Petition to End Smurfing: Read if you play multiplayer

It'd be nice to have something done about smurfing. Smurfing is why I quit playing this game online. It ruins the experience.

The suggestion I liked most was to have the player's Impulse account displayed in the profile of any Sins player profile that they create.

Crusader_Antonious

I need more then 2.  Currently have 10

The problem with limiting player names is siblings who may be sharing the account (my biggest qualm with Impulse, to be honest.  It's a hassle when multiple people share a computer and the games installed on it).  Something does need to be done about smurfing, but it cannot interfere with legitimate uses of multiple player-names.

What is the point?  The only possible value to discrete player names is to track their win/loss record.  But even this is meaningless as wins/losses can be artificially inflated in seconds.   What would more likely end the need for smurfing is the remove the viewable win/loss record or perhaps make in only viewable to friends.

Raging, this may sound like a dumb question to you (and for all I know, it probably is a dumb question), but what's the big deal about smurfing, anyway?  Note that this isn't a "smark alleck" question, it's just a polite, honest question.  I truly want to know the issues involved, what kinds of problems it creates, yadda yadda.  Perhaps you can explain it?

Put me down.I never smurf and dislike it mucho.

I was online last night and its annoying when some kids get on and get on/off 50 times with a sn that reads youareafag or whatever it is they write.  I think its pointless to be able to create 50 accounts.  Make an account system that ranks I hate to say it but like halo matmaking you got your ranked and social, however give clans with there own ranking structure also. 

Raging Amish, I like the idea of unlocking a "Smurf Detector" talked about some time ago where you could run an applet that would essentially tell you what names the current players cd key had played under in the past.  You could type a string with the current players name, and it would return in chat the list of names that player has played under.  Some guy in DoD clan wrtoe one for HW2 and it would only run if he or someone that had it on was in the lobby or game you were in. 

Alternatively, it could be linked to a rewards system that allowed you to view/reveal profiles after certain in-game accomplishments.  this could be a real incentive for some to get, so the target goals could be tiered accordingly.  And then some accomplishments could just enhance gameplay like rewarding on a points system to apply towards several small perks; picture sets, logos on your cap ships, etc.

Add me to petition.

I think you can only have 5 names.  At least that's all it seems I'm allowed to create.

Sign me up and call me gargamel.  Down with smurfs!!

[_]-Greyfox

NA NA NA NA NA

SMURFS! FOR THE WAY

OOOORAH!

this is a disgrace, in society we always need someone or somehting to blame, leave us smurfs alone, we didint cause the credit crunch, we didnt cause the war in iraq, and we didnt cause people to play multiplayer less.

LEAVE US ALONE

[_]-BlackHawk aka Major General Smurf,

sigh.......I have to agree.....smurfing ruins the MP for a game like nothing else.  I was part of the World in Conflict community since before retail release and saw the game implode after about 6 months with smurfing pretty much being the reason.  Sure rage-quitting etc. contributes as well, but I find smurfing only aggravates existing issues so if a game dev figured out a constructive way to discourage smurfing I think everyone would win!

...my .02 cents

EDIT:

/signed

I'd like to see an end to smurfing, even though I don't play online. For one, the amount of complaints about it here is insane, and drives me crazy. Surely it should just be fixed. Secondly, I might actually play online were it not for the amount of smurfs that join specifically-labeled "newb" games.

I disagree solely because it would destroy my dream of someday creating "PompousBastardsSmurf."  At least let it last long enough for me to get recognized and have that little joke!!

OK, as much as I want to do that it's only for the joke.  All sarcasm aside, I agree with ridding Sins of smurfs.  It's just annoying when PuG games get unbalanced because somebody is hiding their identity.  It's also annoying getting my only account booted from a game because I need to "come back on my main account."  That just sucks.

This comes up in every remotely popular RTS forum ever made, and nothing ever gets done about it.  It is something that needs to be done from the get go to work.  Why won't it work now?

-Limit Accounts to 2: What about people who already have more than 2?  Do you auto-delete all but 2 accounts on them?  There's also no real tracking of who's account it who's in Sins IFAIK.  There's no 'profile list' attached to your product key; at least there doesn't seem to be.  Also, 2 accounts doesn't solve the problem anyway.  You can keep your main one, and keep deleting your second one and remake it once people figure out your identitiy or your record gets too good.

-Limit Accounts to 1: Similar issues to 2 accounts.  This WOULD put an end to smurfing, but is it fair to do this after the game has been out for nearly 2 years?  Can it even be done with the current ICO set up?

-Bling for Accounts: many RTS' give special icons/badges/etc. for wins and such.  They all have smurfing problems too.  Smurfs do not care about 'bling'.  They have their main account for that.  They smurf to be assholes, trick people, etc.  They don't really care about w/l records or what people think of them when using their smurf.

Hopefully some future RTS developer puts their foot down and realizes there is no good reason for someone to have multiple accounts.  Battle.net allows clan tags to be automatically added and removed; you do not need a new accounts for that.  'Testing' things?  Man up and risk a loss.  Multiple family members?  Too bad, it's for the greater good.  Share the account or get a second product key to change accounts.

Why not just link the currently-used name to the account name? So for example, my account name is Swordsalmon. If I have multiple names, it'll be seen as.

Swordsalmon (Swordsalmon)

Salmonsmurf (Swordsalmon)

Therefore, at least smurfs would be easily recognized. Also, I'd like clan tags to be able to be added and removed at will, so one reason for multiple names isn't needed. I'm not a member of any clan, but it'd be a nice feature. ^_

Read them.  For some reason I was still unable to find why smurfing is considered so bad.  Maybe the reasons were just buried in the mountains of text and I missed them.  If I had to make a guess, this is all about trying to put balanced teams together for these pug matches.  Since I usually avoid the big 5v5 pugs, this issue doesn't affect me so much, so I'm sorry it came across to you as "pretending to play much multiplayer" and induced you to make a personal attack.

I don't think it's the "risking the loss" element in and of itself.  It's the "risking the loss and therefore being seen by all the other pugs that know me as some reckless or stupid player, therefore I'm booted in pugs from now on" element.

As a player that mostly plays private matches with friends on weekends and the occasional online match, it is frustrating to be called a 'smurf'. Up until recently I didn't even know what that term meant, people wouldn't tell me. I have something like 15 or so online games recorded, people boot me from games because of it and that's why I don't want to bother playing much online because people are big jerkwads. You have no idea how often I get this:

PuG Leader "Hey, you a smurf?"

Me "No, I don't play much online"

PuG Leader "Don't be a smart @s you dipsh!t, you're a smurf! Right?"

Me "No, I'm not a smurf. I just said I don't play much online."

PuG Leader "Bull sh!t. You're a Smurf"

player booted

Do you know how much that sucks?

I'll tell you the truth right now, it's not Smurfs i'm frustrated and angry at. It's all you inconsiderate jerks out there that push away new players or the casual online player. YOU are the ones that ruined it for me. Push that blame onto whoever, smurfs, I don't care, but  YOU are the ones that ruined it for me. The people with the xxx-xxx records who just jam the rest of our faces down in the mud regardless of how well we play or don't play.

Thanks a lot.

~boshimi336

U didnt understand my point of view: pointless is not doing it when ist allowed.

If Devsa will remove option of smuring .... sign me up.

OMG its u who is Papa Smurf, not Tyr

Smurfing messes up PUG games.

/signed

The easiest solution I've heard is to always have the player's main username listed under whatever current name they're using.  This way, different players on the same computer would be allowed alternate names, but you would still know it's the same account.

There'd be no account limits (so no need to delete excess names).

Of course, you might have a hard time justifying that you're honestly Tyr's, JohnJames', or RagingAmish's 19th kid.

I sympathize Raging, I really do.  I don't like smurfs anymore than the rest of us folks, but due to this recent patch, the advent seeker spamming is a much larger problem in my opinion.  Yes that's right...the only way to counter a fleet of 90 consisting of seekers and disciples, etc. is to spam even more than your opponent or put up a damn starbase.  What a load of bs.

/signed

Smurf is so awesome

/signed

hey any1 wanna try to create a new clan SMURF ONLY?or ICO can make another channel for SMURF ONLY?