Organisational comments on dealing with cheaters/hackers

[LauraMoneybags]

I do not mean to write (yet another) complaint thread about cheating, but make positive suggestions towards fixing the problem.

There should be someone specifically in charge of the ban department (most important). At the moment the threads are being tended to pretty well but it does slip on some days. There needs to be someone making sure there is never more than one page of untended threads and coordinating the effort. I realise it is a very dull job but it is the biggest forum task by thread/post count and needs a specific in-charge person. There isn't a need now, but if any new staff were needed then there should be mods specifically assigned to banning (ban-mods). Before you assume I am begging for mod status: I have a real life job and do not want another one.

Appeals should be answered by a mod other than the one that banned the player. In real life, appeals are not made to the same judge/jury that convicted someone with good reason. I realise this will be unpopular with literally every staff member as it slows things down, but it would add a lot more legitimacy to the task.

There should be more advertising for people to record hackers. A log on message (English/Spanish/Dutch/Portuguese language based on logon IP) to the Sky Wars and Assassins lobbies should direct people to post videos in the forums. I've said it before: there should be foreign language sections to the forums for the majority, non-English players to post.

There should be small incentives to recording cheater. This could be awarding vanity points to videos successfully banning players, maybe a rank up to the poster leading to the most banned players each month. Maybe there is a way to tie IGN to forum name to automate the process with an if-ban-post-received-like-from-mod? (I am happy to exclude myself from such incentives if you think this a selfish request).

 

[Efcluke94]

I agree with some of this, but not all of it.

You contacted me previously in private about reports. However I can't force mods to look at reports (reports are one of the most boring parts about being staff). All players need to remember, what staff do is purely voluntary, and to some members, it has become a part time job. There are other ways we can deal with the mass amount of reports (future update), however assigning someone specifically, is just mean in my opinion, it will most likely cause them to get overly stressed and to take a break or leave. Alot of the staff want to enjoy the server like everyone else, yes they do have a responsibility but we don't have a big staff team like other networks, who have five times our work force.

Appeals will continue to be answered by the one who bans/mutes them. We do speak in staff chat, through skype if there is a tricky appeal. Also members that disagree with the decision ALWAYS msg almost every staff member and report it directly to the higher staff. This is often treated like spam, since in the majority of cases the evidence is 100% proof, and the kid is raging because he/she got caught. That's why their staff in the 1st place. Yes we make mistakes, but this is rare. In addition if your inferring about letting members comment as 'Jury' there is absolutely no way, since all the comments consist of "HACKS BAN PLZ", "^", "*TAGS ALL STAFF* OBVIOUS HACKS BAN". We delete all comments from people that 'Are not involved'

We do have /report, which is like spam to us, since: https://www.cubecraftgames.net/threads/skywars-sg-other-minigame-reports.7030/
At the moment we can't get in all the games. we only have 1 Developer who can fix this, for a server of this size we should have 5. Incentives is a very good idea, however we have 1 Developer @rubik_cube_man , who is the owner. Who also handles finances, who has school, who codes constantly. Overworked like hell. Easy fix, get more developers? It's hard to get 'Trusted', 'Reliable' developers, and with the EULA and bukkit taking a huge hit, alot of old developers have left Minecraft. Getting new developers also requires a lot of resources (money).

Alot of your ideas are great, and very business minded in all your other previous suggestions(Threads). However, we aren't as efficient as other servers, were a team of overworked kids, which majority are still at school. We want to have fun like everyone else, and if we start making it more business enthused, it kinda sucks the fun out of this roller-coaster of a ride of a server. We have our ups and downs, but the staff team are like a family, I really don't want to put extra pressure/stress on them by turning this into a company, like other servers have done.

 

[Tacosbefriends]

Erm... I think busting cheaters is reward enough. I can't speak for everyone, but I report rule breakers to make CCG a better place. I think it's absolutely deplorable that there are people using offensive language/cheating in the presence of children (which makes up a majority of CCG's player base.) I honestly think giving out vanity points would increase the amount of false reports rather than decrease the number of rule breakers.

I do agree, however, that the reports section could be monitored a bit more tightly. I rarely have a report go unseen for more than a day though. The staff are doing a wonderful job currently, and I think they deserve more recognition for their efforts rather than complaints.

 

[LauraMoneybags]

You contacted me previously in private about reports.

Yes, as I didn't know who else to contact. Hence I suggested there should be someone clearly in charge of bans to contact on such occasions.

...it will most likely cause them to get overly stressed and to take a break or leave....but we don't have a big staff team like other networks, who have five times our work force.

However, we aren't as efficient as other servers, were a team of overworked kids...

Both these comments reinforce my point. I didn't really think there was a need for new staff, but you make it sound difficult at the moment. How about this: let new staff come on and spend the first month or two on trial, dealing with ban-reports only (ban-mods). After this period one can review if they were polite, organised, dedicated and did not abuse their power. If they did this and they still want to be mods then they can move on and do it at their leisure. I would not want to do this, but you have probably noticed quite a few people on here who would.

From the other side: it is demoralising to post ban reports and have them be unattended for several days or a week or more. This should be avoided otherwise people will stop posting reports and the server will quickly become hacker dominated. Unlike tacosbefriends I have seen this.

In addition if your inferring about letting members comment as 'Jury' ...

No I never suggested this, it would be a terrible idea. I do not think it is a bad thing when the members comments are genuinely helpful (e.g. pointing out to use the template), but this is a wholly separate issue I did/do not want to raise.

Getting new developers also requires a lot of resources (money)... were a team of overworked kids...

Possibly apart from the incentives none of the other suggestions need new developers. If CCG is a team of "overworked kids", then perhaps a little more structure and even a few more kids might help.

turning this into a company, like other servers have done.

This made me smile as Companies House says that CCG is a limited company, but anyway: these comments really are aimed at increasing efficiency, not berating your or trying to "suck the fun" out of it. I have only made suggestions which I felt would ultimately give:

(1) More developed options, more fun (needing more money)
(2) Better future prospects (needing more money)
(3) Less hackers (giving better future prospects).

 

[Efcluke94]

The trial mods thing is actually something I thought of when I first read this thread, and fully agree on.
Just proof from skype staff chat: (It's just talks, not confirmed)
[16:19:15] Efcluke94: Hey what does everyone think of staff applications and trial-mods? Ik it's been dismissed in the past but most big networks have 5 times the size of our staff team

If CCG is a team of "overworked kids", then perhaps a little more structure and even a few more kids might help.

This really annoys me.

The reason I used the word 'Overworked Kids', our staff team is made up of an age from 12 - 20. Some of the most mature, hardworking people I have ever talked to, more hard working that some people I work with IRL twice their age. It's not as simple as just getting more members. The way we currently recruit is through trust and seeing big members of the community eventually coming friends with staff/reporting/being active. This is a slow process, however we get very good staff. That is why I do agree we need a better way, and we will in future. It's easy to criticise things wrong in a 'Company', but there are things that some of these staff members have been through, that is really 'bad',(understatement of the year) that is why I treat them like family, and do not want to whip them and force them to do 'more' work. They have school, they have lives. As for structure, I help monitor the forums, look for any valid suggestions, usually forward it onto halo (owner), or we will add it to our private google docs. We skype regularly, to ensure all the bugs/suggestions are heard. Also have staff discussing certain threads/problems in skype chat regularly. There is alot behind the scenes that not all members know about, or need to know about.

I know CCG is a limited company. I simply meant making it 'Corporate'. 'Whipping them, like am their boss and they need to make me money'. I want CCG Staff team, to have a laid back working environment, keeping it fun, because we get threatened with DDos, stalked, harassed and if I start moaning at them to. "Do more reports", to "be active constantly". Will it still be a game? Will it still be fun?

I do appreciate the suggestions, I guess I am pretty overprotective when it comes to staff, their volunteers and deserve so much more than what they get.

From a positive from all this, we will most likely have a far better way of recruiting staff. Who will solve the report problem.

As for incentive for people who report, not all reports are correct, so I don't know if we could have an automated system. And the only one who has the power to give players rewards is @halothe23
However he is always busy, managing the entire database/server, as well as personal life. Also we get probably 50 reports a day, each staff member who bans someone from a report would have to forward the link onto him, then he would have to go through the database and give them 50 points for example. This is very time consuming.

 

[LauraMoneybags]

This really annoys me.

It shouldn't! I was only reusing your words, a standard debating technique. It wasn't meant pejoratively and I never would have used that description if you hadn't.

our staff team is made up of an age from 12 - 20. Some of the most mature, hardworking...

I am roughly twice the average age then, not that it matters. By the sounds of it I'm less than half as productive. Overall I get the impression you have taken this a bit personally, something I regret. The comments really are constructive criticism. I wasn't saying things are bad now - they're not! - but trying to suggest a roadmap to making things (even) better.

For structure, all I mean is who is responsible for what, who to go to for this. Task coordinators, that sort of thing. I work in a collaboration of ~100 scientists, and if something goes wrong we all pretty much know who to ask.

I know CCG is a limited company. I simply meant making it 'Corporate'. 'Whipping them, like am their boss and they need to make me money'.

Yes I know, I was being a bit flippant. My point is that to some extent CCG needs to make money, needs to keep going, needs to plan to have future income. I don't know your financial specifics but through a couple of posts I got the impression finances aren't great. Basically all my suggestions - including these - were inline with the aim to keep the company as a going concern. To put it another way: so you can all still be a family this time next year.

As for incentive for people who report, not all reports are correct, so I don't know if we could have an automated system. And the only one who has the power to give players rewards is @halothe23

So what I meant by this was: keep a tally for each member for every post in "Report A Player" that gets a like from a mod. Mods would then be instructed in to only like successful ban reports in the "Report a player" sub-forum (likes anywhere else in the forum obviously do not make a difference). That way there is no automatic addition to the scores, just an automatic way of keeping track of how many successful reports each member has made. I was trying to eliminate the manual score-keeping you detail.

 

[Efcluke94]

I shouldn't of took it so personal, but I am quite passionate about the server, especially the staff. Also the on the financial side, we are doing a lot better, than a couple of months ago. Not as good as it used be but alot better.

 

[LauraMoneybags]

It's good that you care. Also I'm glad you have more money, good!

 

[ItsYaBoyJavid]

Not only that but we have gotten TONS more donators than from a couple months ago (EULA) as other staff members and such have added "houses" and @OrangeGrapeEater has added more pVp updates, @Minimooseha has added parkour updates, and @jinjo90 has added new SB add-ons. bringing in more and more donators. you don't have to have huge updates and servers to get donators ;) stuff like "friends" plugin has gotten people to donate. which is very good for the server. knowing that the staff does NOT have to add huge updates like i said. (and yes ik this has nothing to do with this thread) But the more donators the more people we have on the look out for hackers/cheaters.

 

[Marta]

This is possibly one of the few threads on these forums that actually looks like a forum thread and not a chit-chat.

I do agree, our recruitment process is lengthy, but provides staff members we can count on.

We are working towards future updates where we will allow for a nicer report and appeal process, at the moment it uses the forums, and, so to say, it is how it is.

 

[LauraMoneybags]

... that actually looks like a forum thread...

It would need a lot more trolling for this, surely.

We are working towards future updates where we will allow for a nicer report and appeal process
.

For this I assume you mean mods joining already running games. Certainly this would be good, though I worry there would be many more aggressive ban appeals if video evidence isn't always recorded along with this. Time will tell.

I do agree, our recruitment process is lengthy, but provides staff members we can count on.

I meant to suggest only quick-ish changes to the current system that could improve things. It's not that an abundance of extra staff is needed or that you aren't working on separate, better, long-term solutions.