Don't make VPN use the scapegoat for ridding the game of mercs

CorkscrewCorkscrew Member Posts: 541 ★★★
in General Discussion
With the recent announcement that story mode Legend/Mythic title runs will be abandoned for the foreseeable future, inevitably attention has turned to how we get rid of mercs and cheating in the game. Detection rather than deterrent is the key... since banning accounts doesn't actually hurt mercs.

VPN usage is a key indicator of merc activity, the only problem is that there are legitimate reasons for using a VPN outside of cheating in MCOC.

You might use a VPN:
- access region locked content.
- for work and secured infrastructure
- to access this very game

Yes... that's right. I use a VPN and I use it most frequently because I can't access this game consistently without it. The game isn't region locked out of my country (choosing the fastest VPN server is often a server in my country). I can access the game using my cellular connection, but as soon as I use my WiFi, connection is completely unstable. Whatever default routing my ISP is providing me doesn't sustain MCOC connections. In fact, it's the only app on my phone that has this problem.

You might ask, why I don't just use cellular? I have zero cellular reception in my apartment. Concrete walls high in the sky.

Invariably, I just leave my VPN on all the time, and I can imagine others that don't need a VPN strictly for MCOC, but use it regularly for other purposes may do the same.

I understand why VPN use was not allowed for the recent Legends title, there is probably a very small proportion of players that legitimately MUST use a VPN to compete at that level. I was under no illusion that I was contention. Roster and/or skill are limiting factors.

So while VPN usage might be outlawed for the now defunct Legends titles, if that were to propagate further into the game, it may well end the playing experience for a proportion of the playing population that has nothing to do with cheating or merc'ing.

Comments

  • JadedJaded Member Posts: 5,477 ★★★★★
    Doctorwho13 said:

    Jaded said:

    I’d ask why wouldn’t you contact your wifi supplier to fix the problem instead of using a vpn. Smh

    I look at that 2 ways. You have a point. But equally it’s more than likely you need VPN for a whole host of things. I need it for work. As good as this game is changing your at home set-up for one game seems a bit of overkill. At the end of the day it is just one item out of everything one does. I can see why some people would balk if this game/app is the only thing that requires people changing their set up
    No, there are real reasons to use VPN. I was referring to OP using vpn @ home because the wifi wasn’t good enough. No reason to pay for a service that doesn’t do what you are paying for. Others need it for work because work wifi can block/restrict usages while on it but you don’t want to blow up your data plan with mcoc grinding.
  • Eb0ny-O-M4wEb0ny-O-M4w Member Posts: 14,090 ★★★★★
    Just don't use VPN for content that doesn't allow you to use it. I'ts not a big deal, is nothing hard to do
  • MauledMauled Member, Guardian Posts: 3,957 Guardian
    I’d assume that 99% of Merced accounts happened on VPNs. Sure there’s plenty of legitimate reasons to use a VPN - security, access, etc. But the issue here is that is that it’s making tracing accounts nigh on impossible. Up until the point Kabam can ID accounts by device alone then this is probably the best solution.
  • CorkscrewCorkscrew Member Posts: 541 ★★★
    Eb0ny-O-M4w said:

    Just don't use VPN for content that doesn't allow you to use it. Its not a big deal, is nothing hard to do

    Actually, I forget I'm on a VPN all the time... why, because being on a VPN doesn't break anything.... I only notice when I'm not because MCOC breaks.

    Obviously, if I was planning on doing a Legends run... I would be sure to turn it off. But day to day I always forget to turn it off.
  • GroundedWisdomGroundedWisdom Member Posts: 36,632 ★★★★★
    Corkscrew said:

    Eb0ny-O-M4w said:

    Just don't use VPN for content that doesn't allow you to use it. Its not a big deal, is nothing hard to do

    Actually, I forget I'm on a VPN all the time... why, because being on a VPN doesn't break anything.... I only notice when I'm not because MCOC breaks.

    Obviously, if I was planning on doing a Legends run... I would be sure to turn it off. But day to day I always forget to turn it off.
    Being on a VPN doesn't break any rules in terms of playing the game itself. In terms of competitions where it's necessary to identify Players in some form or another to verify authenticity, it's pretty much necessary that they can be identified. That's the one thing about using a VPN. It makes you unidentifiable.
  • UnknownUnknown
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  • No_oneukNo_oneuk Member Posts: 1,430 ★★★★★
    edited August 2021
    At the end of the day, if they ban VPN's for legends runs it doesn't effect 99.9% of players. The small handful of players good enough to get legends know in advance that this particular one part of the game, you can't do with a VPN.

    Ofc there's gonna be SOME players this excludes from Legends, which sucks, but that number is tiny; unfortunately just how it is.

    I get folks may need to VPN while playing at work, or can't get good signal in their apartment, etc, but most cases that doesn't exclude you from doing legends. Yes, you can't do it in your apartment (signal issues), but assumedly you don't have those signal issues in a cafe or even a park? If you wanted the legends title that badly could you not sit on a park bench for a few hours and crack out the title?

    I think there are very limited reasons why a player simply can't find ANY way of doing legends without a VPN, and for all the number of mercs it could catch out? It's worth it.

    I was a bit frustrated when they said "folks are saying they went on holiday and did the legends run there and we can't definitively say with certainty that they are mercing". Well, if I knew that content was coming in October and I wanted to get a legends run done I would not go on holiday then. Besides, it lasts for a whole month. What, are you on holiday for 4 weeks?
  • CorkscrewCorkscrew Member Posts: 541 ★★★
    No_oneuk said:

    At the end of the day, if they ban VPN's for legends runs it doesn't effect 99.9% of players. The small handful of players good enough to get legends know in advance that this particular one part of the game, you can't do with a VPN.

    My post isn't about the use of VPNs in relation to Legend titles, it's about whether or not we will see VPNs being outlawed in other areas of the game e.g. AW is a good example, if they want to ensure no piloting etc.

    I consistently get booted from arena and AQ when I'm not running a VPN.
  • UnknownUnknown
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  • TunesmithTunesmith Member Posts: 18 ★
    You might use a VPN:
    - Privacy

    I’m curious how Kabam will handle Apple’s iCloud Relay that’s coming with iOS 15 (already live in the iOS Beta).

    It’s on by default and puts all connections on an iOS device through an anonymous VPN/cloud host tied to your time zone (which can cover multiple different countries depending on where you live). VPN hosts vary such as Cloudflare/Fastly/Akamai. It randomises your connection and you can end up “swapping” between reported locations on the fly without any user input.
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,841 Guardian
    Corkscrew said:

    So while VPN usage might be outlawed for the now defunct Legends titles, if that were to propagate further into the game, it may well end the playing experience for a proportion of the playing population that has nothing to do with cheating or merc'ing.

    I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't believe it is likely they would ban VPN usage across the entire game. The prohibition against using VPNs for legends runs was a very specific targeted act against mercenary activity in highly competitive content.
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,841 Guardian
    Tunesmith said:

    You might use a VPN:
    - Privacy

    I’m curious how Kabam will handle Apple’s iCloud Relay that’s coming with iOS 15 (already live in the iOS Beta).

    It’s on by default and puts all connections on an iOS device through an anonymous VPN/cloud host tied to your time zone (which can cover multiple different countries depending on where you live). VPN hosts vary such as Cloudflare/Fastly/Akamai. It randomises your connection and you can end up “swapping” between reported locations on the fly without any user input.

    My understanding is iCloud relay doesn't proxy all outgoing connections, it specifically proxies web connections coming from Safari and DNS resolutions. I don't know if Apple is going to open iCloud relay to other applications, but I think even if it does those apps would need to code for it. I don't believe MCOC is suddenly going to be proxied by iCloud Relay, in other words.
  • BitterSteelBitterSteel Member Posts: 9,264 ★★★★★
    No_oneuk said:


    If you wanted the legends title that badly could you not sit on a park bench for a few hours and crack out the title?

    I honestly love the idea of walking through a park one day and seeing someone cracking out a legends run on a park bench
  • king_ov_scrubsking_ov_scrubs Member Posts: 396 ★★★
    Jaded said:

    I’d ask why wouldn’t you contact your wifi supplier to fix the problem instead of using a vpn. Smh

    internet provider ❌ wifi supplier ✅
  • CorkscrewCorkscrew Member Posts: 541 ★★★
    BitterSteel said:

    No_oneuk said:


    If you wanted the legends title that badly could you not sit on a park bench for a few hours and crack out the title?

    I honestly love the idea of walking through a park one day and seeing someone cracking out a legends run on a park bench
    I don't even know why he is talking about me doing a Legends run.... I specifically excluded that as a concern. It's about every day use of a VPN. Guess people don't read.
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