Reply To: Presence in multiple leagues

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(I should consider an alternate career as novelist, just realized it’s become big again… Sorry!)


@mvnla2
, @renitz, your thinking has merit… Let me add my thinking to this as well.

I’ll start by explaining that I am an IT infrastructure designer, specialized in highly complex infrastructures, like Rovio’s. Just making clear that I have some background knowledge. I will try to explain in simple terms how this system should work from my point of view. It may get a bit technical. If you like to have clarifications on anything at all, let me know and I’ll do my utmost best to explain it better.

Here are the technical basics for the arena scoring:
There is likely to be only a single database, or 2 databases with one containing scores and one containing score boards. All this data would be spread over multiple servers and replicated real-time (clustered). If not, then Rovio needs to give me a call asap and let me do a thorough job on their central infrastructure. (Rovio, you can drop me a message in ABN! :)

Also, database systems don’t synchronize or manipulate information within the database. An application is needed for that. In this case the server-based application for managing these databases and all clients (your device). All that any database system will do is store information within a table. If multiple boards show the same information then normally they are all linked to the same field in the same table.

For anyone not following me, just pretend we’re talking about an excel sheet with my personal score at field “B1” on Sheet1. Another tab contains a score board with my name and one field containing the formula “=Sheet1!B1”. If my identity is also present on another board, it will also contain the formula “=Sheet1!B1”. This explains the identical scores.

What I have seen so far is that the client has control over the scores, shown scoreboards and accounts. The only purpose of Rovio’s servers is storage and sharing (scores attached to a league and cloud saves).

On to the boards. What would *normally* happen is that the client syncs the final ending week’s scores and checks the board. You then claim the prize and by doing so, you request the new board from the server. This board will have a code, so let’s give it the random number 172. See this as a tab or sheet in excel, which contains the identities of players assigned to the same board. Your device will now use this number to show you the information present on tab 172. Your scores are not replicated to the board, but only to the field “Sheet1!B1” of the Excel example.

In brief, all the scoreboard does is show 15 people with their scores, which are stored in a different table or database.

So far the infrastructure.

Now, here comes the thing. In a properly designed PvP system, everyone displayed on board number 172 should see board 172. We have now proven that this is not necessarily the case.

What clearly happens is that the server-side application assigns the same identities to multiple boards. I really don’t see how a client device could make that happen in any properly designed system. Then again, as said, Rovio has defied logic on many occasions and has done some very sloppy work so far with fixes and updates. This may indicate an overly complex system which really should be simple. (again Rovio, drop me a message!!! :)

Here comes my conspiracy theory… What if the boards are filled by design within a certain amount of time (let’s say 10 minutes) to let’s say a minimum of 12 players. It would make sense that a developer doesn’t want empty leagues (part of the experiment we ran with the ABN leagues!).

Simply filling it up with random players from other boards could seem logical to a sloppy, lazy or inexperienced developer.

Then he/she considers the possibility that people could find out that they are not actually competing with other people in the same league. he/she figures that the best way to deal with that is to make sure people will never find out in the first place.

How?

By making sure that boards don’t include anyone from the associated friend list.

With the amount of players worldwide, the odds are incredibly slim that anyone would find out. Even in ABN, people have found out about it 2 months ago and we all thought it was just coincidence. It wasn’t until this week we started adding it all up because we were sharing boards with cheaters…

The only real bugs are:
Apparently sometimes people get promoted/demoted based on the wrong boards.
The player’s duplicate locations seems to be leading their own lives (based on pro/demotions).


@mvnla2
, I sure hope I’m wrong and your reasoning is right and it’s all accidental. I much prefer sloppy design over consciously fooling dedicated players…