And we wonder why people quit this game? Here is one possible reason

[Fork]

Well if I were u write all the passwords u have tried on note pad, try 4-5 times a day and update note pad. I emailed those guys to get a password back for my account 'fork off' prob about 2 yrs ago and they replied within a week. The prob is I tried my best to prove it was my account and they actually took the piss out of me in one email asking me if I have mental health probs lol (what pissed me off more was that I waited 1 week for the reply only to be asked that strange question and nothing else actually relevant to getting my account back) I challenged them and demanded for them to be professional and they emailed me back saying they were joking. It took like 2 months of constant emails (some totally random and pointless emails from their side) before I got a new pass. Good luck and keep trying 4 dif passwords a day

[Ephemeral]

Thank you for the input; it is indeed frustrating. For me the value in continuing to play is greatly diminished if I cannot get my name back. Over the years I have developed many friends and most of them only occasionally log into the game, losing my name has a big impact on being able to keep in touch with them. The number of horror stories that I have heard about players not ever being able to recover names they had is pretty over-whelming.

If I cannot get this straighten out in the next few days I’ll just give up and quit playing. It’s my own fault, I made this bed. But it’s been a good run and a do appreciate those who have tried to help.
eph

[Fork]

Thank you for the input; it is indeed frustrating. For me the value in continuing to play is greatly diminished if I cannot get my name back. Over the years I have developed many friends and most of them only occasionally log into the game, losing my name has a big impact on being able to keep in touch with them. The number of horror stories that I have heard about players not ever being able to recover names they had is pretty over-whelming.

If I cannot get this straighten out in the next few days I’ll just give up and quit playing. It’s my own fault, I made this bed. But it’s been a good run and a do appreciate those who have tried to help.
eph

If worst comes to the worst, tell a couple people who u trust the password that u thought it was... They can keep entering a mistyped version of that password. Hell I would love to try loads and loads of times to see if I get lucky. Do u remember what u was trying to type as a password? Tried with capital letters? Try typing that password out again but rush it and see what common mistypes u are doing... Then use that as a password. I could try for u thou so pm me in game.

[Ephemeral]

Fork,
Actually you can work around the ‘lock out after X amount of times’ by simply logging in with another name. It appears that the ‘lock out after X amount of times’ is based upon IP address. So you can try 3 passwords, then log into SS with another name, then quit and try another three times. It appears that you can do this indefinitely. I have tried literally hundreds of combinations but given my god awful typing skills/dyslexia there is no telling what I’ve fucked up.
But thanks for the offer.
eph

[Demonic]

Fork,
Actually you can work around the ‘lock out after X amount of times’ by simply logging in with another name. It appears that the ‘lock out after X amount of times’ is based upon IP address. So you can try 3 passwords, then log into SS with another name, then quit and try another three times. It appears that you can do this indefinitely. I have tried literally hundreds of combinations but given my god awful typing skills/dyslexia there is no telling what I’ve fucked up.
But thanks for the offer.
eph

Sounds silly but remember its case sensitive, just incase you had caps lock on at the time. Sure you tried it, but never know

[Ephemeral]

Demonic,
Been there, done that.

Let me ask you, why in the world don’t the billing sys ops at least just drop a line giving status or something? I know Left_Eye has, for example, left several message for mom. I know for a fact that both mom and spacehiker have logged on every day between 12Am 2AM for the last 4 days. So why aren’t they at least communicating something like ‘sorry we can’t do this’ or ‘we are covered up and can’t get to it for 3 weeks’ of whatever the fuck the situation is? What the hell is the matter with these people; do they not care at all?

What would it take to get a TW representative to be a billing sys op? TW is the only SS zone that is even alive, why the hell would TW not have any kind of control or influence over this?
eph

[Fork]

Hmm u said u used special characters in the password? Like % or other wierd symbols- if so (prob just making shit up) maybe these symbols aren't recognised and instead replaces that symbol with a space or deletes it. Meh can't think what else to say

[Crescent Seal]

i had a name I wanted to get as well with a lost password years ago. was told about 30x to send a ticket but no one ever replied. i started stalking MOM and some other faggot named polix or something in random zones like metalgear. they just ignored me until i spammed them and thats when i got back a "why would we help anyone who is being rude?". i just gave up after that. it wasn't worth it to let these clowns feel needed and important.

p.s. the title of the thread should be changed. everyone already knows staff is the main reason why people quit this game.
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[Ephemeral]

Fork,
True enough. But at this point, and given the total silence from the Billing sys ops, who know what has happened?

I mean it could be that they actually did reset the password and the email didn’t get to me (since it was pointing to my 1998 addy). If so, I have wasted time trying variations my old one for days now. And I certainly don’t want to burn anyone else’s time trying various iterations…

Frankly given the number of times and combinations that I have tried I suspect that this may of what happened. But who knows? In the vacuum of complete silence anything is possible.
eph

[Wormhole Surfer]

If I cannot get this straighten out in the next few days I’ll just give up and quit playing. It’s my own fault, I made this bed. But it’s been a good run and a do appreciate those who have tried to help.

That would be the dumbest reason to quit playing that I've ever heard. And there are a hundred good reasons for someone to quit playing, and a hundred more after that.

[Ephemeral]

How is losing interest in playing because you have lost the ability to connect to people you've made friends with a bad reason? For example, just today I had the opportunity to chat with Jacklyn. Haven't spoken to her for over a year, she didn't know who the hell I was on the name I am using. I have plenty of friends who might only log on a few times a year, this is one of the reasons that I have continued to play for so long. So you can call it dumb if you like, but staying connected to friends ranks pretty high on my list.
eph

[Exalt]

Why do we not have anyone from TW whose a billing op? Unless I'm wrong and Spacehiker is one? I just think the most populated zone needs to have things like this, considering we are really the only viable zone left in this game.

[Ephemeral]

Ok, so I dragged my ass out of bed so that I could message one of the two billing sys ops, both mom and spacehiker were online at 1AM EST. Spacehiker was in elim spec but I couldn’t get any response from him, he must have been afk. Mom was in EG so I pmed’ her; here was the exchange;

Studebaker> hi do you have a minute?
(Mom)>hi
Studebaker>hi this is Ephemeral...
(Mom)>ok?
Studebaker>i mistyped a ?password reset the other day and was wondering if you might help?
(Mom)> http://ssc.subspace.co/lostpass/
Studebaker>yes i completed the form the few days back
(Mom)>then you need to check your ticket
Studebaker>it requires a log in the billing server?
(Mom)>I have no idea what you are talking about
Studebaker>to check ticket status
Studebaker>wants a user name and password
Studebaker>to check status
(Mom)>you have a ticket number and it was emailed to you when you filled the ticket out
Studebaker>hmmm
(Mom)>so, maybe you should check your folders
Studebaker>didnt get an email
(Mom)>then you need to use an email that is valid
(Mom)>I do not do passwords via pm's
Studebaker>have you gotten any messages from Left_eye or anyone else regarding my pw request?
(Mom)>no
Studebaker>k ty for your time

So I went back to the Billing server ticket form and entered another ticket. I got the same confirmation screen as before which implies, but is not explicit, that I should receive an auto-response with the ticket number. Nothing showed up (I tested my email and it is working). Since in just the last 30 days I have coded (and tested) no fewer than 3 different PHP form handler email responders on three different web hosting services; I have little doubt that in my ability to determine if a programmatically generated email is able to pass through to one of my email addresses.

Additionally and beyond the fact that the Billing server form handler/email process being broken; I am stuck by the complete breakdown in communications between TW leaders and the Billing sys ops. Both Left_Eye and M_M God told me that they sent email/messages to mom on this issue. Someone is lying through their teeth. (Note that I have had several other TW staffers/players also say they would assist and contact the billing sys ops about this issue. But I am not including them here since their commitment was not as firm as the one made by Left_Eye and M_M God). Frankly I believe Left_Eye and M_M God but have no way to verify who is bullshitting whom.

So what fucking gives? I am trying very hard to not get really pissed off and do stupid things here but this situation is out of control. How the fuck can there be such a gap between the people who control TW and the people who control the Billing server? What fucking excuse is there for TW, the one zone that probably represents 80% of the remaining SS population, having no influence with those who control the Billing server? What excuse is there for TW and Billing not being able to work together?
eph

[Fork]

Man that's messed up if u can't even get an email confirmation that u submitted a ticket. I wonder what he means by: u need to use an email that is valid? I.e certain email addresses like hotmail.com may work where others like Gmail.com don't. U tried getting a hotmail.com email account and re-submit a ticket to see if u get a reply? The only other thing I can suggest is try and contact spacehiker (he/she might be more supportive and really help u).

I bet mom gets asked the same thing all the time (each time he/she logs in) and I bet this makes them become insensitive and not give u much effort to help u. Hell, they prob got the replies macro'd. Really they need more staff if that's the case.

[Ephemeral]

All,
Lo and behold, I just logged in (6AM) and there was a private message from mom. It was a single word, a password.

Have no idea why there was a change of heart, or if someone from TW finally was able to contact her. Perhaps she went and checked her messages and saw an avalanche of TW people inquiring about this and decided the easiest thing to do would be to just message me the password. Who knows?

Thank you to all who helped; I truly hope that this is used as an stimulus for improvement between TW and Billing ops.
eph