Quote Originally Posted by Raxiaz View Post
In my many years of FFXI I've come to understand that the fish's HP is client-sided information only, where the server has no monitor on it until it's 0%, wherein it can accept the user's input to reel in the fish/item/monster/whatever.

Because of this many bots simply just alter the fish's HP value to 0, without actually fighting the fish. This straight 100% -> 0% should be a huge indicator that a bot is being used. So, SE, to help cut back on abuse, making the HP server-sided is a step in the right direction. All of these bots can, presumably, simply fight the fish after the fix. But I'm sure it will throw many of them off.
Does it really work that way? I find this a bit hard to believe. I thought the current system already uses server-side information, the client only allows some unchecked interaction, which it corrects if it disagrees with the server (which is why sometimes fish magically come back to life, the client thinks the player caught it, but the server says POIDH and transmits the fish's actual HP), which is why fishers always wait a second at 0%, before reeling the fish in.

I fully agree though, that it should be server sided only. Lag would be an issue, as it is with everything else in this game as well, but the server could make some adjustments, like give the user a flat 0.1s time to react. It would be better than right now, where the server does its own thing and can occasionally result in lost fish, broken lines and broken rods, when the client clearly said the fish was at 0%.