Potential Exploit

ASURay · 11-27-2018, 03:57 PM

What is to stop a person from creating a bunch of extra PT accounts using burner email addresses then using the free packs/PP they get with those accounts to help their main team?

For example, I could create a dozen burner PT accounts using a dozen temporary email addresses. Those accounts would give me access to 6x12=72 free regular packs plus an extra 12 packs assuming I used my free 1,000 PP to buy an extra pack for each account. After opening those packs, I could post any good cards for auction with the minimal possible "buy now" price (1,000 PP for a gold card, I think?) then immediately switch to my main PT account and buy that card.

This wouldn't be very time consuming and doing it during off-peak hours would mostly ensure that someone else wouldn't scoop up the card before I could switch accounts. This wouldn't be a huge deal for, say an 80 OVR card that might not sell for much more than 1,000 PP at auction anyways (based on the prices I've seen lately) but could be a big deal for an 89 OVR card that might normally sell for quite a bit. Same for silver cards. I've been able to sell several 75+ relievers for 750 PP+ but could, conceivably transfer those types of cards from a burner account to my main account for 100 PP each. I'm not sure what the minimum auction price for diamond/perfect cards is but I'm sure this could be an issue there as well.

Is there a way to prevent this? Track IP addresses on new account requests? Limit the number of PT/Challenge accounts that can be associated with each copy of a game, etc.?

BoofBonser26 · 11-27-2018, 04:01 PM

Yes, only 3 accounts are allowed per licensed copy of OOTP, and the devs are monitoring for this sort of activity and will act to shut it down as/if needed.

<Pion> · 11-27-2018, 04:02 PM

The OOTP team used the beta time to learn of this very type of exploit and has put things in place to detect them. Expulsion from PT is the death penalty that can be received from doing so. Hopefully that will be enough to either prevent people for trying, or catch those who insist on trying.

ASURay · 11-27-2018, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoofBonser26

Yes, only 3 accounts are allowed per licensed copy of OOTP, and the devs are monitoring for this sort of activity and will act to shut it down as/if needed.

Good to know. I thought of that today and figured someone with more time and worse intentions than I has to have also thought of it as well.

<Pion> · 11-27-2018, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoofBonser26

Yes, only 3 accounts are allowed per licensed copy of OOTP, and the devs are monitoring for this sort of activity and will act to shut it down as/if needed.

Don't know what would stop someone from buying multiple copies of the game over multiple platforms (Steam, Web, Origin). Though if they're going to spend that much money, it would seem easier and less risky to just spend it on PP.

I would think anything short of also monitoring IP addresses, locations, or something similar would still leave loopholes unless in addition they are specifically looking for strange transactions between seemingly disparate teams.

ASURay · 11-27-2018, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by <Pion>

The OOTP team used the beta time to learn of this very type of exploit and has put things in place to detect them. Expulsion from PT is the death penalty that can be received from doing so. Hopefully that will be enough to either prevent people for trying, or catch those who insist on trying.

Good to know someone is on it. I tested it today before posting lest it didn't work and wasn't an issue but didn't go through the trouble of creating more than one burner account. Congrats to whoever got an 83 OVR Wilson Ramos card for 1,004 PP an hour before the beta period ended today

One Post Wonder · 11-27-2018, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by <Pion>

Don't know what would stop someone from buying multiple copies of the game over multiple platforms (Steam, Web, Origin). Though if they're going to spend that much money, it would seem easier and less risky to just spend it on PP.

If someone is willing to go to that extreme, then they can have the championship as far as I'm concerned.

It would mean that winning at PT is a heck of a lot more important to them than it is to me.

ASURay · 11-27-2018, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by <Pion>

Don't know what would stop someone from buying multiple copies of the game over multiple platforms (Steam, Web, Origin). Though if they're going to spend that much money, it would seem easier and less risky to just spend it on PP.

I would think anything short of also monitoring IP addresses, locations, or something similar would still leave loopholes unless in addition they are specifically looking for strange transactions between seemingly disparate teams.

Exactly. The marginal benefit of an exploit like this isn't that great. I paid like 2,500 PP for an 89 OVR Patrick Corbin card that I could've gotten for 1,000 PP using this method. At only a 1,500 PP savings, it would make more sense to just buy PP rather than buying more copies of the game.

Janks · 11-27-2018, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASURay

Good to know someone is on it. I tested it today before posting lest it didn't work and wasn't an issue but didn't go through the trouble of creating more than one burner account. Congrats to whoever got an 83 OVR Wilson Ramos card for 1,004 PP an hour before the beta period ended today

I was opening as many packs as I could this morning and running 15 minute auctions to get more PP to open more packs. I got to see a few oldtimer cards that I hadn't seen before.

Last night I sold my two diamonds to do the same thing.

ASURay · 11-27-2018, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janks

I was opening as many packs as I could this morning and running 15 minute auctions to get more PP to open more packs. I got to see a few oldtimer cards that I hadn't seen before.

Last night I sold my two diamonds to do the same thing.

I had suggested a card database feature so that we can see what cards are available, look at their ratings/stats, and see their auction stats even if we don't own the card. Never got a response from devs, though.

<Pion> · 11-27-2018, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janks

I was opening as many packs as I could this morning and running 15 minute auctions to get more PP to open more packs. I got to see a few oldtimer cards that I hadn't seen before.

Last night I sold my two diamonds to do the same thing.

Glad to see I wasn't the only one

Janks · 11-27-2018, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by <Pion>

Glad to see I wasn't the only one

It sounds like I was having a divorce sale. I sold my two diamonds, all my silver and some gold.

Matt Arnold · 11-27-2018, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janks

It sounds like I was having a divorce sale. I sold my two diamonds, all my silver and some gold.

Yeah, I had to test some card opening, so sold everything gold+ on one of my teams. Was sad to dump them all, even knowing that I was losing the team shortly thereafter.

Janks · 11-27-2018, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

Yeah, I had to test some card opening, so sold everything gold+ on one of my teams. Was sad to dump them all, even knowing that I was losing the team shortly thereafter.

On the contrary for me. I "dumped' my Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge before they were taken away from me.

stan-theman · 11-27-2018, 06:07 PM

If Wilson Ramos is a 83 then Johnny Bench must be a 200!!

Matty86 · 11-27-2018, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASURay

I had suggested a card database feature so that we can see what cards are available, look at their ratings/stats, and see their auction stats even if we don't own the card. Never got a response from devs, though.

The fact that it seems like they won't give a list of every card in the game is the only negative I've found with PT. It's a bit annoying to be honest.. lol

stealofhome · 11-28-2018, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matty86

The fact that it seems like they won't give a list of every card in the game is the only negative I've found with PT. It's a bit annoying to be honest.. lol

Can we just create a wiki for the game to put some of this stuff on there if the devs don't/can't/whatever release all that info? Stuff like achievements, cards, etc.

https://gaming.fandom.com/wiki/Out_of_the_Park_Baseball

Dogberry99 · 11-28-2018, 12:40 AM

I seem to have a very different mindset from most other players. I am a collector, but I honestly do not mind not knowing what specific cards are available. I already have spreadsheets primed to help me track who I have, and part of the appeal of collecting for me is the hunt and the sleuthing required to catch them all.

In my opinion, knowing every available card would be far more useful to those attempting to min/max their team.

mikezone13 · 11-28-2018, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matty86

The fact that it seems like they won't give a list of every card in the game is the only negative I've found with PT. It's a bit annoying to be honest.. lol

There has been some chatter about numbering each card (say 0001 to 9999) and then letting people tick off cards based on numbers. This doesn't tell you which card is what number but does help with collectors.

The problem of course would be collecting a huge amount of cards and have so many of them inactive given the active and reserve roster limits of around 200 players in total.

Markus Heinsohn · 11-28-2018, 04:14 AM

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=295852

11-27-2018, 03:57 PM	#1
ASURay Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: NE Posts: 212	Potential Exploit What is to stop a person from creating a bunch of extra PT accounts using burner email addresses then using the free packs/PP they get with those accounts to help their main team? For example, I could create a dozen burner PT accounts using a dozen temporary email addresses. Those accounts would give me access to 6x12=72 free regular packs plus an extra 12 packs assuming I used my free 1,000 PP to buy an extra pack for each account. After opening those packs, I could post any good cards for auction with the minimal possible "buy now" price (1,000 PP for a gold card, I think?) then immediately switch to my main PT account and buy that card. This wouldn't be very time consuming and doing it during off-peak hours would mostly ensure that someone else wouldn't scoop up the card before I could switch accounts. This wouldn't be a huge deal for, say an 80 OVR card that might not sell for much more than 1,000 PP at auction anyways (based on the prices I've seen lately) but could be a big deal for an 89 OVR card that might normally sell for quite a bit. Same for silver cards. I've been able to sell several 75+ relievers for 750 PP+ but could, conceivably transfer those types of cards from a burner account to my main account for 100 PP each. I'm not sure what the minimum auction price for diamond/perfect cards is but I'm sure this could be an issue there as well. Is there a way to prevent this? Track IP addresses on new account requests? Limit the number of PT/Challenge accounts that can be associated with each copy of a game, etc.? Last edited by ASURay; 11-27-2018 at 04:00 PM.

11-27-2018, 06:07 PM	#15
stan-theman Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: USA Posts: 198	Wilson Ramos 83!!! If Wilson Ramos is a 83 then Johnny Bench must be a 200!!

11-28-2018, 04:14 AM	#20
Markus Heinsohn Developer OOTP Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 24,738	http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...d.php?t=295852 __________________ Buy Out of the Park Baseball 25 now! Download OOTP Go 25 for iOS Download OOTP Go 25 for Android

11-27-2018, 04:01 PM	#2
BoofBonser26 Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 357	Yes, only 3 accounts are allowed per licensed copy of OOTP, and the devs are monitoring for this sort of activity and will act to shut it down as/if needed.

11-27-2018, 04:02 PM	#3
<Pion> All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,428	The OOTP team used the beta time to learn of this very type of exploit and has put things in place to detect them. Expulsion from PT is the death penalty that can be received from doing so. Hopefully that will be enough to either prevent people for trying, or catch those who insist on trying.

11-28-2018, 12:40 AM	#18
Dogberry99 All Star Starter Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Wichita Falls, TX Posts: 1,328	I seem to have a very different mindset from most other players. I am a collector, but I honestly do not mind not knowing what specific cards are available. I already have spreadsheets primed to help me track who I have, and part of the appeal of collecting for me is the hunt and the sleuthing required to catch them all. In my opinion, knowing every available card would be far more useful to those attempting to min/max their team.