Lack of action against gathering bots, it needs to be changed, and soon

[Moonlite]

High level crafts are typically done with macros. However, DoH bots leave their scripts running for 24+ hours, if not more, and then flood the markets with the products they make. Some even attempt to dominate markets by severely undercutting anyone who tried to “encroach upon” it.

Crafting isn’t hard by any means. But it should still be rewarding for those who put in the time and effort to level their crafters should they seek to craft for profit. DoH bots can make that very difficult.

At least on Balmung it has to have some crafting bots for random low stuff that I notice. No one in their right mind makes almost 1500 of random mat sells in stacks of 99 when the only recipes that use it need one or two. They are also not really linked to any leve. The only way I can understand it is if they botted it. They weren't buying up and controlling a market either they had a signature on all the stacks.


What I don't understand is here and on reddit I have seen comments that support botting in a way. If the items get badly botted why wouldn't those players just support a vendor instead. Or on the tricky slope increase the amount of types and items retainers can get and adjust the time it takes.

[KageTokage]

What I don't understand is here and on reddit I have seen comments that support botting in a way. If the items get badly botted why wouldn't those players just support a vendor instead. Or on the tricky slope increase the amount of types and items retainers can get and adjust the time it takes.

People who support the existence of DoH/L bots under the oft faulty notion that the items players sell are overpriced are indeed basically just arguing against the existence of a crafting/gathering system in general.

They often don't understand the concept of a time/labor cost. People want to charge for the time they spend crafting because that time could be being used for other activities. Botters don't care about that, which is why they'll so readily drop prices as they're not actually spending any time on what they do.

[Oxidized]

People who support the existence of DoH/L bots under the oft faulty notion that the items players sell are overpriced are indeed basically just arguing against the existence of a crafting/gathering system in general.
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This 100%. If you believe something to be overpriced, then simply put in the work to do it yourself, then you will not be paying for it; if enough other people agree that it is too expensive, they will follow suit.

Those who are claim that "bots are good because they lower prices" are missing the point entirely; it is not about fair market economics, but about cheating in general, how it is allowed to happen, and how it undermines a HUGE part of the casual FF14 community through the inaction of enforcement.

[Granyala]

People who support the existence of DoH/L bots under the oft faulty notion that the items players sell are overpriced are indeed basically just arguing against the existence of a crafting/gathering system in general.

I don't support the existence of bots directly, since I still wish for them cheaters to get banned, but I am also not blind. I see that I am essentially profiting from their behavior because, similar to the Chinese IRL they make a lot of stuff way more affordable, which means most players have to grind less.

You wanted a realistic crafting economy? Well here you have it. Including some players breaking the rules (workforce safety, patent rights etc) to offer mass produced goods on the cheap.

In order to give some context to why I don't feel botters are a particular problem on my server:

Date: 17.08.2019 @11:12 CET

Maybe it's (yet again) a region specific issue?

If you believe something to be overpriced, then simply put in the work to do it yourself, then you will not be paying for it

F A L S E

You will be paying the EXACT SAME AMOUNT because you could have sold the product.
You merely pay with a different currency: time vs Gil.

You statement is the reason why many players who do NOT bot ruin the profit margins of many crafters. They think "if I farmed it myself, the item is free!" and continue to not add it's actual value into the sale price.

[Oxidized]

I

F A L S E

You will be paying the EXACT SAME AMOUNT because you could have sold the product.
You merely pay with a different currency: time vs Gil.

So you believe the MB is overpriced when players charge gil that makes it worth their time to gather, yet it is "fair" when a bot is able to charge bargain basement prices because it saves everyone "time"?

Thank you for de-valuing your entire argument, since that is the crux of why this is a huge problem. It is SUPPOSED to take time to acquire these mats, they are SUPPOSED to have a degree of scarcity that prevents them from being readily available at a low price, and bots completely undermine this concept. It indirectly damages the prices of the crafted goods, and directly damages the value of gathering your own.