Re: Upside down approach
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:50 pm
Account sharing leads to other problems. Just an example (not end all be all): Say we have a shared account, it's shared between 3 people. They've been playing over the years on this one account. Sometimes one person takes a break; sometimes they all do. One day they have a big falling out. Now, one of them has changed the password and registered their email. Time passes, this person has quit playing. Speed forward, now, everyone wants to play again. Everyone writes in for account recovery. Who gets the account? To make things more complicated, everyone has spent money on the account? Who's account is it?
I like this discussion and if I need to move it to a PM with you, let me know. In your "what if" scenario I believe you do not have a proper paradigm of the playing atmosphere in your game, in using that as your example that is.
Here is a more likely scenario:
3 roommates (name them Joe, John, Jane) each have an iPad, each create a Celtic heroes account, 1 a druid, 1 a warrior, 1 a dps character. They play together and enjoy leveling up together. They get to end game and in an environment where raid times are random. All three have very different schedules but each of their iPads are at home at the same time. A raid boss pops up and Joe is the only one home. Joe decides he is going to grab John and Jane's iPad and help the clan out and kill the boss with all three toons. Someone in game PMs Johns account during this and says, "hey John, how are you" Joe replies, "this is not John, I am just logged onto his account." The PMer screen shots that message and reports Johns account for account sharing.
In this scenario, Joe and Jane get Married, John moves out. The two that get married love playing CH together and share accounts while playing together. They decide to multiply their devices and get a third device. In a casual conversation with John, Jane mentions that she hasn't seen John play CH lately. He says that his device is old and no longer plays the game well. Jane says, thats too bad we really miss your druid at raids. John then says well shoot I miss the clan, if it would help I know you just got new devices you are welcome to log my account in to help. When/if I ever come back I'll just take over the account. Jane says, "wow thats really swell of you!"
Jane and Joe live happily ever after playing CH until one day the ban hammer comes and Jane and Joe have to tell John that his account has been banned because someone reported the account for sharing. Jane and Joe are sad. They decide to call John and ask him to try to recover the account. John says, "dang, I dont even remember anything about the account I haven't played in so long, I'm sorry but it was good to hear from you again." Jane and Joe are frustrated that their hard work they poured into that account since taking it over has been taken away from them so they experience what some refer to as "Company Caused Game Burn" out and quit as well. - THE END
Sad story, but unfortunately I know of a few individuals that have been on this end of things. Simply because someone screenshots messages out of context they get banned.
I have some questions about account sharing:
I dont allow my children to have any account on their devices, that connect to the internet, that I don't have the password to. Since they are sharing their password with me are they violating the EULA? Technically from reading it, the way it is worded I believe they are.
Am I account sharing if a family member grabs one of my devices that has my password stored on it and logs in my account?
Technically my rule for my home and my kids is this: we do not have any private online accounts, the family will know your passwords and specifically the parents will have access to monitor your online activity. My wife and I share all our account info with each other so we can hold each other accountable. By the word for word manner in which your EULA is written we are in violation of your Terms, should I cease playing the game and tell my kids they can't play either because I will not change the rules of my home?
I personally know people on my server that are extremely anxious to report people for infractions. Heck, one member of our clan even posts messages in the private forum we have telling people not to account share because he/she is looking and will report anyone he/she finds. Frankly, some of this has been a source of people feeling bullied. I have had people PM me, as a leader in the clan, stating they have taken over an account of their son that has gone inactive am I ok to play this account? I am afraid I will get reported and the account will be banned. This threat of banning for account sharing has started to put people in fear online. I would even suggest that the nature of how people are reported for account sharing has equated into something that borders cyberbullying.
I believe the stance you should take is that of banning accounts that come in dispute or are proven to be bought. If your scenario happens, then ban that account. If someone is selling an account and you have screen shot proof of that then certainly ban the account.