Is this Wolfpacking?

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    • Is this Wolfpacking?

      I'm currently in a game where two alliances have been cooperating since the beginning of the game. Together they have six members when the coalition limit on this map is five. They've created a coalition and one player has simply not joined but is still actively assisting his alliance mates.

      Looking up Bytro's definition of Wolfpacking I see this:
      1. Joining a game round with a group of players that exceeds the maximum coalition size of that map and playing cooperatively. You may join a game round with a group of players that exceeds the maximum coalition size but you need to play the game as if you were not allied.
      Now I've reported this two days ago, but I've never seen Bytro take action on any activity I've previously reported.

      Is this legal since technically all six are not in the same alliance? Probably difficult for Bytro to determine they joined the map together instead of just making a deal in game. I suppose it's possible Bytro just hasn't gotten around to looking into the report I submitted. Or got confused since they're not in the same alliance.

    • Based on the rule as-written it seems like this is fine unless they specifically joined with the intention of playing together. I think there are multiple reasons why two coalitions might reach Peace agreements, like to avoid exposing themselves to being sandwiched. I assume any communication/planning took place off-game so it may be impossible to prove their intentions.

      I've been in a situation where I joined as a single, ended up chatting with a handful of folks, and came to an agreement between 6 people that we'd leave each other alone and form a coalition of the 5 highest scores once we approached the VP threshold. Perhaps they have a similar arrangement. I'd really like to know whether that's against the rules so I don't end up banned if it happens again :)

    • jubjub bird wrote:



      I've been in a situation where I joined as a single, ended up chatting with a handful of folks, and came to an agreement between 6 people that we'd leave each other alone and form a coalition of the 5 highest scores once we approached the VP threshold. Perhaps they have a similar arrangement. I'd really like to know whether that's against the rules so I don't end up banned if it happens again :)
      Well clearly that's not wolfpacking as it requires joining TOGETHER AS A GROUP and you didn't.

      But it is almost impossible to judge this, from a Bytro persepctive. I was once a volunteer who judged these cases, and we didn't have any resources except "logging in as one of them", and that's clearly not enough to prove this. So basically wolfpacking was only ever punished when it was SO blatantly clear that it just couldn't be ignored (like screaming it out in the newspaper and such). All other cases were simply ignored.

      Maybe this has changed in the years since I left staff, but I doubt it; game operator (that's the job title) quality only seems to have dropped since then.
      When the fake daddies are curtailed, we have failed. When their roller coaster tolerance is obliterated, their education funds are taken by Kazakhstani phishers, and their candy bars distributed between the Botswana youth gangs, we have succeeded.
      - BIG DADDY.

    • Yeah, I agree. If they're smart, it's probably impossible to prove they joined the game together. It says: "You may join a game round with a group of players that exceeds the maximum coalition size but you need to play the game as if you were not allied." These are clearly alliance mates playing as if they are allied, but I suppose that is still dependent on if they joined the game together.

      Again, probably impossible to prove.