A possible insight on the "bug exploiting metagame"

[Patchouli_Knowledge]

This world seems pretty egregious on the usage of exploits and bugs to achieve victory, often when using it as a tool of war. However, there may be a few logical reason for the recent meta-game that has surfaced up.

1. The first reasons I believe that causes it is the lack of respect towards your adversary unless the adversary agree to a no holds barred type of match. If you respect your opponent, you are less likely to pull something game-breaking on them to achieve victory as the aim is more oriented to having fun rather than winning.
   
   • To give an example, let's say Burgingham and Darki were to battle against each other in an FPS, they will not use other means to win such as aimbot or shooting through walls and they trust the other to not use such measures to win.
   • On the other end of the spectrum, if Burgingham and Portgas were to fight each other, it only takes one unexplainable glitch or lag spike and they will start accusing each other or simply start mudslinging each other. At some point if one is even suspected of using some questionable tactics, the other will call them out.
2. The second is enforcement. Bugs are more naturally going to be more rampant in a game that is more loosely enforced than a game that has the players on a tight leash (compare Haven and Hearth's policy to Neopet). Let's say that Valten found a way to teleport through walls with a crossroad glitch. The most likely case of him exploiting it is simply that the glitch will not work especially if he reports it via PM first. Now if he tries to exploit a glitch in Neopet, he will get his account frozen fairly swiftly. As an antipodes point, if you are playing chess against someone, there is absolutely no leeway to cheat at all.
   
   Something to note is that people will keep trying to push how far they can go with the current rules and if they can get away with it, they will make the next step. Sometimes, it is a giant leap and the result is a custom client that gives them a sizable advantage or simply WPEing their way to victory.
   
3. Next reason is losing. Most people simply do not like losing. It's something that can be source even back at childhood (which I apologize that I do not know enough psychology to really give anything in depth). I mean, how tempted would you be to just hit up up down down left right left right b a start each time you game-over'ed Contra?. This may be more annoying when in competition against someone especially if they taunt you after winning. The problem is further exaggerated when the result of you losing is you losing your character that you've developed for months. Even when the problem is somewhat mitigated by the curiosity system, losing months of work even with back-up is very annoying so you will do anything to not lose.
4. The last and possibly the biggest reason for the exploit meta-games is, believe it or not, fairness. If your opponent cheats in the game, you probably would think that you should be entitled to do the same thing. This one is a huge motivator fueled by the other 3 reasons above.
   
   
   • With the same example as above, Portgas suspect Burgingham of using exploiting first to raid him so Portgas believe he is entitled to do the same, regardless if Burgingham actually exploited or not. If Burgingham had not previously exploited, then he is most likely going to respond the same way and everything simply goes back and forth between the two like a tennis match on fast forward, both game wise and verbal wise.
   • It is very crushing to have a nigh impenetrable defense that is like Sodom with 3-4 rings of walls with vigilant wall patrols for rams and suddenly get raided because the enemy suddenly spawns in the middle of your village due to some obscure game-breaking bug. If you discover how do they do it, you have two options while reporting the exploit: to report the exploiters, or to counterattack with the same exploit. Given that the developer's current policy makes it so that the exploits are not likely to be punished, that path will feel very empty on reward. On the other hand, payback would be satisfying to most, even if it ends up adding fuel to the fire.

[painhertz]

Talking and talking and discussing and discussing it serves no purpose. Either World 7 will alleviate it or it won't, just play the game and enjoy it, and if you don't? Fuck off. Haven isn't going to cure cancer or put a man on Mar's so who really gives a shit?

Also: I can't help but read that in your Sol Rosenberg voice and it annoys the hell out of me.

[Patchouli_Knowledge]

First of all, I was mostly trying to clarify the reasons of the current state at the moment, not complaining. Second, world 7 will not change anything unless the reasons do not have a source to go through such as policy change changing the second reason or communities moving to Diablo 3 or such things. And finally, I am actually relearn all of the commands of the game after a long hiatus (took me 15 seconds to remember the hotkey for inventory!)

[painhertz]

I didn't say you were complaining?

[Ignus]

Your FPS comparison misses a very important difference, that of stakes. The stakes in a FPS match are considerably lower than in HnH; In Quake you stand to loose a little dignity and patience, in HnH you are risking hundreds of hours of work and potentially even the communities that went with it.

I would say this is by far the biggest cause of bug abuse.

[Patchouli_Knowledge]

Your FPS comparison misses a very important difference, that of stakes. The stakes in a FPS match are considerably lower than in HnH; In Quake you stand to loose a little dignity and patience, in HnH you are risking hundreds of hours of work and potentially even the communities that went with it.

I would say this is by far the biggest cause of bug abuse.

Yes, I've already made mentions of that stakes in the third reason in terms of losing. A loss in Haven and much more costly. Whether that is the biggest reason for exploits or "fairness" is a bit up for discussion though.