Corruption System Exploits: Free PK and Crate Stealing
The corruption system in Ashes of Creation was designed to discourage random player-killing (PK). In theory, attackers who kill unflagged players should face real risks: stat penalties, dropped gear, and social consequences.
But right now, many players are finding ways to bypass the system – making open-world PvP and crate running extremely frustrating.
How Exploits Work
- Guild Abuse – One player in a group goes red by killing a crate carrier. The others, unflagged, loot everything and return the items back, avoiding corruption penalties.
- Crate Exploits with Mounts – Certain mounts or mechanics let players intercept crates in ways the system never intended.
- Bypassing Corruption – Some players use alt accounts or tricks (like suiciding at level 1) to clear corruption instantly, then go right back to PKing.
Why It’s a Problem
- No Real Risk – Corruption means little when your friends can recover the loot and hand it back.
- Unfair PvP – Solo traders and small groups lose everything to coordinated gank squads.
- Economy Damage – Crates are supposed to fuel regional trade and create risk/reward gameplay, but exploitation turns it into griefing.
- Player Frustration – Many crafters and gatherers feel forced to stop playing because there’s no way to protect their work.
Community Reactions
Players are openly discussing these issues in guild chats and forums:
- “Killing a solo crate carrier as a group of 8… one goes red, the rest recover the loot. Fun for them, awful for the victim.”
- “Corruption means nothing when your guild just hands the items back.”
- “Steven said he’ll be heavy-handed on exploiters, but nothing seems to happen.”
What Needs to Change
For the corruption system to work as intended, risk must be real:
- Crates and loot gained through corruption should not be transferable.
- Exploiters must face serious penalties if caught bypassing corruption.
- Guild loopholes need to be closed – corruption should apply to groups aiding a red player.
- Transparency on punishments would reassure the community that action is being taken.
Conclusion
Right now, the corruption system is not doing its job.
Exploits let players PK freely, steal crates, and shrug off penalties, undermining one of AoC’s core risk/reward mechanics.
If unaddressed, this could hurt both player trust and the in-game economy. The system needs urgent fixes to make corruption meaningful again.
