Attention devs: Game Surveillance Unit re: open world Bots.

[Casca_Vallis]

Did some digging around today (was bored) took note of all the level 50 thm names on moogle queing for dungeons constantly.

Managed to find 44 of them although couldn't actually find them ingame - no idea where they're queuing from in Uldah, used to see some by the aetheryrte though. I checked each one on lodestone and surprise! all wearing spirit bonding gear.

Then managed to find other bots from different servers with bot free companies 209 IN TOTAL so thats 253 bots i've managed to find in a couple of hours. Whats the best way to report them? I have a word doc ready. ¬_¬

[SalemP]

Then managed to find other bots from different servers with bot free companies 209 IN TOTAL so thats 253 bots i've managed to find in a couple of hours.

Jeez. I never even tried to search. I befriended one of the ones I've reported and she is constantly in Wanderer's Palace. I had off yesterday, so I was logged in/playing all day. This bot was botting from AT LEAST 10am EST on Tuesday to 4am EST early Wednesday morning. Since she and her group were already there when I logged in, and were there when I logged off, I can only guess that they are botting 24 hours. I don't know if this is a fluke day, or if this is just how they operate. It's really insulting too considering they're right in the middle of the plaza. I feel like I'm being laughed at and flipped off, and SE is just laughing right along with them.

EDIT: And you know what? SE should care bc it makes them look stupid and incompetent at their jobs. Any good businessman knows rep is as good as money.

Whats the best way to report them? I have a word doc ready. ¬_¬

You can make a report in game, but you'll have to hand-type all the names into the report. It's really a pain in the ass. Also you can report via the Lodestone. I would also encourage you to post any screenshots here if you can, but you have to block out the names. As for what good any of that will do? ?????? No one knows.

[FriendlyUncle]

You used to be able to pose as AFK and still be able to play but SE changed it. Now if you have the AFK status and use your keyboard/mouse controls in the active game window, the status is removed.
Haven't seen someone explain how you can legitimately do this yet so we can conclude that anyone with AFK status on and moving around (with an exception being if the character is on follow) or performing actions, is running on automation software.

I'm pretty sure it's Busy not AFK that prevents the trades and such, correct me if I am wrong but Busy can be on while moving around. On another note I believe I'm seeing more and more legitimate players who have given in to botting, the alternative is they have had a hell of a lot of hijacked accounts.

I'm the game needs to be less grind-centric, its basically RNG Simulator 2014. And that kind of play style encourages botting and RMT activities. Want to gather or craft really awesome stuff? Better go GRIND with appropriate gear on so you can get your materia or go GRIND items to sell to purchase the materia. Not to mention materia melding for gathering and crafter requires overmelding which just adds fuel to the fire.

Want to upgrade your relics? Hope you are ready for this to get pants on head retard. Go farm Fates and pray that you get 12 atma within a timely manner, farm Myth to obtain a book to go clear more dungeons, mobs and fates. Repeat that what, 12 times? Novus, Again go grind some more mobs mindlessly to convert items to get the materia that you hopefully need and hopefully doesn't break. Nexus, go grind more stuff for glow.

Grind, Grind, Grind. I feel like Orc Peon from warcraft 3. Zugzug man. I understand its a japanese game, grind is part of it but this just seems excessive to the point where they are doing it to pad out content until the next patch, so to give themselves time to add more content they are inadvertently harming other parts of the game. I come from games like FFXI and EVE online, those have grind to it but at the very least, it felt rewarding. Spending some of my spare time I can play spirit binding to get crap materia I do not need or to break 12 of them is not rewarding.

Yes, bots are bad. But they need to take a long hard look at some of their game mechanics, reducing the grind will reduce the temptation to bot the tedious parts of the game and for people to resort to RMT for things like housing, materia, ranking cho's, etc.

[Applesnap]

I've reported the same group on Balmung seven times now and I have yet to see any result WHATSOEVER. Everyone on the server knows who they are and how they spend 99% of the time in North Shroud, spiritbonding with bots on the Plasmoids. I don't know what to do any more. I started reporting them when they used to do this outside of Amdapor Keep, but nothing has been done to stop them. I've tried Cheating reports and Harrassment reports and gotten the same result, but oddly enough, I did actually get a reply from a GM today telling me to go to the SE Support site and report them there.

I do find it highly suspicious that nothing is ever done to remove them. What's even more suspicious is that any report containing any of their names is never logged in my Service Desk history, almost as if it's being auto-deleted. I mean, in these situations where they are openly operating and being reported daily by several people, what other reason do we have left to believe?

[SalemP]

What's even more suspicious is that any report containing any of their names is never logged in my Service Desk history, almost as if it's being auto-deleted.

yeah I noticed this as well. There's no record of these in my report log. I don't understand why. I tried to check to see when I had reported that group the first time but there was no history of it. That really bothers me.

Also, I had mentioned previously that when I reported another player for harassment (he randomly called me a name), I heard back almost immediately (I would say within 30 mins). There is also a log of my report and their response in my history. But I have not heard a peep from any of the reports I've made on bots and that has been days or weeks. Without it being in my history, it makes me wonder if my reports have even been going through. I don't like it.

[Aleczan]

yeah I noticed this as well. There's no record of these in my report log. I don't understand why. I tried to check to see when I had reported that group the first time but there was no history of it. That really bothers me.

Also, I had mentioned previously that when I reported another player for harassment (he randomly called me a name), I heard back almost immediately (I would say within 30 mins). There is also a log of my report and their response in my history. But I have not heard a peep from any of the reports I've made on bots and that has been days or weeks. Without it being in my history, it makes me wonder if my reports have even been going through. I don't like it.

I think the only things that get to be stored in Report History are those that were sent through "Report Harassment". I've used both and it seems the "Report Harassment" is more live service (a GM sends tell to discuss the matter), while "Report Cheating" is like an online form for non-live support, therefore it doesn't get a history record, and doesn't get live response (/tell from GM).

[Casca_Vallis]

Found more bots, searched out another 30 this time black mages. Reported to SE in total over 70 from Moogle alone today. Looks like they're all THM/BLM couldn't find any gathering bots.

It's so obvious whats going on, only need to look at the materia market and see the same retainers selling masses of materia.

Heres some in action teleport hacking in whitebrim - they're both standing on the exact same spot with the same gear same last names (same as some that I reported a few days ago).

Watched them dissapear and reappear at different points in whitebrim think they were questing?



Hope to see them banned soon....

[DizzyDragonfly]

On Balmung, Central Shroud (29 19) some bot's farming Microchu's one of them is running around with the AFK symbol above his head

[DizzyDragonfly]

don't want this thread to fall to far behind, those stupid bot's are still on Balmung, they've been at it for at least 12 hours

[DizzyDragonfly]

just a bump