MOBSTERS – BANDITS TEMPORARILY REMOVED FROM MAFIA WARS

Here’s a Mindbender;

Stillwater – Mindbender – That Guitar Can Talk

 

Can you imagine Mafia Wars without the Bandits?

Zynga has removed them for a LIMITED TIME.

Where Have The Bandits Gone?

Mobsters,

It's good news for all our players. As a special appreciation for all our MW fans, for a LIMITED TIME, we have taken out Bandits from the game. Now, continue doing jobs in any city without the bandits coming your way.

Keep playing Mafia Wars!

- The Mafia Wars Team

This is good news for many since players were running through crew members too fast in order to clear them from their jobs.

There is a bad side to the removal of the bandits. That being the missing XP Bandit (The Blue Bandit). When this guy appeared you could run through your energy before you needed to rid yourself of him. When you used a crew member to remove him and you leveled up in the process your experience would carry over and help you level faster. I, for one, will miss him while he is gone.

The real problem with the Bandits was not that they were there. It was that they appeared too often. if Zynga could make them appear at a much slower rate then players may be more receptive to them.

Another thing about the Bandit’s that Zynga may want to address is that they DO NOT need to be in every city (destination). Each destination needs it’s own appeal. In other words, each destination needs to be distinguishable from the other destinations. This is why many players want Cuba, Moscow, Bangkok, and Italy to return to the game. Each one had its own appeal. Whereas, Brazil, Chicago, and London all are similar to each other and are too much alike.

We know that a new destination is looming and we, here at Mafia Spirit, hope that the next destination is unique.

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.