I don't trust Valve anymore.

[Kollega]

I do not know how or why, but Valve has suddenly become worse overnight, sometime after the so-called "Mann-conomy update". First microtransactions (which would be okay by themselves, mind you), Polycount hats giving gameplay benefits, and crates that can only be opened by spending money - but now even trading is not safe. Valve have taken liking to disabling entire Steam accounts if their owners are accused of scamming in TF2, even if those accusations are false. The punishment for item scamming is actually worse than for cheating: VAC only forbids you from playing the game you were banned in, but account disablement takes away all of your games that were on it, and you can't do anything about it because theoretically, Valve can terminate your account anytime and for any reason.

In the example i want to bring to everyone's attention, one guy has lost his account because he refused to revert one deal, and it took him four days to get it back. Another one lost every item in his TF2 backpack because he was accused of scamming, with a warning that his account (which is worth 1000 English pounds) will be permanently disabled should he get reported one more time. Valve... what the hell is wrong with you?! I trusted you and thought you were called "the most community-centric developer in the industry" for a reason, but seems i was wrong!

Proof is in this thread

Untill Valve stop doing such things (IF they ever stop), i don't think i am going to play a lot of TF2, and neither will i spend any money on Steam. Who's with me?

[small]DISCLAIMER: i'm a bit more paranoid than your Average Joe, and i don't like such a disproportionate retribution for hat-related scams.[/small]

[HEADING=3]EDIT: Now that i've remembered that items bought for real money can be traded too, it all seems a bit more justified. Still not worth banning entire accounts over, though.[/HEADING]

 

[Waaghpowa]

He got his account back, obviously they did an investigation. No need to get all worked up over it.

 

[theSovietConnection]

Well, I don't play TF2, but if this is true, it is more then a little unnerving and gives rise to second thoughts.

I'm just pissed at Steam right now because my New Vegas game didn't save right and I lost over half my progress, though I'm mad at everyone involved over that.

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

Wow, that's terrible. Hopefully they'll do something about this. Getting a your entire account disabled, even if there's no proof? Or if it turns out to be false?

That's bullshit, hopefully the community voice will get to them and they'll change it, and hopefully unban those people (or at least check if the accusations are true!)

 

[ayuri]

Everything can be bad I had problems with blizzard a while back and actually made a forum about it, they try their best.

 

[jackpipsam]

Valve lost me when they stoped updating Half-Life 2 deathmatch

 

[Waaghpowa]

Not owning what you pay for is evil: Steam users are guilty.

Doesn't happen often for now.

You own the digital copy that's unique to your account. Onlive if anything is evil since you're basically paying for a rental.

 

[Kollega]

He got his account back, obviously they did an investigation. No need to get all worked up over it.

The possibility itself is what scares me. Plus, there is absolutely no reason to punish people scamming items harder than cheaters.

That's bullshit, hopefully the community voice will get to them and they'll change it, and hopefully unban those people (or at least check if the accusations are true!)

Well, they did get unbanned, but others might not.

 

[Veylon]

...and this is why online DRM is bad. Someone else is controlling the game you paid for and can cut you off anytime they want for any reason or none.

Maybe Valve is trustworthy, maybe not. They've done no wrong to me on the one game I do have with them (Civ 5), but I don't like the idea that they can yoink it away if they feel like it.

 

[Folio]

I'm slowly backing away from TF2 anyway. I hate the trade system. All I got out of it was trading a stupid hat for a less stupid hat and my Steam Friends became greedy whores.

 

[Waaghpowa]

At least they're responding, I know a lot of people modding/cheating on xbox live and get away with it.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Wait, so you don't like optional microtransactions, hats that actually do things and an optional trading system to get the stuff you've been missing for ages? Of course there's going to be a few hiccups at first. Remember the wrongful COD6 bans? It all got fixed in the end, give them time.

 

[Nuclear_Suspect]

Wait, so you don't like optional microtransactions, hats that actually do things and an optional trading system to get the stuff you've been missing for ages? Of course there's going to be a few hiccups at first. Remember the wrongful COD6 bans? It all got fixed in the end, give them time.

Exactly, I for one like Valve even more now, not only do we get a bunch of free content... but the 5 people who made the 'Polycount Pack' got 25% of the money it earned... 25% = 47.000$... FOURTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! each... how can you not love someone who gives credit to the creative community by paying them such an amount of money?

 

[Kollega]

Wait, so you don't like optional microtransactions, hats that actually do things and an optional trading system to get the stuff you've been missing for ages?

Yes, i don't like hats that actually do things, at least with current drop rates. And no, i do like the trading system - i just dislike the idea that some idiot can abuse the report button to take away my entire Steam account, possibly forever.

Of course there's going to be a few hiccups at first, give them time.

I hope so, but don't actually believe that it'll be changed for the better.

 

[mjc0961]

Untill Valve stop doing such things (IF they ever stop), i don't think i am going to play a lot of TF2, and neither will i spend any money on Steam. Who's with me?

Well first of all, the guy who got his account suspended/whatever already hit the nail on the head in his post that you linked to:

Maybe I shouldn't have been a prick and just given the guy back the hat.

Plus if he's unbanned now, that should tell you something. Maybe they dropped the banhammer in haste, but at least they took the time to look deeper into the matter and set it right.

And again... The guy changed the terms of his deal. If the other person then wanted out, he should have just given the hat back.

Anyway to answer your question: I don't play TF2, and if I see a game I want on Steam, I'm probably going to buy it regardless of this story. So I'm not with you.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Well, they did get unbanned, but others might not.

Sorry Kollega, but that's right up there with "Maybe the Government go through our bins at night."

If you don't trust Valve, fine, but don't base it on one guy getting investigated because some tool spammed the report abuse button.

 

[Azulito]

Although I hate the fact Valve can take away my account at the click of the button, I think this is quite reasonable of them. I know it may seem like an over-reaction on their part but if you think about it, if money has been spent on the system then you was screwed out of your money, you'd want the person who did so to be punished for it. I doubt the false accusations would be permenant bans but more 'suspended during investigation' type bans.

I'm not familiar with the system, I'm not a huge TF2 fan so correct me if I'm wrong about the money being spent on it part.

 

[Waaghpowa]

Really, unless there are numerous reports like this, there's no reason to get all worked up about it. Valve is constantly giving away things to their customers and one incident like this happens and everyone acts like it's a recurring thing.