Starting over with new account after suspension.
I started a new account this week and thought it would be best to be involved in the community after I had an earlier account get suspended. I was playing and having a lot of fun challenging my opponents in the area. I had a couple days off and some time to plan on ways to get some MUs in my area. I found a good opportunity to **** a link from a military base since I have access to it and a remote lighthouse which was an Anchor for a large control field that took a lot of planning to get to. The lighthouse was quite hard to get to so I took pictures to prove I actually made it to this portal. I was able to take down this portal at the lighthouse and **** my link essentially cutting the town in half. I was thrilled I was able to pull it off. Then the next day I went to access the app and it would not open. I went to access the Ingress map and my account was suspended. I submitted an appeal and never received a response. I could have provided any proof needed or required. Any advice how I should do things differently with my new account?
Comments
I'm thinking there is more to this story.... What was your first agent name? Mjh2521?
Yes. There is more but I stuck to the basics. After talking with other people in the area and providing more detail and some evidence to people who are aware of the area I am in. They think they know who I made mad.
I’m ok with drama. I can ignore it pretty well. Just don’t request my account banned. I found out from talking to local players. Some people take it way too serious and will retaliate.
Niantic doesn’t suspend based on one persons side of the story, especially a full on ban. But there are definitely agents who will try their best to get people in trouble by trying to change the narrative of what actually happened.
Im curious, how old is your mjh2521 account? It does seem odd that a pretty new account would go to all that work to flip portals on hard to reach portals. When I first started, I could barely figure out how to make fields. I definitely wasn’t worrying about flipping portals at hard to reach areas…
Again, I think there is more to this story.
Not much more to the story really. The account was about a week old. I played Pokémon Go for many years and learned that it derived from Ingress. So I gave Ingress a try. I picked it up quick reviewed the Intel Map and as an adventurous Marine with some time on his hands I set out to do some damage. I did it legitimately. That is what others told me that I reached out to that played in my area. That usually new accounts don’t do the tactics I was doing early on. So yes there could be more to the story from Niantics point of view. But from mine I just want to ensure I can continue to play the game. I have nothing to hide and can provide any information needed to Niantic or the community. That is why I am here reaching out for advice.
And people wonder why this game is dying.
U should have recieved a reply to appeal thats weird.
Even you say you didn't cheat. I still believe in how the Niantic system works against cheating.
I did, I have an appeal in. But from reading it could take several weeks to get reviewed and still may not get reversed. My account was only a week old and I almost got this new account to same level as my previous one. This new account also allows me to communicate with the community like I am doing now. I am new to the community so just looking for advice to prevent from getting banned again. One piece of advice was to become part of the community, so I took that advice and that is why I made this post. I also met some people through the app and started to communicate with them.
Unfortunately, it has happened before that legitimate players got banned by Niantic, and the ban was reversed later on.
Well I reopened an account and that one is now banned as well. I was talking with other players in the community and I was being accused by other players for cheating. They said they have been playing this game for a long time and can spot a cheater. Also said they would not lie. Not sure how to respond to that other than I was not cheating. I was playing aggressively but not cheating. I will just wait for my appeal to get looked at.
I'm probably the most reported player in my area because my opposition loves to hate me. I've never been banned. They've accused me of everything under the sun. So it's unlikely anyone can get banned purely because of mass reporting. Although Niantic could have changed that. Maybe I'll be next lol.
Maybe you are correct. Ill just wait for the appeal. Not sure if Niantic will ever even review my appeal to get an honest assessment. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that others in the Ingress community thought I was cheating. One player actually told the others that they went to a portal that I was attacking and I was not there. I asked them to tell me which portal it was. When they showed me I laughed because that portal is actually right behind where I live and reachable from backyard. It is all kinda disheartening. I feel a lot of distrust from the long time players.
u will usually get banned if something shows in niantics anti cheat system not because someone accuses u thats not really proof niantic probably gets so many reports that turns out to be false
Ok thanks. Hopefully I can get information back from Niantic. Then I can do something about it. Right now I guess I am just speculating. Does Niantic look at their community forums?
Knowing how difficult it can be to actually get a true cheater banned, I really feel like there is more going on here. Your first account has now been suspended twice?
I think so too. I got some rather hostile treating when I reached out to local players for help. Words like so in so was at a location and you were not there when his portal was being attacked. Asking me how did I get from point A to point B so fast? Who is giving you gear? How does a new player flip portals that are only boat accessible? How did you get on a restricted area? Too many red flags. I am contacting my connection with Vandguard. We have screen shots that you are cheating. Then when I clearly explain everything they ask for. They just say I’m sorry we don’t believe you and this guy I knew longer than you says you are cheating. Then poof within a few days my account is suspended.
This is really between you and niantic. Even if you gave evidence here, it isn't like niantic pays attention to this forum AT ALL.
Those are red flags. Anyone who has played this game long enough would say they’re red flags as well, but if you think this one agent is causing your headaches, you are mistaken.
Your activities all seem suspect for an agent who is such low level/new and then you’re surprised your account keeps being suspended. Niantic wasn’t born yesterday and neither were the agents in your area. I’m not saying you are right or wrong, but if an agent was doing things like you’ve been doing, it would raise alarms for agents of either faction.
Like @joecain mentioned. You won’t find anything but maybe some sympathy, but maybe not even that. Good luck…
i actually did a lot of research about the game before I started. What attracted me about the game was the dedication to figuring out how to what seemed to be impossible. Like people hiking to mountain tops, renting boats, using portable satellite WiFi, getting helicopter rides getting tours to places with restricted access. I am a kinda hardcore person and did some of this right from the start and community response was instantly, you are a cheater. I even took pictures and described how I planned it out but the response is nahh these are just red flags and we are going to report it.
Wait for the response from the appeal. If unsuccessful, contact a Vanguard for help. Send all photo evidence.
You'll likely need to contact your community to find an vanguard as it's entirely a volunteer position.
If everything is legit and a team can just pressure a vanguard for a ban, it feels like the system is broken.
You keep assuming people filing reports is what’s getting your account suspended. Like I said, Niantic wasn’t born yesterday. You could be reported a hundred times, but if the claims aren’t valid, you don’t get suspended. It’s just not how it works….
Vanguards will not be able to assist. We have no influence on bans or appeals, and Niantic doesn't discuss other player accounts with us.
I believe you. Maybe it has nothing to do with being reported and something completely unrelated. I am new just getting advice. Both of my last accounts got banned in about a week from opening and about 2 days after particular players accused me of cheating and said they are reporting me. I can test this out by opening a new account. I’ll be traveling some so I can play for a couple weeks in other places. Then maybe in few weeks if my account has not been banned I will lay a couple of attacks on this particular players key places and see if that prompts a ban. I’ll keep y’all informed.
Yeah, keep stirring the pot, that’s a great plan…
This is a battle game correct? Is there a reason I should not attack the opposing team’s portals? If I can’t so called “stir up the pot” and attack portals from the opposing team, what should I be allowed to do?
So my appeal was reviewed. And concluded my account violated terms of service. Specifically for unauthorized access to our services using modified or unapproved methods of gameplay.
I didn’t get any chance to provide any type of proof. I let them know I would be able to provide any proof they requested.
I am assuming this was just a suspension and will only last for 30 days.
I guess if I get my account back I’m left to plead to the community members to please don’t report me. I’ll offer to take members with me to attack portals. I’ll let them know in advance when I attack high value portals, send videos document every move I make until I can play with assurance I won’t get reported.
Saw a suggestion about you scanning the portal on a different thread. Do that there can be no question about if you were there. Niantic will know.