Griefer article?

February 22, 2008 12:38 PM

Some time last year I read an article—a first person account, I believe—of a griefer in a pre-WoW mmo, possibly UO or EQ2. The griefer described his discovery that a low-level character could drag a train of mobs across the world and through the main town, killing everybody in its path. The griefer, however, playing a low-level character, could not be killed by the higher-level players. Apparently his tactics resulted in major changes to the game-playing mechanics and rules. My normally proficient Google-fu has failed me on this one. Does anybody know what article I am talking about?
posted by monju_bosatsu to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Sounds like Fansy the Famous Bard by Alan Au in The Escapist Issue 120.
posted by Nelsormensch at 12:44 PM on February 22

Fancy the Famous Bard from the escapist.
posted by megamanwich at 12:50 PM on February 22

Bingo. I can't believe I couldn't find it.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:51 PM on February 22

Damn guess I shouldn't have sat around reading the article again before I posted.
posted by megamanwich at 12:51 PM on February 22

lol, I saw the question and couldn't help but remember Fancy. Thanks for the reminder!
posted by TheDukeofLancaster at 2:31 PM on February 22

Wow, I remember reading about Fansy years ago back when i played EQ1 and laughing for hours. Thanks for reminding me about him!
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:45 PM on February 22

Here's a better write up.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:50 PM on February 22

I read a similar article. The way things work is that mobs used to attack any character like a hungry shark, go for the closest and most available meat. Mobs of any level would chase a level one and would chase them for ANY distance.

Now, mobs have 'tethers' if they move more than 100 units of distance away from their spawn location, they'll walk back as if they've lost interest, or warp back instantly like they got jerked by the tether.

Mobs in many games, such as wow, will only show interest in the player that interested them until they have killed that player, or reached their tether. On the way back, they will not engage other players unless they are acted upon.

As far as what game mechanics were changed, the short answer is, "more than you would really care to know unless you are a developer."

Things have to be tweaked all the time because gamers find ways to exploit or abuse the system. Usually, it's for free experience. Sometimes, mobs can get caught in the games geometry. (eg., it walks past a bump or rock in the ground that can get it stuck on if approached from the right angle.) The use of walls seems to take a quick early cameo as an exploit in most MMOs. Hit something, hide behind or on top of a wall, reign death from above, etc.
posted by wow_accounts at 3:52 AM on March 31