"Developer ban" is a flawed system and needs correction
I'm gonna go and say that I actually vouch for valve in terms of vac bans. As you may know, valve has their own system in regards to VAC bans which developers can place in their games. Recently, valve has been implementing machine learning into their anti cheat system. However valve knows AI is prone to error, so they're threating it extremely carefully, which as a software developer I am glad to hear.

If you guys wanna know more about it, check this video which has more information:

https://youtu.be/xCnPGlqvxv4

I assume most of the time, valve's discretion to see if someone cheated or not is a success. Of course, the system isn't perfect, mistakes happen. Then it comes valve's approach to unbans. Or lackthereof. Though it says you can't appeal (which is kinda dumb if I'm being honest), unbans do happen if a mistake happened.

Probably the best example I have is this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/456e3z/vac_banned_in_a_game_that_officially_doesnt_even/

In short:

A user bought a singleplayer and cheated in it, when he bought the game there was no VAC notification in the storepage or when he played the game. VAC was added as a later update, ton of people cheated in the game and they got a VAC ban. If it isn't obvious enough, they cheated in a singleplayer game (which is OK), they didn't know it was VAC protected (the game had no warnings or wasn't advertised in the storepage), and there was no ingame notification the game had a VAC system.

Valve later replied to the thread they where going to remove the ban and did indeed remove the bans.

If you wanna read more about VAC, check here: https://help.steampowered.com/pt-br/faqs/view/571A-97DA-70E9-FF74



Then we have the "developer bans".

Valve allows developers to implement their own systems that detect and permanently ban any disruptive players, such as those using cheats. [...] Valve only enforces the game ban as instructed by the game developer. [...] The effects of the game ban are determined by the developer, and must be consistent with a VAC ban, such as being prevented from playing online with other players and/or trading items for that game.
(Effects only apply to the game of the ban)

I do not like this.

So any game can make their own ban system, system which I have no information of (VAC is a bit more transparent than others), and valve threats it the same as a VAC ban? A player will check someone banned by a developer and just assume he is a cheater as well.

Worse, can I get banned from developers from reasons OTHER THAN cheating? Can I get banned for griefing (exploding someone's house in minecraft) or offensive language (saying "♥♥♥♥"), reasons which are not cheating?

Steam has trade ban, which has a different meaning than a VAC ban. If you look at someone's profile with a trade ban, you know he is bad trader, though not necessarely a cheater.

Thankfully, developer bans can be appealed unlike VAC bans. But if you get wrongfully banned (like the players listed above), you get that red mark on your profile until the developer fixes the problem. The developer which I assume is less willing to thoroughly check for red flags unlike valve.

I mean, look at THIS

https://youtu.be/F-Km5yXYF_g

And THIS, which is a VAC ban but jesus its on the fault of a poorly implemented developer system which they probably don't even care if it works or not because their game only goes for so long, unlike valve which has the long running steam:

https://www.reddit.com/r/dyinglight/comments/bno4vl/wrongly_vac_banned/



So what can or should happen?

I assume valve still has certain consideration of who to let ban players from their games. If any developer could ban any player from any game it would be abused, since it doesn't happen I doubt it. Valve also wouldn't just implement this system if it didn't need it. The developer ban support page has clear reasoning for the existance of this feature.

How can we retain the impact of a game ban while not removing it from its entirety?

I propose a few suggestions, any of them would suffice:

1 - Change the color of the ban to "yellow"
Red has the impact of danger. So does yellow, but to a lesser extent. Yellow represents "caution" when red represents "danger". I feel this comunicates the nature of the ban more clearly.

2 - Show ban "reason"
The bans today are simply "game ban". What if instead it showed the reason? Only a single word can suffice: "Cheating suspicion", "Cheating", "Griefing", "Harassment", and so on.
"Game ban: Harassment"
It looks better than just plain red game ban.

3 - 3 strikes system
Your profile would only show to others the game ban on your third infraction. It would be obvious the user is a bad actor on his damn third developer ban. Even if it's just griefing (trade bans are also red).



That's all. I would happily discuss with anyone that disaggrees with my takes.

EDIT: 18/01/2023

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/3761102779879953310/
Naposledy upravil _galaxy; 18. led. 2023 v 11.12
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7 years ago

Valve Employee
Since the release of The Following for Dying Light we have noticed a number of users that received a VAC ban were unaware that VAC had been enabled. Due to unclear messaging we have decided to remove these VAC bans and are working with Techland to include VAC protected messaging.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/456e3z/comment/d016ujx/
eram původně napsal:
7 years ago

Valve Employee
Since the release of The Following for Dying Light we have noticed a number of users that received a VAC ban were unaware that VAC had been enabled. Due to unclear messaging we have decided to remove these VAC bans and are working with Techland to include VAC protected messaging.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/456e3z/comment/d016ujx/

Why are you quoting this?
from your 7 year old thread in 1st post
eram původně napsal:
from your 7 year old thread in 1st post

-> Why <- are you quoting this, not from when the post was created (thread is not mine btw)
_galaxy původně napsal:
eram původně napsal:
from your 7 year old thread in 1st post

-> Why <- are you quoting this, not from when the post was created (thread is not mine btw)


_galaxy původně napsal:
Probably the best example I have is this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/456e3z/vac_banned_in_a_game_that_officially_doesnt_even/

.


Official reply here
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/456e3z/comment/d016ujx/
Naposledy upravil eram; 16. pro. 2022 v 2.50
eram původně napsal:
_galaxy původně napsal:

-> Why <- are you quoting this, not from when the post was created (thread is not mine btw)


_galaxy původně napsal:
Probably the best example I have is this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/456e3z/vac_banned_in_a_game_that_officially_doesnt_even/

.


Official reply here
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/456e3z/comment/d016ujx/

Ok apologies, I forgot to place that response in the post. The response was supposed to be part of the post and it's there now.
Firstly, trolling, harassing and cheating all lead to the same endpoint - ruining the game for other players and damaging the reputation of the developers’ game, so the text is identical.

1. Pointless - it’s a ban, not a traffic light.

2. Nope. We’re not giving trolls and grievers a badge of honour - we have enough issues with ban collectors. When it just says “game ban”, they know others might think they’re cheaters as well - it’s a deterrent.

3.No, it’s a game ban. A person is a bad actor after the first infringement. Other players have a right to know who they’re playing with. Don’t want the text? Don’t break the rules.

In the end, this is another thread that simply focuses on how “awful” all this is for those who get banned and not on how damaging their actions are to the whole community. The banned parties aren’t the victims.
Naposledy upravil Bee🐝; 16. pro. 2022 v 3.52
Bee původně napsal:
Firstly, trolling, harassing and cheating all lead to the same endpoint - ruining the game for other players and damaging the reputation of the developers’ game, so the text is identical.

This is a misconstruct.

Harassment, trolling, CAN lead to ruining the game for others, but not necessarely.

When you join a call of duty lobby, you expect harassment. It just goes with the package. Banning someone for harassment on a call of duty lobby is fair, but activision only does for edge scenarios. Otherwise they would have no clients.

The entire premise of Rust is built around griefing and trolling, so if a dev doesn't like a player and bans him for griefing on Rust just to rid that player of the game is an situation allowed by the current system (even if the player can appeal).

Cheating is the only scenario where it's generally aggred upon it's BAD and the gamer community all aggre. The only exceptions are where anti-cheating isn't concerned, like singleplayer games (skyrim) or private matches (cs:go LAN with the boys).

Please do not use your gaming experiences as a rule for the experience of the general gaming community, thank you.

1. Pointless - it’s a ban, not a traffic light.

It's a ban from a single game, while a VAC is a ban for all multiplayer VAC games. A trade ban bans ALL trades.

The meaning is lost if the impact (even a simple font colour) is the same as a VAC ban. Alas, valve also words the developer ban in a way that they consider the VAC ban the same impact as a developer ban.

2. Nope. We’re not giving trolls and grievers a badge of honour - we have enough issues with ban collectors.

"Ban collectors" was a issue of the past, it's been resolved. I don't see current issues, do point them out though.

When it just says “game ban”, they know others might think they’re cheaters as well - it’s a deterrent.

So if I get banned for griefing by exploding a child's house in minecraft people will think I'm a cheater. Yeah, thanks.


3.No, it’s a game ban. A person is a bad actor after the first infringement. Other players have a right to know who they’re playing with.

Altough there is a contract between the player and the company when one uses their product, there is a certain degree of abuse possible when that contract has ramifications to the user experience on the platform holder.

The post is aimed at trying to correct the platform holder's interpretation of the information the game company gives to them. I believe that's fair.

Don’t want the text? Don’t break the rules.

The text is fine. The presentation is not.

In the end, this is another thread that simply focuses on how “awful” all this is for those who get banned and not on how damaging their actions are to the whole community. The banned parties aren’t the victims.

Crazy you say that, because 4 out of the 5 links in my thread point to victims of bans. One of them doesn't even have a mechanic for an unban.
_galaxy původně napsal:
Bee původně napsal:
Snip

Crazy you say that, because 4 out of the 5 links in my thread point to victims of bans. One of them doesn't even have a mechanic for an unban.
So, the whole system has to change because you found that 4 people?

I still fail to see how your suggestions help the developers and innocent players who were grieved, harassed and had their games ruined by cheaters.

Right, now it still simply focuses on making life less awful for people who broke the rules.
Naposledy upravil Bee🐝; 16. pro. 2022 v 6.09
Bee původně napsal:
So, the whole system has to change because you found that 4 people?

4 links. It leads to multiple cases of multiple users.

Even if it where only 4 people, so what? I thought ban systems where supposed to strive for no false positives has one of the major goals?

I still fail to see how your suggestions help the developers [...]

Developer bans still doesn't let the player play the game in question in multiplayer modes, or any more restrictions the developer imposes. It doesn't help the developers, but neither does it hinders them. It stays the exact same as the old system for developers.

[...] and innocent pleyers who were grieved, harassed and had their games ruined by cheaters

Cheaters? I thought you where arguing the developer ban being about harassment was a good thing? See how even you keep confusing a game ban with a vac ban? You prove my point yet again.

Right, now it still simply focuses on making life less awful for people who broke the rules.

Rules of a single game, but noooo now he's not welcome in every game, amazing!

Let me clarify again that caution is still bad. When you tell your friend in real life that someone is dangerous you avoid that person. If you tell your friend instead to exercise caution against that person your friend will have a level of skepticism but still won't exercise friendliness over that person will he?

Right now all these only help

Except the edge case scenarios which you didn't care about as you stated.

Valve cares about edge cases, showing with the unbans of the thread. In particular the dying light unbans.
Game ban implies exactly what it says: Someone has been banned from a game.

There is no explicit meaning of "cheater". You can collect game bans for cheating, sure. You can also collect them for spewing racist BS that gets reported to the devs, or hac king stats, o9r any other of a myriad of transgressions.

VAC is explicitly a "cheating" flag. They arent the same and that some minority of people thinks so isnt a problem.

No, you dont get to know why anyone has been banned - that isnt your business or concern.

No, developers do not have to abide by what YOU think is "fair".

I havent been VAC or game banned in any game in 19+ years on Steam. The people who collect such things deserve them, and innocent "victims", those very, VERY rare cases are remediated. Your use case is limited and nonsensical to the point I suspect youre just advocating for yourself.
_galaxy původně napsal:

snip

*sigh* Are you confused?

Game bans can be for harassment, grieving or CHEATING. Vac bans are only for cheats, game bans include anything the developer considers disruptive.

From the FAQ:
developers to implement their own systems that detect and permanently ban any disruptive players, such as those using CHEATS.

So, if a ban is incorrectly applied the developer can choose to remove it which renders all these suggestions moot.

It just sounds like you want to water down the "Game Ban" system so that they appear less serious than a Vac ban on the user's profile. They're not though; they're equally as destructive and disruptive to other innocent players' games.
Naposledy upravil Bee🐝; 16. pro. 2022 v 5.23
AmsterdamHeavy původně napsal:
Game ban implies exactly what it says: Someone has been banned from a game.

There is no explicit meaning of "cheater". You can collect game bans for cheating, sure. You can also collect them for spewing racist BS that gets reported to the devs, or hac king stats, o9r any other of a myriad of transgressions.

VAC is explicitly a "cheating" flag. They arent the same and that some minority of people thinks so isnt a problem.

Minority? Have you even seen the blue checkmark twitter fiasco that ensued just moments ago?

No, you dont get to know why anyone has been banned - that isnt your business or concern.

But we already do. Someone can get a community ban which we assume is for being a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, someone can get a trade ban which we assume is a thief, someone can get a VAC ban which we assume is a cheater.

These prevail over privacy settings, there is no privacy setting hide the ban tags. There is still privacy friendliness in this. You don't get to see the exact infraction (oh someone spew racist bs or mysoginy or whatever), but you know if someone does harassment or whatever.

If anything, the ban is more specific and more helpful. If you're on lfg and someone shows their profile and you see "Game ban: harassment", some players would take him while others wouldn't. If it said cheating both players wouldn't take him.

No, developers do not have to abide by what YOU think is "fair".

Developers have to abide to the rules of steam. Otherwise they can't sell their games on steam. The post is simply a suggestion for steam to change their wording, there isn't a single rule change suggested here.

What I think is fair doesn't matter as the post is a suggestion and it's steam that decides if it gets implemented or not.

I havent been VAC or game banned in any game in 19+ years on Steam. The people who collect such things deserve them, and innocent "victims", those very, VERY rare cases are remediated. [...]

Why mention VAC bans? Are you arguing against VAC bans or game bans? You're the second person in the thread that confuses a game ban with a VAC ban, by the way you also mentioned harassment and meta game abuse which is not software cheating. You're all proving yet again people confuse game bans with VAC bans.

Your use case is limited and nonsensical to the point I suspect youre just advocating for yourself.

False. I have a 9+ old steam profile with over 500 games, I have 3.3k hours in destiny 2 a MMO multiplayer with various pvp and pve competitive elements, I don't have a single community ban / VAC ban / trade ban / game ban. I only made this post because I believe game bans are a problem given the arguments made on the post.

It is sensical to the point where 100% of the people in this thread that argued against game bans confused a game ban with a VAC ban.

By the way my game hours are private, if you want to see them add me on steam so you can see for yourself.
Don't see any problem with game bans or VAC bans, nor would changing colors, etc.

Game bans are serious and you should feel ashamed for getting one, the vast majority of users on steam never have one, nor will they ever have one.
_galaxy původně napsal:
Why mention VAC bans? Are you arguing against VAC bans or game bans? You're the second person in the thread that confuses a game ban with a VAC ban, by the way you also mentioned harassment and meta game abuse which is not software cheating. You're all proving yet again people confuse game bans with VAC bans.

You repeatedly talked about VAC bans in your OP. Again nothing wrong with the bans as they are, your idea would actually upset a lot of people with bans as they wouldn't like steam displaying that they harassed people for instance, or they would argue over the reason the developer banned them claiming it was false. In the end it doesn't matter though.

A ban is a ban, and its something the overwhelming majority of steam users will never see.
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