Pro Tip: Don't exploit loot rules in LFR's Dragon Soul
by Adam Holisky 
Dec 2nd 2011 at 1:20PM
Dragon Soul loot exploit
If you are getting loot off of a boss twice then it is an exploit. This has always been the case in World of Warcraft, and we expect players to know better.
We're in the process of implementing a hotfix to fix the exploit, and are deciding what steps we'll be taking for the gear that was already obtained.
We're in the process of implementing a hotfix to fix the exploit, and are deciding what steps we'll be taking for the gear that was already obtained.
We're not going to post about what people are doing (we never have and never will post exactly how the serious exploits are done), but there is a clear and intentional way people are getting a lot of loot out of the Dragon Soul raid using the Raid Finder.
This method they're using gets around the "one shot at loot per week" rule, and it's something that Blizzard clearly from the get-go didn't want to happen. Bashiok is absolutely right as well -- it's well known amongst WoW's experienced playerbase that such exploits are never to be done.
There are reports that some people who've exploited the system are getting the exploited gear stripped from them in the EU; however there is no official announcement yet as to what's happening.
Once that's announced, we'll let you know.
Filed under: Cheats, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
jimmy Dec 2nd 2011 1:29PM
Stay Classy San Diego.
The Dewd Dec 2nd 2011 3:29PM
After what happened with the saronite bombs on the Lich King fight you'd think people would know better. And that was a combat log - this is a loot log - and EVERYTHING you get from that is logged and epics show on your armory page. I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard's programmers are working up a script that'll find any funny business and remove their gear.
(Personally, I'd hit 'em with a ban hammer, too, but that's because I don't like cheaters and I'm not the one who has to explain why 600,000 more subscriptions were lost when 550k of them were bots, hackers, and cheaters.)
Drakkenfyre Dec 2nd 2011 10:01PM
You expect people to think about the logs? You have people who think they can troll under a level 1 alt, and the CM's won't be able to know who it is. Or ones who think they can curse and call people every name in the book in Trade, and when the GM whispers them, they can deny it.
Back in Burning Crusade, the Shaman Tier vendor was giving out free gear after one patch. Blizzard warned they knew it was a bug, and not to get any gear from the vendor. If you did, they would action you. People still did anyway, and they got banned when they fixed the bug.
Poltergeist Dec 3rd 2011 6:12PM
I support Blizz stripping the gear away, but don't support banning players for anything other than outside, third party assistance. Banning these players to me just seems like Blizzard blaming others for their own mistakes.
Yes, I know Blizz can't foresee every possible exploit and bug. That's fine. Fix them as soon as they appear and try to learn from their mistakes. The lack of foresight is Blizzard's responsibility, not the players. How didn't someone on their QA team try something as obvious as Master Looting gear to someone with a lockout?
Elfbane Dec 2nd 2011 1:31PM
I've seen it happen on accident more than a few times. Thankfully, every time it's happened, the person is more than willing to pass off one of the objects to the second highest roller. Makes me think it's not so much of an exploit as it is just sloppy coding.
Hollow Leviathan Dec 2nd 2011 2:16PM
I may be wrong, but I think the exploit is getting to roll on loot off the same boss multiple kills a week. Pretty sure getting two items off the same bosskill is just lucky rolls and fine. No exploiting there, just hot dice.
Finbarr Dec 2nd 2011 2:58PM
The exploit was people being able to get loot multiple times from LFR. Something having to do with D/Cing so that you were eligible for loot, but you wouldn't be locked out from loot from future attempts. People were using this and were getting 4 and 5 piece tier. I know a thread was started about on MMO-Champion showing that at least one member of Paragon did this. People are idiots if they didn't think this was an exploit. I would expect people will be stripped of their gear and given at least a temp ban.
Nyold Dec 2nd 2011 3:46PM
Please oh please give that person from Paragon a permaban... if you're a new player, found this and do it, then you might be excusable. If you're in Paragon though, you should have known better.
Or I might just be jealous because I'm not in Paragon....
Snuzzle Dec 2nd 2011 7:58PM
PLEASE refrain from discussing the methods here. Even if it's partial methods, or just something you heard, or something you think would work. We don't want to give anyone ideas. :(
Pyromelter Dec 3rd 2011 9:07AM
I'm going to explain the exploit since it's been hotfixed (taken from another thread, not from experience):
"all players pass on loot and leave the raid and disc[onnect] from the game the raidleader rejoins the raid instance take the loot and can give the loot to the members without getting locked for loot"
Now, anyone defending this action as "accidental" is deluding themselves. You need a raid of 25 people working in concert with this exploit. Also, I find it extremely hard to believe that this bug was found on accident. Recent history has shown that players will actively look to exploit things right as a patch drops, and this looks like an exploit that was tested before it was found out. There have been some famous exploits (LK25 saronite bombs, evasion bug on yogg +0), but there have also been some rather significant bugs that were not as well known, for example Glyph of Holy Nova/Echoes of Light mastery mix that was causing a stacking Echoes of Light HoT, and creating an absolutely insane amount of healing (especially back in ICC on dreamwalker).
In short, while this was a bug, I firmly believe this was an exploit that was actively sought out. The only thing that baffles me is why so many guilds, especially top guilds, would utilize this exploit, when they know that in the past blizzard has taken away their gear, achievements, and given 1 week suspensions or more to these players.
Mahram Dec 2nd 2011 1:32PM
Ban 'em good, Thor. Ban 'em good.
Jenn Dec 2nd 2011 1:33PM
I just don't understand why some of the best players in the world feel the need to cheat their way into gear they will replace in a few weeks.
kingoomieiii Dec 2nd 2011 1:51PM
I'm thinking they want their healers and tanks going into heroics already decked in their 2- and 4-piece bonuses, to significantly reduce the need to clear another week on Normal mode.
It's still clearly an exploit.
Jeff (Not that one ^ ) Dec 2nd 2011 1:56PM
"The best players in the world" use LFR?
bimberiusz Dec 2nd 2011 2:02PM
yes they do in fact go to lfr
Imnick Dec 2nd 2011 2:07PM
Yes, to get full tier sets
Aaron Dec 2nd 2011 2:55PM
@Jeff it's a giant loot pinata and it doesn't share a lock out with NM or HM. That's like questioning why top guilds would run BH each week for tier gear and off pieces.
eel5pe Dec 2nd 2011 3:34PM
Same reason anybody does anything: money and fame. The 2-set and 4-set bonuses are fantastic this go-around, and anyone who has them already has a huge leg-up on their competition. Keep in mind that along with name recognition, with world-first kills comes sponsorship from various gaming-related companies.
Piper Dec 2nd 2011 3:39PM
It's because they *are* on the Red Queen's Racetrack of being at the top. Any advantage will be used to get world firsts. It may not be right or moral, but time has shown over and over that _some_ people at the top will do everything they can to stay at the top.
Cricket Dec 2nd 2011 5:10PM
Top guilds buy up the epic gems for upward of 20k gold to get that extra edge this week. Apparently the set boni are worth it this time around, even if the LFR gear would otherwise be a slight downgrade to FL heroic. Or maybe they're filling holes in their gear for chars they decided to put up next week for the heroic race. Some guilds have *transferred servers* last time around to be able to do FL hero the same week it came out. Theirs is a strange world.