Failadin wrote:Rayvik wrote:DiamondTear wrote:If you look at the situation objectively, not exploiting would have guaranteed the wrong result. Either they would have had an advantage or they would have been banned. Either way the race wouldn't have been fair.
We'd rather guarantee an even footing than risk advantage for either guild.
So you're saying Paragon chose to exploit in the name of preserving the integrity of the race? First you say you exploited because you didn't want your competition to have an advantage, then you say you exploited so that everyone would be on equal footing? Wow. Now that's some spin doctoring right there. Do you work in PR by chance? =P
Seriously? Step back a minute and think about your statement. They admit they did wrong, they admit it! They did however have a legitimate reason to do so, that does not in any way take from the guilt. But it is reasonable and understandable to any outsider that isn't just here to point and laugh. You're in a race to first and others are doing something naughty, you either do it and risk punishment or don't do it and risk those who did do it not get punished and have an edge. Especially considering the arbitrary way Blizzard has defined and punished for rule violations in the past.
And that's all well and fine Failadin. But to try to pass it off as "we chose to exploit because we wanted the race to be fair, so even though we did something bad that makes us morally right because we wanted to protect the integrity of the race by making it fair" is spin doctoring, pure and simple. The decision to exploit was motivated by two factors:
1) Fear that if Paragon didn't exploit, they would be at a disadvantage, potentially losing World Firsts.
2) Blizzard's track record of not punishing exploiters, thereby providing a favorable risk/reward scenario.
Any statements contrary to those two points are, in my opinion, whitewashing the situation. Again, in my opinion, the evidence based on statements by Paragon members points to the decision being made purely for personal gain, not "IN THE NAME OF FAIRNESS, FOR GREAT JUSTICE!!!"