How info should be submitted

[ToW-Angel]

I've been thinking about this alot, and I feel it's important enough to mention... I'd put it up as a poll if I could, but I can't...

Here's the options:

A) Public Forum with Member Name, Date/Time

B) Semi-Private Submission with ID# (internal number so that no name is public and only staff know who the original submitter is), Submission #####, Date/Time

C) Anonymous (only staff know who submitted), Submission ######, Date/Time *very similar to option B.

I feel that keep it private will minimize the flame war. IMO, option B would be the best.

Ways of submitting would be a zip file containing all the information pertaining to the suspected cheater through a website upload where the staff are notified that there is a new upload through a moderating queue.

E-Mail containing the zip file of all the information

OR both?

Thoughts?

[VeLocityChaos]

B) is generally the best option.

Although, I like the idea of every SS\replay that is uploaded through the client being freely available to all the public.

For example: I play a game and suspect someone of cheating, I should freely be able to go to the website for the server and look at the replay\SS logs and look up the player In question. BC had this, we were able to pull up any replay we wanted. I not only liked this for a tool against cheating, but it was fun to be able to download all the replays of yourself, when you had good games.

[ToW-Angel]

If replays are available, I believe they should be included in any of the info that is submitted.

[VeLocityChaos]

What Im saying is in the community that I used to be involved in. As soon as a game was finished the replay was automatically stored on the same server as the website. I was then able to go through and download any replay I wanted based on date\time. So if I wanted a replay of the game I had just finished, I would exit the game go to the website and download it real quick, then get to watch it. If I found a cheater, I would then be required to share it with me fellow admins. We would review it in private forum and decide wether or not the allegations were true or false. After confirming the cheater, it would be known in the forums. That method worked well.

I think that option should be available. I just think that if there is a cheater in question. Option B is the best.

Anyone that plays in a particular server and knows the websites address, should be able to go and download any SS or replays after the game is over. But, before accusing, even with the most solid of proof..they have to pm an admin, with the information and let them decide. There should be no discussion or accusation of cheaters of any kind unless it has been submitted and reviewed by the admins of the community\server first.

Edited July 18, 2006 by VeLocityChaos

[ToW-Angel]

I definitely agree with you on that! I do believe keeping names out of it, except for the suspected cheater, would be a benefit as long as kept private until such determination of whether or not the person was cheating.

Once it has been determine, it gets posted into a forum with a new thread of "Cheaters" with the replay for all to view, and the thread locked so that it can't be replied to. This would keep things to an absolute minimum.

The thread title would be "ID: ##### - Report # - Date/Time". The ID# corresponds to the person who submitted the information. That way they can personally track it. If the person is not cheating, then it would be titled "ID: ##### - Report # - Date/Time CLEARED".

Basically, keep it secure so that the person doesn't get flamed endlessly and a forum war starts.

*Slightly offtopic - I personally hate flame and forum wars, that's why I'm suggesting that we "Keep It Simple Stupid" type of philosophy. No one will know whose ID # is whose, except for the staff of trust individuals.

[th33f.]

hey, as soon as enough people know, those who need to know - will know. usually these things are handled on comms, or at least through a messenger app. the review team has to be very involved, when it comes to handling these submissions. any kind of public announcement, or even a forum discussion in any way related to the issue shouldn't appear untill after the fact; when the party involved is found guilty 100%. at that point it really makes no difference whether you use ID#'s or actual names and what not... just try not to get yourself into situations where you end up aplogozing for your actions.

Edited July 18, 2006 by th33f.

[insane snyper]

I hate to keep saying it, but I kind of like the way AASA does things.

There is no 'public discussion' or whatever, even though everything is done in the open. A screenshot is formally submitted using some form. It appears as a post in a forum called 'PUBLIC Cheater Submission - PBSS ONLY'. If it is clearly a hack it is pushed over to a forum called 'VERIFIED: will be added to MBL'. From there the player is added to the master banlist, and the post is dumped into another forum which contains an archive of all submissions.

On the other hand the post can also be diverted to one of three subforums within 'PUBLIC Cheater Submission - PBSS ONLY', called either 'Not Cheating', 'Inconclusive' or 'Incorrect Submission Format', from which they are eventually deleted I think.

There is no 'discussion' at all, all that happens is someone is someone decides its a cheat or that its not a cheat then clicks the appropriate button. The 'discussion' looks something like this:

AUTO-REPLY: moved to VERIFIED for addition to the MBL.

But in order to make sure that someone doesnt accidentally get banned it gets shuffled around between various stages by several people, any one of whom can discard it as 'not cheating'.

Edit: I guess they also have sort of an 'advantage' where mechanical professionalism is concerned in that they handle massive numbers of submissions (13 hackers have been verified in the last 5 hours, and this is early on a tuesday morning).

Edited July 18, 2006 by insane snyper

[ToW-Angel]

That's basically how my idea is, Insane. And, I like that the AASA has that... Maybe we can get some help in doing something like that here.