The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/12/2007 09:04 AM CDT
Quick listing for this week (again, I know it's Monday and I like to do these Friday, but...)

Lockouts
30 Days
Scripting - 1

90 Days
PvP - 8

Termination
Terms of Service - 1


Warnings
Language - 3
Scripting - 8
PvP - 2
Puns - 2

What does that say? Well based on the 8/2 discrepancy in the PvP category, it says someone multi-accounts. Puns we've gone over (two GM's were warned for bad puns last week). Terms of Service has also been discussed and as said, can mean a lot of different things.

One last thing, as Solomon said, no speculating about who is what here. For one thing, you're likely to be incorrect, for a second, we can't discuss specifics here. We can't confirm or deny what people say about those, that could be viewed as a violation of our privacy rules, and while I know some minor things can slip out (sometimes the person getting pulled out of the game happens in a very noisy manner to show the other people in the area that we're taking action) there is a very wide line between that and saying "Bob got termed."

This is forewarning, taking guesses here about who the numbers are is against the boards rules, will get the posts pulled, can get the poster removed, and I will close down this topic. I'm doing this to give everyone some idea of what some of the behind the scenes things are. If that degenerates, it will stop. I think knowing things is good for everyone. I think taking potshots at people who can't defend themselves, don't know they need to come over here and do it, or that we can't respond to, is bad for everyone. It's that simple.

--Sanguious
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/12/2007 06:20 PM CDT
<<and I will close down this topic

Sounds good to me.


Sylvado

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect. M.T.
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/15/2007 09:07 AM CDT
>> I'm doing this to give everyone some idea of what some of the behind the scenes things are.

When you're taking someone up, do you ever mess with them? For example, back in the days of DOS and with the added versatility of ANSI.SYS, it made it very easy to...say...write a batch file that would execute once upon startup and make someone think that their hard drive was erasing itself (complete with null disk activity for added realism). Completely harmless, but enough to freak someone out for a minute.

So do you ever do things to screw with people a little? Because I think I would.

It's probably for the best that I don't have your job.

~player of Gulphphunger
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/15/2007 05:40 PM CDT
>>When you're taking someone up, do you ever mess with them?

They aren't allowed to. Though they may sometimes have the mechanical ability to do so, they cannot randomly take stuff off your character, they can't do silly shifts or other random changes to your character, they can't write you up for fake warnings (ie, excessive use of puns, pokemon, etc), they can't turn you into a frog/ghost/newt/goblin/etc, and they can't transport you to places just because (ie, into a jail cell or The Cell where policy-breakers go). I'd be inclined that they technically can't attach whimsical titles like they do during holiday hours or at special events (if they could, such would be done during normal hours on a much more frequent basis), and they for sure can't use busted AFK scripters for creative events:

1)attaching an arrow to one's eye such that other players see Such-and-so (an arrow in his eye) in the room info

2a)selling chances to "whack a zombie" to force stat/skill loss, rather than simply decreasing the stats directly or giving him a warning/lockout/termination notice

2b)using the zombie as a living mannequin as you auction off all his stuff to the highest bidder

J'Lo, no that other one
The Manipulation List -- http://symphaena.com/index.html
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/15/2007 05:57 PM CDT
>>they can't do silly shifts or other random changes to your character

Yes they can.

:\



Rev. Reene

You accept Syralon's offer and are now holding some holy oil.

Syralon says to you, "May the oil make you shiny and full of religion."
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/15/2007 06:07 PM CDT
You deserved getting hit with that ugly stick. ::snicker::


-Coralin

Coralin gestures at an Adan'f blood warrior.
An instant rush of black and blue fire explodes into being, consuming Coralin's outstretched limbs and turning them into ash!
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/15/2007 06:29 PM CDT
<I'd be inclined that they technically can't attach whimsical titles like they do during holiday hours or at special events>

one of my most enjoyable 2 hours was when i was hanging out in tgsw getting ready to throw tomatoes at somebody and then somebody came in and bit me. the others noticed it first and i looked and he was rabid and then suddenly i was. for the next two hours, we went around in packs barking like mad and biting folks making them rabid too. we all had all skills clear but it was real fun watching others get rabid as well. then the boss came in and we had to stop...

Rabid Wheller's group just arrived...


Druid Wheller Herbmaster, Con Artist of Elanthia


http://robertdell.dyndns.org/DR_Scripts/
click YASSE.dmg
http://sourceforge.net/projects/yasse/


P.S. no good deed goes un-punished!


When in doubt, reinvent the wheel!
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/15/2007 09:08 PM CDT
<<LOFTONM1's post>>

Everyone can please disregard practically everything stated in that post.

J'Lo...I'm not sure if you meant that post in jest, but if not, please do stop trying to answer questions when they're clearly directed towards a GM?

Thanks.

To actually answer the question, Gulph:

Warning and Lockout situations are generally not the time for games and party tricks. In other situations, be it a consult or even sometimes a caution, odd things have been known to happen, depending on the situation.

In general day-to-day situations? Within reason, other odd things have been known to happen.


Solomon


"Experience will come, it's not a race or anything. The ones who kill themselves to get to the finish are the ones who tire out quickly."

GM[Anti-ESP] Pormithius just killed Caelumia's ESP!
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/15/2007 09:12 PM CDT
>> In other situations, be it a consult or even sometimes a caution, odd things have been known to happen, depending on the situation.

Heh, even in warning and time-out situations I've had "odd things" happen.

I remember getting a warning and a 24 hour time-out from a GM (not sure if I can say which here) and after she passed down the sentence we just sat there chatting happily about miscellaneous stuff for about 10 minutes, then she moved me into the cell.

She knew me from playing somehow too, and I still don't know who she plays :(



Rev. Reene

You accept Syralon's offer and are now holding some holy oil.

Syralon says to you, "May the oil make you shiny and full of religion."
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/16/2007 02:02 AM CDT
<<<<<LOFTONM1's post>>

Everyone can please disregard practically everything stated in that post.>>>

And to think we've just recently had a discussion about ignores.

I at least now know one name thats not on Solomon's, and one name I am considering adding to my own.

That said, >>odd things have been known to happen, depending on the situation.<<

Anything, names-aside (or fake-names inserted) you're willing to share with the lighthearted ones among us Bubba?
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/16/2007 05:16 AM CDT
<<I at least now know one name thats not on Solomon's, and one name I am considering adding to my own.

Why?


Sylvado

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect. M.T.
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/17/2007 04:13 PM CDT
>Why?

>Sylvado

Here's another one Woody.
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/18/2007 11:16 AM CDT
>>Warning and Lockout situations are generally not the time for games and party tricks.

Yeah, in my heart I know this. I've just been in...a mood lately.

~player of Gulphphunger
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/19/2007 11:51 AM CDT
<<So do you ever do things to screw with people a little? Because I think I would.>>

No. I have had conversations with people in lockout on everything from how to change their scripts so they are less poorly designed (primarily eliminating loops, loops in scripts are bad) to good beers people have run into. But "screw with" them? Never. Part of what I do may involve some hoop jumping, but that's to make sure I am talking to the right person.

The truth on this is, anytime someone is dealing with me it is because they have been removed from the game, which is not a laughing matter. There may be circumstances dealing with the situation that are funny, but when it reaches the point that we exercise the famous "right to refuse service," that means things have taken a turn for the not so good. For those people who would like to make the effort to do what needs to be done to come back, they should have someone who will deal with that seriously.

Joking around is one thing. Joking around about your money isn't much of a joke.

--Sanguious
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/19/2007 02:33 PM CDT
>>(primarily eliminating loops, loops in scripts are bad)

As in getting caught or just in general? Aside from the stormfront memory leak I haven't found a problem with them.
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/19/2007 02:49 PM CDT
Well thank you for doing a thankless job, Sanguious. You're like the men in black of DR...or something..

-/\/\
Moon mage Daellid
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/19/2007 05:24 PM CDT
<<The truth on this is, anytime someone is dealing with me it is because they have been removed from the game, which is not a laughing matter.

Come on! There has to be exceptions, you could call it the Robocopolis clause.


Sylvado

Where would we be?

Jack: Bobby, I've had enough of Nikita, I'm ignoring him from now on!
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/20/2007 08:58 AM CDT
>>Loops in scripts are bad

>As in getting caught or just in general? Aside from the stormfront memory leak I haven't found a problem with them.

I think it's more from the angle of unintentional AFK scripting.

Say you fall asleep at the keys, your kid blows up your refrigerator, or any number of things that can pull you from the keyboard so unexpectedly that you don't even stop to hit ESC. If your script is a loop, you're much more likely to get popped for AFK scripting if you can't return to your computer right away, despite your best intentions.

Personally, I make each script repeat a small number of actions until the skill either mindlocks or the loop is repeated about 5 times (with each run through lasting about 30-40 seconds max). That way, even if I get pulled away from the keys, the longest my script will run is about 1-2.5 minutes. Is it a pain to keep typing ".idle?" Sure. But it makes me pay attention, even when I'm scripting on a ferry crossing or what have you.

Hope that helps,

~player of Gulphphunger
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/20/2007 02:19 PM CDT
If he's talking to people who are locked out, I'm gonna guess that they're playing TF, and AFK scripting won't matter.



Rev. Reene

"Who provides the opportunity to cultivate patience? Not our friends. Our enemies give us the most crucial chances to grow."
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/20/2007 03:29 PM CDT
>Say you fall asleep at the keys, your kid blows up your refrigerator,

Gulph, how do you blow up a fridge? They're basically bomb containment units.

>If he's talking to people who are locked out, I'm gonna guess that they're playing TF, and AFK scripting won't matter.

Uh, unless we have two different definitions of locked out (entirely possible), lockout = talking to people in the 'lockout' room.
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/20/2007 06:03 PM CDT
Locked out people can still play TF unless they really screw up and get banned from all instances.



Rev. Reene

"Who provides the opportunity to cultivate patience? Not our friends. Our enemies give us the most crucial chances to grow."
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/20/2007 08:37 PM CDT
>Gulph, how do you blow up a fridge?


Knowing Gulph, he'll find a way, believe me...

~Aleximarus
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/20/2007 09:04 PM CDT
* Your post here *

Gulph, how do you blow up a fridge?


Leftovers....



"Word on the street is, ya been lookin' out for the best interests of the Guild."
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 09:04 AM CDT
>>Gulph, how do you blow up a fridge?

It helps to understand that my life is a swirling vortex of weird, with me helplessly stuck in the middle. The impossible suddenly becomes not only possible, but probable. Unfortunately, it never happens in the way you'd expect, and rarely to good fortune (though equally rarely to very bad fortune, for whatever it's worth). To an outside observer, it may appear a sort of Unintentionally Dadaist Neutrality, were I to give it a name. Which I just did.

~player of Gulphphunger
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 04:01 PM CDT
>> Locked out people can still play TF unless they really screw up and get banned from all instances.

What do you have to do to get locked out of TF anyway? I almost don't want to know...


-/\/\
Moon mage Daellid
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 04:04 PM CDT
>>What do you have to do to get locked out of TF anyway? I almost don't want to know...

From what I've seen it involves giving your account information to someone who's been punted from all instances of the game for various reasons.
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 04:13 PM CDT
>>>What do you have to do to get locked out of TF anyway? I almost don't want to know...

Spamming the Chatter channel seems to work nicely also.


___________________________
Arilana stifles a giggle and pokes herself in the stomach. A belch like none you have ever heard, echoes across the land!
Arilana glances around the room and says, "Someone pull my finger."

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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 04:17 PM CDT
>>Spamming the Chatter channel seems to work nicely also.

Really? Locked out or killed?
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 04:20 PM CDT
>>>Spamming the Chatter channel seems to work nicely also.

>Really? Locked out or killed?

Unsure.


___________________________
Arilana stifles a giggle and pokes herself in the stomach. A belch like none you have ever heard, echoes across the land!
Arilana glances around the room and says, "Someone pull my finger."

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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 04:21 PM CDT
as does attacking or threatening to attack someones player in RL. particularly when that someone is on staff.



"Word on the street is, ya been lookin' out for the best interests of the Guild."
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 06:07 PM CDT
>> Really? Locked out or killed?

First one, then the other.

Order depends on how fast the GM gets to throwing you into the cell for being "clever" and writing a script that goes:

start:
pause .5
put chatt HAHA PWNZ U NUB
goto start

...and running it for the better part of an hour.



Rev. Reene

"Who provides the opportunity to cultivate patience? Not our friends. Our enemies give us the most crucial chances to grow."
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 07:13 PM CDT
Here are the answers to both of the major questions.

Why are loops bad? The answer is what Gulph said. You're running a script, fall asleep, forget about the pizza in the oven, start watching Lost instead of the game and get sucked in, have a child fall down half a flight of stairs, and suddenly you're gone for 15 minutes. That's more than enough time to get you in trouble. Eliminating loops is not 100% effective, but loops are 100% bad for that reason.

Question #2, how do you get locked out of TF? There are a couple of ways. Logging someone else in is a good one. I don't mean Bob and Dave share accounts, I mean Bob got hold of Dave's password and cleaned him out. That's called Malicious Unauthorized Access, and based on past case law, it's illegal under the 1987 Computer Security Act. It's not worthy of prosecution at the level we're talking about here, but it will get you tossed. A second way is false credit cards. For a third, I'll nominate repeatedly violating a lockout in prime. If you're in TF but can't stop causing problems in Prime, we'll remove you from TF too. It's not easy to do, but people find ways.

I'll be posting last week's numbers I hope tomorrow night, and try to get back on schedule Friday with this week's numbers.

--Sanguious
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/21/2007 09:41 PM CDT
>Here are the answers to both of the major questions.

What about mine? How do you splode a fridge?
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/22/2007 12:36 PM CDT
lots of black powder :-D

The Assassin in Plat


Dartenian exclaims, "More proof that some spells are overpowered. Nothing should be able to kill Naz!"
Dartenian exclaims, "Not even Naz!"
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Re: The Blotter: March 9, 2007 03/22/2007 10:43 PM CDT
I will note that it's pretty simple to build in exp/mindstate checks into your scripts so they end when you hit dazed/mind lock/whatever in the skill you're training.

It doesn't mean that you can't AFK script with them, but as they'll naturally cut off once they've done their thing, you're at much less risk of having them run for hours unintentionally. Instead you'll just have the script finish and then get booted for inactivity.


Syralon
Cleric of Ushnish
<Conskill> You're like an Empath, but with a drug dependancy.
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