Spiral Knights - Save Winterfest bug revealed! OOO READ THIS

Save Winterfest bug revealed! OOO READ THIS

31 replies [Last post]

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 13:02

Rhagnarock

Alright it's been long enough. I know how to do the bug

I want it to be fixed. However, I do not want to get banned for this.

I think there should be a "I tell you how, you don't ban me" policy here but whatever, you decide. I'll glady take a ban bullet for everyone if it means stopping this token exploitation.

There are 2 methods to achieve this "unlimited time bug" and I already post a suggestion on my alt on how to fix it but was soon bashed down by most players who don't even know how the bug actually works.

The bug is terribly simple and a quick-fix is also terribly simple. Half the blame goes on the community for bashing down people with the right idea and pumping up their ego. And the other half is obviously, the admins fault.

Let me explain why before telling you how. Many people actually gave hint on how to fix the glitch while being really subtle to prevent them for a ban booting, but the community (thinking they are all mighty) soon bashed all the viable option of how to fix this and has simply come down to insults. While I like insulting strangers on the internet as much as the other, I think the bug should be known so OOO don't make this mistake again (or at least know what kind of mistake can happen in the future)

And the admins... Seriously, banning people for using the bug rather than "hey... Care to tell us the bug for a nice Shadow Cat Tail?" or at least get a clue of what the bug would be nice. But resulting in banning people for using the GAME MECHANICS of the game? I think that's too far, but I ain't owning SK so...

Guber in Diablo II LoD 1.11 was a HUGE game-mechanic exploit that nobody got banned for using it. Even thought, millions used it. Like millions used the "Save Winterfest unlimited bug" but a little % of them (who may not even know how to do the bug) gets banned and their items taken away. UNFAIR!!! Ban everyone who uses it or ban no one. And if you cannot know who used it, simply DON'T BAN.

Well after all this explanation... the bug, you may want to exploit it since it's the last day, I'm not saying you should... But you could if you want

[It is against the Forum Rules to post information about exploits or bugs. It is likely against the Terms of Service to abuse broken game mechanics.]

Also I'd like to point out that most games have these "bug" issue. Quitting before the game ends often results in repetitive bugs. I know Halo Reach commendation were farmed that way. Quit n save at the end of the first mission then re-roll the last save and keeps on ending the game for "don't die in a campaign mission" commendation

Now ban me away if you MUST. I don't think I should get banned for telling you this, nor should anyone get banned for using that exploit... Since the problem is on your end and you didn't handle it properly

P.P.S. To all admins/mods: No I'm not making a support ticket for this, move this Thread or graveyard it or send me a in-game mail for more information. This information (IMO) should be known by everyone since it's the last day and you couldn't find this bug before

Happy New Year to all SK member and the OOO employee who read this

At least you know how to do the bug now ^ ^

Edit: Changed title

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 13:06

Grittle

OOO BAN Rhagnarock FOR

OOO BAN Rhagnarock FOR EXPLOITING (Sarcasm ends here)

Really? people actually got banned for this? they should at least got all their wishes from that run taken away because of it with a warning mail.
Good thing I quit Winterfest after opening my 4th box :P

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 13:13

Rhagnarock

@ Grittle

Well it happened to one of my friend. I wasn't even there but someone pretty much blackmailed him "invite me or I'll report you"

My friend: "meh... if you had ask me, I would've invite you but like that... no sorry"

My friend *keeps on farming*

Other friends: "Hey let's do Darkfire Vana!"

My friend: "sure, great idea"

*sometime during the SL*

My friend disconnect. Reason: Using bug... (it was written in spanish too, even though the guy speaks and understand french AND english)

1 week ban, I think he's done by now...

Edit: Sad part he lost 450 ce, a maiden tear, heat, mats and cr... -_- (and the banned happened like 1 hour and half after...)

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 13:28

Psychodestroyer

I would think bans should be for repeat offenders, a warning and removal of Wishes should suffice for first-timers. It serves as a warning(duh) that OOO is onto them. If they're gutsy enough to still try it, THEN ban.

Also, you shouldn't be telling us this. If you're trying to let OOO know, send them a mail via the support portal and tell them you just found out how so you could tell them how it happens. If they ban you still, fecal move. If they, don't, hurrah, bug report successful.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 13:37

Rhagnarock

@psycho

Yeah, but at this point... The Winterfest ends tomorrow, the bug has been reported 5 days ago...

Whether I report it again or not won't change anything and it certainly won't solve the problem and I stopped doing this mission when my friend got banned

The event will probably go away before they even "fix it"

I simply want OOO to be aware of it and wanted it to be public. So it's not a little secret between them and me, it's a forum-wide known bug now.

I would be pissed if they banned me. But like I said. I'm willing to take a ban shot if it means helping them for their future promotion as I don't want to be labeled as "cheater" because I found a glitch in a game. If that was the case then I would always have the tag "cheater" under my name...

I would be willing to trade my friend bans (who still has no clue on how to do the bug) for this account, he doesn't deserve it. He should've been able to finish the SL like my other friends who were with him during the SL and the bugged mission...

He wasn't gutsy at all, he got black mailed and did not surrender and got banned in spanish for being in a bugged mission WHILE attending his SL Vanaduke...

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:21

Aumir

...

Well, so much for trying to get my Scarf legally. It seems that, again, exploiters will be the top people. And yeah, NO ONE will have done this. NO ONE will spill the beans, and nothing of course will be done. And then we want this game to get better. Now who to blame? The community? Did anyone report this? If so, then... I better go and shut up.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:37

Rhagnarock

@Aumir

Someone actually did report the bug...

http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/71409

It was reported the 26th December... We are the 3rd January...

Someone did spilled the beans and after a week of the beans being on the floor, I picked it up and threw it at everyone face...

They knew about the bug but did not know how to do it nor to fix it...

If you read my OP you would see why I think it's the community and the admins fault...

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:01

Aphrodite

Community Manager

No posting exploits!

It is against the Forum Rules to post information about exploits or bugs. It is likely against the Terms of Service to abuse broken game mechanics.

If you come across something like this, the proper thing to do is report it via a bug report (F2 or /bug), AND a Support Request.

In addition to OOO employees being on holiday, keep in mind that it can be tricky to track down and fix issues like this. Taking advantage of this exploit is a violation of the terms of service and it will result in a suspension or permanent ban.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:13

Bzzts

uh oh

This isn't a ban bullet you are taking for the exploiters, its a perma-ban nuke.

Bad idea doing this. Hope you used an alt to post this thread.

Good luck in the future.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:28

Rhagnarock

@ Aphrodite

I don't expect to F2 during a bugged mission because I don't expect myself to do another mission at all

However if it does help you, I don't mind setting one and pressing F2 for you... At this point IDK what the difference is between F2'ing, support request or to post on the general discussion section of the forum. Does it make a huge difference or it would simply prevent you from transferring this Thread to every OOO employee mailbox? Because all I would've done is copy/paste my OP in a support ticket...

I mean I don't mind helping you, as long as I don't get a kick or a boot :S

Which is why I did not send any support request... And nobody I know did... OFC we want this to be fixed, we don't like an exploit in the game we love and cherish so much... But when our friend got kicked for that... no warning, no nothing, someone reported him with F2 and one hour and half later. Boom, gone, with a spanish ban message

(at least make it in English? Or ask your Spanish mods to write in English! Atalanta is writing in English, not in french...)

What you think I'm getting out of this?

You are still asking us to press F2 during a bugged mission or send a support request even thought I just told you how to duplicate the bug....

I don't get it... Am I just too dumb?

If so please tell me...

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:35

#10

Rhagnarock

@ Bzzts

According to SK

Anyone who would've tell the Game Master about the bug would get banned...

I simply did this because I think:

1. They shouldn't be banning people for broken game mechanics. Yes Abusing game mechanics is bad, finding it and telling it... not so much
2. This bug is recurrent in a lot of game and would have come back in future events and would have not been fixed otherwise
3. If they perma-ban me I'm cancelling all my December transaction, they are still due to pay for me
4. Reputation comes from your gamer. If they do perma-ban me, they'll lose one hardcore fan who just reached 1000 hours into the game and possibly... my followers and my friends who play this game that will migrate to another game. I mean SK is just another MMORPG like many others...
5. Winterfest is over, they should be glad someone told them instead of being in the total dark
6. I'm a tech guy, I see a bug I want to fix it :D
7. I'm ready to perma quit this game if they perma-ban me, SK is a nice game, but having a good community manager is a must, I'm ready to go back to TL2 and to cancel my December payment to Steam at any time

I'm anxious to see what will happens to the messenger... (AKA me)

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:37

#11

Little-Juances

By pressin F2/support form admins will receive your note. On forums, everyone will copy your exploit.
Besides admins dont read all the threads, they may miss it or not notice until its late. If they get a personal notification, it'll be faster.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:47

#12

Luguiru

Reporting an exploit/spoiler/whatever has no penalty. Abusing it does. If you abuse an exploit you must have wittingly done so unless your hands can act independently of your brain.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:55

#13

Rhagnarock

@ Little-Juances

I know my OP is long but I cover mostly everything on why I post it on the forum rather than F2'ing or support ticket. Avoiding a ban, because I don't know what is "exploiting" and "testing" a bug, I don't know the line between "adios" and "testing"

If I knew what would ban me and what would not, I would've filled a support ticket by now... But AFAIK, IDK what can result in me getting ban so no support ticket and no F2'in for me... The good old forum seemed to be the "safest" option...

100 tokens a game is exploiting right? (even though I can make more in a timed game?)

But is 3 tokens (times 10 test) still exploiting?

what's the line? 100 prize boxes with 10 candy stripped scarf?

If I have a pass, is the bug still an exploit or not? (because let's face it, if you don't pay for the mission and don't work IRL, you can farm the mission as fast as someone in an unlimited game...)

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 17:34

#14

Howardfeng

So, I learned somethings today. It seems that they temp banned all party leaders at x time, any party members just get a boot. They wanted to temp ban people who have made a glitched party. This happened to me, I was temp banned because I joined a glitched Winterfest run and the leader left shortly after. The leader had gotten a lot more tokens than I have and spent it before everyone playing on a glitched Winterfest run either got booted or temp banned. It seems like a bad way to fix a bug. If you are to temp ban players, temp ban everyone who played. The person who invited me to the Winterfest run/made the glitched party didn't get a ban what soever related to the Winterfest glitched run.
Edit: I didn't know how to even do the glitch until the party leader invited me and told the players there.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 17:51

#15

Canozo

Three Rings was on vacations I think, thats why they didnt fix it.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 17:53

#16

Howardfeng

Yet they ban only the party leaders. ._.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 18:14

#17

Rhagnarock

@ Howard

They ban people who are in the game, my friend who got banned doesn't even know how to do the glitch and my other friends (who were with him during the game) got nothing

I repeat. NOTHING

And like I explained on my OP, the "leader" of the actual bugged mission is in fact, a trusty friend or a trusty SK player of the guy doing the glitch/bug

@ Canozo

There are no vacation for the IT team, specially on Holidays... Tons of players use their vacation to play the game, it is widely known that holidays are full of players.

The only reason they will not fix it is because the solution (AKA me) came too little too late. Had I made this Thread a week ago, pretty sure it would've been fixed by now...

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 18:22

#18

Howardfeng

@Rock

Well, everyone who was in that party didn't get banned what soever, well now that I think of it, one person wasn't booted. ._.
Edit: I asked them using the support email thing and they said that they have evidence of me making the party? I didn't know how the glitch even worked until I joined my last Winterfest party which got me a temp ban.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 18:33

#19

Rhagnarock

@howard

They are banning people left and right with no particular reason

"You in the bugged mission! Get in the ban boat"

is the mentality their going for I guess

That's their job, not mine...

Me I would simply patch it and stop acting like the police. The damage as been done, the people who are to blame cannot be found

Don't blame someone who doesn't deserve it... So far all you have to do is

Step 1 : Spot someone in a bugged mission
Step 2 : File a report against him
Step 3 : Feel like Dr Chaos from South Park
Step 4 : ???????
Step 5 : No profit
Step 6 : Guy/girl gets ban
Step 7 : Laugh alone like Dr Chaos from South Park

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 19:29

#20

Skyguarder

People can get banned for reasons

Do you expect people to not have fun? They should have fun. Trying to get unlimited stuff makes the game boring. Very boring. It's not fun to abuse it. It's just mean.

Bored people often want to get something now. Now they will be even more bored. If they want a unban, OOO should be so evil, and take away lots of your valuable gear. They should also reduce the rank. Now that should teach 2 lessons. Never try getting instant stuff, because you can be bored instantly too, and second, do not be greedy

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 19:34

#21

Howardfeng

"Fortune shines on the greedy." -OOOs

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 19:41

#22

Mbcscp

@Benightz > also why should OOO take gear ? dont agree with that sentiment as it sets a dangerous precedent ...

also banning ppl on this exploit is silly as you cant come out ahead much more then doing the missions correctly ...
even with no timer you dont aquire more tokens then limited time events ... the difference wouldnt be much and maybe less ...
once joined a winterfest mission and a guy was doing the exploit by himself ... why bother ?

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 19:46

#23

Howardfeng

Well, actually it takes longer to get tokens using the glitch but saves the energy needed to start a party, unless you're using an Elevator Pass. It's slower because you need a person to keep guard of Imposoclaus while the others get the presents. Think of it like this, unlimited time=unlimited spawn of green Gremlins, sometimes the game derps and does double spawn or even worse triple spawns!

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 20:05

#24

Skyguarder

" also why should OOO take

" also why should OOO take gear ?"

Gear and weapons because they use them for breaking the exploit.

"also banning ppl on this exploit is silly"

No it isn't. How can it be silly when abusing the exploit is fun? You are just trying to get into end game, so why bother?

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 20:25

#25

Rhagnarock

@ Benightz

Gear and weapon should not be taken away... Are you mad crazy?

How does... Farming Winter Wishes and taking gears away crossed your mind?

Take Winter Wishes all away? Fine, take some frosty costume/accessory? FINE

Don't take my Vog Cub set or my Grey Owlite Shield (who has f-ing nothing to do with this) away...

Seriously what logic do you even use?

Banning people for in-game mechanic that is broken? Yes it's silly. Programmer overlooked something, the testers too and everyone along the line missed it too. It's not just 1 guy, who made all the event on his own and then threw it at the public w/o proper testing. Only a ***** would think so.

The testing have been made, the event was made public because they thought it was not broken... The bug was found within the first week of the event....

Also

Never try getting instant stuff, because you can be bored instantly too, and second, do not be greedy

What exactly is buying Crystal Energy to you? Not getting instant stuff? Get real and get down from your pedestal.

Anybody who would've found the bug within the first week would've keep it for themselves. Greeds corrupts everyone and everything, you are a human, greed will corrupt you.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 20:48

#26

Luguiru

What if someone is so greedy they report the exploit so no one else can use it?

I agree Three Rings should have taken responsibility and fixed the event before doing what the USA government is trying to do. If the people they need to fix the problem are on vacation then why are the people who can ban still here? Did they expect it to happen? Is it time for winter bans? It would make more sense if they simply allowed people to take advantage of the exploit since it only results in cosmetics items and no crowns. What are people going to do? Make an already abundant group of items even more abundant?

They have the right to ban players for taking advantage of the exploit, but fixing it is still their responsibility. If they choose to ban players and not fix the problem while doing so then Three Rings is at fault. If their team has not started on fixing the problem and they are dealing permanent bans then Three Rings is at fault. Imagine accidentally dropping a hundred dollar bill on the sidewalk, realize what happened, hide in the alleyway nearby, and firing a shotgun into anyone who bends down to pick it up. Pick it up and move on. And stop walking around with a shotgun.

If the exploit involved generation of resources that hold their own value, like crowns and materials, then this would be a serious problem. But(t) no, this is just stupid reskinned costumes. Three Rings could temporarily ban abusers until the vacationing team returns to fix the problem but those people would complain about being punished for doing something against a fair and justified rule. Unfortunately those people exist everywhere and slaughtering them is illegal.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 20:55

#27

Wodanct

it will get fixed in 6 months...

Anyway I havent even logged in the game for more than 5 minutes for the past 1-2 months? Yet I have friends on steam telling me about this bug and how they are exploiting it. Its pretty amusing..

I had a guildmate once (when blast network came out) for abusing a bug where you could revive for free in Blast Network. Not his fault the game didn't take his energy and a bunch of people abused it. Oh well, we all move on.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 20:52

#28

Howardfeng

@Luguiru

"Imagine accidentally dropping a hundred dollar bill on the sidewalk, realize what happened, hide in the alleyway nearby, and firing a shotgun into anyone who bends down to pick it up. Pick it up and move on. And stop walking around with a shotgun." I liked that analogy and laughed from it. xp

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 21:10

#29

Psychodestroyer

Wow. It's been a while since I've seen a wholly serious post from Lug. Usually it's just sarcasm, half-related jokes and cynical counterpoints half in jest.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 21:16

#30

Rhagnarock

@ Luguiru

I know it's fascinating isn't it? The "good" people are always on vacation and the "bad" people are always in the office... strange huh?

No but seriously, banning people left and right for an in-game broken mechanics is ridiculous. Yes, people will abuse an exploit if it's not fixed ASAP. It's always been like that and it will always be like that

If (at least) the players (community) was more friendly with you. Maybe someone would've bother to tell you the first day the event came. But IDK what you are doing nor what you do with the community. From what it seems, SK was a nice friendly MMORPG that is starting to become more and more "important"...

Just let loose a bit and come to haven have a chat with the people who make your game so successful. I know other type of bugs that hasn't been found yet... and I know that a lot, and I mean, A LOT, of glitches are still unknown. Whether you decide to put a line between your player and yourself is up to you... I know for a fact that working WITH your community can lead to great thing. DOTA was born this way, so does L4D and many other successful titles...

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 21:24

#31

Aphrodite

Community Manager

@Rhagnarock We do not ban

@Rhagnarock

We do not ban players who find glitches and report them to us right away. We suspend and ban players who abuse glitches. The more egregious the abuse, the more serious the punishment.

If you know people who feel they were wrongly banned, please have them contact us so we can review the situation: https://www.spiralknights.com/support/#mail

FYI, because I see confusion about this a lot:
Bug Reports collect game date for us and the developers to review, typically looking for errors or problems. You won't typically receive feedback when you submit a bug report.

A support request is a way to contact a Game Master directly to discuss an issue or report a problem.

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Save Winterfest bug revealed! OOO READ THIS