i am not if this was IP banning but way back when they blocked an entire country due to so many cheaters or exploiters coming from there (if i recall right) not sure exactly what the reason was but pretty sure it was about exploiting.
i dont want to say the name as it was a long time ago, but the country name starts with R and ends in omania
As far as I remember it was some credit card thefts and if I remember correctly, you do not see those Avas anymore.
So yes, maybe a lot of IPs coming out of that country got banned and most of them probably out of Internet Cafes those criminals were using or simply someone techsavy enough to use a VPN to come out in that country , but that was over a decade ago.
Nowadays you can not tell from which country someone comes, except maybe China (which firewall AFAIK does not allow wthe usage of VPN), and the usage is a absolutely ridiculesly easy.
If one really wanted an halfway Mayhem it would need have absolutely everything equal, not just gear. Same skills and attributes, no rings and buffs.
I mean, is it fair that I dropped into Cat8 with above lvl80 in dmg only able to use a measily lvl 75 rifle ?
If the "ubers" win again most will probably complain once more that MA simply favours them and others will complain that it is way too much luck based.
Some people seem to forget how the old ones were. Unless you were in one of the top societies and a really good coordinated team you had no chance in hell.
In the current system everyone has a chance at least, might be costy but Mayhem was allways costy to really compete. Now at least one can participate and get a few things in return (although I thought the diplomas were really a nice touch, got 3 all in all till they stopped that).
All in all...do not wish for changes in things that are halfway working, the next change could wll be something that will piss off a lot of people and have them quit.
And MA has a track record in changing things that only a few were complaing about and thus pissing of way more.