Talk:Alt abuse

Linky?
These examples should really probably have links to either past disciplinary action or explicit disallowal of some action. Otherwise it's just opinion. I'm going to clarify one of the points about spying because I know from personal experience that it's just wrong wrong wrong. You are allowed to spy on someone in order to figure out policy, what sort of island they might attack, etc. You aren't allowed to do something like job an alt onto an opposing boat in a blockade and report moves back to someone else.
 * The ToS kinda says that. In fact, spying is the only clarified section of the Spirit of the Game rule. --Thunderbird 17:38, 29 May 2006 (PDT)
 * I don't really know what to tell you other than that's not how the rule is enforced, and that i've recieved point blank "that's okay"s for having a character in an opposing flag during the Looterati forum debacle. --Shanoyu 17:48, 29 May 2006 (PDT)  oOo To put that another way, it seems that you're allowed to spy but not to undermine, despite what the ToS says.  (After all, otherwise it'd be illegal to have people /tell you certain things.)  --Shanoyu 18:00, 29 May 2006 (PDT)

Alt Flags?
I'm pretty sure I remember reading about how "alt flags" and such used to be used for blockades, though I can't recall exactly where now...It was deemed to be against the rules in the end, right? (Though I guess fame made it moot.) --Emufarmers 15:05, 18 April 2006 (PDT)

Increases and Decreases
That should read "increase or decrease your standing". People do both. Good examples of purposeful decreasing are using statless alts for PvP and using an able alt on the parlor tables to trick greenies. --Benzene265 21:10, 19 April 2006 (PDT)
 * Good point; I changed it to "manipulate," because that can encompass both increases and decreases, and sounds fancy to boot. :) --Emufarmers 21:20, 19 April 2006 (PDT)

Inflated Crew Sizes?
Is it alt abuse to have a large number of alts in your crew to make it look bigger? What if the alts all have names which make them obviously your alts? (In my case, let's say, "Emufarmer, Emuframer, Emuguy, Emudood, etc.) What if they all have names which don't make them obviously your alts? I just noticed a pretty obvious example of this, but when I think about it, I have seen it pop up before. --Emufarmers 21:25, 19 April 2006 (PDT)
 * If the alts are just for whisking, foraging, or labor, then they won't do enough puzzling to affect fame. Also, it's nice to have some crew chat to read on Crafting Skills Day.  I can't imagine why any worthwhile captain would want to artificially inflate membership with non-puzzling alts.  A 100-person Aspiring crew is worse looking than a 50-person Aspiring crew.--Benzene265 21:52, 19 April 2006 (PDT)
 * I guess. But it's still prohibited to use macros to boost your pirate's experience, even though experience doesn't "mean" anything.  I guess it's one of those things which shouldn't be an issue, but still does happen anyway.  I'll leave it up to Liz to determine whether or not this is indeed abuse. --Emufarmers 22:02, 19 April 2006 (PDT)

Swabbies
I'm not so sure whether we want the part about swabbies; this isn't Wikipedia, but they've got a saying over there: "Don't stuff beans up your nose." I hadn't heard of that particular tactic before, and I can't help but wonder if it might be putting an idea in people's head which they might not even have thought of in the first place. --Emufarmers 23:56, 6 July 2006 (PDT)
 * If that's the case, we should just get rid of this article - the opinions of a group of seasoned veterans on what's widespread knowledge is not indicative of what an unwise greenhorn could do with the list. --AtteSmythe 08:19, 7 July 2006 (PDT)
 * Eh, on reread, the generic list is pretty easily extrapolated. It's not meant to be comprehensive. --AtteSmythe 08:20, 7 July 2006 (PDT)
 * Indeed: They're examples, so I think we should just stick to clearly obvious methods of abuse, and not put any more ideas in anybody's head. Would anybody have any objections to removing the most recently added example? --Emufarmers 23:29, 7 July 2006 (PDT)

Be this alt abuse?
Is it alt abuse if you use an alt to gain more information about the drop pattern of your sword? E.g. challenging an alt to a swordfight, not to bump your puzzle standing up, but to find out what your sword's drop pattern does in an actual game. -Micool2
 * As long as you do unrated swordfights (leave the "Rated" box unticked when you set it up), it's not alt abuse. --Ponytailguy 18:45, 13 August 2006 (PDT)

What about if someone uses and alt with a novice/able standing to get an easier seed in a familiar tourney? I know that both pirates weren't controled at the same time, but this can basically put an Ult Rumbler/SFer into an able seed spot so that they have a few more easier rounds. Klostro 13:49, 6 September 2007 (PDT)

Labor alts
Is the use of labor alts considered abuse? It's certainly frowned upon by the Ringers. --Sagacious (talk) 12:31, 21 December 2006 (PST)

Nope, because labour is split evenly between pirates. That's why I only keep one person per account. --Piplicus 12:45, 21 December 2006 (PST)
 * Yeah but Since it is impossible for two characters from the same account to log on to the same ocean, alt abuse occurs between two accounts controlled simultaneously covers that. Plus, on Doubloon oceans - one can have all 3 pirates on an account providing full labor. --Sagacious (talk) 13:02, 21 December 2006 (PST)