if they do anything at all.
That means that as the knowledge and awareness of the cheating strategy spreads, it will become a requirement to cheat in order to be competitive.
And what are you competing for at that point? Who can turn on the cheat macro first? Who can correctly answer the bot detector questions the fastest? Who can create a game code to just hand out wins and rewards before the event even starts?
What could tp do to stop people from “stealth” cheating? You know, people hovering at rank 50 or so?
Or how would they stop “casual” cheaters who just macro until they hit rank 750?
And if you are macro’ing every event to get your “rewards”, are they really rewards? Or just participation trophies?
I think we are at a major crossroads for the game and based on the number of people playing it along with TP’s other financial woes, the situation is not going to improve.
I hit top 750 pretty regularly now and I don't cheat. Not sure why you feel it is necessary to cheat to hit top 750.
Well said, on both posts 👏🏼
I've never once cheated, and if I'm ever felt that was necessary to, especially in a game where there are no tangible, real life rewards, I would quit first. The implication that people have to be cheating to place is ridiculous.
I can get the gold crew every event with not a whole lot of effort. Recently, after starting with 10 points with two hours left, I was able to place in the top 1250 in a Galaxy. If I want two copies, I can do so with not much more effort.
Some of us still play with honour and achieve good results, and don't have to dedicate our weekend or cheat to do so. A victory without honour is an empty one.
Yup.
The promise of some later communication about this came early Friday. That they said “they are preparing” indicates something is coming soon. Where I am (East Coast US) it’s starting to get late in the work day that I’d expect something by the end of today at the latest but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I guess this indicates this isn’t a real issue for them or they just don’t know how to respond.
Yup.
The promise of some later communication about this came early Friday. That they said “they are preparing” indicates something is coming soon. Where I am (East Coast US) it’s starting to get late in the work day that I’d expect something by the end of today at the latest but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I guess this indicates this isn’t a real issue for them or they just don’t know how to respond.
It is now past the end of the business day in the EST zone, where I believe the Devs are based. There has now been nothing from them since we were promised a statement four days ago. Even a brief update would have been appreciated.
I'd be disappointed if I wasn't already expecting exactly this.
Yup.
The promise of some later communication about this came early Friday. That they said “they are preparing” indicates something is coming soon. Where I am (East Coast US) it’s starting to get late in the work day that I’d expect something by the end of today at the latest but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I guess this indicates this isn’t a real issue for them or they just don’t know how to respond.
It is now past the end of the business day in the EST zone, where I believe the Devs are based. There has now been nothing from them since we were promised a statement four days ago. Even a brief update would have been appreciated.
I'd be disappointed if I wasn't already expecting exactly this.
It's only been 2 work days and I have no doubt that any precedent-setting announcement involving cheating (breach of contract essentially) would need to be reviewed and approved by their legal team, especially if they are doing proper due-diligence and planning to actually take significant action. When it comes to PR and legal issues, you gotta give them a little more time before grabbing your pitchforks.
Yup.
The promise of some later communication about this came early Friday. That they said “they are preparing” indicates something is coming soon. Where I am (East Coast US) it’s starting to get late in the work day that I’d expect something by the end of today at the latest but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I guess this indicates this isn’t a real issue for them or they just don’t know how to respond.
It is now past the end of the business day in the EST zone, where I believe the Devs are based. There has now been nothing from them since we were promised a statement four days ago. Even a brief update would have been appreciated.
I'd be disappointed if I wasn't already expecting exactly this.
It's only been 2 work days and I have no doubt that any precedent-setting announcement involving cheating (breach of contract essentially) would need to be reviewed and approved by their legal team, especially if they are doing proper due-diligence and planning to actually take significant action. When it comes to PR and legal issues, you gotta give them a little more time before grabbing your pitchforks.
While you make valid points, basic communication with the players doesn't require a lawyer. Nor is this the first time they've gone radio silent on a big issue, seemingly hoping it would die down/go away.
Perception is reality.
If they want people to trust them, or give them the benefit of good faith, that has to be earned. And our trust has been broken too many times to do so anymore.
Yup.
The promise of some later communication about this came early Friday. That they said “they are preparing” indicates something is coming soon. Where I am (East Coast US) it’s starting to get late in the work day that I’d expect something by the end of today at the latest but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I guess this indicates this isn’t a real issue for them or they just don’t know how to respond.
It is now past the end of the business day in the EST zone, where I believe the Devs are based. There has now been nothing from them since we were promised a statement four days ago. Even a brief update would have been appreciated.
I'd be disappointed if I wasn't already expecting exactly this.
It's only been 2 work days and I have no doubt that any precedent-setting announcement involving cheating (breach of contract essentially) would need to be reviewed and approved by their legal team, especially if they are doing proper due-diligence and planning to actually take significant action. When it comes to PR and legal issues, you gotta give them a little more time before grabbing your pitchforks.
While you make valid points, basic communication with the players doesn't require a lawyer. Nor is this the first time they've gone radio silent on a big issue, seemingly hoping it would die down/go away.
Perception is reality.
If they want people to trust them, or give them the benefit of good faith, that has to be earned. And our trust has been broken too many times to do so anymore.
They did comment. They said an official statement was forthcoming. They may not be allowed to say anything more in the meantime, due to potential legal implications.
Yup.
The promise of some later communication about this came early Friday. That they said “they are preparing” indicates something is coming soon. Where I am (East Coast US) it’s starting to get late in the work day that I’d expect something by the end of today at the latest but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I guess this indicates this isn’t a real issue for them or they just don’t know how to respond.
It is now past the end of the business day in the EST zone, where I believe the Devs are based. There has now been nothing from them since we were promised a statement four days ago. Even a brief update would have been appreciated.
I'd be disappointed if I wasn't already expecting exactly this.
It's only been 2 work days and I have no doubt that any precedent-setting announcement involving cheating (breach of contract essentially) would need to be reviewed and approved by their legal team, especially if they are doing proper due-diligence and planning to actually take significant action. When it comes to PR and legal issues, you gotta give them a little more time before grabbing your pitchforks.
While you make valid points, basic communication with the players doesn't require a lawyer. Nor is this the first time they've gone radio silent on a big issue, seemingly hoping it would die down/go away.
Perception is reality.
If they want people to trust them, or give them the benefit of good faith, that has to be earned. And our trust has been broken too many times to do so anymore.
They did comment. They said an official statement was forthcoming. They may not be allowed to say anything more in the meantime, due to potential legal implications.
How hard would it be to say that? If that were the case, just say so.
Instead, silence gives the appearance of something to hide, or intention to sweep it under the rug. I'm sorry, but after years of giving them the benefit of the doubt, and looking foolish, I'm done.
Meanwhile in the dungeon… Kirk and McCoy contemplate life choices.
“A committee is a cul-de-sac, down which good ideas are lured and quietly strangled.” —Mark TwainMEMBER: [BoB] Barrel of Bloodwine... We are recruiting and putting the “curv” in scurvy! Best Event Finish: #3 Honor Debt: Inconceivable...Honor Bank Account: Slowly building...
I find it hard to believe that tp employees are under a gag order.
A cheating allegation is a pretty serious thing for a pay to play mobile game. At this point, i truly dont care what they have to say about it, because the writing is on the wall.
Appreciate you sharing that. Seems odd to me that it would not have been posted on this thread. Or, at the very least, shared the link here , like you did.
Most players would have never seen this if not for you, @~peregrine~ . It really shouldn't be a player bringing this to our attention.
Appreciate you sharing that. Seems odd to me that it would not have been posted on this thread. Or, at the very least, shared the link here , like you did.
Most players would have never seen this if not for you, @~peregrine~ . It really shouldn't be a player bringing this to our attention.
💯
"The truth is like a lion; you don't have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."
Appreciate you sharing that. Seems odd to me that it would not have been posted on this thread. Or, at the very least, shared the link here , like you did.
Most players would have never seen this if not for you, @~peregrine~ . It really shouldn't be a player bringing this to our attention.
For me, I think they should get credit for at least posting on the forum.
Hope everyone's looking forward to more frequent and more complicated bot checks in this week's skirmish! It might even take the macro users a day or so to adapt ...
Hope everyone's looking forward to more frequent and more complicated bot checks in this week's skirmish! It might even take the macro users a day or so to adapt ...
I sure am because I haven’t seen anything for awhile… and dishonest gameplay shouldn’t prosper (if proven). So, taking a few seconds out of my game play every so often to prove I’m human isn’t soul crushing. And if cheaters adapt, maybe TP should take that to heart as well.
“A committee is a cul-de-sac, down which good ideas are lured and quietly strangled.” —Mark TwainMEMBER: [BoB] Barrel of Bloodwine... We are recruiting and putting the “curv” in scurvy! Best Event Finish: #3 Honor Debt: Inconceivable...Honor Bank Account: Slowly building...
Hope everyone's looking forward to more frequent and more complicated bot checks in this week's skirmish! It might even take the macro users a day or so to adapt ...
I sure am because I haven’t seen anything for awhile… and dishonest gameplay shouldn’t prosper (if proven). So, taking a few seconds out of my game play every so often to prove I’m human isn’t soul crushing. And if cheaters adapt, maybe TP should take that to heart as well.
The answer just came in the TP discord page 👏🖖
Greetings <@&1199035359326130299>s,
We want to inform you about a recent decision taken to maintain a fair and enjoyable environment for all players. After thoroughly conducting an internal investigation, combined with team and player reports, we have identified a situation where a player was found using tools in a way that disrupted the competitive balance within our community and events.
As a result, we have issued a suspension of this player's account until further notice. This decision was not taken lightly and reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring fairness and integrity in gameplay, especially during the holiday season.
We want to emphasize that any attempts to exploit or undermine the integrity of the game will result in appropriate penalties, as outlined in our guidelines. This is essential to maintaining the standards of fairness and respect that define our community. Additionally, today we would like to share some updates to our anti-macro system have gone live today. These improvements are designed to strengthen our ability to detect and address actions that could compromise the competitive experience for others.
We deeply appreciate the support and vigilance of our community in helping us uphold these standards. If you have any further concerns or observations, please reach out to our Customer Support, Community Team, and Moderation.
Thank you for your understanding and continued dedication to making this community a fantastic place for everyone.
Best regards,
The answer just came in the TP discord page 👏🖖
Greetings <@&1199035359326130299>s,
We want to inform you about a recent decision taken to maintain a fair and enjoyable environment for all players. After thoroughly conducting an internal investigation, combined with team and player reports, we have identified a situation where a player was found using tools in a way that disrupted the competitive balance within our community and events.
As a result, we have issued a suspension of this player's account until further notice. This decision was not taken lightly and reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring fairness and integrity in gameplay, especially during the holiday season.
We want to emphasize that any attempts to exploit or undermine the integrity of the game will result in appropriate penalties, as outlined in our guidelines. This is essential to maintaining the standards of fairness and respect that define our community. Additionally, today we would like to share some updates to our anti-macro system have gone live today. These improvements are designed to strengthen our ability to detect and address actions that could compromise the competitive experience for others.
We deeply appreciate the support and vigilance of our community in helping us uphold these standards. If you have any further concerns or observations, please reach out to our Customer Support, Community Team, and Moderation.
Thank you for your understanding and continued dedication to making this community a fantastic place for everyone.
Best regards,
Team at Star Trek Timelines
LLAP
Once again, this shouldn't have to be posted here by a player. Thank you, @Tsunkatse Siete , but this is still hard to understand why they aren't posting on their official forum 😒
@STT Community , why aren't you not making these posts here or in-game?
I still feel like this doesn't go far enough. Cheating goes not just against fair play principles, but the very principles of Star Trek, on which this whole game is based on.
A potentially temporary suspension (until further notice) is unacceptable for blatantly cheating. A permanent ban should have been given. There should be zero tolerance of this kind of behaviour.
Also, there are several questions left unanswered, including:
● Who was the cheater? We can probably guess based on some of the accusations made, but multiple people were accused. The player should be named and shamed IMO.
● Were any other people found to be cheating or just the one? Were any others even investigated for cheating?
● Was the cheating happening during only one event (unlikely) or multiple? Which event(s) were found to be unfairly engaged in? Were any others investigated for similar issues?
● What is being done to ensure that there isn't a lapse in observation/oversight for a long period again? Holidays shouldn't be an excuse. What steps are being taken to prevent a similar situation from escalating like this one did?
If you want players to forgive, move on and accept this resolution, full and complete transparency is not just good protocol, but absolutely necessary. A lot of faith was lost and a lot of (justified) anger has been caused by this situation.
Not to mention that we lost the Big Book (possibly permanently) because this situation was allowed to happen.
I've been around a long time, but this incident is possibly the most damaging to the game yet. You've lost good players and resources that will probably never return.
The answer just came in the TP discord page 👏🖖
Greetings <@&1199035359326130299>s,
We want to inform you about a recent decision taken to maintain a fair and enjoyable environment for all players. After thoroughly conducting an internal investigation, combined with team and player reports, we have identified a situation where a player was found using tools in a way that disrupted the competitive balance within our community and events.
As a result, we have issued a suspension of this player's account until further notice. This decision was not taken lightly and reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring fairness and integrity in gameplay, especially during the holiday season.
We want to emphasize that any attempts to exploit or undermine the integrity of the game will result in appropriate penalties, as outlined in our guidelines. This is essential to maintaining the standards of fairness and respect that define our community. Additionally, today we would like to share some updates to our anti-macro system have gone live today. These improvements are designed to strengthen our ability to detect and address actions that could compromise the competitive experience for others.
We deeply appreciate the support and vigilance of our community in helping us uphold these standards. If you have any further concerns or observations, please reach out to our Customer Support, Community Team, and Moderation.
Thank you for your understanding and continued dedication to making this community a fantastic place for everyone.
Best regards,
Team at Star Trek Timelines
LLAP
Once again, this shouldn't have to be posted here by a player. Thank you, @Tsunkatse Siete , but this is still hard to understand why they aren't posting on their official forum 😒
@STT Community , why aren't you not making these posts here or in-game?
I still feel like this doesn't go far enough. Cheating goes not just against fair play principles, but the very principles of Star Trek, on which this whole game is based on.
A potentially temporary suspension (until further notice) is unacceptable for blatantly cheating. A permanent ban should have been given. There should be zero tolerance of this kind of behaviour.
Also, there are several questions left unanswered, including:
● Who was the cheater? We can probably guess based on some of the accusations made, but multiple people were accused. The player should be named and shamed IMO.
● Were any other people found to be cheating or just the one? Were any others even investigated for cheating?
● Was the cheating happening during only one event (unlikely) or multiple? Which event(s) were found to be unfairly engaged in? Were any others investigated for similar issues?
● What is being done to ensure that there isn't a lapse in observation/oversight for a long period again? Holidays shouldn't be an excuse. What steps are being taken to prevent a similar situation from escalating like this one did?
If you want players to forgive, move on and accept this resolution, full and complete transparency is not just good protocol, but absolutely necessary. A lot of faith was lost and a lot of (justified) anger has been caused by this situation.
Not to mention that we lost the Big Book (possibly permanently) because this situation was allowed to happen.
I've been around a long time, but this incident is possibly the most damaging to the game yet. You've lost good players and resources that will probably never return.
This is a good start, but far from enough.
I am glad to hear they suspended the account of someone found engaging in dishonest gameplay. I’m curious if that will be reflected in the final places for the event in question? While it would not necessarily impact everyone, for some players it might be a significant change (for example, anyone who fell short of a specific threshold). Will any individual found to have “cheated” be removed from the final leaderboards (some of which are still accessible by players).
Personally, I agree that a ban should be given instead of a suspension. There ought to be no place for dishonest gameplay in STT. Why a suspension? I think that can be answered with violating anyone’s privacy.
“A committee is a cul-de-sac, down which good ideas are lured and quietly strangled.” —Mark TwainMEMBER: [BoB] Barrel of Bloodwine... We are recruiting and putting the “curv” in scurvy! Best Event Finish: #3 Honor Debt: Inconceivable...Honor Bank Account: Slowly building...
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What you call a temper tantrum, I call leverage.
First and foremost, the Big Book site was Namer's to do as he pleases. If he wants to take it down, for whatever reason, that is his right.
Secondly, if the Book had stayed operational, do you think this would have gotten the traction it did? The main reason that so many people have been vocal about this issue is because losing the Book hurts. A few might have spoken up, but it would have most likely been swept under the rug otherwise.
I'm a player who used the Book often, and its loss has already impacted me. I could be selfish. I could have a similar perspective as you stated. Thinking about how it affects me personally. However, even though I'm not happy the Book is gone, I'm willing to trade that for a fair and level playing field.
If the Book had to be set on fire to illuminate this issue, and bring it to the forefront, so be it. If it means cheaters are dealt with, it's well worth the sacrifice.
To paraphrase a historical quote, "those who would give up essential honesty (a fair and level playing field in events), to purchase a little temporary convenience (the assistance the Book provided), deserve neither honesty nor convenience."
I'm a day 1 player who places high in events every time, so the cheating isn't affecting me directly. It doesn't matter. It's the principle of the matter.
"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth!"
"It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based, and if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to wear that uniform." — Jean-Luc Picard
The evidence has been provided, both publicly and to the Devs privately. If cheating is happening, and it appears clear that it is on some level or another, it needs to be dealt with. Swiftly and decisively.
At the end of the day, if this game is going to allow rampant cheating, I'm out. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. 🖖🏽
During this time of the year the entire team was off due to the holiday break, we hope you understand.
While discord enable us to create a faster flow of comms, we will not abandon our forums, since here is where we collect some of the richest feedback. We hope you understand, and that you have a great start of the year.
LLAP
Bigbook braintrust slid their property behind a plate glass window, over privacy concerns that were discovered by braintrust (maybe even namer?) it divided the community, with some people like webberoni saying “hey why should the players suffer?”
All players are already suffering. The greedy people running the game have been able to capitalize on player created resources and they were able to use it to extract even more money from the game while lying to everyones faces about it. After weeks and almost months of speculation about what tp would do about it, all that happened is two checkboxes were added to the game that required people to consent to what was going on already. Just read the room: they arent not some star trek timelines loyalist crew….they are just trying to make a living, at least in part, from a dying game.
They arent going to spend time, money, or any other resource to keep an eye on players who are cheating on events that happen on weekends. Its not going to happen, because if it COULD happen, maybe in one of the previous three years the devs might have thought about putting in some safeguards.
Instead, They will come forward and say that they know cheating can happen and they will rely on the community to present the evidence, for tp to weigh in on. Much like the privacy controversy, at the end of the day, nothing will be done to resolve player concerns. This is the way things are now.
So, just plan on sending a ticket if you see cheating, and someone will reply with “thank you for your concerns”.
For the record i am proud of namer for being brave enough to get the devs attention by using the only leverage that exists against them.
I miss the"look ahead" from the Big Book presenting upcoming Crew. And DataCore was very helpful for both FBB and clearing useless Inventory for me.
I personally feel like it affects the player base a lot more than it probably does the company. Since the company doesn't have anyone who actually plays the game, so they never use it.
But, at the end of the day, it is the work of the people doing it and totally their decision to stop, or to at least "hold" until the issue is properly addressed. And, I understand real-life issues were also affecting many of the contributing players.
Hopefully, the decision to shut down will one day be reversed. Whether it is or not, thank you to all the players who took time out of their lives to provide the tools.
The irony of not providing updates during a 96 hour PAY TO PLAY - CHEAT TO WIN Event due to staff time off is just adorable.
WRG - “hey, keep spending money and time and stay glued to those screens! If you want a high rank, you wont be able to take a break!”
For me the reality has already completely set in. Even if tp begins to “monitor” for cheating, they arent going to do anything except in the most egregious instances, and thats if they do anything at all.
That means that as the knowledge and awareness of the cheating strategy spreads, it will become a requirement to cheat in order to be competitive.
And what are you competing for at that point? Who can turn on the cheat macro first? Who can correctly answer the bot detector questions the fastest? Who can create a game code to just hand out wins and rewards before the event even starts?
What could tp do to stop people from “stealth” cheating? You know, people hovering at rank 50 or so?
Or how would they stop “casual” cheaters who just macro until they hit rank 750?
And if you are macro’ing every event to get your “rewards”, are they really rewards? Or just participation trophies?
I think we are at a major crossroads for the game and based on the number of people playing it along with TP’s other financial woes, the situation is not going to improve.
Are you Princess Uhura?
I hit top 750 pretty regularly now and I don't cheat. Not sure why you feel it is necessary to cheat to hit top 750.
I'm fully in favour of work/life balance, and understand you are real people behind these screens. You all deserve vacation/time off.
Having said that, running a 24/7 business like this and having no one monitoring things or on-call at all seems highly irresponsible.
There should have been someone on the bridge at all times. You don't leave the ship completely unmanned.
I can't think of any other real world operation that never closes, that would not have anyone available, for that length of time.
Well said, on both posts 👏🏼
I've never once cheated, and if I'm ever felt that was necessary to, especially in a game where there are no tangible, real life rewards, I would quit first. The implication that people have to be cheating to place is ridiculous.
I can get the gold crew every event with not a whole lot of effort. Recently, after starting with 10 points with two hours left, I was able to place in the top 1250 in a Galaxy. If I want two copies, I can do so with not much more effort.
Some of us still play with honour and achieve good results, and don't have to dedicate our weekend or cheat to do so. A victory without honour is an empty one.
Yup.
The promise of some later communication about this came early Friday. That they said “they are preparing” indicates something is coming soon. Where I am (East Coast US) it’s starting to get late in the work day that I’d expect something by the end of today at the latest but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I guess this indicates this isn’t a real issue for them or they just don’t know how to respond.
It is now past the end of the business day in the EST zone, where I believe the Devs are based. There has now been nothing from them since we were promised a statement four days ago. Even a brief update would have been appreciated.
I'd be disappointed if I wasn't already expecting exactly this.
It's only been 2 work days and I have no doubt that any precedent-setting announcement involving cheating (breach of contract essentially) would need to be reviewed and approved by their legal team, especially if they are doing proper due-diligence and planning to actually take significant action. When it comes to PR and legal issues, you gotta give them a little more time before grabbing your pitchforks.
While you make valid points, basic communication with the players doesn't require a lawyer. Nor is this the first time they've gone radio silent on a big issue, seemingly hoping it would die down/go away.
Perception is reality.
If they want people to trust them, or give them the benefit of good faith, that has to be earned. And our trust has been broken too many times to do so anymore.
They did comment. They said an official statement was forthcoming. They may not be allowed to say anything more in the meantime, due to potential legal implications.
How hard would it be to say that? If that were the case, just say so.
Instead, silence gives the appearance of something to hide, or intention to sweep it under the rug. I'm sorry, but after years of giving them the benefit of the doubt, and looking foolish, I'm done.
They have no one to blame but themselves.
{Removes glasses al a Horatio Caine}
Fashionably Late.
🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠
Meanwhile in the dungeon… Kirk and McCoy contemplate life choices.
A cheating allegation is a pretty serious thing for a pay to play mobile game. At this point, i truly dont care what they have to say about it, because the writing is on the wall.
“…..let the silence say whats not aloud”
https://forum.wickedrealmgames.com/stt/discussion/21611/players-concerns-and-the-path-moving-forward
Appreciate you sharing that. Seems odd to me that it would not have been posted on this thread. Or, at the very least, shared the link here , like you did.
Most players would have never seen this if not for you, @~peregrine~ . It really shouldn't be a player bringing this to our attention.
💯
For me, I think they should get credit for at least posting on the forum.
I sure am because I haven’t seen anything for awhile… and dishonest gameplay shouldn’t prosper (if proven). So, taking a few seconds out of my game play every so often to prove I’m human isn’t soul crushing. And if cheaters adapt, maybe TP should take that to heart as well.
co-sign
Greetings <@&1199035359326130299>s,
We want to inform you about a recent decision taken to maintain a fair and enjoyable environment for all players. After thoroughly conducting an internal investigation, combined with team and player reports, we have identified a situation where a player was found using tools in a way that disrupted the competitive balance within our community and events.
As a result, we have issued a suspension of this player's account until further notice. This decision was not taken lightly and reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring fairness and integrity in gameplay, especially during the holiday season.
We want to emphasize that any attempts to exploit or undermine the integrity of the game will result in appropriate penalties, as outlined in our guidelines. This is essential to maintaining the standards of fairness and respect that define our community. Additionally, today we would like to share some updates to our anti-macro system have gone live today. These improvements are designed to strengthen our ability to detect and address actions that could compromise the competitive experience for others.
We deeply appreciate the support and vigilance of our community in helping us uphold these standards. If you have any further concerns or observations, please reach out to our Customer Support, Community Team, and Moderation.
Thank you for your understanding and continued dedication to making this community a fantastic place for everyone.
Best regards,
Team at Star Trek Timelines
LLAP
They ban for ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
Once again, this shouldn't have to be posted here by a player. Thank you, @Tsunkatse Siete , but this is still hard to understand why they aren't posting on their official forum 😒
@STT Community , why aren't you not making these posts here or in-game?
I still feel like this doesn't go far enough. Cheating goes not just against fair play principles, but the very principles of Star Trek, on which this whole game is based on.
A potentially temporary suspension (until further notice) is unacceptable for blatantly cheating. A permanent ban should have been given. There should be zero tolerance of this kind of behaviour.
Also, there are several questions left unanswered, including:
● Who was the cheater? We can probably guess based on some of the accusations made, but multiple people were accused. The player should be named and shamed IMO.
● Were any other people found to be cheating or just the one? Were any others even investigated for cheating?
● Was the cheating happening during only one event (unlikely) or multiple? Which event(s) were found to be unfairly engaged in? Were any others investigated for similar issues?
● What is being done to ensure that there isn't a lapse in observation/oversight for a long period again? Holidays shouldn't be an excuse. What steps are being taken to prevent a similar situation from escalating like this one did?
If you want players to forgive, move on and accept this resolution, full and complete transparency is not just good protocol, but absolutely necessary. A lot of faith was lost and a lot of (justified) anger has been caused by this situation.
Not to mention that we lost the Big Book (possibly permanently) because this situation was allowed to happen.
I've been around a long time, but this incident is possibly the most damaging to the game yet. You've lost good players and resources that will probably never return.
This is a good start, but far from enough.
I am glad to hear they suspended the account of someone found engaging in dishonest gameplay. I’m curious if that will be reflected in the final places for the event in question? While it would not necessarily impact everyone, for some players it might be a significant change (for example, anyone who fell short of a specific threshold). Will any individual found to have “cheated” be removed from the final leaderboards (some of which are still accessible by players).
Personally, I agree that a ban should be given instead of a suspension. There ought to be no place for dishonest gameplay in STT. Why a suspension? I think that can be answered with violating anyone’s privacy.