Cheater(s) in AB2 Arena?

[Kt]

@jeffro12 @bankler @rhonda90402

Jeff, there is a Rovio rep named Bankler who monitors this Forum, reads our posts and comments on technical questions, answers questions about the game and discusses our concerns with the program developers at Rovio. He has lamented our frustration with the cheater/hackers. In an earlier post in this Forum, Bankler asked that we answer questions to those who have just joined the Forum that he has already discussed in earlier posts. Bankler explained that each of us is represented in many of the 15 player sets in each of the Arena Tourneys. The game that counts is the one in which you see yourself when the Arena ends. Since the last download/update in March, each week I have been in 5-7 different Tourney groups of 15 as the week continues. Why my icon is moved around so much, I have no idea. But I take it that I am seeing what Bankler was explaining when he was answering a question about how the Arena was set up and worked.

So no, Jeff, I am not among your list of players, but on Thursday if I recall, Rich with the tiger cartoon icon suddenly appeared as the #1 player in my Tourney group. Earlier in the day I had been playing with that group and seemed to be staying with that group. I was #1. Then that afternoon Rich appear with 2026 stars, just as you experienced. And, as you said, later this morning, his star count advanced to 2031. If I understand Bankler’s explanation, Rich would appear in many Tourney groups and would oust the rightful leaders from their winning status in all the games. In this way, one cheater/hacker can steal the win and the 100 gems from an unknown number of players in many Tourney contests. When, as I experienced in the previous 2 weeks, the games in which I was winning were suddenly invaded by 2 cheater/hackers. My #1 position became a distant 3rd for 20 gems in one and I stopped playing altogether in the other game.

This has of course made me wonder in the cheater/hackers serve Rovio in this way, limiting to a considerable degree the number of 100 gems awards that are given each week.

I wanted to report to you particularly, Jeff, that I have just gotten the new update/ download and Rich is gone from the #1 spot. You may deserve the credit for that! However, in his place is a new cheater/hacker claiming the #1 spot and pushing me into second. This one has taken the name PeppyBoink using Red as the icon and has a score of 2031! Maybe your Rovio friend could help with this one.

[Cheathater]

Understood! It is too bad that these things can be discovered. Nobody wins when it isn’t an equal base. It is fun if you develop a skill that is superior to others. But nothing that becomes too easy without a certain element of risk can maintain the same entertainment level.

Hopefully what you discovered wasn’t in the usual course of playing the game or more will find that work around eventually.

Thanks for the clarification.

[Cheathater]

KT

Does that mean you are playing as Red 39742?

If so we are still in the same match and I am hanging around a really distant 4th. The score is the same so I would assume Rich the tiger just changed the avatar to red and from Rich to Peppy boink.

Unfortunately they haven’t rid us of this lack of character yet.

I think I need to go back and study what you said. Thank you for the kind response.

Jeff

[Cheathater]

After rereading your post I see that you say you were pushed to second by Peppy Boink. So the one in my tourney in second behind Peppy Boink is Fury Hatcher. Is that you? If not then everything I assumed is not entirely correct and it makes what you described from Bankler much more for me to think about.

Thanks…I will remain a little hopeful that next week will still be better than this weeks cheatfest.

Good luck

[Kt]

@jeffro @bankler

No Jeff, I am not Fury Hatcher and you have not been in any of the games in which I have been shuffled about over the past week. In the game my name is Kt and I found my game icon on this Forum site under the heading Sections. It was in freebies, I think. There is a sweet 4th of July picture with all the birds together on a lawn watching the fireworks display. That is my icon. Did you see me in your game?

I included Bankler in my previous post to you and he will review what I have said. If I have misunderstood something he posted at an early time, I’m sure he will post to us to clarify.

I just checked my status after the end of the tournament. It was stated earlier that Rovio would review the scores at the end of this tournament and eliminate those players whose scores were ridiculous before awarding gems. Well, they must have done that, because I have the award on my screen right now. I won my tournament and have been awarded 100 gems!!

[Cheathater]

Really strange phenomenon.

I just went to accept my 4th place finish and start the next round and it said I came in number 1 and handed me my 100 gems. Thanks for leveling the playing field if that is what happened.

If only I could see what Rich Peppy Boink received….

Let me know if you were all equalized as well.

I sure didn’t expect that!

Now I am feeling guilty?

[Cheathater]

Sorry missed your post. Okay at least I will know if I run into you!

Congrats! Cheaters never prosper is coming back?

[Kt]

I just played my 3rd game in the new Arena after the download. My first 2 games were fair. Our ranks were the same, our birds levelled almost exactly, no spells, 7 cards. each. I won both games and received 16 stars. The 3rd game I was matched with someone named Goran whose birds were all level 9!! and he brought in 5 spells. I took in no spells. Goran won by about 400,000 points. One more bird (or possibly 2) from me could easily have beaten him. Of course I could have played on for gems. But is it possible this Goran is a real player and not a cheater/hacker??? I am undecided about the new Arena format. And wonder if we’re still plagued by cheater/hackers.

[Dwhite]

Same thing happened to me Cheathater. I was third behind 2 massive cheaters and got awarded 100 gems. Cool.

[Cheathater]

Goran is legit. He is not able to win without the advantage so he pays to have that.

Once you beat him you will win more than lose as I think he chokes under pressure. He is actually a good challenge with only a slight edge for now.

Once your level 9 across the board he won’t win many.

Good luck this week.

[Cheathater]

That’s awesome. Seem like Iida or Bankler or Rovio did the right thing and are trying to listen.

We will see what else pops up. Hard to believe the cheaters won’t have a new trick up their sleeve.

For now I feel more like playing again.

Good luck

[kedik22]

@jeffro12

@bankler

Hi.
The playing field seems more fair now, which is better. And a lot more fun!

But as @captsternn has stated and proven before, cheaters and hacks are very much alive, and seem to be enjoying themselves.

But in my Arena tournamnet this week, there are three players with ONE star only, they are cheaters and one of them is this guy Andrej. This is the way @bankler explained how Rovio exhibits cheaters.

Regards.

[angrynerds2]

Opponents like that are really fun ?

[Kt]

@bankler @jeffro12

At 8 am Sunday morning a character name of Bossy Faster with a bomb icon is leading my Arena game with 195 stars. With the current pay to play and win scheme, it is hard to know if this one is another cheater/hacker or just someone with money to spend. This kind of start to the Arena week doesn’t create much an incentive for me to play in the Arena. 7 games, 5 with a price tag of gems, if you are being offered opponents with all level 9 birds who bring in spells as I am. I have won many Arena matches playing fair games with equal ranked opponents and equal bird levels, no spells. When I decided to try playing some games bringing in spells, I really didn’t get more stars than I was already getting for my win, so I quit using them. I’m not sure I’ll play this Arena beyond satisfying the Daily Quest unless the game offers me better odds.

[ZoomRhonda]

@ktcain @bankler @jeffro12

I have cheaters in my arena now. I was in third place and after playing one round in arena today I dropped to fifth and expected after round to be in second place. The presumed fake users are Bossy Takedown, Max Crash and Phoenix Maverick. The guy in first could be fake but not sure. He is Falcon McCloud but I think he was in group from beginning.

[Kt]

@rhonda90402

You mean the ones moving into the top spots were not among the original 15 in your group? That does sound like what was happening to me in the last Tourney with the arrival of the Tiger character with 2026 star points mid-way through the game. he was a cheater/hacker for sure and was eliminated from the rewards by Rovio at the end of the Tourney. I ended up in first place after all and received the 100 gems. Not able to compete in this new arena, however. Too many level 9 players bringing in 5 spell cards.

[angrynerds2]

Yesterday I beat two of that 5-card clowns without spell cards!!
They must have been rookie cheaters with poor playing skills :-D

But generally the experienced cheaters are almost unbeatable, they seem to have endless extra birds and win by several million pionts..

[Cheathater]

I experienced 2 anomalies today that were really frustrating. I am not sure if I am the only one that this has happened to. It was the first sign of a cheat since the update from what I have seen so far.

In both cases I was on the 7th game of a streak. The first time I drew a player with a 2 star rank. First time I have seen that in the arena. I selected battle. It showed they only had 5 cards and before I could study what they were…the game crashed and my streak ended before I could play..win…and collect 500 feathers.

The second time this happens I was on the 7th match and drew a player with all level 9 birds and a full compliment of spells. I had accumulated several spells from the treasure chests as a reward for a streak. I opted to use 3 to level the playing field. I had 6008 to their 6256…the game offers an extra bird if you watch an ad. The add was just about to finish and BOOM!! The game crashed and streak was busted again???

Not sure if a bug or a cheat. Disappointed none the less?

[ZoomRhonda]

@jeffro12 @ktcain and all others

This game is going the same way as Angry Birds GO! went. It is so sad..Did you notice now when you want to continue an arena challenge for a second go they they made it cost more gems now! This isn’t acceptable to me to always be upping the amount of gems to progress in the game and so I am about done with the arena. I have given up being in the top three and just stay out of the bottom three which is easy.

I have a question because soon after they did the last update I looked at the details of my actual arena opponents for the first time which I never did as I wasn’t that interested in arena till lately….Some were not in the Diamond league at all but the Amethyst league and they were in some of the top positions….one was way ahead of everyone. Are they all supposed to be at the same gem level as you or not? I am not sure..Thanks in advance for answering this question.

[RedYoshi45]

The gem cost has increased but you get a bunch of free arena tickets and more gems as rewards to make up. You get one arena ticket for a winning streak of 1, two for a winning streak of 4, and one for each ad you watch. I’ve already stacked 25+ arena tickets within a week or two of the update being out.

[Cheathater]

I just had a strong angle experience and not sure what to make of it given something that I believe KT mentioned last week.

I have been in a 3 way battle between Mighty Swanson myself and Raven Birdson. Mighty Swanson has not displayed the usual signs of a cheater. They have play a billion games and I have have played a billion and one to keep just ahead. I felt like I was being coerced into playing at this level to burn through my jewels as I may have exhibited signs of being ice on the competitive side?.

However I played on even if that was the case. The 3rd player right on my heels is Raven Birdson. Mighty Swanson was up to 887 while I had gone to Laguna beach for the Memorial Day holiday. I needed about 70 points to get back on top. I was about 5 games in and closing in on the lead when I noticed I was already in 1st.

I thought what happened to the current leader. I scrolled down and there they were in 12th with 1 point. I believe KT said Bankler stated that was a sign of a cheater.

If true they have hidden it well. Perhaps the cheat was unlimited jewels. In any case it appears Rovio whacked them as sent them to the cellar.

I will watch and see if they change from 1 point or just sit there in the penalty box. I will also keep a close eye on Raven Birdson to see if they are sent packing. Maybe I can give the jewels a bit of a rest.

I have been playing almost perfect along the way without the use of spells so I won’t feel bad about the first place gift that just happened.

More when I have a better understanding.

[ZoomRhonda]

@jeffro12

The arena has always confused me since I actually took more of an interest in it a month or so ago. Different players come out of nowhere then gone..etc etc….I shoot up the list fast then a bunch are ahead of me by a long shot. I am just going to play and not use spells from now on and it goes how it goes….Well, I say that but who knows what I will do when it comes down to a close match!

[Cheathater]

I experienced the same before the update about 10 days ago. This is the first I have seen someone dropped midway through the match. Technically a legit player can go up about 150 points in an hour if they get an average of 9 stars per match and fast forward through the rounds. If perfect about 180 points could be achieved in an hour. But that could not be sustained hour after hour.

Right now I think things are being played within the games intent. Rovio does benefit by encouraging more jewels are spent.

It is a business, and to RedYoshis point. There are more rewards now than past. Some things cost more. But I for one think it is an improved game with less cheating.

No doubt that with decent skills anyone can win with enough jewels/money invested.

It would be good if there was a sub level that you could test your skill separately where no additional games or spells could be used and see who wins in that arena.

Then the only advantage would be those that watched closely when the 3 hours expires.

Although there is a way to get the free rounds faster than 3 hours perhaps that could be blocked for that specific format.

Just an idea

[ZoomRhonda]

@jeffro12
I do agree that it is a better game in the new format..especially for the arena. I find myself playing the arena way more than I used to which actually is more frenzied and I have to get back to playing the regular game or I won’t make any progress! LOL

[Aeshna]

@jeffro12 why should Raven Birdson be sent packing?