Warning to New Players

[Staples]

I bought UO off of the internet about one month ago, and have played like a madman almost DAILY since then. I really enjoy the game, and I have had LOTS of support from lots of players, and I want to say a big THANK YOU to a lot of people out there on the Atlantic server!

But I need to give a small, but helpful warning to any other new players out there. A nice player taught me how to use "Macros" under the "Options" menu on the paperdoll. I should have known there was a better way to use anatomy on animals other than clicking that little blue star, but I had no idea just how much easier it was, and how hard I was making it on myself.

Well, thinking this was the best thing I had been shown in the game so far, I made the macro bound to my F5 key, set my Zippo lighter on it, and cut out some of the boredom here! So I set it up, put my lighter on the key, and sat back and basked in my new skill! I grabbed my new Patterson novel, kicked back in my recliner, and watched my anatomy skyrocket, and delved into my new book.

I was reading my new book, laid back in my chair by my computer desk, pleased with myself and my nice cup of hot chocolate. That's when the "best laid plans" came back and bit me in the leg.

I'm old, over 50 in fact. We senior citizens (to most of you) like to nap, and it happens when we least expect it.

So needless to say, I woke up about an hour and a half later, and my beloved new warrior is in a room somewhere else, and I had been disconnected. Not just disconnected, I had been suspended. I couldn't log in, and I visited the site as it instructed, and that is when I found out about "unattended macroing."

I won't go into much detail, but please look it up on the www.uo.com website. Basically you can't leave your computer alone doing tasks for you while you are away, it will get you suspended.

Now that my 2 days of suspension are up, I logged in to that character, and I am in a room that has portals that lead to various counseling rooms. Not only did my nap cost me 2 days of paid playing time, I have to have a counseling discussion on me breaking the rules.

I bought this game a month ago, purchased an advanced character token, and was planning on getting a second account for my daughter who loves the game over my shoulder. But now, since this has happened, I really can't even bring myself to want to play anymore. I definately don't want to log in and get chastized. If I wanted counseling on rule breaking I would go to class with my boy in Kindergarten. If I ever thought that the nice person that showed me how to set up macros was helping me commit a crime I would have never listened. I'm a little set back that something the game allows you to do so easily is illegal, much less the $30 that I spent for an advanced character did the same thing that I was trying to accomplish-getting to the fun part of the game. You can BUY the skill with money, just don't raise it easily in game, that's illegal.

In the end, I might not be playing anymore. I loved the game, just as I'm sure many of you new players do. Please use myself as an example and DO NOT use the macroing tab. Enjoy the game, it is a lot of fun, just don't do what I did.

Stay out of trouble and the fun will remain!

 

[Guest]

You posted this in New Players ... you have been advised that YOUR screwup was unattended macroing, not using the client macros themselves.

If an error on YOUR part is cause for you to toss in the towel and walk off, so be it ... but jeez, learn and work within the guidelines of GOOD gaming instead of being in a hurry. Took me 6 months casual gaming for Anat to GM. Big whoop ... I was having fun.

 

[Guest]

You were VERY VERY unlucky to get caught. Its a one in a million chance as the GM's dont give a damn the vast majority of the time.

Next time just do your macroing somewhere quiet where noone is likely to spot and report you, as thats what will have happened. Whoever reported you must have got lucky with a GM who had nothing better to do. Maybe he'd finished his sudoku.

 

[TheVampster]

There was actually a GM on??

Oh ya i use a salt shaker...

 

[Guest]

A bit of folded-up card, wedged beside the key, here.

Of course, I do stay at the computer

 

[Guest]

Try not to let it discourage you too much, just learn from your mistakes and press on.

 

[Kaj]

<blockquote><hr>

Try not to let it discourage you too much, just learn from your mistakes and press on.

[/ QUOTE ]
Indeed. You didn't get perma banned.
And you need to keep in mind that YOU might be a good person, but there's thousands of people out there that look to break the rules in order to gain an advantage over others. UO requires a zero tolerance approach when it comes to cheating. With too many slap on the wrists, you'll have people trying to push the limits even further.
You shouldn't take it personal.

 

[Surgeries]

<blockquote><hr>

If I ever thought that the nice person that showed me how to set up macros was helping me commit a crime I would have never listened. I'm a little set back that something the game allows you to do so easily is illegal, much less the $30 that I spent for an advanced character did the same thing that I was trying to accomplish-getting to the fun part of the game. You can BUY the skill with money, just don't raise it easily in game, that's illegal.


[/ QUOTE ]

Staples...you were Unattended, when you Macroed.

That is not the fault of the Macros, which DO enhance game play, for MANY mundane tasks...it is the fault of your Not being available, in the event a Game Master came by, to see if you were Attended.

When you bought your car, you had an accelerator, a brake, and likely, a cruise control on it.

If you see a sign on the road that tells you that the speed limit is 55, but you go 70, and get pulled over...guess what?

You broke the rules. You WILL get chastized...even fined, for doing so.

In UO, it is Illegal to gain skills when you aren't physically watching the game. There aren't signs every so often to tell you this, but the Terms of Service, which you agreed to, when you started your account (although I understand few will actually read it), do clearly tell you this is an illegal activity, every time.

You CAN Macro...that is perfectly acceptable, as long as you aren't caught using a Third Party Program, but to Macro Unattended, as you now know clearly, IS illegal, and WILL get you banned, if you are caught.

As others have pointed out...you think MACROS are the problem, but Macros ARE allowed...Macroing without being at your computer, however, is strictly forbidden, and if you are caught, you will either get chastized (preferred), or Banned (not so much).

Anyway...don't give up...it IS a great game...just do NOT break the Terms of Service, and all will be good!!

 

[Cat Crimson]

Also, you state elsewhere that you previously played from '97 - 01. So, not a new player then but a returning one. Not quite the innocent to the slaughter you have been portraying. You should already have some game savvy about what is and isn't acceptable. You got caught, suck it up, move on.

 

[Madis]

Come on now, you'll give us old men a bad name.....I'm 52 and macro'ed my butt off. All ya gotta do is sit up at the computer while doing it. I used to read a book, perched on the table in front of the keyboard so I could see the monitor easily. Attended macroing is allowed, use UOA and in game macros and you'll be good. Even the lighter aint a bad thing unless you decide to walk away.

Quit complaining and get back to playing. If I remember right, the time I had to pick a portal to step thru, it aint nothing. Take your licks old man, and if you're on baja give me a holler, we'll go out and you can gain thru game play for awhile. Always seems to make me feel better.

 

[Guest]

Ashtray on the spacebar.

 

[randommatter]

<blockquote><hr>

You posted this in New Players ... you have been advised that YOUR screwup was unattended macroing, not using the client macros themselves.

If an error on YOUR part is cause for you to toss in the towel and walk off, so be it ... but jeez, learn and work within the guidelines of GOOD gaming instead of being in a hurry. Took me 6 months casual gaming for Anat to GM. Big whoop ... I was having fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another suck up comment by staff. Interesting. You know back when I started playing UO I interviewed some of the staff. A GM in the interview (and I still have the recordings) told me to do the very thing they banned him for to bring up a stat I needed to raise. He said and I quote "Use EZMacro and jam a piece of paper in your keyboard to do spirit speak over and over, it will raise your Int pretty fast while you sleep tonight".

Tell you what. When UO stops changing the rules, when UO starts doing what they say they are going to do (instead of failing miserably), when the staff stop quitting and they keep hiring new completely clueless people over and over (this time his name is Jeremy?) perhaps people will respect some of their rules.

For now... I feel bad for the guy and don't blame him. He put a piece of paper on his keyboard BIG DEAL. Who is EA to tell me or him or anyone else what to do with their computer. If they don't want it to work that way, they should MAKE THE GAME NOT WORK THAT WAY.

Oddly... a colleague of mine Interviewed Aaron Cohen awhile back and has him on Tape saying that 2nd party applications are fine. (2 Party is you, so if you program your own utility to do these things it's OK, provided you are the keyboard). This staff member was subsequently perma-banned for meerly discussing it in game with someone else.

Needless to say EA restored his account after hearing the Executive Producer tell him on tape that it was ok. Attorney Shatz (yes Shatz LOL) from EA reversed the decision of the Admin Team who are a bunch of idiots.