Honesty while tournament

[John Gawe]

In order to have a level playing field in the tournament, no powerups should be used, or two tables have to be introduced.

What´s your opinion?

Topic

[Jkhab69]

tournament, if I remember correctly, is the only place where powerups are allowed on the leaderboards. unfortunately looking at the large number of players in the world, most players are not on this website so limiting powerups would handicap the players here.
However since we can see scores with powerups and without powerups, a second board for no power up play could be feasible if there’s enough interest to justify the extra work needed by the site admins.
oh, as far as “honesty” goes, the leaderboards for tournament specifically permit powerups, so using them isnt dishonest unless one claims to not use them. That being said, I would welcome a non-PU board, personally.

[AMslimfordy]

@john-gawe Are you referring to ABN’s leaderboards, or Rovio’s?

[GANDALFTHEBUM]

its just crazy to me that there are benefits to playing on different platforms, and cheats on some… ABF has really taken the joy out of AB in general for me… seasons is still my favorite, but even this last Christmas edition is weak at best… there are golden eggs and i did not even have to find them?? got to play the 3 star level bonus –and have not completed all my levels at 3 stars?

[John Gawe]

How can you discover powerup users?

[John Gawe]

I use FB – ABF leaderboard…

[John Gawe]

@Jkhab69: How can you discover powerup users?

[mm]

I don’t think he means the leaderboards segregate scores by power ups and no power ups. Instead, he means you can see people with both scores. The walkthroughs also show scores for both and when people comment on the walkthroughs, they usually specify whether they’re using PUs or not.
On a side note, I don’t think Rovio will ever do anything to discourage PUs since it’s a significant source of income for them with this game. Just my $.02.

[Jkhab69]

@john-gawe I apologize for the delay in replying. I’ve been having some health issues. martin-mix is correct in that I meant if there were two leaderboards, screenshots could verify the use of powerups.

[John Gawe]

@martin-mix-9
You may be right, Rovio make money on the PUs.
But Not everyone can afford.

One more thing: I play the Tournament specifically against a friend. But he not appears on the Tournament score list. Can it be that he is used PUs and therefore hidden in Tournament score list?

[mm]

John, I agree and I wouldn’t be using PUs myself if it weren’t for ABF giving me multiple “Daily Rewards” but I understand getting on a larger list of friends can also allow for a lot of free gifts that can also allow one to amass a large stockpile of PUs.
As for playing with friends, I don’t think it matters whether you use PUs or not as to which tournament group you wind up in. Rovio doesn’t put friends together, though, I don’t think so that is probably why you don’t see your friend in your tournament group. Instead, I think Rovio assigns you randomly to a tournament group within your skill set (so if you cruise through glass, wood, and stone leagues but get stuck in copper, they place you with others who performed similarly). In reality, it is probably very unlikely that you’ll see your friend in the same tournament group. That’s my understanding, anyway, others here may correct me.
All the best and good luck!
–mm

[Doc]

I agree” I’ve only started playing a month ago but I can see that people are using unfair advantages by looking at there scores. I’m 68, retired and only play this for pleasure. I don’t want to be playing against cut throats. I wrote in protest to Rovio and was told that maybe I need to play better in time. They totally ignored the issue of profuse use of power-up’s by these people.

[Lady Jane]

I always play with NO powerups.Would love to see a separate boards for such. I like to remain pure and test my personal skills!

[Tony Oliver]

I’m in full agreement, here. Nobody I know ever uses any of the cheat-birds, cheat-weapons or that Rambo-Wingman bird thing. We’re all purists (this may be a very English thing).

In fact, I’d personally like the option to remove all the power-up-related buttons from the screen to (a) make everything else more visible and (b) prevent me accidentally hitting them and having to back out (an option sometimes unavailable).

So please, Rovio, let us have Purists’ Leagues as well as the existing cheat-enabled leagues. The game knows whether or not you’ve used a cheat (“power-up”) to achieve a particular score and can enter it into the appropriate league.

[Arlington Bomb Bird]

Purist here as well and would love to see a No PowerUp league, but worry that will not happen if Rovio is trying to offset declining revenues. Since the tournament’s inception, I’ve been playing with the regular sling and no power ups first with the objective of exceeding Red and Chuck’s scores by 100k (none of my FB friends play regularly). Once I do that, I take a screenshot and then go to work on advancing in my league group using the various slings and power ups. Maybe we can get a number of others to do the same and start posting our no power up scores here?

[Tony Oliver]

Posting “no-powerup” scores somewhere obscure, like here, does not afford the same dynamic thrill as watching your position improve/decline in the interactive league sidebar. And, of course, will not affect one’s eligibility to be promoted up the leagues. The Purist Leagues need to be real within the existing framework.

Rovio: just instigate the Purist Leagues for those of us who do not care to use the cheat mechanisms.

[Jkhab69]

@tonyoliver , I definitely think it would be great to have no-powerup leagues so we can all be on even footing. I have to point out a couple things. There are cheaters who actually, intentionally use cheat mechanisms. To refer to powerups as cheating is way off base, and totally uncalled for. Also, keep in mind, the whole reason Rovio has these games is to generate revenue. No powerups = no money for rovio.
That being said, I think it might be worthwhile to start an online petition to ask for dual leagues, powerups and no powerups. It wouldnt hurt, right? Rovio can and does already show scores of p/u and non-p/u, it shouldnt be hard for them break that out into leagues.
One other thing, your suggestion for an option to remove the powerup icons is really excellent. That by itself would make gameplay a bit less frustrating. I have very large hands, and i dont know how many times I’ve accidentally bumped the screen with the side of my hand and wasted a powerup.

[Tony Oliver]

I’m not sure what you’re saying here … are you saying there are other ways of cheating than using the cheat-birds, cheat-weapons and Rambo-Captain-America-Wingnut-bird?

I’m ignorant of any other such means of getting an impure score. Please enlighten me (and other purists reading this thread).

[Jkhab69]

If you’ve been playing AB for more than a few weeks and participating in discussions here, you should be aware of cheaters/tools. If you really have no idea, there are quite a few posts on this very site that mention cheaters/cheat methods.
A cheater is someone who uses illegal or unauthorized methods to gain an unfair advantage. I can tell you will not sway from your unreasoning classification as cheaters players who use items in a game, that are intentionally part of the game, as intended by the developer of the game.
Judging by the tone of your reply, it seems to me that you are either being intentionally antagonistic ( I would use different terms, but this site is intended for all ages, including children), or you are being deliberately obtuse.
Frankly, your bitterness makes me think it could be be more jealousy than actual “purism”.
Perhaps the admins ( @admins ) can help clarify the definition of cheating for you, so that you might be able to get more enjoyment in gaming by realizing the difference between cheating and approved gameplay.

[Tony Oliver]

I’ve been playing AB, in nearly all its formats, since its first release to Android (nearly 5 years). It’s strength is in common, familiar gameplay across all the formats. ABF has introduced these extra means of boosting individual scores to beyond those realistically achievable by the standard gameplay methods. (ABSW2 has also introduced such methods, which are similarly ignored by purists)

You seem to be getting quite het-up about my terminology: it is not unusual, among my peers, to question whether any of the “cheat-birds” were used when a score is being discussed. Obviously, cultural differences seem to make you regard that as offensive, in some way. It is not a criticism of the player – it is a label for the non-standard devices introduced into this variant of the game. “Powerup” has always seemed a clumsy word to use for them. However, to appease, I shall now use it here.

I don’t understand your reference to powerups being a revenue stream for Rovio – surely they’re “purchased” with those tedious gold coins that I get awarded every day?

[mm]

I think purely for clarification, it makes sense to use different terminology for power-up options than for cheats (like Leethax and others, which I don’t fully understand but allow for score manipulation outside of normal gameplay).
The revenue stream is from the purchasing of coins and/or add-ons like the golden sling. When regularly using power-ups, the daily coin awards are not enough to maintain a stable of power-ups sufficient for use on a weekly basis. Rovio offers the option of purchasing coins in bulk to allow you to in turn purchase additional power-ups. This is the revenue stream to which @jkhab69 refers. It makes sense that Rovio would be hesitant to encourage any kind of gameplay that discourages the use of power-ups and the purchasing of the coins needed for their regular utilization. Perhaps their ad revenue is such a bigger portion of their total that a “purist” realm of play would encourage enough new players (or the continuation of play by enough already playing) that it would be beneficial to create such a delineation, but if that’s the case, I’m surprised they haven’t already gone down that path.

[Jkhab69]

I still think, despite the inflammatory use of the word cheat by some of the posters in this thread, that the idea of an online petition for a no-powerup league would have merit. Unfortunately I also agree that Rovio is producing these games for profit, and as you’ve pointed out, they wont do anything to endanger their revenue stream. Still, it cant hurt to ask..

[Dixi 60]

To the following posters:
Tony Oliver, Doc, Arlington Bomb Bird, Lady Jane & John Gawe

Using PU’s are quite legal in ABF’s Tournament and you are being purposely disingenous calling it cheating. You owe the rest of us an apology.

The only reason Rovio can develop the AB’s network is by making revenue and taking it from players prepared to pay. Why don’t you all transfer to King and find there is only one option and that is to pay little and often for your pleasure. At least on AB Rovio products there is the option to play without paying & to accumulate coins or PU’s.

I’m happy to admit playing with PU’s when I feel like it, it gives me some pride in
contributing towards further developement. If everyone took your attitude Rovio would have to make everyone pay. Be thankful some of us do pay willingly to fund your bit of pleasure – it might not always be the case in future.

[John Gawe]

@dixi-60: as you read my startposting, i´m not saying using PU´s is dishonorable. Instead I ask for TWO Ranktables. This is because not everyone can afford to buy PU´s.
So it is difficult or impossible for poorer players to get on Gold League.

[Dixi 60]

I agree you only asked for separate rank tables but you did nothing to correct or end the chatter on the thread you started when the “purists” started calling Power Up Users cheats!

Although you didn’t say PU users were cheats yourself, your lack of comment appeared to be tacit agreement – that is why I called you on the disingenous remarks as well.

[John Gawe]

@dixi-60
I am not the spokesman for the other and I do not for my own their opinions. I do not have the right to correct others. they are old enough to know what they write. on the other hand seems to be interested topic and be thoroughly discussed kontovers. nevertheless a happy new year