To Passive XP or Not To Passive XP – A Zynga Affirmation

 

Welcome aboard Dan Mattrick! Bring on that EA philosophy…..

Zynga has finally acknowledged and responded to the passive XP issue where some players are/were utilizing their mini accounts to rapid level their main accounts and more. The following is a reprint from the Official Mafial Wars Blog;

Update on Passive XP

A few of our players have reported that they are receiving lesser XP when being attacked by weaker opponents (commonly referred to as “Passive XP”).

We wanted to clarify to our player community that over a period of time, we observed exponential amount of "Passive XP" earned through targeted high-frequency attacks on particular accounts. 

In order to maintain a level playing field, we have incorporated some changes in the game, which will place a limit on the payout of "Passive XP" to a very small number of accounts, which are identified to exceed the internally denoted activity thresholds.

While we are striving to make Mafia Wars more fun, it is equally important for us to maintain a level playing field and ensure that the larger player base is not affected in terms of unfair advantage to certain players or an increase in unfair competitiveness. 

Please note that this process is automated, consistent, and accurate and will be unnoticeable for most of our player base.  

Passive XP payout is limited only for the very small number of cases where our system has detected highly irregular, non-standard activity in the account or in cases where our Security team has determined extremely high-frequency activity that is beyond humanly possible means. 

We sincerely appreciate your continued support for Mafia Wars. 

- Mafia Wars Team

 

“We wanted to clarify to our player community that over a period of time, we observed exponential amount of "Passive XP" earned through targeted high-frequency attacks on particular accounts.”

A period of time?? This has been occurring for years. Players have developed the belief that this was an acceptable practice due to the lack of Zynga’s policing of their own game and TOS.

In order to maintain a level playing field, we have incorporated some changes in the game, which will place a limit on the payout of "Passive XP" to a very small number of accounts, which are identified to exceed the internally denoted activity thresholds.

What? Only a very small number of accounts will have a limit on the payout of Passive XP? What is that supposed to mean? What is that supposed to accomplish? How is one supposed to know when/if they are approaching that threshold that those very small number of accounts have crossed? How many is a very small number?

Please note that this process is automated, consistent, and accurate and will be unnoticeable for most of our player base.  

Passive XP payout is limited only for the very small number of cases where our system has detected highly irregular, non-standard activity in the account or in cases where our Security team has determined extremely high-frequency activity that is beyond humanly possible means.

You say this process is automated and accurate and yet there is a direct contradiction in terms of the use of the phrase ‘Passive XP'’. The use of the term ‘Passive XP’ became the common term used for a player who was receiving XP when being attacked by weaker opponents (or their mini’s) because you (Zynga) were ‘passive’ in enforcing any repercussions for the abuse. Now you state that “the ‘Passive XP’ payout is limited only for the very small number of cases where our system has detected highly irregular, non-standard activity in the account or in cases where our Security team has determined extremely high-frequency activity that is beyond humanly possible means.”

I’m confused. Which is it? Are you ‘passively’ allowing the XP for the larger player base that you say “is not affected” or the very small number of cases that you also say “the ‘Passive XP’ payout is limited only for”?

While we are striving to make Mafia Wars more fun, it is equally important for us to maintain a level playing field and ensure that the larger player base is not affected in terms of unfair advantage to certain players or an increase in unfair competitiveness. 

Do you mean like all those events that reward those on the leaderboard with RP and high stat loot that the overwhelming vast majority of players will NEVER receive because those who we regularly see appear in the top ten are rewarded those things time and time again? How does that create a “level playing field”?

Essentially this all means nothing! Although this game is only a shadow of what it once was the script writers, which provided the means for these abuses, and the script users will all continue to do so. That is, for as long as this game is available for play.