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Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 12:48
by IvanDobsky
Playing on Beruit/]CIA[ today (12:30 gmt ) I was amazed to see [R-DEV]piepieonline using PRBot.
It was my understanding that using such a bot on a public server was a breach of server license...

Anyone care to comment?

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 13:11
by TomDackery
Hes A) a DEV. and 2. Since hes a DEV using the PR-BOT on someone elses server, it shouldn't void their server license seeing as it wasn't them to begin with using the PR-BOT.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 13:29
by TBoy205
You do understand that they can do whatever they want, right? If it's an infraction, they'll probably change the TOS.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 13:32
by IvanDobsky
Its a fair question. Is your insulting question is really necessary?

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 13:47
by SShadowFox
TBoy205 wrote:You do understand that they can do whatever they want, right? If it's an infraction, they'll probably change the TOS.
No, they can't...

;)

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 14:50
by TBoy205
IvanDobsky wrote:Its a fair question.
Honestly, after reviewing your post and thinking about it for a while, I have changed my mindset towards what you had said.

Originally I had saw the post as a complaint toward CIA and piepie, which caused me to become defensive.

Now that I have thought your statement through, I feel that what you are trying to say is not to get anyone in trouble, but to question whether it's right to allow the DEVs to do whatever they please with or without server owner permission.

Being a server and community owner myself for over 5 years, I do seriously question whether the DEVs should be allowed to do this on a PUBLIC server, with OR without owner permission. Thinking about it thoroughly, it IS a public server for all to play on, and personally, things like pie flying around in a PRBOT doesn't bother me too much, unless of course they were to be using it to gain an upper advantage on players actually wanting to play the game, and I do not believe that pie would ever do this himself, I can't speak for any of the other DEVs.

In my opinion, OPINION *Josh Peck lol,* I believe that DEVs should be able to do as they please WITH server owner permission on a PASSWORDED server or offline / local. I understand when owning a server, you can do whatever you want basically, but I also remember that the reason is not to please yourself, the owner, but the community overall and make it a fun place for everyone to enjoy. In my opinion as well, if the server owner wants the DEVs to do as they wish on the server, then they should only be allowed to do so when not supporting a public image. And if they claim that it's not 'public' or for the other people, then I would love to see them populate their server on their own without the public. It won't happen.

If you didn't notice before, I do NOT believe anyone should be in the wrong currently, but I DO support changing this for the future. Another important thing is that this is not just about PR BOTs that bothers me, its the fact that the DEVs use other commands that only they have to render themselves invisible as to help them temporarily in the game.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 15:06
by Mineral
I can assure you devs cannot 'do what they please'. They can't simply spawn in bots cause they are part of the PR Team :D . This is something else. But I'll leave that to Piepie/CIA/other devs to explain, that's their job.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 15:17
by piepieonline
R-DEVs do not have RCON commands to gain an unfair advantage in the game, we have them to help with debugging and trying to fix problems. There is a very limited subset of R-DEVs who have access to these commands - only those that need it.

Now, whether I should have used them in this regard? (To simply act as a spectator, while awaiting the 1.1 release) I don't know. I feel it has not caused any harm, but obviously you do not see it that way.

As for CIA, that is completely unrelated - there is nothing different about the server to any of the others in this regard.

Oh, and to those unaware, PRBot is a spectator tool - generally used for video making, and testing changes.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 15:45
by IvanDobsky
Thanks for the replies.
I'm not making judgements nor pointing fingers, I only pose the question as it was fairly unsettling for me and my squadmembers to see a "UFO-DEV" on our mapscreen.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 16:27
by IWI-GALIL.556FA
Hopefully it means that the next update is right around the corner?! :)

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 16:58
by CTRifle

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-03 22:01
by Jafar Ironclad
Some devs on the team (particularly those involved with coding) have the means to spawn in prbots in case someone reports a bug mid-game, so that the dev can quickly fly over to the site and verify it themselves. This is to expedite troubleshooting and debugging; we never use these to exploit the game or create an unfair advantage. (For private events and public rounds which suddenly look incredibly cinematic, hopping in a prbot to film or add cosmetic fireworks is more acceptable, but again, dev tool.)

Posted: 2014-01-04 02:34
by matty1053
I think it's fine. I highly doubt the devs would be like.
*dev is on russia side on beruit*
"IDF, ENEMY TANK AT FACTORY MOVING NORTH. HE HAS A BTR BY HIM. "

So I think devs are able to do what they want.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-04 02:36
by Rudd
I like using PR bot to simulate alien intervention in human conflicts, I think people appreciate my attempt to bring a bit more storyline to the game.

Re: Devs & bots

Posted: 2014-01-04 02:59
by AncientMan
Sigh, this isn't an issue, and it isn't a breach of the server license...

A few devs (only 5 infact) have the ability to perform debug commands on any server, without the permission of the server admin. This is done for certain reasons, mainly debugging, and all devs with this ability know not to abuse such abilities.

Going to close this now.