Elindos here, I wanted to contribute a bit.
I think @jelly13 is getting everything right in his comment.
I try to cover that point in my last section.
Also, I think there is a bit of namecalling in this post, which I believe is not contributing to the global argument. You can name Emre once, it's ok! but no need to insist on that part.
(very good bots by the way...quite strong so no doubt about the good work there)
I have to tell you that making a formations bot - auto-checking the accounts in your league, opening their blockchain profile, checking their submission - is a few hours work.
Not a minor issue as it can scale
The problem is scalable and there is no presence of "absolute hacker skills" involved here, as I think Emre would also completely agree by the way. As a developer, he knows what he was doing and that it will take a few hours time and be done and was better and less stressful than doing that as a human.
I refuse to do it as I believe it would hurt the game more but it's not being any better, as I also think doing it as a human is all wrong.
If Rabona had more players there would be more of that. Because it makes sense that it's a chore as a human to check blockchain profiles.
In truth, posting a page and script to allow any player to do that for his account is also possible. Just that with current active players, it would be one bot vs one bot very quickly, defeating the advantage, so it has no purpose either.
You do not have much to put against Emre - although it's not fairplay, doing that as a human is also not good. A bot scales the 'not good' effect. But having to do that was the wrong thing in the first place.
He reacted to that accordingly. So instead of moving the point against that aspect, the argument should rather focus, in my opinion, to the global issue involved.
The problem is not with anyone; no player is to blame here
The real problem is not in someone.
It's not in "persons" doing anything wrong.
Checking the blockchain profile of someone should not even be a requirement. We can understand that doing that is a chore.
This is not a soccer manager gameplay, or activity. It should not be part of the game vision. Yet, the game almost puts it as a requirement to win.
This is a huge game design problem: the RPS system (rock paper scissors) should never, ever, even be involved in a PVP game where information is also put public on the blockchain.
Now that it is mentioned, let's consider this to zoom at the issue:
This turned the game into a real time strategy game of rock paper scissors, which is played on hiveblocks by checking the blockchain profile, and pushing the counter, and hoping the other does not do the same as you do.
Yes, we are a bit forced to do it: because this is exactly where victory or defeat is played at the moment (especially once in league 1). So this is where "the game was decided to be".
Emre reacted to this alarm by making a bot. Others reacted to this alarm by protesting, or no longer playing, or both. Others continue to do it, but because they have to I think. I opted yesterday to stop playing my test account and deliver some feedback that I hope will be constructive.
I could imagine a world where I put devs skills to help the rabona team set up the encrypted version of this, were I not involved in a game myself.
However the second issue is that I don't even believe a rock paper scissor system should exist here.
Formations should be chosen according to your players, their positions, their talents, and there should be no hardcoded formation advantage... at all!
The point I want to put forward is that simulation should do that naturally.
When you say that in real life, soccer managers choose a formation to defeat another, well that's because in real life the players and the team and the ball itself is played by the 'real life simulation' and do that. You pick a formation which allows your players to be at a position and coverage that acts well. And acts well versus the other player individual talents and coverage, and the collective team.
Rabona can behave the same way, there is no reason for hardcoded formation advantage; only players playing at their position should do that, versus the other players. Simulation should do that naturally.
Also, as a game developer myself, I respect other Hive developers for their hard work. If they have a vision, and they believe it fits, then why not. My disagreement is of no importance.
If I find something is wrong, I thought I should stick to my game. Any mention I would have, would not be of help. If there are other visions to have, they could exist in other games.
But here, I step up only to voice something aiming for a betterment of it. The betterment of any hive game is doing good to hive games.
I join up @jelly13 on this.
I think this can end up constructively with some support.
My EXODE players are needing me so I won't speak often :) sorry for the long message here. I hope it does help in moving in the right direction.
Just a little more to add....having already said I agree with almost everything you said, I was re-reading and I really, really liked this :
This would give this a more realistic feel. Although I have no dev knowledge...but i am assuming for this solution, instead of taking the average team formation stat into consideration, this will take individual formation stat values, yes? That is something pretty exciting and will add a whole new dynamic to the game.
But then, I have no idea how complicated implementing this would be.