IDOC Monopoly

firec

The answer to just to to somewhere else is absolutely not a solution. All shards are clearly not created equally. My main characters were on Atlantic when I first played, and since I do not have the vet rewards to move them around, they will likely stay there. I have an alt on siege I play when I'm feeling frisky, and I enjoy that.

The other thing I would like to add, everyone plays ultima online for different reasons and has different goals. Personally, I get a ton of enjoyment out of running a shop of vendors. I don't really care too much about crafting, min maxing a build, adventuring, any of it. What really gets me excited is keeping all my vendors stocked and organized. When I login, the first thing I always do is check my vendors, then go by and collect all my gold. And if I see something is out of stock or empty.... Ahhh. Perfection. I now know what my goal is for the day, what I'm going to work on next.

Because that's what I like, because that's what I play, then truly Atlantic is the best shard for me... So moving is not solution, no.

In addition ... I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say that I'm not trying to stop RMT by any means. I might even say I support them. I personally in my 20+ year relationship with MMOs have never used them. But I can understand their utility, especially in a game like this that is truly so market driven. The people that are running the RMT are playing the game their way. There was a guy I met not too long ago who was selling items in game to sell gold to an RMT to send his kid through college. To me, I think that's incredible, the ability to hoard pixels like a dragon for decades and then to turn it into something tangible that will have a direct impact on your families life.

That's a positive example

The reality of the situation though becomes tainted when greed gets involved, and the desire to cheat arises. If these items are acquired through methods that are not supported or available to all users, then something needs to change. It's ruining the game for many, and it should be fixed.

In addition to the impact this has on the game, I'd also like to mention the legal ramifications this could present for Broadsword and EA. EA, Blizzard, ncsoft, and many other gaming companies have been sued successfully recently over micro transactions and subscriptions that do not provide equal ability to all users. While I realize that these problems in UO have been going on for decades, the courts are now starting to rule in favor of customers who have been taken advantage of. And while I know people will say that they're protected by their terms of service, I'll just say that those other cases (literally other EA games), the terms of service did to protect them.

This however, would absolutely not be a solution. Because if a lawsuit did arise, that would be the definite end to UO.

Whitewolf

Feigr said:

I mean, to be fair here, I've never had trouble finding someone willing to move stuff for me on Chessy.  One pretty well known PVPer that regularly kills me and loots stuff still did it for me honestly once.

I don't like to use the "Ask someone" and it makes my skin crawl, but I waffle back and forth on that issue.  People will really help you if you ask and transfers have always been a premium thing.

I do waffle on the issue though.  Not a couple hours ago I mentioned that FFXIV lets you move around for free.

they will never do that, they make to much money on the tokens, one of the reason im convinced raresfest is almost always held on a low pop server, same with their event they do on origin, its to make people buy transfer tokens, another reason why they will never shard bound EM drops.

Feigr

firec said:

The answer to just to to somewhere else is absolutely not a solution. All shards are clearly not created equally.

They would be if it were more evenly distributed. 

And we may all have different goals that change constantly.  I think it's pretty safe to say everyone wants housing and at least a fair shake at the biggest.

shootgun

I think first step towards solution goes by @Kyronix @Mesanna @Mesanna1 to accept that there is a problem. Unless they start listening to us there is nothing that can be done. (Unless somenone reveals the exploit he is using, so we all start using it to even the playing field)

username

shootgun said:

I think first step towards solution goes by @ Kyronix @ Mesanna @ Mesanna1 to accept that there is a problem.

That's probably a huge hurdle. I doubt they'd ever admit even to themselves that there is a problem. Seems to be one of the biggest issues with the team and we see this at meet and greets when people bring up issues that are serious (like this) and get dismissed. Seems to mirror some of these users on the forum with the head-in-sand approach.

Again, I don't have any skin in the game as I'm permanently out of the housing market, but is anyone actually against some sort of raffle system? Like, aren't players almost unanimously for a raffle system OR just change in general? Crazy.

Grimbeard

Let's say bad player XX has 25 active account and emails Mesanna with them saying everything is OK this easily drowns out the few voices here toss in the sugar trolling posters handing out koolaid and nothing will ever change 

shootgun

Let's start a bug bounty then .

I am paying 500$ to whomever shows me the exploit he is using

Grimbeard

Even a lottery not impartial or fair you think McDouglelovespawain@aol gonna get anything 

Feigr

username said:

shootgun said:

I think first step towards solution goes by @ Kyronix @ Mesanna @ Mesanna1 to accept that there is a problem.

That's probably a huge hurdle. I doubt they'd ever admit even to themselves that there is a problem. Seems to be one of the biggest issues with the team and we see this at meet and greets when people bring up issues that are serious (like this) and get dismissed. Seems to mirror some of these users on the forum with the head-in-sand approach.

Again, I don't have any skin in the game as I'm permanently out of the housing market, but is anyone actually against some sort of raffle system? Like, aren't players almost unanimously for a raffle system OR just change in general? Crazy.

If they truly won't and if none of the veterans here can recall them ever answering this topic before, then it's painfully obvious at that point.  What you choose to do with the information is the thing that matters at that point.  And I think it's obvious what most of us choose.

I come and go every once and a while.  A lot of you still keep cycling a handful or more accounts.  Nothing changes.

Lord_Frodo

Grimbeard said:

Whitewolf said:

ya know i used to fill the same way on the housing situation on Atlantic, but then one day i was like well im done with the drama and the toxicity that is Atlantic, i play UO to get a break from real life, so i decided to check out other servers, im so glad i did, i now own my own castle for the first time in 20 years and im loving the server in on now, we do alot of server activties such has hunts and events, no drama no toxicity, im loving it, my point is there is like 20 other servers out there, most of them you can log on and place a castle, can place a 18x18 almost anywhere. so instead of coming here and constantly complaining about the housing issues, just go some where else, Atlantic is the only one that has the issues there is like 20 other servers out there with no issues.

I agree 100% just transfer to trashlantic for shopping then back home  but not everyone can afford to buy tokens and vets with shard shields have unfair advantage 

There are Vets offering runs all the time so STOP trying to slam Vets that have supported this game for 14+ years.  Call out in chat, call out in Discord, post a request on the forum, stop whining.

Victim_Of_Siege

Grimbeard said:

Even a lottery not impartial or fair you think McDouglelovespawain@ aol gonna get anything 

*sells your email to the highest bidder*  It's gonna get a buncha 

shootgun

 From the lack of answers, it seems like this is a non-issue for the devs and mesanna.

Lord_Frodo

  

AmberWitch

It's a rare occasion that they'll post a response. This is a topic that has been ongoing in many forms for a gazillion years. They've made changes to the system, people aren't happy with the changes, they make another change, people still aren't satisfied. Good reasons? Bad reasons? Both good and bad? Probably.

Grimbeard

They will never reply.  and yes you can't make everyone happy, but if player XX is getting 99% of high value plots it's relatively easy to camp one IDOC and monitor thier behavior 

shootgun

Grimbeard said:

They will never reply.  and yes you can't make everyone happy, but if player XX is getting 99% of high value plots it's relatively easy to camp one IDOC and monitor thier behavior 

This!!

creampie

easy fix very very easy auctionning plots ( good gold sink to ) 24 auction on every idocs thats it

Grimbeard

Draconi would know what to do 

Feigr

creampie said:

easy fix very very easy auctionning plots ( good gold sink to ) 24 auction on every idocs thats it

Yea, I wonder how a person who has had a monopoly for years would do at an auction.  Pretty terribly I'd imagine.  We'd definitely be able to fix them for good with that. 

LilyGrace

creampie said:

easy fix very very easy auctionning plots ( good gold sink to ) 24 auction on every idocs thats it

Wouldn't it make more sense to raffle plots like they did the Abyss houses? Base it on the email address that pays for the accounts? Do people with tons of accounts go to the trouble of having multiple email addresses and payment methods?

Feigr

LilyGrace said:

creampie said:

easy fix very very easy auctionning plots ( good gold sink to ) 24 auction on every idocs thats it

Wouldn't it make more sense to raffle plots like they did the Abyss houses? Base it on the email address that pays for the accounts? Do people with tons of accounts go to the trouble of having multiple email addresses and payment methods?

Even if they didn't now, nothing stops them from doing it or adjusting.

Petra_Fyde

The devs will not tell you what, if anything, they plan to do about this, because to do so would also be to tell the people you want stopped. IF they do anything you won't know until it happens, it won't even be in publish notes, for the same reason.

@LilyGrace yes, actually, they do have multiple email addresses and if they buy game time then the only people who know what payment method they use are EA, not Broadsword.

LilyGrace

Well, that’s an effort to get UO housing on a whole other level, Petra. O.o 

Feigr

Petra_Fyde said:

The devs will not tell you what, if anything, they plan to do about this, because to do so would also be to tell the people you want stopped. IF they do anything you won't know until it happens, it won't even be in publish notes, for the same reason.

@ LilyGrace yes, actually, they do have multiple email addresses and if they buy game time then the only people who know what payment method they use are EA, not Broadsword.

I get what you're saying, but I don't think that's an answer so much as a dismissive take.  It reeks of players giving them an excuse too.  It's very Stockholm Syndrome sounding.  Where you're experiencing someone wronging you, but you're giving them an excuse to continue to do it.

It's very unique to UO in my experience. 

They have almost universal control of the game.  It shouldn't matter if they are aware of the plan or not.

Some focus and attention is all it would take.  Even doing it manually would be fine.

Just because something is a conspiracy theory doesn't make it not true.  They don't act because they don't want to act.  For any reason.

shootgun

firec said:

 I saw a uo Skype or zoom call a while back and the only thing I remembered was the poor qa guy falling asleep.

That QA guy that was sleeping was Mesanna/Bonnie's husband.

JackFlashUk

They have a professional obligation to STOP somebody making a living from THIER game. Using any form of cheat program to them sell intangible goods that do not belong to the individual should be a top priority for the dev team, FAR MORE IMPORTANT than the NL nonsense.

The only reasons why nothing is done is inability to combat the clever the cheat system, or they are in on it. The fact that they NEVER disprove that latter has convinced many players, me included that a certain well past her sell by date employee is getting a pension booster from turning a blind eye

Convince me otherwise, I dare you

JackFlashUk

shootgun said:

firec said:

 I saw a uo Skype or zoom call a while back and the only thing I remembered was the poor qa guy falling asleep.

That QA guy that was sleeping was Mesanna/Bonnie's husband.

The lead programmer who could not get Skype to work gets a massive LOL, and yes, Mesanna's husband was out of his box. No wonder cheating is rife, a snail could outrun my dynamic after he blows a dizzy. Thought he could have at least waiting till after being put on show. Did he actually say anything between snores? I cant remember 

shootgun

JackFlashUk said:

They have a professional obligation to STOP somebody making a living from THIER game. Using any form of cheat program to them sell intangible goods that do not belong to the individual should be a top priority for the dev team, FAR MORE IMPORTANT than the NL nonsense.

The only reasons why nothing is done is inability to combat the clever the cheat system, or they are in on it. The fact that they NEVER disprove that latter has convinced many players, me included that a certain well past her sell by date employee is getting a pension booster from turning a blind eye

Convince me otherwise, I dare you

I gave up today and moved to what is commonly referred to as the "cheat client". At this point, it is as clear as day to me that

• my guild is not ready to move to a free shard.
• Bonnie/Mesanna/devs will not do sh*t to stop people using exploits in game.
  
• I cant keep up with the changing market dynamics by playing fair.

edited to remove link

Skett

  

Rorschach

This thread has become a harassment thread rather than critical feedback. Thank you for your thoughts and opinions.