OSI GIVES THE COLOR PURPLE TWO THUMBS DOWN [Author: Arcadian Del Sol]
ILLEGAL PURPLE-HUED SIGIL ITEMS
In a strengthened stance against exploits, and due to the high number of support calls generated, we are now taking a stronger stand on illegal purple-hued sigil items. As of today, any players found selling these items, either in-game or out-of-game, will receive an automatic 72-hour suspension from Ultima Online, a final warning on their account, and the items will be deleted. Any accounts that have already been placed under final warning will be terminated.
Players with these items already in their possession should note that these items are illegal, and should dispose of them through the nearest waste receptacle, or place them in a backpack and hand them off to an NPC Cobbler to be disposed of.
I am all in favor of banning exploiters – do not get me wrong. But at some point, you have to wonder where the line is drawn. Yes, purple item creation was causing additional breakage to the already broken state of UO Faction Ganks (It is no longer a ‘system’ – it is disorganized Team Fortress tournaments only without the cool visuals), and that had to stop. But they fixed that bug, like, six months ago maybe?
I have three accounts – and in those accounts I probably have eight or nine purple items I stole using the perfectly legal and legitimate stealing skill. I didn’t exploit any systems, I didn’t trade animal furs and mushrooms for them. I simply clicked my steal button, and targeted a player, and *wham* I got me a purple mask. I suppose I can be banned for this confession now. And of all the things I could have done to get banned, wouldn’t owning a purple mask be a dumb way to go out? I now officially own a piece of UO contraband. If I take it out in public, or let anyone know I have it, then I’m going to get a 72 hour suspension.
Here’s a suggestion: Ban the exploiters, and fix the exploits. Leave the rest of your players alone.