Bots running rampant, more than ever.

Wherever which map you are, typing /search shows almost as many bots as people now. It is beyond player's capabilities of reporting, is it really the most important what their existence directly means to people characters?

Don't they cause additional strain on servers?

Is it really that difficult to detect 5 identical characters teleporting 20 meters around, under ground, inside objects and NPCs? From likely the same IP, with payment information and everything, come on..

I do not understand people defending the idea that they don't really cause any harm and that they lower prices and whatnot, if prices lower, it is making someone rich. There is no long-term benefit to game to be made by ignoring them, and what can be done is very clearly, not enough.

It costs a lot to hire the necessary people to deal with bots and no one really quits a game over them, because they are everywhere and we are just sort of accustomed to them. And they have been around since v1 and frankly they were worse then cause there was no way to farm certain high demand, materials like wool thanks to them.

My guess is SE looked at how much it would cost to get enough staff to deal with the issue and compared it to how much they loose thanks to the bot issue and have decided its not worth the cost since they would be loosing to much cash by hiring the army of bot hunters they would need to take care of them. So here they stay.

Best you can do is not buy gil or housing and encourage others not to either or report anyone who openly talks in game about buying gil. They are only here cause there is a market after all.