User blog:TopsyKretts3/Shifting: The Numbers

Over a period of seven days, the Combat Arms Wiki held a poll for those who use the site, on the subject of Shifting. The question asked was:  Do you kick people for using the exploit known as 'Shifting'? For this question, three options were presented; Yes, I kick people for shifting; No, I do not kick people shifting; I do not know what shifting is. Over those seven days, one hundred and forty one people voted in the poll.

31.92% - forty-five people – stated that they did kick people for shifting. 40.43% - fifty-seven people – stated that they did not kick people for shifting. 27.66% - thirty-nine people – stated that they do not know what shifting is.

If we were to limit the data to people who know what shifting is, one hundred and two people, this would indicate that 55% do not kick people who shift in their rooms, while only 45% do. Even without Nexon’s previous statement on the issue, it is clear with minimal thought that Shifting is in fact an exploit, yet the majority who know of shifting do not treat it as such. Even more alarming is that almost one third of people do not know what shifting even is. Over a period of seven days, the Combat Arms Wiki held a poll for those who use the site, on the subject of Shifting. The question asked was:  Do you kick people for using the exploit known as 'Shifting'? For this question, three options were presented; Yes, I kick people for shifting; No, I do not kick people shifting; I do not know what shifting is. Over those seven days, one hundred and forty one people voted in the poll.

31.92% - forty-five people – stated that they did kick people for shifting. 40.43% - fifty-seven people – stated that they did not kick people for shifting. 27.66% - thirty-nine people – stated that they do not know what shifting is.

If we were to limit the data to people who know what shifting is, one hundred and two people, this would indicate that 55% do not kick people who shift in their rooms, while only 45% do. Even without Nexon’s previous statement on the issue, it is clear with minimal thought that Shifting is in fact an exploit, yet the majority who know of shifting do not treat it as such. Even more alarming is that almost one third of people do not know what shifting even is.

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I place a large portion of the blame on Nexon. In the past they have not treated shifting as seriously as they should. The most they have said on the subject is one section, in one state of the game, and ever since then it almost seems as if they have forgotten about the issue. With hacking it shows that they are serious, even with power leveling, but not so much with shifting.

A first step to improve this would be education on the matter: making sure that people know what shifting is, why it is wrong, and how to spot it. This would help to make it so that a larger number of people kick those who shift in their rooms. A second step would be to encourage people to send in reports about people who shift, and to take these reports more seriously. Finally, bans that are handed out to people who shift should be clearer. Rather than listing them as, “In-Game GM Action” or as, “Glitching”, or even as, “Other”, these should be listed as, “Shifting”.

Shifting, particularly in Melee Only and Quarantine games, is a serious issue. It is an exploit, and gives those who exploit it an unfair advantage over legitimate players. Until it is fixed it will continue to be abused by the many closet cheaters in the community. Nexon needs to step up their effort to raise awareness on the matter, and ensure that those who exploit shifting are punished more regularly, otherwise we could see the day when the shifting infestation runs rampant, and is not the only thing that the majority of players are willing to abuse.