TasteeWheat.

Sykin

matrixreport.com

Tonight I would like to express, on this great community fueled forum, a great disappointment I have just had with this game.

Now it seems as if my family in real life is taking a hit (One of my oldest cousins commited suicide on Thursday) and my "family" here on the Matrix Online has been stolen of one of its greatest members.

I will not ask how, what, or why such an exploit(s) was used by TasteeWheat; however, I will ask why it was something so serious as to amount to such sudden and extremely harsh action.

TasteeWheat was never about "personal gain". That is what confuses me. Everything he did went towards bringing great things to the community such as the amazing ZionMainframe system, a system through which just one dedicated man was able to achieve things that the developers had not even implemented yet (Such as email and an all-server-wide announcement system for alerting players to fun or interesting things in the game world).

Not only did TasteeWheat give so much to our failing community on Syntax then, but he helped find many, many critical flaws and exploits.

Rarebit, at one time, expressed admiration to TasteeWheat (On the forums at least).

So you see, I did not notice that TasteeWheat was raping this game of 'personal' explicit gain; in fact, I saw that TasteeWheat was more like giving to this game as much as a professional player can.

So, Customer Service, I would like to express my extreme dissatisfaction through this message and you will see that others will do the same in response to the banning of TasteeWheat.

This is my offical response as a player who has concern for this great game's future, and in summary: I find the response from (whomever is in charge) to TasteeWheat's exploiting extremely flawed and wrong.

Good evening,
-Sykin

**Plectrum-Linenoise** · 01/13/2006 17:59:09

Seconded. Tasteewheat being banned is terrible news. I don't know what it is that he did, but TW has been a phenomenally huge figure in the community for a long time and surely that should count for something... I sincerely hope that the devs reconsider their decision. Until then, you'll be very much missed, Tastee

Message Edited by Plectrum on 01-14-200601:59 AM

**Pyroclasam**

I agree with you Sykin, that this punishment is harsh and just plain unwarranted. Yes the man was caught using an exploit but let's take a look at this situation here. He has found and reported many bugs in this this game that have helped you devs better it. He did NOT spread the information on this to anybody. I agree he should receive some form of punishment, a temporary ban or a warning etc on his record but not a perma-ban across all SOE games. This is far too harsh A) for a first offence B) For someone who has supported and built the community like he has and C) For someone who has helped to better the game as much as he has.

I urge you to reconsider this punishment. Make it a 2 or 3 month ban even. I could live with that but don't just rip a valued member of the community away from us all for a first offence that was not spread to anybody.

**UniToxic**

TasteeWheat was even helping us lot back in beta, he has done so much to the game, like previously mentioned, going out of his own way to provide a serverwide email system long before soe took over e.t.c

Its a bit unfair that his first offense was lead to a perma-ban when people who exploited to 50 just get a character reset, which isnt really that harsh as they most likly to grind back to the top

JigsawComplex

TasteeWheat will be missed. If any more of my in-game friends leaves (via quit or ban), then ima cancel my SOE account. I love MxO, but the community is what has kept this game alive. If SOE removes the community's greatest members, then they are basically choking the little life MxO has in it.

kurtg1265

I must agree with the others here. I think the banning was an extremely harsh move. TasteeWheat was a great member of this community and brought much to it. I would hope that the devs do reconsider this punishment and allow him back into the community. I think it would be a terrible mistake not to.

DevilsAdvocate666

to show my feelings to this issue i have even modified my prized spoon sig

**UniToxic**

you sig link need altering as the links broke not properly formatted

DevilsAdvocate666

yes i no me fixed it

Orfen

hmm, well here is the stuff he wrote on matrixreport.com just in case some people are lazy....

Current Feeds

ZionMainframe was pulled in the whiteroom. However everything took place via tells.. so no cool screenshot with a CSR

Fri Jan 13 13:42:46 2006 [Area] ZionMainframe: Hello
Fri Jan 13 13:42:49 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> Greetings, this is Senior CSR **EDITED**. May I speak with you please?
Fri Jan 13 13:42:55 2006 [System] You target [Chair]
Fri Jan 13 13:42:59 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> Yes
Fri Jan 13 13:43:19 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> It looks like you've been doing some exploiting there, care to tell me about this?
Fri Jan 13 13:43:25 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> The **edited** thing?
Fri Jan 13 13:43:31 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> That would be it
Fri Jan 13 13:43:40 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> Ya I found a mixup in it
Fri Jan 13 13:43:52 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> I didnt report it because I got greedy
Fri Jan 13 13:43:59 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> I have reported exploits in the past
Fri Jan 13 13:44:01 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> I can see that
Fri Jan 13 13:44:14 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> heck they still havent fixed the **edited** bug where people can **edited**
Fri Jan 13 13:44:17 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> Well I'm sorry to say but all of your accounts have just been banned for exploiting.
Fri Jan 13 13:44:31 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> Well.. that sucks
Fri Jan 13 13:44:41 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> I would also like to mention that if you come back with another account that will also be banned.
Fri Jan 13 13:44:48 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> That goes for any SOE game.
Fri Jan 13 13:45:12 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> If you have any questions about this you may email MXOaccountstatus@soe.sony.com.
Fri Jan 13 13:45:20 2006 [Tell] ZionMainframe> Naw... I understand
Fri Jan 13 13:45:26 2006 [Tell] CSR_**EDITED**_SYNTAX> Great, Thank you for your time.
**Disconnected from the Matrix**

What was I banned for?
I found an exploit.. a REALLY good one. I did not report it, but used it for my own gain. I did not tell anyone about this exploit or how to do it. (It was not the XP exploit that was being heavily used and people were being put back to level 2.) They gave no indication if they know what I did or how I did it, but it was obvious that I was doing something you aren't supposed to. I won't get into the details of it because it wouldn't be good for the MxO Community. There is no "injuction" or anything like that forbidding me from talking about it. I just know that if I told people how to do it, it would be duplicated and the already heavily taxed mxo Team would have even more issues to deal with. Questions or comments... contact me below.

Oh, and he also goes on to say that he will post screenshots eventually.... maybe when the exploit is fixed?

PhroG · 01/13/2006 18:29:07

In a game that is so heavily community oriented, I don't see what sense it makes to perma-ban such a long standing member of said community over admitted exploiting after a history of bug reporting and support for this product. Banned? Sure.

Perma'd? I'd have to say overboard.

This hurts the game tremendously. What a shame..... hopefully someone at SOE will pay attention, realize how much TW means around here and has done for MxO, and how dependant this game's continuance is on the community it has, and reverse this decision to a lesser ban or punishment.

I wish I could say I thought there was a snowball's chance of that...

Message Edited by PhroG on 01-13-200606:29 PM

**Rumbaar**

You'll be greatly missed. I'm sure this will allow you greater freedom now.

I'll just make reference to Mek and how he perma-banned but was clearly back after this, so who knows what the future holds.

But with the current SWGing of MxO who know it might have been better in the long run mate!

Take care and hope to see you around, you skill and professionlism will be sorely missed in the MxO Community.

Resurrected. · 01/13/2006 18:32:25

I'm sorry, but if I got banned after all I've put into the game............................I'd let everyone know the exploit.

I guess that says something about his character. (and mine lol)

Message Edited by Resurrected. on 01-13-200606:32 PM

**-CheshireCat**

This makes me very sad. I'm not around much anymore, but TasteeWheat was one of the best people I knew in game, and an unbelivable asset to the community. I think a little bit of Linenoise just died. ::tears::

TasteeWheat, we're really going to miss you...

~ CheshireCat

Avat

What a great place to get in my two cents to the loss of our favorite cereal brand... TasteeWheat.

The man had more then just character, more then just community spirit, and more gumption then words could eloquently express. From the time I met TasteeWheat in early April or May he was constantly at some device, some event, some way to improve the every moment every player in this game spent here. There is something about a person who is constantly thinking about others. Do they make mistakes like the rest of us? Sure. What matters most is their intent, and TW had the kind of ingenuity to fill any void he saw.

When the Dev's announced a system to send mass messages to players in Game they gave us, Flash Traffic. How many of you remember how that worked out? How long that lasted? Almost immediately TW designed DejaVIp which allowed information to be distributed to any subscriber immediately. DejaVIP still runs to this day, and has done nothing but help the community at large. Then there is the dreamest of all RSI's, ZionMainFrame. Built with the mind of a DOS database, it made newspaper clippings, mission briefings/summaries, co-ords, drop boxes, announcements, Player events listings, radio request to SI (and any other who asked for the listing), commands, man this list can go on and on..There were many many player events that we worked together on many times, appareal swap markets, Technique's and lessons, websites, etc. , etc.

I can't sit here and talk about everything he accomplished without acknowledging everything he knew. And let me tell you the man knew a lot, but not once did I ever see him or hear of him doing anything to make over on any other person. His comments to the CSR about being 'greedy' just doesn't sit well with me, even if TW did something of that nature, I highly doubt he was only thinking about himself. Through all the bugs and exploits we tested/explored it was never once mentioned that we wouldn't submit a ticket.. That was a constant, so this whole ordeal does not make one lick of sense to me whatsoever.

All I can say is god speed TW, I'll stay in touch. And to the rest of you , all those who can do something to make sure TW's legacy lives on will make sure it does and are in the process of making it happen.