The sandbox MMO ArcheAge is currently suffering from two problems: Hackshield and hackers. Both seem to be the result of ArcheAge being a Korean product on Western soil.
ArcheAge has an import problem
For certain species, there are import bans in other countries. It would be too dangerous to release any egg-eating killer lizard in a quarantined habitat. Otherwise, the species would reproduce like killer rabbits on Viagra and threaten the balance of the ecosystem – completely without enemies. Of course, there are also issues when introducing species that are not suited for the other climate. Polar bears in the Gobi Desert would likely have difficulty acclimating. However, such difficulties would probably resolve relatively quickly (not through adaptation, but through extinction).
Trion Worlds currently faces similar problems with ArcheAge. Because with each individual issue that has arisen lately, the finger is pointed at Korea. The Korean import has some adaptation difficulties in the West, it seems. And we are not talking about exotic game mechanics or aesthetic choices, but rather about hackers and anti-hack tools. Both are somewhat annoying right now.
Hackshield – Korean tool meets Western mentality
The US site Massively summarizes in an article the current protest of the players against Hackshield, a Korean anti-cheating tool. There had just formed massive resistance on reddit . Essentially, Trion Worlds was accused of secretly installing a third-party tool rootkit on the computers of millions of players.
Trion Worlds responded to Massively. It was understood that they are not huge fans of Hackshield themselves. Legally, however, it is in any case, the players must agree to the EULA when they installed ArcheAge. There is also a clause included that permits this. Furthermore, it can hardly be called “secret”; Hackshield is prominently displayed at startup with a logo.
Even if Trion Worlds is not a super fan of Hackshield, they use it because it is part of the Korean package of ArcheAge. The MMO needs Hackshield to function. According to Trion Worlds, if they had asked XLGames to develop and adapt another anti-hacking tool for ArcheAge, it would have taken another six months longer. Normally, Trion Worlds prefers “better, cleaner, and more Western-oriented” solutions than Hackshield. They hold higher standards.
They assure that they are working with XLGames on a solution to the Hackshield problem. Among other things, it should be ensured that it can be cleanly uninstalled.
Hackers – Western hackers meet an almost helpless MMO
There is no question that protection against hackers is necessary, who according to Trion Worlds only make up 0.05% of the player base. The stress over the preemptive rights, which some hackers acquire through illegal activities, has become a persistent problem and seems to have worsened in recent days, dominating the discussion in fan forums.
Regarding this, Trion Worlds CEO Scott Hartsman speaks out on reddit. He declares it his top priority to pursue this issue and find a solution. Unlike their own games, where they have full control, they rely on the help of the Korean developer XLGames for ArcheAge. They only have the information that the game currently outputs and cannot add new information sources to track down cheaters.
“Hacking,” says Hartsman, can hardly be called that. The players just poke around until they find a vulnerability in the game and then exploit it.
There is heated discussion on reddit about why ArcheAge proves to be so vulnerable to tricks. Do they not have problems with hackers in Korea? The answer is probably also culturally conditioned. In any case, the statement of a redditor seems reasonable: In Korea, it is necessary to provide the ID, a kind of social security number, to create an account. Companies therefore have the real name of the player. And anyone who has been banned as a hacker is excluded for life. This deters hackers.
Therefore, the Korean ArcheAge has, in our biotope, so to speak, completely different predators and faces different problems.
