User:Rosslessness/Hmm
Executive Summary
I believe the Blackhawk Nation is being run by a determined Zerger.
- 6 Characters created in 2007, with identical writing styles are the 6 main members of this group.
- These 6 characters regularly log onto their forum directly after one another, where they all write in the same specific writing style,
- These 6 characters were all inactive between the 25th February 2009 and December 17th, when they all returned.
- Additionally 5 Additional Alts were created with similar writing styles, some only minutes apart. None of these additional alts have ever posted a recruitment request with the group.
- All these charcters have been seen in game working together, attacking in long chains, as recently as this week. Evidence suggests the same players were being active one after another as far back as 2008.
- Cheveyo is the only character to have ever edited their wiki page and appears to be their only forum administrator. He isn’t afraid to make zerging allegations.
Full explanation
So there I was abating some noise in Kempsterbank, when all of a sudden I start seeing graffiti.
Ross Zergs, do you?
Ask Ross about Zerging
Ross Rallies the Zerg Army
Note. Chev has pointed out I have no real proof he spraypainted these signs. I'm more than happy to admit that. It bears no real relevance to the investigation.
This was, as you can imagine, all a bit strange as my closest Alt at the time was in Pennville. About the same time we started getting attacked by members of The Blackhawk Nation. All this was perfectly normal. Survivors try to retake St Ferreol's all the time.
But then one of the other zombies noticed something strange. To Quote,
“Seven of their members have the exact same writing style and similar thematic elements, four of which were created within a few days of each other.”
Now I, like the normal UD player (unless he’s being controlled by the man next to him) don’t like being called a Zerger. So I thought I’d take a look at this. In the past I worked alongside the Blackhawk Nation in Vinetown. At one point, until a dispute over graffiti, we were even allies.
So I looked in to the allegations and here are my conclusions.
Conclusions
The Blackhawk Nation was founded in December 2007, by Cheveyo, Who from now on will be referred to as Chev. Because it’s Shorter.
Chev Created both their wiki page and forum and is listed as their founding father. Check for yourself.
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?act=Members
My Belief is that Chev personally controls at least ten alts within the Black Hawk Nation. I have uncovered no evidence that other individuals with the Nation have any knowledge that their group is being run by a persistent Zerger.
To summarise the extent of my belief of the groups zerging in a picture.
Proof?
Do I need proof? Ok. Lets start with the profiles themselves. I’ve uploaded copies of all ten profiles to the wiki for you to look at, make sure I haven’t photoshopped them, or in case Chev alters them after my accusations.
Here are the profiles of the active members who were created in 2007
Here’s them copied and posted for comparison.
Writing Style
Please note the particular writing style … leaving three dots between phrases … on every … single … one …
Note more specifically, the space before and after each gap. If I was using a similar device, I’d write it like this.
To be continued…
Notice how I didn’t leave a space between the ‘d’ and the ‘…’ ? Do you leave a space before writing … ? No. It seems strange that 6 different people, all within the same group would do that.
The writing styles have other thematic similarities.
Here's how each profile begins.
- "An American Indian from"
- "A survivor from"
- "a slave from"
- "a survivor from"
- "A chief from"
- "A survivor who came from"
Notice the use of "From" as in "A something From?"
And from the rest of their profiles.
- "he uses his skills to help others and fights against the advancing hordes ..."
- "fighting against the advancing hordes and defending the weak ..."
- "fighting the hordes and defending the weak ..."
- "who fights against oppression ..."
- "fighting to save his people ..."
- "now he fights each day to stay alive ..."
They all like fighting, don't they? Especially against the advancing hordes it seems.
Clothing is quite similar as well but I can’t find anywhere where it mentions a dress code, 4 of them are wearing Bandanas, 5 of them are wearing boots, 3 have dog tags and 5 have short sleeved shirts.
If you ask me, they are all a bit, well, similar.
But maybe these alts are operating independently? Keeping at least 10 blocks apart? Well that’s not entirely true. I don’t even have to provide my own evidence here. The wiki does it for me. Lovely Wiki.
The blackhawks were once targeted by the now historical Flowers of Disease and they kept screenshots of all their kills. Heres two of my favourites.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff176/Slashburn_2007/bh1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/bananamantimfisher/bh5.jpg
Notice the 6 primary zerg suspects, all lined up in the same building, and also together on the list. As if they had logged on one after another.
The Other 5 Alts
What about the other members I believe to be Zergers? Do they all do the same … thing. With a space … before … and … after?
Well. I believe they do. Here’s the profiles for you to look at again.
And Images to show as well.
Bad Billy and Jeffrey Black are my favourites being created 8 minutes apart.
Here’s their profile descriptions
’’a bad man with an axe … and he knows how to use it …
’’from the shadows he fights … protecting the innocent …’’
I like these two. I like the similar style. I’ve made up my own.
’’a person of some description … doing something … ‘’
See? I could write character descriptions for Chev.
I don’t have a lot of evidence against wind talker. I mean he was created 5 days before Jeffrey Black and Bad Billy and his description is in a similar style, never registered on the forum. But at this stage I have little else to go on.
Sister Christian and angelsofmercyzerger
Created 4 days apart. Curiously at the exact time that the Blackhawk nation were being targeted by the Angels of Mercy. It seems someone likes to throw around the accusation of zerging.
(on a side note) the incident where I was allied with the Blackhawk nation? It ended over a dispute over graffiti. I felt I remained very diplomatic at the time, and was only slightly bothered when over the course of the month I was shot twice, by angelsofmercyzerger. At the time he wan’t wearing any tags, but now? Yep. Blackhawk Nation. With a strange style … of … writing … in the description box … Could Chev have been trying to grief me with an alt? I wonder.
It’s also interesting to note that all the characters are male, even Sister Christian, which is weird. Also not one of them started the game as a scientist. Also none of them have filled in the real name box on their profile. Or would have that been a mistake if you’re trying to zerg?
Convinced you at all yet?
Recent Screenshots
Maybe they are all just really close friends. Perhaps. Lets get some screenshots!
http://iamscott.net/1263433393767.html
http://iamscott.net/1263448037831.html
http://iamscott.net/1263488039857.html
http://iamscott.net/1263466412221.html
http://iamscott.net/1263638315771.html
http://iamscott.net/1263627969597.html
http://iamscott.net/1263637641498.html
Notice any overlapping of attacks at all? No. The alts lined up one after another to use all their AP and then move out of the building. Also note the attacks are only minutes apart.
Zerging Accusations
Chev likes calling people zergers.Already he’s labeled me and the angels of mercy zergers. But he’s still doing it. Only this week on the AZS chatbox.
| Cheveyo said: |
| Cheveyo: penguin pyro is a pker and zerger
Cheveyo: doubleteaming one of our members with an alt and finishing him off with penguinpyro ... what's up with that? We are one of the good guys ... I thought you guys killed zeds ... not other survivors ... Cheveyo: ou are lying outside Whittle Street Railway Station, a tall white-stone building whose facade is beginning to crumble. Behind railings, you can see railway tracks disappearing into the surrounding city. The building has been extremely heavily barricaded - you can see no way to enter. Thick snow covers the ground, with footprints entering from the north-west, west, south and south-east, and leaving to the north-east, east and north-west. Since your last turn:
|
As you can see this is definitive proof. Because as we all know, the sensible zerger waits 6 hours between attacks to kill people listed on the rogues gallery.
Chev doesn’t seem to need proof though to use the Z word, which is a shame, as I’ve got more lots more evidence.
Forum
Lets wander over to the public face of his forum. Lets look at the member entry I linked above. All the 2007 alts are there. SisterChristian is a registered member. But what about bad billy? Angelofmercyzerger, wind talker and Jeffrey black? That’s rather strange. They aren’t registered on the forum.
Maybe they registered under a different name? Lets check the recruitment thread.
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showforum=2
Nope. None of them have posted on that thread, or any of the joining up threads. Seems strange. Must be getting all their information ingame, or via some bizarre irc thing.
As we are on the public forum, lets see if members are posting on it, perhaps the profile typing… with the … space three dots space … thing was just a massive coincidence on the profiles. Lets look at the bhore request forum from 2008, first page.
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showtopic=4&st=0
Well that’s awfully strange. Chev, Rob Roy, Denmark, Chief Red Cloud, Jah. All seem to be using it on all their posts. Maybe it was a one off. Lets look at the same request list in 2009
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showtopic=4&st=105
How strange. Same players, talking in exactly the same way.
So what? I mean there a close knit team right?
Interesting forum fact here. I know you’ve been wanting it.
All these 6 alts were happily posting throughout 2007, 2008, and 2009. Up until February 25th, 2009. When they all stopped.
Chev logged back in and posted messages between the 14th, and 19th of April 2009. At the time Vinetown, the groups former home was a zombie controlled wasteland. I guess he didn’t like his chances. He then logged off again. Still no posts from Jah, Chief Red, Denmark, Johnny N, Rob Roy or Sister Christian.
Until December 17th 2009.
Chev logged back on the wiki, and updated the groups page, the only member of the group ever to do so. He logged back into the forum as well, and began reorganizing.
And guess what? By the 28th of December, so had Jah, and Chief Red and Denmark and Jonny N and Rob Roy and sister Christian. Who still appears to be a man!
Its good to know that this group of players who started in 2007 were all so willing to return after a ten month hiatus.
Now I bet I know what you’re thinking. Good Old Chev. I bet he PM’d all the members of Blackhawk asking them to return.
Which would be plausible apart from posts like this. On the M.E.R.C.Y. forum.
http://udmercy.freeforums.org/aplication-dave-raddcliff-t287.html
Or this on the blackhawks own forum.
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showtopic=368
I would like to point out the Dave Radcliffe is a fine and upstanding UD Player and yet another member of the group I believe to be doing no wrong.
Anyone notice the identical … typing … style in the … above … forum? I can’t be bothered to point it out anymore. Even typing it is giving me RSI.
Also I notice that they list Orzo Nacirema, a well known and zerg listed payer as an “old friend?”
Forum Profiles
Staying with the forum. Lets look at the players information profiles. Here are the profiles of the original 6 members I’ve listed above.
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showuser=1
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showuser=3
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showuser=4
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showuser=5
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showuser=6
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showuser=14
None of them have filled in any of the optional boxes. Neither incidentally has Sister Christian.
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showuser=152
But anyway, back to the original 6. The first thing that strikes me are their lovely shiny avatars. Particularly forum members 5 and 6, Denmark vasey and Jah Rasta. They’ve both got lovely flags.
I especially like the fact they seem to have come from the same source. Notice the lines of dark and shade. Look I’ll alter the images (Fakery!) using the wonders that is MSPaint.
See what I mean, dark and shade in the same way.
But I’m being massively paranoid right?
Signing on one after another
Lets have a look at another part of the profile page.
User's local time shows you what the current time is. So if you look at it. It should tell you what the time is. Following?
Directly Above this is another piece of information Last Activity. This shows you when the user whose profile you are looking at was last online.
So lets say I looked at this. Over a number of days. Looking for patterns. Maybe one or two of these accounts being active right after each other? As if a zerging player was logging out of one account, and into another?
Lets say I took screenshots of this over several nights?
Lets say any of interest are posted below?
Day 1
5 of the six accounts logged on, 2 logged on one after another yesterday, and so did another 3 today, all three between 8.45am and 9.17am. Look sexy thumbnails.
Day 2
5 of the accounts logged on, one after the other all within half an hour of each other, between 12.07pm and 12.35pm. More sexy thumbnails
Day 3
Only 3 of the accounts logged on. 2 one after another at 10.57am and 11.09am , and Chev on his own later in the day. The other accounts remained inactive. Of course Chev was also online at 10:47 am. Look
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Blackhawk_Nation/index.php?showtopic=368
Day 4
All 6 alts logged in. 5 of them logged in one after another between 7.33am and 8.11am. Chev came back later to post again.
Day5
5 of the alts log on. One after the other between 2.46pm and 3.35pm.
So on some days the accounts logged on at 9am. The next day most of them log on at 12. On another day its 8am. Another day its 2pm. Its lucky that all these different players can log on one after the other at different times of day, isn’t it? Its also important to note the other accounts don’t log in at different times, they don’t log in at all.
Id also note that I was patient. Compare the Local time with the last logged on time. I waited several hours before taking the screenshots. Ample time for any one of the accounts to log back in. You know how it is with forums. Perhaps you check them more than once a day.
I think this shows a clear pattern of abuse. Identical writing style, on forums and in game, chaining attacks, and forum accounts logging on one after another every day. I feel safe in making my zerging accusations.
Prove Me Wrong
Now there are some questions I can’t answer. I’m not a member of the Blackhawk nation. I can’t see the inside of their forums. I can only report on what I can see. Maybe theres a secret members only forum where these characters have shown any kind of differing opinion. Where they were all active between the end of February and the start of December. Maybe people can provide me with posts where they don’t all type … in … the … same way. Where these alts disagree on anything. Maybe another member of the group can check all that out. But I bet you none of the other group members have admin privileges on the forum. Chev likes his power.
So in summary..
I believe that since its founding the majority of blackhawk members have all been controlled by a single person. That person has regularly abused the game system to make the group much more powerful than it really is. That Person Is Cheveyo.
All this info will be cross posted to the Zerg List and PM'd to all non zerging Blackhawk Members, as well as the group’s allies. I'm more than willing to discuss this with Chev. Or any of his other alts.
Zergers really shouldn’t call other people Zergers.
Note
The first person to come up with a plausible explanation for everything I have uncovered without deciding its Zerging can have a free cookie. The Talk page is there for your comments.
--RosslessnessWant a Location Image? 19:58, 17 January 2010 (UTC)
