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An Actual resolution to cheating - The need for Support not Service

Christopher-Outlaws!!

Approved user
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
296
Here it is for starters, Customer Service within this game, and likely other titles by NEXON, are just not the right solution. They aren't bad, they aren't jerks, it's simply a round peg in a square hole. It's not a solution but an auto-response in an attempt to quiet the masses.

Here's what I know. I have worked "supporty" type roles, the most notable of which was for an online casino investigating and isolating.... you guessed it, cheating. Outside of this I've worked several positions dealing with Linux Servers. I've been an advocate for Splunk right from the get-go. Splunk is a utility to analyze systems, if you are interested you can look here.

This alongside Apache. That covers the actual technical side of things.

Yes yes yes, they may have to compile Apache with some different variables, or potentially even rework it so it plays well with both, but forward thinking is a thing. Let's make SMART decisions that will have a positive long standing impact on not just this game, but others. So deal with it and make that portion happen, if you need a write up on deployment and how it's done properly, I've done that as well.


Now, They know how to reproduce the problem, and can tie it into splunk, which will allow them to see if there is some tracer for that specific instance of invocation of what we are calling "glitch mode". What!!!
If there is not, you need to increase the logging in the back end, likely invoke something in either scenario like logrotate to ensure you don't simply kill the server by means of spamming the hard-drives... but that's a simple solution.

If you need to do it on the back-end, with the logging jacked up... well it is a bit more scary as you need someone to have direct access in the end, but I know you have a dev environment, with dev apps. Get your developers to mirror prod to staging and you're off. Get a lacky access and let him have at it. Tail your logs while you have the issue reproduced. Do it again from a dozen devices, and find the trace...

Once the trace has been found in either instance you need to move it to prod, you can't expect that this should be done by a human, that's very unkind and allows for errors. Get a script kiddy, I'm sure there are several, or alternately spare some cycles from dev to get a small application that watches the logs, either directly or via tee, and gets the full log output over to a separate log file, and a summary of who was found, and have those people temporarily banned and forward the info to... you're going to hate this word. To Support!.

Once this is working, it would allow you time to actually dig and fix the problem. Invoke some minor releases in between the major releases... Minor releases are pushed from your servers, major releases are pushed from the play store... imagine that! Minor releases are for bug fixes, re balancing and... minor things. Major things are inclusive to new ages, troops and other major features.

The historic, is this guy cheating is an entirely different topic, but if BHG are still using a database, I'm positive that it can be isolated, reviewed, and acted upon in confidence that the data is accurate and correct. This is inclusive to times to upgrade, citizens required, money spent, crowns obtained.. etc etc.

I was always told, if you do something well, don't do it for free... the above goes against this advice... but it effects something I am engaged and love doing. I think DomiNations is an amazing game and really does stand apart from other mobile games. But sadly I feel like the community respects that more than the management of BHG.

anyways. This post may be removed for... reasons. but I hope it's out long enough to be viewed at least once.

That's my unpopular truth in the matter. Get your head up in the corner, stop daydreaming and put your sticks on the ice!!
 

GMA-FF

New member
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Messages
1
I fully support Christopher's statement there needs to be changes to customer service and faster relief from cheaters and hacks. While don't understand a lot of the tech speak I appreciate the effort to fix a game I enjoy, best game out there. Thank you Christopher
 

No Angel

Approved user
Joined
May 1, 2017
Messages
1,386
Christopher you should meet Bootney Lee Fonsworth 😄
You both have the typical way of writing! 😂
Fun to read.
Anyways, I get a hint, are you talking about game issue compilations, about hang, device errors, cheating etc that dev haven't resolved yet? 😂
 
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