That's because: when they put the ban down on all the cheaters, there's going to be three people left in UO.
And so what ?
The way I see it, this is about BUSINESS above anything else.
This is, at least to my personal thinking, not about Ultima Online or about this or that playing style, this is about what for me decides what games I would pick, a Company's policy about this issue which I feel as important for the games I play.
I will try to explain my thinking hoping that it may clarify WHY I think that dealing with cheating is of a paramount importance from a BUSINESS perspective.....
When a Company owns several titles, the way those games are run may make the gamers grow a feeling about that Company.
If I, as a gamer, do not enjoy playing games where my fellow gamers cheat and are tolerated in doing that thus making my game play more miserable, I would not choose to play those games.
So, if I learn that a Company that publishes several titles is too tolerant about cheating in one of those titles which I happen to play, I grow wary and the more the years go by and the more I see nothing done to deal with what I hate in a game, cheating, the more I grow wary.
Eventually, when I reach the point that I feel I am being pulled around in my expectations that something will be done about cheating in that one game I play, I could possibly write that Company on my black list and never again pick a title published by that Company, no matter how cool it may look or sound, because I would always fear that, should cheating be rampant in that other game as well, not much will be done about it as well......
So, I feel, the issue goes well beyond Ultima Online itself and I think, that regardless whether Ultima Online could suffer, even dearly, from an aggressive stance towards cheating in it, I still feel that for a Company that has to protect other titles besides that one, it is far more important to send out a message that in their titles cheating is NOT allowed nor tolerated, rather than the other way around.
I mean, how many gamers enjoy playing games where others cheat ?
I don't know others but personally, I do not and I do have met several fellow players which I felt thought like I do about this particular issue.
So, the question is, what hurts more; doing nothing or hardly anything about cheating or striking it hard and sharp ?
I think that in the long run doing nothing or hardly anything about cheating can hurt the business more than actually striking it with decision.
So, I personally think, regardless of what could happen to Ultima Online I think that still a decisive action against cheating in UO should be taken and severe penalties issued to those who have really abused of it.
It is important, that is how I feel it, that a strong message is sent out once and for all not just for Ultima Online, but for all of the titles out there, that gamers who pick a title from a given publisher would know that they can play those titles with little fear that there will be much cheating allowed in it.
This, of course, is what I would like, because I hate cheating in games but of course, I can understand that others might think differently and want different things.
It will be interesting to see what the developers and the publisher will decide to do about this one issue.
I know I will base my future games' picks on what happens about cheating in Ultima Online. I have waited too many years and had enough patience to just let it go by.
Either I see something real to happen or I will base my games' choices accordingly.
Of course, that it merely my personal opinion.
