Guild Wars 2

Can Anet make all 2nd accounts from people on same server? It gets ridiculous that people make a 2nd account just to pull tactivators before an assault on enemy keep. This literally cost other people money now through the scribing system. Keeps get taken because the tactivators are used by someone who fights for other team and has a 2nd account on the enemy server.

Putting tactivators off public often works against a good defense.

I am not sure they can do anything, unless you have video proof of abuse by the same individual time and time again?

But for now that is part of the tactics some are using…..

Malerian.8435:

I am not sure they can do anything, unless you have video proof of abuse by the same individual time and time again?

But for now that is part of the tactics some are using…..

Its not tactics,its plain cheating.
And the enemy commander should be the one the blame gets pinned on.

It’s not always the enemy commander’s fault.
It could be someone acting on their own.

The only thing you can do is make it so that only guild members of the guild holding the tower/keep can use the tactivators.
But this of course requires a member of the guild to be present to use it. Otherwise it’s useless.

You can report the players but we all now know how much Anet cares about players who do this.
And let’s not forget its free to play now, and yes you do first need to get to level 60 first, but the original GW2 game is pretty cheap now.
So you can spend months reporting the players, and there is a very small, minute chance one day a GM will ban them. Only for them to buy another copy of the game within minute to start the whole thing all over again!

Spies are now part of the game, nothing we or anet can do about it really.
If it bothers you that much, buy a second account, go to that enemy’s server and pull all their tactivators.

The spy talk seems ramp up when I log onto my second and third acct despite the fact atleast 1 has yet to be in the same match as my main.

If people are going to spy, they don’t need a second acct to do so and long before there were tactivators or free accts there were spies.

Now, some like myself have legitimate alt accts purchased back in the day when either your storage or your tier sucked and you as a player needed something more. While storage has gotten better, tiers have gotten smaller and oftentimes so lopsided and qued that it’s nice to have another acct to fall back on. But labeling everyone with alts as spies is just wrong.

My suggestion is to have commander confirmation of tactics being pulled. No commanders then X players on the map have to confirm. The confirmation window would be off to the side and optionally turned off in settings for those that don’t want to see it.

Or make it that tactivators only can be pulled when object is contested. Still can cause abuse but it is mor elikely to be noticed since an contested object draws attention of defenders.
Culprit is more likely to be caught but I still stand behind my initial idea that alt accounts should be on same server. When just used as bank or storage that should be no problem.

Guilds currently control the tactivators as public/private no?

Make them private, then if they get pulled, you can narrow down the troll

The contested idea is good for certain tactics like EWP/chilling fog/invuln fortifications/airship defence. While it won’t completely stop trolls, it would at least force them to use it during a time that could still make it beneficial to your side, thus possibly discouraging them. Also add the "x player has pulled x tactic, with a toggle option in case you really don’t care.

Dhonti.5162:

Can Anet make all 2nd accounts from people on same server? It gets ridiculous that people make a 2nd account just to pull tactivators before an assault on enemy keep. This literally cost other people money now through the scribing system. Keeps get taken because the tactivators are used by someone who fights for other team and has a 2nd account on the enemy server.

Putting tactivators off public often works against a good defense.

I think those of us that play frequently feel your pain. While some of the suggestions leaving it to commander input/confirmation, could be trolled as well, as someone could pop a tag, and pull it, then drop the tag.

If you mean the commander of the guild that placed it, then making the tactivation private would accomplish it.

But as far as limiting ALTs? There is no meaningful way to accomplish it. IP? Changed easily. Many networks use multiple.

Range IP? Well, then what about your college students from the same campus? Likely the same IP range…

And if I am creating an ALT to cause trouble, you can be sure I am not going to tell people or ANET I am doing it if it means they will be confined to the same server.

It’s frustrating, but something that I am afraid we have to deal with.

Lahmia.2193:

The contested idea is good for certain tactics like EWP/chilling fog/invuln fortifications/airship defence. While it won’t completely stop trolls, it would at least force them to use it during a time that could still make it beneficial to your side, thus possibly discouraging them. Also add the "x player has pulled x tactic, with a toggle option in case you really don’t care.

Truly though? If the person is a troll, they’ll enjoy the attention. We see it all the time.

may not work 100% since many alts were bought @ 9.99 before F2P, but limit access so F2P cannot activate tactivators. If a troll really wants to spend actual money to upgrade an account, well they paid for the game……

To the OP.
1) Anet has no idea if 2 accounts are the same actual owner.
2) There are many like me with alt accounts on different servers for match-up relief. If your main is stuck in a bad match, play the other account for the week. Oddly enough, I am in the same match 3 weeks running now (will be 4) with both accounts.
3) Most of us are mature enough to not troll (except maybe guildies in a friendly way) or spy

Screenshot or video griefing and report it. Anet can’t do alot otherwise.

It is really frustrating that a few people will make another account on a server to tag watch, waste supply and tactics so that their main server can take an objective, especially if you are the scribe that made the upgrade which aren’t cheap to make. It does ruin defence. But I have my alts on different servers so that I can get decent play whatever the matchup so I don’t want my alt accounts all on the same server.

It could be better solved by removing tactics all together.

Strider Pj.2193:

Lahmia.2193:

The contested idea is good for certain tactics like EWP/chilling fog/invuln fortifications/airship defence. While it won’t completely stop trolls, it would at least force them to use it during a time that could still make it beneficial to your side, thus possibly discouraging them. Also add the "x player has pulled x tactic, with a toggle option in case you really don’t care.

Truly though? If the person is a troll, they’ll enjoy the attention. We see it all the time.

Ok maybe not that but the contest is still on the table.

Contest doesn’t solve anything, the pulling of tactics when a keep is contested cos enemy is on outer is still a complete waste and an advantage to the attacking server cos there is nothing to use on the more important inner or Lord’s Room.

“x player pulled the x tactic” would then provide anet with some tracking info to do something about griefers.

Shazmataz.1423:

Contest doesn’t solve anything, the pulling of tactics when a keep is contested cos enemy is on outer is still a complete waste and an advantage to the attacking server cos there is nothing to use on the more important inner or Lord’s Room.

“x player pulled the x tactic” would then provide anet with some tracking info to do something about griefers.

As I said, it’s not going to stop them completely but its a start. And as for removing tactics, that’s just a terrible idea. Trolls are pretty bad but not that bad. I’ve had plenty of well timed EWP’s these past few weeks, that far outweigh the times we’ve needed an EWP but couldn’t use because of a troll pull.

It would revert back to the old days when the wp would come out of contested on a timer…but agreed the EWP is the nicest of the tactics for bag delivery.

• [Player](hovermouse_for_id/report_options) has pulled [Tactivator] @[Location]

Options: add to enable/disable from chat view.

To narrow culprits Anet can track alt accounts via ip/mac address. There are still ways around this but it will suffice to track down most. Then cut down all the pips on every account XD it will definitely discourage the behaviour unless they don’t care for pips :o then they need some other punishment like not being able to pull another tactic for xx_weeks if they are flagged. I think that seems fair enough, it doesn’t really affect normal players with alt accounts and only punishes those are are flagged from being reported. Additionally players may appeal to get released from flag if they are a newbie, but chances are they probably won’t learn about tactivators until they understand/need it.

it’s definitely cheating and dirty. But this is the kind of abuse that is hard to catch. I doubt Anet is going to constant track individual ips to see who are these trolls.

Could also apply a WvW level condition to pulling tactivators. Would solve the problem and might create some news ones but it would solve the troll account problem.

DemonSeed.3528:

• [Player](hovermouse_for_id/report_options) has pulled [Tactivator] @[Location]

Options: add to enable/disable from chat view.

To narrow culprits Anet can track alt accounts via ip/mac address. There are still ways around this but it will suffice to track down most. Then cut down all the pips on every account XD it will definitely discourage the behaviour unless they don’t care for pips :o then they need some other punishment like not being able to pull another tactic for xx_weeks if they are flagged. I think that seems fair enough, it doesn’t really affect normal players with alt accounts and only punishes those are are flagged from being reported. Additionally players may appeal to get released from flag if they are a newbie, but chances are they probably won’t learn about tactivators until they understand/need it.

Best idea i have seen so far. Give a message who is pulling the tactivator. At first alot of people didnt know what it was but nowadays it’s trolls and spies simply disrupting the game intentionally.

The only fair prevention method you can have really is already in place. Locking tactics for guild use only. It has its drawbacks, but there is nothing you can really do about alt accounts aside from catching the individuals doing it.

grave of hearts.7830:

Malerian.8435:

I am not sure they can do anything, unless you have video proof of abuse by the same individual time and time again?

But for now that is part of the tactics some are using…..

Its not tactics,its plain cheating.
And the enemy commander should be the one the blame gets pinned on.

All is not fair in War. If you really do not want people pulling tactics have it set to guild members only….

Guild members only is a kittenty option though. None is around 24/7 and turning it back public when everyone goes off can be forgotten or means the trolls/spies can do it again.

Dopamine.7502:

Guild members only is a kittenty option though. None is around 24/7 and turning it back public when everyone goes off can be forgotten or means the trolls/spies can do it again.

Then offer a suggestion that is better that is fair for everyone.

This topic was discussed in enormous detail long ago, back when ANet were actively gathering ideas for WvW on these forums. All these suggestions and many more were considered by ANet and rejected. You can find the thread still buried here somewhere, I’m sure.

The conclusion was that every solution was potentially more problematic than the problem itself so nothing was going to change.

As for IP bans or confining all alt accounts to a single server that’s like using a cruise missile to kill a wasp. Not going to happen.

The best thing you can do is to video the saboteur in action (getting them on film repeatedly jumping golems off a cliff is quite a convincing piece of evidence – pulling a tactivator is harder to contextualize) and submit the file with a Report. That might get investigated and acted upon. Maybe.

• Player needs to be on the Server for 3 Months
• Player needs WvW Level 150+
• Keep & Stone Mist tactivators can only be activated when under attack

Wouldnt make sense for invulnerable dolyak to only be useable while the camp is under attack though for example
so that rule should really only apply to Keep & SM Tactivators

Just so you know also.. the people that pull the tacts also burn supply. We had a guy last week from BG on YB in EB and he was not only pulling the tacts, but stayed on at least 18 hours a day burning supply from the keep building trebs under the huts but his guild name was blatantly daring ANET to ban him… It was [YB] No Supply No Siege. Anet will not do anything about these trolls as they are playing on a second account, they are following the rules of the game on that account etc… the only thing you can do is report them and HOPE that anet changes its mind and actually cares about wvw for once.

Orangensaft.7139:

• Player needs to be on the Server for 3 Months
• Player needs WvW Level 150+
• Keep & Stone Mist tactivators can only be activated when under attack

Wouldnt make sense for invulnerable dolyak to only be useable while the camp is under attack though for example
so that rule should really only apply to Keep & SM Tactivators

Another good idea.

Putting a delay on pulling supply based on WvW level would also be a help. For example players under level 100 get two supply pulls afterwards they are put on a 30s time out.

This will cause some issues but it solves more than it creates.

pulling tactivators give you +5 pips.

Have it show who pulled the tactivator last. Allow guilds to have a block list for tactivators. The community will shame and block these people and take care of it themselves.

Simple solution, Arenanet.

During 1 linking, there was a player that would pull the ebg keep tacts, they did it every night around 9pm my time, went to OS then came back 20 mins later and pulled them again. The third night I cared enough to hit record and wait by the tacs seemingly afk for him. He approached right on schedule and pulled them all. Before he grabbed supply and headed to OS I said in local chat “got that on camera smile”. I never saw that player again.

Even though I never sent the footage to anyone, just telling him he was being watched sent a message and that’s about the only defense right now.

But, being that a tactivator on cool down only seems to bother people when it’s absolutely beneficial to deterring a disasterous situation that is unfolding is also a problem. Most players simply don’t care that a tactivator has been pulled or what it may mean.

Still, there should be some sort of marker denoting who pulled them and cool down timers should be viewable across maps.

Simple fix, remove tactivators = problems solved.

And how will you seperate the cheaters, from the “simply noobish” people who just activate it at the wrong times

Amaimon.7823:

And how will you seperate the cheaters, from the “simply noobish” people who just activate it at the wrong times

Exactly. Although one is malicious and the other is not, an EWP being pulled when the enemy zerg is sat there waiting to bomb is worse than a troll pull.

Think of how exciting and vital spies would become in another wvw tournament. Let the fun begin!

tactivators are an issue but imo not as much as alt account users who are also commanders who have been using alt accounts to spy and gain the advantage it gives them. Last week alone a certain VERY well known commander on another server (cant say which) was at it 100% of the time. We’d go one way to bait them creating swords on one tower etc and port out to hit the real target. However it failed to work since he was using his alt account the knew the plan in advance and was already waiting with 40 man zerg for us. We’d do golem rushes only for him to pick that exact moment to hit our T3. So we’d pull off that objective and port home to defend, the SECOND the tag ported home their zerg/com pulls off and runs away before he could have known we were back. At least not knowing in any legit way. Over the years this has happened 1000s of times with this commander alone.

He’s well known for alt account exploiting and has openly admitted it away from gw2 in voice comms etc. With free to play more and more people are using alt accounts to spy and cheat and seems not a single person has ever been banned for this even though this falls under exploiting.

My question to anet would be are there any plans to address this issue at all?

I asked one dev about this in game (rare to see them in wvw) and he basically said “It’s complicated”. So because its complicated does that mean nothing is done about it at all?

If someone owns two accounts and they registered them in their own names then anet can link the accounts together. If they’re on different servers and both accounts used at the same time in wvw then there will be ways to restrict those users, and stop them using more than one of their accounts at a time. Of course there will always be workarounds where people setup free accounts not linked to the same name. address, ip address etc. But at least it would be a start to reduce the exploiting going on.

I have 10 accounts and I have no problem with only being able to play one at a time. I cant see any legit reason why someone who owns more than one account to be logged into more than one at a time (other than to mail over things to other account) and even that can be worked around by using personal guild bank and putting money/items in that instead of mailing them.

Please address this issue ASAP you have had YEARS already to address this critical issue that as i type this is being exploiting in T1 and I’m sure across the board.

in other games that have 2 accs cheatings, their simply target a player that have a report + IP check. In the good old Gunbound thei caught ppl cheating with alt account in this way;

what they could do, is simples hav a log of accounts id+ip that pull activators. once they receive reports of abuse, in certain date-time, they check if theres another account with same ip online.

Another way is block activators from free pull to only guild members pull. Then people will care more about what guild has claim over some objetive.

ugrakarma.9416:

Another way is block activators from free pull to only guild members pull. Then people will care more about what guild has claim over some objetive.

Then, there would be less cross guild tactics placed. I won’t put a tactic in, if some other guild is the one who controls it. Wouldn’t have a problem with several guilds, but some? Not so much.