TOPIC:

Hi, today i cheated. And then i got banned. It's unfair because i don't deserve it.

I know that it sounds stupid, the way i just explained the story, but actually there is much more...

I cheated, then ST2 came, and he warned me about it, so i destroyed my company and started again. Without cheating. ST2 started to compete too and was watching me all the time. I was angry because i didn't expect ST2 to come and race me after i destroyed my first company, so he outgrew me easily, because i had a long-term strategy. Anyway, ST2 didn't like my attitude (i said that i prefer freedom and i dont cheat anymore only because i dont like to get banned), and decided he would find some reason to ban me after all!
He provoked me when i said i didn't like him racing me, and then he said that he wasnt planning to finish the game, followed by the offer to the other player to get his company. So yea, ST2 was griefing, so now you know the context of what happened and why i was banned after all.

So he decided to ban me eventually, while i did not break anymore rules, and after i spent over an hour of work in my company!!! Destroying my company, and griefing me for over an hour, should both have been too much punishment already, but he actually banned me too =/

I was making a train station in the water between oil rigs (out of range of all oil rigs, with very much effort!) to have a central location for my boats (boat limit is only 35). ST2 warned me about not breaking any rules, while i was making my thing. I asked him while i was building if it was a good location, and he agreed that it didn't break any rules. So i finished the station. Then he told me, if any oil rig spawns next to my station, he would ban me instantly! He told me this AFTER i spent again a whole lot of effort to make this.

So i terraform small spots around my station, that would not block any boats, and could not cause even the slightest inconvenience to any players who would also want to build there (if that would ever be the case, which is very unlikely). I mean, literally a 1 spot tile was raised, with plenty of room for either boats or harbors to be made, and which could be lowered at any time if any player actually wanted to do something there.

Guess what ST2 did? He purposefully removed the tiles so oil rig would spawn!!! For no reason!!! Then i asked why he removed them, and as i was asking him that, an oil rig supposedly spawned on a spot where he had removed my terraform (i didnt even see it because he banned me instantly).

This is the most unfair treatment of a cheater ever. Yes i admit, i cheated, and after i was warned i stopped it and played by the rules. It sounds weird to hear that cheaters are treated unfairly, but this was really the most extreme thing that ive ever heard of. A cheater who stops cheating, but is then being harrassed by a griefing mod who does ANYTHING to get him banned afterwards.

At least i hope that the ban is not very long, even if you do keep me banned for a while. I have been punished very much already, in my humble opinion. Thank you for considering.

And if ST2 is managing the bans and reading this post and judging this case, i hope he can find forgiveness in his raging heart ;P

Please unban me...?

well, the story "spine" is almost as said, therefore my point of view is needed too. So, here it goes (I'll try to keep it short):
I'll start for the easiest, what I already knew from you as player: you're always trying to override the rules, hoping no ones notice. It was like that on January 2013 (oldest logs I checked) and continues nowadays, you even admited/confirmed that. We don't want players that respect server rules only because someone is watching! You must be prepared to respect them even if alone.

As I told ingame, I only started a company to show how it's possible to achieve success without cheating. And that's what you should learn... and not bend the rules just because no one is watching!
Now, lets get a bit more specific, every minimal terrain change you make modifies at least 4 tiles (minimal, as said). Raising terrain in several spots in a lake, that you won't use, interfers with game mechanics therefore, with other players/companies. It's similar to raise/lower land in front of other players tracks; won't make things impossible... only harder! Or delete overly roads and/or houses to place your station closer to town center; I could get a bunch of examples where game mechanics can be considered abusive and unfair. In a server where "blocking" one of the most abominable actions, you said this "n00b (Green): i make blockers for oil rigs"?! You don't need to block anything from anyone to make a good company! But you kept pushing the limits (and of my patience also)! Building a rail station in the middle of the lake, rasing land for tracks, blocking resources to other players. But I warned you, again! The ban came from all this again's!

The obvious words I'll tell you are: there's no unfair treatment against a cheater! Especially when it repeats! And as you said ingame "n00b (Green): i know the rules" warned me to the wickedness that you had when intentionaly broke them! So, I don't even know why you're surprised about the ban!

Note: Unban is not a closed door but you must do better then "I cheat -> sorry; I cheat -> sorry; ..."
You know what you needed to do, respect server rules.

I was not aware i was banned before on this server, because my memory sucks a lot and i dont play often anymore, although i will admit that it does not surprise me..

I always do what is best to grow fast, usually not even bothering to read the rules. As i explained, i like the freedom...

Having said that, i hope you appreciate the honesty. So i wont suck up to you and pretend that i agree with you, like most people would.
I definitly did not deserve to get banned for this... Maybe for the initial stuff, but i got punished for that by making me destroy my company already. But this thing that you banned me for, i did not do anything wrong, nor did i break any rules.

I strongly disagree with your reasoning, because "raise/lower land in front of other players tracks" ofcourse is bad and it is totally different from raising less than 10 points of tiles *with no other players anywhere nearby!* somewhere that you might want to build an intersection later (as a very similar example), to block the spawning of industries on that location, without bothering anyone at all. The amount of unintended inconvenience to other players caused by this is extremely close to zero, if it is not absolute zero (which it probably is). Unlike, as a very common example, building rails in a casual way, unintentionally forcing someone to make a bridge later in the game. And naturally, this should not be punished either. Unintensionally causing inconvenience (without breaking any rules, and much later in the game) should never be punished.

Now i do not expect you to admit that you overreacted when you banned me, but if you would look at it from a neutral perspective, you would probably agree. It did not break any rules, nor cause anyone any inconvenience whatsoever, and any little potential future inconvenience was clearly unintended.

So that is why i immediatly requested an unban.

However, most importantly, i can promise not to do it again.

And i hereby promise that i will respect the rules from now on. And if i do not, you can ban me forever.

Please unban me...?

I'd like to weigh in a little bit, as for the 'it didn't harm anyone'.

It doesn't harm anyone if you land reserve at a place on the map where, at that point, nobody is close to.
It doesn't harm anyone if you raise land on random places on the map where, at that point, nobody is close to.
It doesn't harm anyone if I'm alone on a server and do anything that is against the rules.

Statements like those, which is pretty much your whole argument, are worthless, since they do break the rule and can still harm others in the future.

I wasn't there, I don't know how much land was raised and what you all did and didn't do, but I do know some other things.


Maybe it was slightly harsh to ban you, maybe not. But you have been breaking rules before and as both forum and IRC chat show, you don't like the rules and try to bend them if you can, or if you aren't watched. Offenses accumulate, something that we usually won't ban for, can call for a tempban or even a permban if that player broke rules before. We don't mind giving second and third chances at all, but we're not endlessly patient.

Well, this was not the post that i was hoping for, but let me take some time to respond to it...

vGelder wrote: It doesn't harm anyone if you land reserve at a place on the map where, at that point, nobody is close to.

You are wrong. It could be harmful, in the future, if anyone wants to build there. Mostly because other players can not undo the land reservation.

vGelder wrote: It doesn't harm anyone if you raise land on random places on the map where, at that point, nobody is close to.

You are right about that, so I agree. Especially when the amount of land raised is less than 10 points of tiles. Literally, not any noticeable inconvenience is caused by this.

vGelder wrote: It doesn't harm anyone if I'm alone on a server and do anything that is against the rules.

It is both against the rules, and it may cause harm to other players whenever they join, so you are wrong again.

It appears you are attempting to use the same flawed reasoning as ST2 was. Making an analogy between something that are obviously bad and potentially harmful (while claiming it is not), to something that is absolutely insignificant and any potential inconvenience caused is unnoticeable and unintentional.

vGelder wrote: Statements like those, which is pretty much your whole argument, are worthless, since they do break the rule and can still harm others in the future.

You are wrong again. Only your own two examples broke the rules, what i did, did not break any rules, nor cause inconvenience. Yes that is my entire argument. That is the only argument i should need, in any fair trial.
Saying that your two examples are similar to what i did, it is not just wrong, i feel it is actually rather insulting to me. You try to make me look guilty, instead of admitting that indeed it was wrong to ban me.

vGelder wrote: I wasn't there, I don't know how much land was raised and what you all did and didn't do, but I do know some other things.

As i said, less than 10 points of tiles. In a location around my own station. With no other players nearby. If any players would actually come, it would not affect them. If in some VERY rare and special situation they would actually be affected by it, they could lower that point of tiles which they are affected by.

You would never even have thought about warning someone about doing something as innocent as raising a point of tiles in the middle of nowhere, let alone banning him for it!

And look at you guys now, you are trying to justify your action by trying to come up with an explanation about why raising a point of tiles (or less than 10) on the map is ban-worthy.
It is absolutely innocent, it does not cause harm, and the potential of causing any inconvenience to anyone is pretty much indistinguishable from absolute zero. And most importantly, any conceived potential harm is undeniably unintentional. So come on guys, just be honest, or at least don't pretend like it was bad of me to do it.

vGelder wrote: Maybe it was slightly harsh to ban you, maybe not.

I am glad you will at least entertain the idea that it may have been (slightly) harsh. I'm sure that considering this question from a neutral perspective would give you an instant and obvious conclusion.

vGelder wrote: But you have been breaking rules before and as both forum and IRC chat show, you don't like the rules and try to bend them if you can, or if you aren't watched. Offenses accumulate, something that we usually won't ban for, can call for a tempban or even a permban if that player broke rules before. We don't mind giving second and third chances at all, but we're not endlessly patient.

I agree, i broke rules before. I agree i admitted i do not like rules, because that is the truth. Offenses may accumulate, i understand. To ban someone for a small offense, considering the context i might even agree to that. But to ban someone for NOT breaking a rule, which is the case here, that seems just plain unfair.

I do not know about second or third chances, i doubt i was banned many times before because i have not played the game actively in years. But let bygones be bygones, please...

Either way, i did not deserve to be banned for the reason i was banned this time, and i did promise not to break the rules again, so i hope you would unban me now, please?

Honestly, i do not know what else i can write.

I pleaded my case to the best of my ability, and i am sincerely convinced that i am innocent of the supposed offense that i was convinced for. It should be obvious by now...

And i also did promise to respect the rules in the future.

So, please, unban me...?