The Nuclear Option

[Raptorblaze]

It is with great regret that we must announce our actions in response to Blizzard's entire lack of thought recently. Many of you may know of the "spawning" feature recently implemented by Blizzard. This feature was designed in such a way that it opened up a massive loophole in the way the game filters players from various custom maps. Specifically for our circumstances, it allows players to entirely bypass our ability to ban them from the map and has resulted in a massive increase in hackers ruining games. Doing this requires use of multiple Starcraft 2 Clients, and we have found no viable way of stopping it at the source. Due to this issue, henceforth all accounts with IDs from 1-S2-1-4950000 and up on NA, and 2-S2-1-4150000 and up on EU are banned, and must be specifically whitelisted before they can access the map.

Some of you may notice that a ban of this type is against the ToS for publishing maps on Battle.net. We know, and are hoping for a response from Blizzard so that we can actually have a discussion with them about the issue. Thus far we have been entirely ignored when voicing our concerns.

Let me be clear, there are only three options here: Blanket Ban, Blizzard fixing the problem, or shutting down SC2 Mafia.

Thank you,
Raptorblaze
Staff Supervisor
SC2Mafia.com

Finding your ID: There is a list displayed at the beginning of every mafia game prior to bans being activated, find your name and it's the number next to it in the format #-S2-#-########

Requesting a Whitelisting: https://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/forumd...-List-Requests

[J]

Well, holy shit. Looks like I came back for the first time in months at a crisis moment o.O

[AppleyNO]

If your ID falls on or after 4950000 NA/4150000 EU contact us as soon as possible so we can whitelist you.

[Titus]

Please edit Raptorblaze's post with instructions on how to find your ID.

[Slaol]

Open a game or replay. It is the number next to your name at the start. It is also next to your name at the end of the game.

[Titus]

I am aware of this. I was asking for the newbies. Thanks for the neg rep whoever did that.

[ika]

i feel like this should be stickied as well

[HerrZynisch]

i feel like this should be stickied as well

It's only really important until blizzard does/says something, but chances are it will explode very soon once the morning hits.

[ika]

It's only really important until blizzard does/says something, but chances are it will explode very soon once the morning hits.

its important for players that do want to play though with a new non-spawned account

[jebediah26]

Ban everyone?

Seems legit!

[RLVG]

If this message is seen, I seriously hope that Blizz will also take in consideration to all our other complaints that we've met in the Arcade.

[AppleyNO]

Ban everyone?

Seems legit!

Thats why its the Nuclear Option

[WHITE BOY SLIM AYO]

Raptor is such a boss.

Are accounts that are over 1-S2-1-4700000 NA and 2-S2-1-4150000 EU only spawning accounts? Or do they include newer accounts as well? I have a couple of SC2 accounts that I sometimes play mafia on. Newer accounts will first have to get unbanned before they can play the game? That sucks, hopefully Blizzard can do something about it.

EDIT: Just read and re-read IKA's post.

[Apocist]

This is going to make normal players pissed as well. It will be harder to start full games.

[WHITE BOY SLIM AYO]

Just curious, how are you attempting to contact Blizzard? Through their forums? Or their complaint option that they have on their website? Is it possible to call these guys and get a answer without them reiterating what you read on ToS?

I kinda have a feeling that it would be better if they ignored it, because I don't think they'll be very negotiable. Community wouldn't grow though.

[Raptorblaze]

To answer questions:
- It will ban any new accounts at all, we did some minor work to determine where the current new accounts were being generated.
- We attempted to contact Blizzard through the normal support channels, they referred us to the forums (apparently their support and development divisions are 100% seperated, and only the way to get ahold or notify the devs of the problem is via posting on the forums...WHAT?!) and our posts were ignored.
- @jebediah, we literally tried dozens of other methods before coming to this conclusion, it's been going on for over a month.
- @Titus I'll explain how to find IDs in an edit I guess, but that's not really the issue. We WANT people to complain to blizzard.
- There is absolutely no reliable way for us to tell starter accounts (the ones we actually want to ban) apart from any other account once they've been spawned in.
- If this does not work, we will shut down the map entirely. It will no longer be playable because there is absolutely no way for us to moderate the player base, and we have data that shows when moderation stops (i.e. we stop processing the reports) it causes a measured drop in play time.

[Raptorblaze]

Also stickying this is kind of pointless considering this is the news section and there is rarely more than one topic open at a time.

[Mugy]

Stickying makes it even less noticeable, as it's stuck up there with a bunch of really ancient threads.

[Voss]

what's the point of shutting it down? our forums will be fine, the good playerbase will drop out but the map will still be accessible.

[WHITE BOY SLIM AYO]

Damn, if this map gets shut down I'll officially retire from Starcraft.

My fingers have been hurting a lot lately whenever I play Starcraft 1v1 games, which is sad because I was so fucking passionate about the game and I use to be a Warcraft 3 pro-gamer. All of my nerd friends either play WoW or quit Starcraft to play LoL.

This map is like the only thing that is keeping me from uninstalling Starcraft and realizing my sad truth: that I will never be good at this game.

I guess I can try going outside.

[Nick]

Please post it in Blizzard forum instead.

[ika]

Please post it in Blizzard forum instead.

- We attempted to contact Blizzard through the normal support channels, they referred us to the forums (apparently their support and development divisions are 100% seperated, and only the way to get ahold or notify the devs of the problem is via posting on the forums...WHAT?!) and our posts were ignored.

they will notice soon enough and will have to deal with it

[Helz]

I would ask that some kind of 'official white list topic' be started with barney style guidelines on the report content..

[Raptorblaze]

I would ask that some kind of 'official white list topic' be started with barney style guidelines on the report content..

I'll make one in Mafia Disc for the time being

[Cryptonic]

I sent a PM, but might as well post it here for others, too.

After being approved for whitelist, how long before it takes affect on battle.net?

[creedkingsx]

I sent a PM, but might as well post it here for others, too.

After being approved for whitelist, how long before it takes affect on battle.net?

To my current assumption, the following update, which occurs about once a week.

[incrysis]

How can you get the ID if the game crashes too fast to get it?

[creedkingsx]

How can you get the ID if the game crashes too fast to get it?

It will provide a a replay that you can view it in. Further information can be found here: https://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/showth...2533-Whitelist

[incrysis]

Where do I post the replay to get on whitelist? other thread was closed

[Cryptonic]

Where do I post the replay to get on whitelist? other thread was closed

https://www.sc2mafia.com/forum/forumd...271-White-List

[creedkingsx]

Where do I post the replay to get on whitelist? other thread was closed

There will be a Post New Thread option on the bottom left. It's a red button

[Dr. Cheis]

So were it possible, your intention would be to disallow all starter edition accounts from playing the game? That seems to directly go against the purpose of starter edition accounts and spawning. A better solution, should Blizzard be willing to cooperate, would be to somehow identify the standard edition that parties with the starter edition account, so you can ban them both.

Also, can you provide a link to the SC2 forums where you made the post? I couldn't find it and would like to participate in the official discussion there.

[creedkingsx]

So were it possible, your intention would be to disallow all starter edition accounts from playing the game? That seems to directly go against the purpose of starter edition accounts and spawning. A better solution, should Blizzard be willing to cooperate, would be to somehow identify the standard edition that parties with the starter edition account, so you can ban them both.

Also, can you provide a link to the SC2 forums where you made the post? I couldn't find it and would like to participate in the official discussion there.

We would love for Blizzard to allow us a better solution.

[Raptorblaze]

So were it possible, your intention would be to disallow all starter edition accounts from playing the game? That seems to directly go against the purpose of starter edition accounts and spawning. A better solution, should Blizzard be willing to cooperate, would be to somehow identify the standard edition that parties with the starter edition account, so you can ban them both.

Also, can you provide a link to the SC2 forums where you made the post? I couldn't find it and would like to participate in the official discussion there.

The problem is that people can make AN INFINITE NUMBER OF STARTER ACCOUNTS. It is literally just as difficult to make a starter account as it is to make another smurf account on the site. And banning their mains don't matter. The problem is they can party a starter with their main, spawning it up to WoL or HotS, and then play on the starter when their main gets banned.

What blizzard needs to do is require starter accounts to be directly linked to a real SC2 account or something along those lines.

[Dr. Cheis]

As I understand it, starter accounts only have access to non-featured Arcade games while in a party with a retail account. If there were a method of detecting which retain account a starter account is Spawned with, then the two of them could be banned together. Making a new starter account wouldn't help because the retail account it tries to join with would be banned.

OFC this capability doesn't exist yet. But I would consider it an appropriate solution from Blizzard.


Also, link to battle.net forum post plz?

[Raptorblaze]

Here's one post I made in the location specified by blizz support with the information specified (neither me nor the support team wanted me to post HOW they were doing it to prevent spread)
https://us.battle.net/sc2/en/forum/topic/9377378124#1
Here's a post I made in the scripting section while we were trying to figure out how to ban starter players
https://us.battle.net/sc2/en/forum/topic/9377258048#1

There were also several phone conversations and ticket conversations when I was discussing it with support. Including getting one support team member in trouble because they closed the ticket and told me "We only handle World of Warcraft Issues, this is not the place for Star Craft 2 Issues" in the Blizzard ticket system in the Starcraft 2 section....

[Riogho]

OH SO THIS IS WHY I CANT GET A GAME TO START WITH MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE.

Yeah the hacked game 1/5th of the time was definitely worth it.

[Raptorblaze]

OH SO THIS IS WHY I CANT GET A GAME TO START WITH MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE.

Yeah the hacked game 1/5th of the time was definitely worth it.

Report to Blizzard. Only way this will get fixed.

[fighder]

When you said the whitelist will be updated weekly, which day will be that be? or is it random?

[Raptorblaze]

When you said the whitelist will be updated weekly, which day will be that be? or is it random?

I try to push for it on the weekends but it all depends on DR's personal schedule. We also might change precisely where the mass ban cut off point is so a lot of you may notice improvement soon.

[Raptorblaze]

The cut off for NA was raised. Less unintended people should experience the issue now.

[Helz]

I try to push for it on the weekends but it all depends on DR's personal schedule. We also might change precisely where the mass ban cut off point is so a lot of you may notice improvement soon.

Is there a way we can all get coordinated in pushing blizzard in this direction? I feel that if we work as a community and use our collective pull in a united effort we will have more luck.

I can say that I will push my 30 members as well as the other developers (And hopefully their communities) that I support to get on this bandwagon.

I think the worst thing we can do in this situation is be complacent and stick with 'OMFG blizzard' spams in this thread.

[Dr. Cheis]

Are you allowing starter accounts to be included in the whitelist if they appear to be legitimate non-hacking players?

[Raptorblaze]

Are you allowing starter accounts to be included in the whitelist if they appear to be legitimate non-hacking players?

No.

[Raptorblaze]

Is there a way we can all get coordinated in pushing blizzard in this direction? I feel that if we work as a community and use our collective pull in a united effort we will have more luck.

I can say that I will push my 30 members as well as the other developers (And hopefully their communities) that I support to get on this bandwagon.

I think the worst thing we can do in this situation is be complacent and stick with 'OMFG blizzard' spams in this thread.

Ideally DR should make the thread on the battle.net forums, but I'm open to other suggestions about organizing this.

[Helz]

I feel that we should emphasize the impact this has on our community and use our member base to push how many players this will affect. Lobbying players that are parts of other starcraft communities to push the agenda in their communities as well to make this an 'Arcade wide' issue instead of simply a 'mafia community' issue. Then unifying on a blizzard topic with simple posts from players showing that they support this and that they feel it is a significant issue for them.

We could further push the issue on a separate section for map developers expressing how this just takes power away from people that want to make good arcade games for SC. This way the feedback blizzard gets is both from existing community's as well as their potential for future communities.



Other option-
We could push to get blizzard to allow developers to request for their maps to not be allowed for players with that account type. (This makes it their problem)

[Admiral]

I feel that we should emphasize the impact this has on our community and use our member base to push how many players this will affect. Lobbying players that are parts of other starcraft communities to push the agenda in their communities as well to make this an 'Arcade wide' issue instead of simply a 'mafia community' issue. Then unifying on a blizzard topic with simple posts from players showing that they support this and that they feel it is a significant issue for them.

We could further push the issue on a separate section for map developers expressing how this just takes power away from people that want to make good arcade games for SC. This way the feedback blizzard gets is both from existing community's as well as their potential for future communities.



Other option-
We could push to get blizzard to allow developers to request for their maps to not be allowed for players with that account type. (This makes it their problem)

Just about everyone would opt for it, negating the purpose of the spawn.

[Raptorblaze]

Just about everyone would opt for it, negating the purpose of the spawn.

Spawning: Good concept, terrible implementation.

[Cryptonic]

We should just change platforms lol

[Voss]

We should just change platforms lol

yes.