Suspended from Sims3 site. Anybody else?

[damageincracing]

I got suspended from the Sims3 site today for reasons unknown. All I got was the e-mail saying I somehow violated their terms of service. The only thing I can think of (after going through their forums) is that anybody who was upset/angry over this last "patch" fiasco had the threads deleted. But of course, I can't be sure (I can't talk to any of the people I usually talk to). The supposed "offending post" was anything but, and as far as I could tell I didn't violate ANYTHING, seeing as I was letting a few people know how to get decent CC back in the game (without mentioning any sites, just in case). Is EA so afraid of people seeing bad comments about the game that they have to resort to deleting threads and suspending the players? Has this happened to anybody else?

[SuicidiaParasidia]

Is EA so afraid of people seeing bad comments about the game that they have to resort to deleting threads and suspending the players? Has this happened to anybody else?

i would guess so, but im talking out of my ass because i never post on the sims 3 website. people here are much better at dealing with things.

[summersong86]

I only post there to report bugs. I've heard they have a heavy hand with suspensions. It's best not to "converse" there and save your posts for trouble-shooting or trouble reporting as it related strictly to their own content. I heard just mentioning MTS can get you banned there. I think there is or was a topic about that here at MTS awhile back. Sorry you got banned there. Does this mean you can't use the EA site at all? I mean like to get downloads or patches or anything else requiring your user name and password?

[damageincracing]

I still have my "SimPoints", like I'll ever use them. Not sure about future "patches" because now the site's telling me my game isn't registered (which I registered it after I installed it when I bought it), and when I put the code in, it tells me it's not a valid code. I contacted EA's "Customer Support" about both issues and got the usual form letter responses... I'm not overly worried about it because I got my game to work with all the GOOD CC from here and another site by completely removing the game and reinstalling (and only patching to 1.7), it just irritates me because it's like they're trying to cover up the fact that there are problems with the game...

[damageincracing]

I figure I'll just start posting questions and issues over here with the hope to get them resolved. Seems like the people here know how to fix the game better than the game designers! LOL!

[Jasumi]

I was suspended once. Supposedly, I was blocked from the forums for "72 hours" but it was more like an entire month I went without posting rights. Personally, I only post on there maybe once or twice a month, so the suspension didn't amount to much...

[summersong86]

That's weird. It sounds like they didn't just suspend your posting privileges but messed up your game as well. I was always nervous about something going wrong with my user account that would impact the ability of the game to run. This game seems so dependent on its connection to EA to run, more so than any other Sims game. At least, before. In resurrecting my old Sims1 game, and having to track down patches for that game, I ran into problems not being able to get patches off their site because I could not remember my old user name and password for when I registered my Sims1 game. So I tried to use my Sims3 info but it wouldn't work. I found a workaround but I don't remember what it was. I think I found that I hadn't registered ALL of my Sims1 games and created a new account to get the patches for all the games. Whatever, it was a big mess. They don't just let you download a patch without proving you are the original owner, I guess.

Anyway it is simply wrong and horrible customer service to suspend you like that and not provide an adequate explanation. Especially if it may be the cause of your not being able to play a game you bought.

[icu2richelo]

I got suspended from the Sims3 site today for reasons unknown. All I got was the e-mail saying I somehow violated their terms of service. The only thing I can think of (after going through their forums) is that anybody who was upset/angry over this last "patch" fiasco had the threads deleted.

See, this is one of the MAIN reasons I'm afraid of posting, really, anything on that Forum. I check out the website every now and again just to see if EA's given rise to the issues with the latest patch. But, all I see in the numerous threads in the "Sims 3 Store Issues" category talking about these issues is people saying the same thing "The Game is Broken! EA, Please Do Something!"

And there's literally no response from EA. I'm not going to pretend I didn't see this coming, what with EA creating a Pay-Per-Item Online Store... It's sad, it's such a flawed system.

[damageincracing]

Well, I found out that the game still plays, but I still would like to know why my game magically unregistered itself... Like I said before, I'm not overly worried about posting over there and being completely ignored, since this site has MUCH better CC and can actually use it now that I've only reinstalled and only updated to 1.7. Hmm, maybe THAT'S why they suspended me?

[SJane3384]

I got banned there two or three times. They're REALLY heavy into banning for EA criticism, or for "inflammatory" remarks (ie someone hitting the "report" button for ANY reason). They're also bad about banning for posting about mods (one of the bans I got was for trying to help someone with story progression by linking to Indie Stone).

So yea, I pretty much stopped posting there when I got the "one more ban results in permanent ban status". It wasn't worth it to feel like I was under some kind of fascist rule...or to dig through 300 pages of "How do I..(something explained 1 million times already).

[summersong86]

I can see why, due to them wanting to retain control over the game, they wouldn't like you posting links to mods like Indie Stone. But a warning should suffice. Banning is overreacting by complete idiots. Either the mods themselves are nervous idiots or their corporate overlords are. Either way, who wants to hang out with that crowd?

[acid_fairy]

I haven't even registered my game. The forums have definitely gone downhill since the TS2 ones. All it consists of is 'MODELLING COMP HEEERRRRRE LOLZ'
It's populated with philistines that don't understand the game at ALL. If I have a question I stick it here or over on MATY.

[Axe Gaijin]

I haven't even registered my game. The forums have definitely gone downhill since the TS2 ones. All it consists of is 'MODELLING COMP HEEERRRRRE LOLZ'
It's populated with philistines that don't understand the game at ALL. If I have a question I stick it here or over on MATY.
Worse then in the Sims 2 days? is that even possible? :D

But yeah that´s a good description of the EA forums, I literly `facepalm´ several times each time I visit, reading some of the topics.
Spore forums are also very bad, never got into them, which in turn diminished the long term appeal of Spore since sharing and community are such a strong selling point of that game. So I´m double pleased that we at least still have the forums here, I enjoy visiting here and reading posts.

[suzetter]

I posted the below on an EA thread called Paysites Must Be Destroyed.

I don't support pay sites and don't subscribe to them. However, I wouldn't say they should be destroyed because I believe in freedom. Nobody is forced to go to them and if you don't like them then don't use them. Besides, the EA Sims Store is the most offensive of the all pay sites--I mean really!--why are we paying for content for the game that should have been included anyway when we've already payed for the game? When did it become okay to sell a game ala carte? That EA produces stuff packs would be okay if they didn't pare down the base game content to a skeletal frame of what it once was. Why is there no diving board? No piano? No Hot tub? No aquarium? No dart board? No food/clothing stores? These were base game staples in TS1 and TS2 and were very popular with players so why did EA remove them from TS3 if not to nickel and dime the players? I found the TS3 base game very dull because of the limited sim interaction animations and activities and stopped playing it. Then I received WA and tried it out and find it fun. If I hadn't received WA I would probably have never played TS3 again and EA would have lost a me as a client of their franchise. I'm sure they've lost a number of players who didn't get past the snooze factor of the TS3 base game and it serves EA right for being so greedy.

Not so nice to EA but I didn't get banned (yet). However, I can no longer find the thread.

[Claeric]

Its sad to hear the forus fell apart, but believe me- it started a LONG time ago.

The Sims 1 site had the BBS, and as soon as they decided to remove the Off TOpic section, the site started to go downhill. The mods had no idea what they were doing.

[chann]

I posted the below on an EA thread called Paysites Must Be Destroyed.

I don't support pay sites and don't subscribe to them. However, I wouldn't say they should be destroyed because I believe in freedom. Nobody is forced to go to them and if you don't like them then don't use them. Besides, the EA Sims Store is the most offensive of the all pay sites--I mean really!--why are we paying for content for the game that should have been included anyway when we've already payed for the game? When did it become okay to sell a game ala carte? That EA produces stuff packs would be okay if they didn't pare down the base game content to a skeletal frame of what it once was. Why is there no diving board? No piano? No Hot tub? No aquarium? No dart board? No food/clothing stores? These were base game staples in TS1 and TS2 and were very popular with players so why did EA remove them from TS3 if not to nickel and dime the players? I found the TS3 base game very dull because of the limited sim interaction animations and activities and stopped playing it. Then I received WA and tried it out and find it fun. If I hadn't received WA I would probably have never played TS3 again and EA would have lost a me as a client of their franchise. I'm sure they've lost a number of players who didn't get past the snooze factor of the TS3 base game and it serves EA right for being so greedy.


It's definitely not what you said, but where you said it. :) I certainly don't envy the job of being a moderator on those forums. When time and resources are precious, deletion trumps dialogue.

Still, I disagree with your point - from the law's point of view, it's the other way around. EA's allowed to extort its players with DLC all it wants. ;)

[Aviator.R]

Is EA so afraid of people seeing bad comments about the game that they have to resort to deleting threads and suspending the players?

Yes. Welcome to Cambodia TS3 official boards.

Answering to suzette, yes, EA can spill the hell out of your moneys releasing all the DLCs they want, 'till you can use your game without downloading 'em. Personally i'm not against EA creating DLCs for cash - although their prize is high enough to be considered "honest".

Instead, The Sims Resource (The site that PMBD was born to antagonize) broke the law so many times that i'm surprised is still online. The only reason it's alive is that EA seems not to care about their own EULA.

[Phoeberg]

I haven't even registered my game. The forums have definitely gone downhill since the TS2 ones. All it consists of is 'MODELLING COMP HEEERRRRRE LOLZ'
It's populated with philistines that don't understand the game at ALL. If I have a question I stick it here or over on MATY.

Yeah, I never post on the Sims 3 site. This is basically the only sims site I post on actually. I find the rules are pretty fair and are there to make sure everyone enjoys there time here, rather than being too Draconian. I don't want to be worried that I'll get banned everytime I post an unfavorable opinion about EA over at the Sims 3 site, if what your saying is true! Frankly this site has fixed almost every problem I've ever had with the Sims 2 or Sims 3, so I don't really need EA's help. Even if I thought I were to get it.

[suzetter]

It's definitely not what you said, but where you said it. :) I certainly don't envy the job of being a moderator on those forums. When time and resources are precious, deletion trumps dialogue.

Still, I disagree with your point - from the law's point of view, it's the other way around. EA's allowed to extort its players with DLC all it wants. ;)

Extort* being the operative word here but you have a point. (*Though I prefer the more colloquial term "shake down" - LOL)

As for the Law, I can't even think about that now as I'm so upset with the Supreme Court's recent ruling that is tantamount to holding election day sales (if you catch my drift).

:)

[chann]

Extort* being the operative word here but you have a point. (*Though I prefer the more colloquial term "shake down" - LOL)


Originally I wanted to type "charge somewhat unfair and extractive prices", so yeah. They're not that pushy.

[tomatohead1]

Hi I have just been banned/suspended - I'm not sure which as the email title says ban but the content says suspension but doesn't say for how long. I can't read the forums if I'm signed in but can if I sign out lol. I had the audacity to say the game doesn't work - how very dare I! I titled the thread - error code 12 does anyone else think we are being used as testers.

Its quite amusing that there is a thread there now about issues after patching thats up to 256 pages last count are not all the comments there are singing their praise - are they going to ban everyone on that as well lol they'll end up with everyone being banned!

[kustirider2]

EA ban everyone for everything. Seriously. It's just crazy. They need to grow up, stop acting childish and fix their damn games! I haven't posted on the BBS once, because I prefer it here, and because everyone is way nicer.. I only go to the exchange for the lulzy stories :lol:

[tomatohead1]

I agree I only want to post comments about them not finishing games properly. It has made me feel really childish like going out and purchasing more games to register more accounts to post this apart from I would never give them another penny! But I really would love to irritate them by filling up their boards as much as their game has irritated me. What have they reduced me to. I used to be a better person but all these sleep deprived nights of trying to fix it have driven me over the edge

[Srikandi]

Adding to the traffic on EA's forms isn't much of a way of punishing them ;) Really, the only effective weapon available to you is to vote with your pocketbook.

[kiwi_tea]

Well, EA already has a bad rep for all sorts of reasons, and that bears on them financially. It's a much smaller hit in the short term than what Srikandi's suggesting, but it's still a hit to criticise them openly, engaging in exchanges exactly like this one.

[J. M. Pescado]

The important thing is not to buy from them and to encourage everyone else to also not buy from them.

[ashillion]

I understand the issues with EA and all, but to "not buy from them" and "encourage everyone else to also not buy from them" well, is a good way to shorten the lifespan of the game as a product. I get that they are "control freaks", I've had EVERY post Ive made deleted off the forums. *BUT* I've never been "Banned" from the Official site. ALSO almost all the topics of my posts (As where all complaints, and/or pointing out shortfalls) were or are in a timely manner being addressed by EA.

The one they so far have ignored, but deleted was the question of " Why is there no "Pen and Paper" to write with?"
Writing skill = Computer Skill?
My Technophobic Writer is... well... not much of a writer!"

I think "Not Buying" will just hurt US in the long run, less financial projections lead to less funding, less development, less quality and the death of a game.

"Not Buying In" is the key IMO.

Be outspoken about what you want, what you like, what you don't... But be Mature about it.

EA = TheSims3. You all love the game, Love what you do with it. But keep in mind it's THEIR BABY. "Not Buying" is Like I'm to steel their daughter away (or for a reasonable dowry make her mine)

Then Do one of two things.... One, make Her=(TheSims3) live the rest of her life without ANY CONTACT with the Things, people, clothes, places that are from her old life =(EA CC), Because why.. Oh yeah, Because I HATE her=(TheSims3) Folks=(EA)???? Or two, I steel, swindle, or otherwise Deceptively allow her=(TheSims3) some contact with things from her folks=(EA)?

Duh....

Sims Online could not get the income or support from users... they wanted it all as free as they could get... of course. But as with any game or product or musician or actor or whatever we FOLLOW or are a FAN of.

We have to support them...

It does a singer no good for me to like or LOVE them on the radio or bootlegged for free... but never buy their music or see them on stage cause i HATE the LABEL they are signed to... That just means less albums in the artists future. See what I'm saying?

Their Forum and Mts, is and can be a TOOL for EA to SEE WHAT WE REALLY THINK.WHAT WE REALLY LIKE. WHAT WE REALLY WANT.

They have to read our site too... at least some of it....

So I suggest WE be the grown up's...

I hate Banks... But now at 34, I have to be a grown up SOMETIMES.
It's not fare THEY make MONEY off MY money and charge me to do it... even with interest. But I still gotta cash my checks and such somewhere.

:turtle:
Edit: As a sub note.... I say apply the "Not Buying" to TSR.... Half the Buy items there are crap and they are REALLY EVIL she =(TheSims3) isn't even related to them... and they don't even LOVE her=(TheSims3)... they just steal her stuff and sell it! :!: :!: :!:

[nicketti]

I don't post on the EA forums for a lot of reasons, but the main one is the forum page never downloads or comes up when I hit the tab. So I must thank EA for keeping me safe, so I cannot post anything negative and get banned or suspended. And when my original game went bellyup, bought a new basic one, registered it and now actually have 2 accounts. The game was on sale and still got the 10 free sims points. Worked out ok so far, But the main EA site never did answer my tech questions about why the first game died. One would think they would refund your money for a dead game, but noooo. Although some folks do go overboard with their bad language and ranting here, this is still the best place for posting. Thank you MTS.

[LethalLaurie]

I don't see why anyone would post there in the first place. Whenever I have a game-related question, I just come here. Most of the time I'll get an answer, I can pick up some cool (FREE) content for my game, and the mods here don't threaten to kick me out or break my game if I don't constantly tongue-bathe their "precious".

...Hell, I keep forgetting they even have a forum until someone brings it up. :P

[RoseCity]

Sims Online could not get the income or support from users... they wanted it all as free as they could get... of course. But as with any game or product or musician or actor or whatever we FOLLOW or are a FAN of.

We have to support them...

It does a singer no good for me to like or LOVE them on the radio or bootlegged for free... but never buy their music or see them on stage cause i HATE the LABEL they are signed to... That just means less albums in the artists future. See what I'm saying?

I completely agree. Nothing in life is free.

Their Forum and Mts, is and can be a TOOL for EA to SEE WHAT WE REALLY THINK.WHAT WE REALLY LIKE. WHAT WE REALLY WANT.

They have to read our site too... at least some of it....

I think the whole game and the release of the expansion packs has already been planned long ago. Just from reading here on MTS, if they cared what people liked and wanted they would have put a piano and a hot tub in the base game (joke). And you would think since EA has a forum, and since the game has bugs, etc they would use the forum to help people who are having problems, but they seldom help anybody. They seldom even acknowledge that they've taken note of a problem and are trying to fix it eg the School bug, the Relationship bug. It's not surprising that people get p.o.'d.

[Srikandi]

I'd agree that there aren't a lot of reasons to post on EA's forums, which are from a technical perspective the worst coded forums I've ever seen on the internet ANYWHERE. They're incredibly slow, they're down half the time, they're missing essential features like PMs. When they added a couple new forums when Ambitions was first announced, the new forums would appear and disappear randomly for about a month... sometimes they were there, mostly they weren't... but the mods kept moving threads into these disappearing forums regardless, completely messing up some contest threads and the like that folks where trying to run. I have NO idea how you code a forum to behave like that. And presumably they're actually paying people to do it ><

Meantime Delphy runs this massive, busy and complicated site pretty much single-handed, on the tech end :/ And it's not his day job. Go figure ><

I will admit that I've been going over there lately for Ambitions news, because bad as their forums are, they are still more active than most others. And while I'm there, I will help some noobs if I can. But I wouldn't recommend it to the general public ;) And I'm kinda surprised that I haven't been banned, because although I try to respect their site rules (as a forum mod I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who break the rules and then complain about the very predictable consequences), I say what I think and don't self-censor, or pay any attention to the "unwritten rules" people keep talking about. And I've been plenty critical of EA :)

[hawkearrow]

I was banned for posting a thread about those DR Pepper items. I wanted them but have no access to drink the toxic stuff.
My thread suggested that people provide codes in exchange for a gift from the store.....

Not sure what the problem was but apparently I was "promoting".

They took ages to respond too.....and in the end emailed with a small section of the TOS which had nothing to do with my post.

Useless, really.
On the upside, a lovely lady who saw my post actually sent me a message with a code so I could get the car. Unfortunately she had to buy some stupid digital badge to contact me because of no pm feature :(

[putowtin]

I've not been banned, but I have noticed the last few times I've posted, that my post is later deleted. I never put anything rude or degrading (either regarding EA or other forum users) yet my post's vanish. I did complain about the Dr Pepper items, I don't see how getting the stupid one seater electric car in euro is in anyway equal to getting the rocking 50's car!

I don't bother with the forums anymore, and lets face it, the exchange is full of MTS items that have been nicked or items so bad only a fool would want to download!

I am guilty of buying items from the store (the mexican set was too cute) but only them is it with the points I've recieved from buying the games. (since I'm on to my 4th copy of the sims I have a lot of points)

[suzetter]

I've complained on the EA site a couple of times about the direction of the game but kept it clean since it is mainly a very young group of simmers there. Tech support was pathetic the one time I contacted them regarding simmers exchanging neighborhood files with different set-ups. It was clear the techie wasn't aware the game save files changed after a particular patch and then after consulting his supervisor (?) offered me a bogus non-solution answer. I finally got insight into the issue and helpful info from Gobot101 here on MTS. EA tech sucks as much as their forums do. I go there periodically to grab freebie items and see if there's anything up that I want to use my remaining points on. I've had those points a long time now. Good thing they don't go bad.

[kiwi_tea]

I thought my posts were being deleted, and I was waiting to be banned. But instead, I discovered that they are being moved. Several of my threads from Technical Issues were siphoned off into Ideas & Feedback or Possible Bugs. It seems like a deliberate attempt to distract and divert attention. I don't know, I feel like if I write as badly and curtly as they do in the professional world, with the same ridiculously inflated vocab, maybe I'm speaking the language of that workplace. Their behaviour and the obvious systemic failure suggests to me corporate-business-gone-mad-and-incompetent. They clearly haven't had any skills at seriously and respectfully dealing with clients for a long, long time, and they avoid it whenever possible. Frankly, I'd adopt Pescado's POV and principled stance, if it were only possible, but I'm constrained. To be frank, EA encourages people not to give them money by being such a goddamned failure of a business.

Businesses actually bother to connect with their most discerning clients, and offer clear and honest feedback, even if it's unpopular. The amount of lying by omission that EA does makes being their customer feel oppressive.