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Gallery Download Cheats - Why is this STILL a thing???

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  • DragonAge_300905DragonAge_300905 Posts: 1,939 Member
    edited January 2020
    @sansa357 loading from the library (offline saves in your documents folder) does not count, loading from the gallery (online) does. Also, using your own gallery as a cloud backup is up to you and would still be considered fair use. Nobody would judge you for this.
    [...]No library doesn't count, even downloading your stuff from the gallery doesn't count. I think you have to use a cheat for it to count when you download your stuff from the gallery. Or maybe mods make your downloads from the gallery count, I don't use mods or cc, so I can't say for sure.

    I know when I download my stuff from the gallery, it doesn't count for the downloads count.

    Edit because I typed galaxy instead of gallery.

    @DragonAge_300905 I wish you were right about this, but it still does.

    EDIT: Also, client side mods should never be able to manipulate EA's servers.

    They don't count. I have downloaded my sims lots of times and the download count doesn't increase. This sim I have downloaded from my gallery. Count the amount of times it says she's been downloaded. Zero! I've downloaded my lots several times and it never increases the download count. It used to count but they fixed that and it doesn't count. I'm not going to be made to feel bad for downloading my own stuff in the gallery. I don't believe you, I have tested it myself on my vanilla game and it doesn't count.
    https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/8A9E4BD6DC5C11E989F7FEC1E351F12F?category=all&searchtype=ea_origin_id&sortby=downloads&time=all&searchquery=INDYANNA2&max=50&maxis=false

    Edit. After reading Repo's post I wouldn't know about using another computer. I only have one computer and I'm the only one that uses my account. It should be made clear to people that only have one computer that they are not cheating by downloading their own stuff from the gallery.
  • GLovely1GLovely1 Posts: 793 Member
    I first say thanks again to @TopNotchToddler for re-opening this redownloading concern last year and yes @LukasCreates you are very much correct in saying it's still a thing. Here's the biggest problem .. I can't directly tell you how it is done because then I would be sharing ways to "use exploits, cheats, undocumented features, design errors or problems in an EA Service." That is quoted from the EA TOS. However, from my previous investigation of this problem & recent information given to me in confidence by other creators I am also now aware that some creators have used programs like botting to add to their own download total which is also clearly against EA's TOS. The senarios you speak of @DragonAge_300905 and @sansa357 are not what we are talking about. The "normal" use or redownloading of your personal creations for your personal use is not cheating or hacking. We are speaking of the player who is intentionally redownloading by ten, fifty, one hundred + repeatedly and rapidly to boost their download total for whatever their personal reasons may be. Here's another quote from EA's TOS "When you access or use an EA Service, you agree that you will not use or distribute unauthorized software programs or tools, such as "auto" software programs, "macro" software programs, "cheat utility" software program or applications, exploits, cheats, or any other game hacking, altering or cheating software or tool." Fact is that has been happening in the gallery since practically day one. To me, it doesn't matter why an individual creator or group of creators cheats on their downloads and it doesn't matter which individuals are doing it. What matters are the facts. Fact is there is a glitch/loophole/coding error or whatever you want to call it that has been a part of the gallery for years that some people for a fact have exploited and still are.

    I believe right now is the perfect time to finally change our gallery with a focus on fairness. EA is taking the gallery cross platform so the volume of creators interacting in the gallery will realistically double. If the problem remains as it is then we are welcoming a whole new group of creators to join the crowd of cheaters, the crowd of fair-play creators or the crowd of simmers who don't understand the problem so they end up suffering in silence wondering why nobody is liking or downloading their creation. It's those creators I am still respectfully fighting for here. They are sharing interesting, creative, beautiful things to the gallery yet they are not getting seen. One reason why is the fact that some people are choosing to cut the line so to speak, all the way to the front by redownloading their own creations. This essentially is stepping on smaller creators who really want to grow in the gallery honestly and respectfully.

    Our gallery is a numbers driven system therefore there should be no way to manipulate the numbers for personal gain of any kind. It's high time this major problem was corrected. That is why I and others are here asking once again, please EA, as you put your effort into making the necessary changes to the gallery to integrate console gaming systems .. please eliminate the ability to hack, cheat or otherwise manipulate the gallery numbers for personal gain in this process.

    Thank you for reading and happy, fair-play simming always :)
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  • TopNotchToddlerTopNotchToddler Posts: 190 Member
    [...]I don't believe you, I have tested it myself on my vanilla game and it doesn't count.[...]
    That's ok. It's nice to see that at least some of us haven't figured it out yet.

  • GwinielGwiniel Posts: 996 Member
    Never knew this was happening until now and think it's very disrespectful behavior. I hope EA/Maxis will put forth an effort to repair the Gallery issues to make it a fair-for-all place to share and enjoy creativity.
  • kass17kass17 Posts: 92 Member
    edited January 2020
    People need to don't have their upload in their library to add dls number on them. If the creation is saved in the library, no more download will be add. People who cheat take down their uploads from their library, and download them several times. And to make it easier, some use logicial to add click on games, so it can work even if people are not home. And I know that some was sick of popularity on sims, sadly, as if it was their own life. I just don't understand this, but this is a fact. So to be fair, the best could be to work like this: 1 dl per person, even if the same person download it 100 times, it should count for only 1 download. Hope that with the new plateform, something will be done about this dishonest behavior that is against EA rules.
  • ChazzzyChazzzy Posts: 7,166 Member
    edited January 2020
    So you’re telling me I can upload a lot to the gallery on my computer, log into that same account on my Xbox and download that lot 50 times and it will increase my download count by 50?

    Awww yeaaaa Chazzzy is moving up in the world!!! Hahaha 800 downloads here I come!
  • Admiral8QAdmiral8Q Posts: 3,303 Member
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    So you’re telling me I can upload a lot to the gallery on my computer, log into that same account on my Xbox and download that lot 50 times and it will increase my download count by 50?

    Awww yeaaaa Chazzzy is moving up in the world!!! Hahaha 800 downloads here I come!

    :D
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  • FruitLoops40FruitLoops40 Posts: 2 New Member
    It counts. If you delete the file, or remove it, like a build, from tray, you can download and remove etc, how ever many times you want. Just saying.
  • NushnushganayNushnushganay Posts: 9,418 Member
    Interesting thread. I noticed that things I have saved to my library disappear over time, almost as if the library has a half-life, a decay rate. So sometimes I have gone searching for my own stuff in the Gallery. And sometimes I can't even find it, what's up with that?

    But knowing some ppl cheat, explains why some really lame builds/households are inexplicably popular.
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  • RepoRepo Posts: 344 Member
    @Nushnushganay , I know what you mean about things getting lost from the gallery. I had taken part in the 25 day male sim challenge and when I went to download the houses I put up, some of the sims I put up for the challenge were not there any more. This brings up another issue. What do you do to preserve builds and sims when you library is full and you can't count on having your creations permanently saved to the gallery? Add to that the number of creations you have by other players that have been modified by you that you can't re-upload because the creator has asked you not to and you have a problem. What I wish for is a better way of identifying tray files and the ability to remove files to be stored in a separate file elsewhere (I have some sims 3 stuff in such a file on my desk top) and be able to move files in and out when needed. Me, I would also copy my files from time to time and store them elsewhere (another computer, external hard drive etc) so I wouldn't loose everything if my computer suddenly had issues (and that has happened to me). At the very least this would reduce some of the traffic on the gallery due to people using it for creation preservation.
  • NushnushganayNushnushganay Posts: 9,418 Member
    I guess a thumb drive is my go-to solution for that and game saves.
    Racism is EVERYONE's fight #BLM #StopAsianHate
    Let's make Liberty and Justice For All a reality.

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  • KaronKaron Posts: 2,332 Member
    wow... thats annoying!
    I was reading the original post by @GLovely1 and I saw someone saying that this isn't instagram/youtube/facebook, and that it doesn't matter how popular you are by the time Sims 5 comes out and gallery gets deactivated, but... At the end of the day if thats the point, why have a "popularity" thing in the gallery then?! Its unfair and offensive, the way people are cheating to be popular and the ones who truly deserve can't complain.
  • FruitLoops40FruitLoops40 Posts: 2 New Member
    Yes, Karon. It's unfair and frankly ruins game for serious creators... I'm stunned by the fact that this is still not fixed... Hugs
  • kass17kass17 Posts: 92 Member
    Yes it is very annoying @Karon And I can absolutly tell you that it is a real issue, because some admit to have use this dishonest behavior, The reason is to be shown in the most popular tab to get more followers.
  • LukasCreatesSimsLukasCreatesSims Posts: 75 Member
    it's so stupid and not even funny and im pretty sure if they know ur doing it it's bannable
  • VindelilasVindelilas Posts: 6 New Member
    I have been playing this amazing game for a very long time yet I had no idea about this issue, until recently. Now that I know, it has become more clear as some people have over 2k downloads with not a single comment on their creations which is not possible without cheating. This is a very unfortunate event particularly for the people who play fair and work hard on their creations. I can only hope this issue gets handled very soon.
  • LukasCreatesSimsLukasCreatesSims Posts: 75 Member
    edited January 2020
    yaaaa
  • LukasCreatesSimsLukasCreatesSims Posts: 75 Member
    edited January 2020
    terrible
  • LittleRedRidingSimLittleRedRidingSim Posts: 122 Member
    Dear Simmers

    I have up until this point tried to stay out of “gallery dramas” (and this is not one if I might add, just a thread that seeks to raise awareness of an important issue), but maybe today it is time to have a good look inside at myself and ask myself why. I think a big part of me staying out of it is that I dislike being bullied, targeted and ridiculed, something that is happening to my friends who have consistently taken on this cause through the years (and thank you to those who have so faithfully raised awareness and tried to fight the good fight). In particular, I feel they are being targeted by one simmer who likes to name them in her youtube videos and streams, and in a way that tries to discredit and ridicule not just them, but also this issue.

    Is this an issue? I think the answer is yes, but fine, I will admit this might have been a matter of opinion up until this point.

    Why has this come back now? Recently, a member of our collab group was contacted anonymously by someone, claiming that he/she had knowledge of a group of simmers who had “cheated” their way to popularity back in 2014/2015. I know it all sounds like a giant conspiracy. In fact, I had caught wind of it back in 2015 too and dismissed it cause I was told they “hacked” their numbers, something that seemed completely ridiculous!

    However, this time around the actual script that managed this was handed over to the person receiving the anonymous message. They have since tested it and indeed it is an auto clicker that apparently can add as many dl’s as you ask it to over the period you specify. For the first time we have the hard evidence!

    I have decided to come forward today
    *in support of my friends who have been bullied about this for being strong advocates against this and in trying to raise awareness about this matter.
    * in urging the gurus or relevant employees from EA who are interested in seeing this script to please contact me and I will try my best to get the people involved to come forward. I am @SimRetha on twitter. I would like you to site the script in order to put measures in place against it.

    Furthermore, I urge every single one of you to not name or shame anyone for this, as none of us has the evidence to say beyond a doubt who and who has not done this. The question is not who but how and if we all seek to irradicate the HOW, I think this can finally become an issue of “a problem with the gallery and hackers”, rather than people taking personal issue with each other.

    Let’s keep all discussion about this matter HERE on this forum page too. If anyone is indeed bullying or out of line, they will be kept to the rules of this forum and warned or reprimanded by the gurus, instead of this “he’s a bully” “she’s a bully” name calling thing that is going on right now.
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  • mcruddmcrudd Posts: 11,696 Member
    edited January 2020
    I seriously can't be fussed if someone cheats for popularity in the gallery. I do search for lots by popular demand, but if I can see the person cheated I don't download it and move on to the next fantastic looking lot. I just let them be, its not hurting anyone in any way. I had three of my sims favourited by Maxis and believe me with the one I got bullied so much about pc correctiveness and so on about my sim family that I do not wish to be favourited again anyways, so if that is their target, they have no idea what they are in for.
  • AnnLee87AnnLee87 Posts: 2,475 Member
    This is sad! ... I don't share my builds to the gallery because others can claim them as their own. However, I do have rooms and builds saved that I place into my game repeatedly. Let me understand this ... If I did share them this would count as a download. ... ? I would be labeled a cheater.

    To me this is just another reason why not to share on the gallery. I have 100's of builds I could have shared but I just won't do it. I can't handle criticism let alone being judged a cheater, theft and people who actually cheat. Players deserve a safe place to share builds if that's their thing.
  • JACKIEJOYJACKIEJOY Posts: 802 Member
    I don't think comment counts are a good way to spot a cheat build. I have a few builds put up but only 1 got a comment. And yes there should be safeguards in place to prevent this issue. Relying on the honor system only works with honorable people.
  • Amuni50Amuni50 Posts: 112 Member
    edited January 2020
    I have given this a great deal of thought because I do not like confrontation or argument. That said, I wanted to post a comment in agreement with what @RethaSim said. We should not resort to shaming anyone for "cheating" when we really don't know for certain, but we do need EA's help with regulating the gallery. I also agree that the forums, not the gallery, is the place for this discussion.

    What bothers me most about the whole "cheating" thing is the ones who are hurt by it the most, and those are people who make a living through The Sims. As for me, I really don't pay attention, but I do understand why someone who depends on a paycheck would be upset. What I hope we can do is stop attacking one another and focus on the real problem - not those who exploit the gallery or those who attack the people who point it out - but the actual loophole allowing for hacking.

    Lastly, I felt compelled to support my friends. While I feel as though sometimes we get a little carried away, I care about each and every one of them. They are human beings, and they have thoughts and feelings - feelings that can be hurt. I want them to know I understand and support you ♥
    Post edited by Amuni50 on
  • ForgeronForgeron Posts: 272 Member
    We should not resort to shaming anyone for "cheating", but I haven't seen anyone mentioning names here. Its our right to complain about something that's unfair. A crime isn't a crime if there's no law regulating it, and I think it applies here, if Maxis has no rules against this behaviour we shouldn't be punishing the ones who does that, we should focus on asking appropriate regulations on this subject.
  • Missmagoo2Missmagoo2 Posts: 1,254 Member
    Other than making yourself "feel" good, what's the point in cheating? I mean, unless I'm missing out, we don't get any monetary value for the number of favorites/downloads.
    I'm uploading my content to make OTHERS happy, not myself. I don't need to cheat to do that!
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