New/old scam Mindark's test server

[Gos]

Just had a chat with Adrian Addie Geneva. They invited me to take part in the alpha/beta phase of a major expansion (New Dawn) latter in the year of MA's 'test server' (I thought they don't have one ). I would be given 5 ped for every bug I found. Agreeing to join up I was given a registration key and URL to the 'official' MA site. An ftp server to register and download a 300MB file. I am not bound by an NDA so I can freely tell this to anyone, but was asked not to speak to any players about this .

Got the chat logged and screened and I am confirming it with a support call.

Happy hunting

[br]Click to enlarge[/br]

 

[The Nightbird]

Well, the graphics engine could use an overhaul. I'm tired of not being able to jump down hills without flickering back and forth.

 

[mrproper]

Just had a chat with Adrian Addie Geneva. They invited me to take part in the alpha/beta phase of a major expansion (New Dawn) latter in the year of MA's 'test server' (I thought they don't have one ). I would be given 5 ped for every bug I found. Agreeing to join up I was given a registration key and URL to the 'official' MA site. An ftp server to register and download a 300MB file. I am not bound by an NDA so I can freely tell this to anyone, but was asked not to speak to any players about this .

Got the chat logged and screened and I am confirming it with a support call.

Happy hunting

Scam? Real thing? Non abla espagnol...

If there's testing to be done, I can do it for free

 

[Skippie]

gos, maybe i don't understand, but, you are saying an avatar told you he was from mind arc and offered to give you ped for participating in a test phase of something?

how is this a scam?

and how could this be anything but someone funning about? wouldn't mind arc do this sort of thing through their "official" wesite?

maybe i don't understand but i don't follow.

 

[beautygal]

gos, maybe i don't understand, but, you are saying an avatar told you he was from mind arc and offered to give you ped for participating in a test phase of something?

how is this a scam?

and how could this be anything but someone funning about? wouldn't mind arc do this sort of thing through their "official" wesite?

maybe i don't understand but i don't follow.

My guess is that as some point that "official site" will require the participants to log in with their EU account data...
But I see the screenshots were removed so we don't know what's going on there.

 

[forgo]

Sounds a little wierd to me. Pretty sure mindark avatars that would offer this would state mindark in thier name, or be someone like marco that is recognizable.

As far as offering 5 ped per bug...doesnt make one bit of sense. 5 ped is nothing really, and a decent test server wouldnt have enough bugs for every tester to even find one bug a piece.

Not to mention wouldnt that be accepting ped for real life services (against the eula)...since testing would be considered a service (its not in EU technically since its not live) with a fee?

And no nda? Dont think any company in thier right mind would do that, especially a product like mindark.

Could very well be a duplicate website...as some major bank companies have had happen to thier customers in the past. Ask you to verify account info, credit card info ect. then guess what.... they have it now....and the download would probably contain something nasty.

Sounds like you might have taken the bait already, if not, good.

I wouldnt lift one finger towards that....5 ped isnt worth even a 1% chance. How many bugs could someone hope to catch anyhow?...even at one a day you can make more playing the live server trading in 5 mins.

If it isnt a scam then cool new expansion soon...ill wait.

otherwise...Im sure MA would seek some serious litigation against whomever is trying this scam, thats in a whole new ballpark as far as legalities vs the scams that dont involve MA.

Makes me think that a character database would be a great idea, other online games have that ability via the web...so you can at least see if they are or arent official, how long theyve been subscribers...societies and time in them ..even a list of members in societies so you could at least ask someone for a reference personally. ect. That alone would probably reduce alot of scams and victims.

 

[Fiona Simmons]

MindArk dont want public testing. They afraid those testers can use their knowledge for advantage over the non testers. If you have a close look on it they right.

 

[MistyDawn]

If there's testing to be done, I can do it for free

I can do better than that, I would pay them to test their software and servers

oh, yeah, I already do......

@ Gos: smells as fishy as a smelly fish on a hot day to me....

 

[JackFree]

or..they are recruiting for another game that is still in development. I won't mention the name because it is against the rules, but someone else did.

Just use google...

I think MA would not be very happy about EU players recruiting for the competition from within EU.

I would definately be careful.

Cheers

 

[wanda]

MindArk dont want public testing. They afraid those testers can use their knowledge for advantage over the non testers. If you have a close look on it they right.

if everyone had access no one would have an advantage.

 

[Gos]

Pic of chat window added

I have added the pic (my first ever, purt it in wrong section as well so it should move) of the chat I had.

 

[rupie]

As far as offering 5 ped per bug...doesnt make one bit of sense. 5 ped is nothing really, and a decent test server wouldnt have enough bugs for every tester to even find one bug a piece.

Since its an alpha version you would expect more bugs than the current public version so you could make a fortune with testing.

But anyway, im sure its just a scam. MA would recuit in a different way.

 

[mrproper]

I can do better than that, I would pay them to test their software and servers

oh, yeah, I already do......

@ Gos: smells as fishy as a smelly fish on a hot day to me....

Interesting concept... indeed, you could invest your time AND money on helping the product while knowing and using it's new features ahead of time...

if everyone had access no one would have an advantage.

It does not work that way. If we all could log on a test server, and play for FREE, then how would MindArk be compensated? You can't consider offering a free server for one day, or even 12 hours a month...

The_other_mmorpg_we_are_not_allowed_to_talk_about has a test server. But you can only access it if you have a valid account on the main server, so there is no loss. They keep the money, get more testing done, more quality is assured and everyone is happy.

 

[mrproper]

You mean this image?:

[br]Click to enlarge[/br]

Remember to copy the clickable thumbnail code that is shown under the uploaded picture.

And can you PM the url? I might check the domains for further information.

 

[Rapido]

Probebly a scam, warning is my recomendation..

Just had a chat with Adrian Addie Geneva. They invited me to take part in the alpha/beta phase of a major expansion (New Dawn) latter in the year of MA's 'test server' (I thought they don't have one ). I would be given 5 ped for every bug I found. Agreeing to join up I was given a registration key and URL to the 'official' MA site. An ftp server to register and download a 300MB file. I am not bound by an NDA so I can freely tell this to anyone, but was asked not to speak to any players about this .

Got the chat logged and screened and I am confirming it with a support call.

Happy hunting

[br]Click to enlarge[/br]

See the title, this is my 2pecs.. If MA should nees some testers, I am sure they dont get them in game like that.

Rapido

 

[mohsinali410]

she asked me the same thing yesterday evening and i thought it was a scam so i warned a few people but i was wondering wouldn't MA ask everybody openly for testers? and she was also going up to random people so that is another suspision.

 

[hooters]

she asked me the same thing yesterday evening and i thought it was a scam so i warned a few people but i was wondering wouldn't MA ask everybody openly for testers? and she was also going up to random people so that is another suspision.

What town was he/she asking people at?


This really sounds fishy....

 

[mohsinali410]

port atlantis - that's where i encountered her

 

[Gos]

I was in Port Atlantis at the time. Did not have my scanner with me so do not know what level, but she was wearing a grey hat, green top and jacket and white trousers so not straight off the new arrivals ship.

 

[forgo]

lol what does "well you dont have to spend any time at all on the test server" mean. So you get the test server info a download a url and yet they pay you 5 ped to find bugs on it without ever having to be on it?

And as far as I know all MA avatars have MA clothes...which arent green.

Poor person...whomever they are...another game or a scam...prob be some big trouble for em when Ma gets wind.

 

[Starkiller]

Well Forgo, if they were randomly selectng ppl, they wouldnt show up in theyre natural clothes, dont you think so? i Mean other people would start wondering what were they doing, thus uncovering such a test, but i wouldt enter in it unless the person would indentify herself.... send the support case and show us what they said....

 

[wanda]

It does not work that way. If we all could log on a test server, and play for FREE, then how would MindArk be compensated? You can't consider offering a free server for one day, or even 12 hours a month...

PE is a free game with no monthly costs.

How would MA be compensated? I would have thought that obvious - they get people to find bugs for free = less time for their dev team to spend looking for them.

Other games do this all the time, why should MA be any different? Real money isn't an issue if its taken out of the equasion.

 

[Starkiller]

Actualy yes it is, if the report of a bug only rends you 5 cents lol.... i never heard of a game that by recruiting beta testers doesnt give a small compensation for time lost while doing such things etc... 5 ped aint nothing for a bug report considering what they would loose if the bug wouldnt be repaired...

 

[forgo]

Yeah I would think so for sure star, ...Ive seen MA avatars in pa before helping people, they dont have to disclose anything from a private convo. besides I would think that MA would have a policy that any MA business would have to be done with an avatar that is specifically MA, otherwise They would be sending a very mixed message by breaking thier own eula, and confusing the customer base, which wouldnt be good.

Good point wanda...though taking a good 1-2000 people away wouldnt be a large enough benefit to justify a few bugs being found for free. As is they do good enough imo as far as only a few bugs slipping through. And no matter what when other games offer a test server...some bugs still get thru once its live. And... testers on other games already pay the subscription fee, MA's subscription fee is made from playing the live server. And that doesnt even factor the costs of having a server up...updates, maintenance added, networking costs ect.

Were used to it anyhow now, what motivation would they really have? Even with bugs...people still deposit and play.

Doesnt seem right to me for sure..

 

[maxwellhawk]

Seems to me that MA would make some kind of statement in this thread if there isn't any validity to what's going on. This would be something that wouldn't hurt them and would show that they are aware of things in the community. Marco???

 

[Marco|SDS]

Any such announcement would come on the MA site.

This is just bogus.

 

[wanda]

Any such announcement would come on the MA site.

This is just bogus.

will you be banning him for impersonating MA staff?

 

[forgo]

Good of you to step in and confirm this marco. Thanks

....alot of people could be harmed by this type of thing.

Sure hope noone took the bait yet...since it isnt MA, theres got to be some nasties downloaded, or information that shouldnt be known, in the hands of the people involved.

 

[Skippie]

Any such announcement would come on the MA site.

This is just bogus.

thank you, marco. perhaps you least mysterious post ever.

thank you for dispelling this for what it is.

 

[Com]

What town was he/she asking people at?


This really sounds fishy....

She approached me at Twin Peaks yesterday. Same story. Claimed to be recruiting alpha testers for MindArk. Same name and clothing described above.

Thanks to Marco for the information.