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Unread 17 May 2004, 08:11   #1
Oghy
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 54
Oghy is an unknown quantity at this point
Massive scanning - rank #1 point of view

The facts as they are:

3 weeks ago we noticed that scanning gives subsequent more score then if one would buy ships. This has been hardcoded into the game, part of the game for 2 rounds now.
A scanner has won round 10, based on these exact facts.
Scanning is part of the game, Although its intention is to reward planets that scan, mass scanning on itself cannot be seen as a bug. Since its a simple feature in the game. You are allowed to launch fleets 100x, click on overview 100x , do cov-ops 100x and able to scan 100x.
I do not think anyone can dispute these facts. Scanning has been part of this game, how you use this feature is up to the player.

I myself have tested scanning to see how the server would handle this. It took it fine. I've did a couple tests where I did around 200-500 scans within minutes (no more then 2-5 scans a second, i myself never exceeded 2-3 scans/second).
On a side note: We did this without using any scripts what so ever. Anyone claiming scripts has been used by playmates galaxy is simply Wrong. There are several ways to do scan a lot, one would be to simply copy the shortcut from overview, put it in your URL box, and hit the GO button repeatly.
I stress out again: WE DID NOT USE SCRIPTS.
Anyone claiming otherwise is misinformed, jealous, lame or simply stupid.

As we did not want to alert other people of our knowledge, we decided to stockpile our resources. I myself have grown to 780,000,000 total resources.

We decided to start doing scans this weekend, apparantly other people had found out as well, as according to Spinner 20 people were doing mass scanning at the same time.
Apparantly the database and server could not handle this.
So Spinner and PA-team then suddenly after 2 rounds, decided that the quick way to deal with this problem was to simply change the feature of scanning and completely reduce the XP gain you can get from it. Changing a game value just like that.
Their reason for:
Quote:
Originally Posted by spinner
but, this is covered by the user-agreement
You may not take any action
which imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on
our infrastructure.
I would agree that a large load created by an individual could be deemed as abuse of the servers. But as my tests and that of my galmates has proven that each time we scanned, the servers were fine.
As EULA's go by exact wording, none of each of us did imposed an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on Planetarions infrastructure.
It was only when multiple people at the same time did this that the server had a problem coping.

These are all the facts.

3 weeks ago I saw my chance of #1 and i grabbed it. I started stockpiling, and i would be unbeatable. Since you cannot expect a game feature to be changed in game, as again it is not a bug, but a feature of PA (to gain score from scanning)... I became slightly inactive, did not bother to attack. We were sure this was a valid strategy, anyone could do it. It seemed to be a 100% success.
But then they decided it was abuse, removed the value you can from scans. And then, which is the worst part: Removed our XP gained from earlier scans. We used a valid tactic, not knowing that it caused harm, pa-team then decide to remove this tactic at the last minute with no more then 2 days left, basicly 'screwing us over twice', if you can forgive me the expression... As they then decided they needed to remove the resources and XP from planets involved as well.


So now PA has changed the value gained from score and took away my winning move...
Oh well, I guess after 8 rounds I should accept and realise that PA is not a fair game.
I can no longer accept these annoyances from PA and this is thus my last round.

-Yogibear

Retiring...
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