Does Square intend to address Market botting?

[Prrringles]

It's simple. All they have to do is ban the botting circles. We have already exposed all those circles for them. Once they are gone it will take "some time" for them to get back up and running. Then they get banned again. If even WE can totally expose them, SE would certainly be able to confirm it and take action against them.

-THEY JUST DONT CARE- it's obvious.

Just undercut them out of business. I have done this and totally shut them down on the higher lvl items and glamour. The only reason I stopped is because I don't have the energy to keep crafting because I value my personal time. Bots can keep going forever since it's all automated and costs them zero personal time. So anyway, if you have the stomach for it, just undercut them and they will stop posting items. But this needs to be done on every server otherwise they will still make gil. It's probably the same band of *bleep* running all the circles anyways.

[Kes13a]

It's simple. All they have to do is ban the botting circles. We have already exposed all those circles for them. Once they are gone it will take "some time" for them to get back up and running. Then they get banned again. If even WE can totally expose them, SE would certainly be able to confirm it and take action against them.

-THEY JUST DONT CARE- it's obvious.

Just undercut them out of business. I have done this and totally shut them down on the higher lvl items and glamour. The only reason I stopped is because I don't have the energy to keep crafting because I value my personal time. Bots can keep going forever since it's all automated and costs them zero personal time. So anyway, if you have the stomach for it, just undercut them and they will stop posting items. But this needs to be done on every server otherwise they will still make gil. It's probably the same band of *bleep* running all the circles anyways.

yeah I experimented with that and it works, but unless I dont want to actually play, its impossible to do long term. and I dont want to run multiple accounts just to be able to put up enough items to put them out of business. for that you need a team effort with a Fc backing you to buy the tome items for you and then just post everything below their basement price set. On Zalera right now, seems to be around 58k on Exarchic items. had about 40 things up and sold them in less time than it took to craft them.

since the bots buy -everything- even if they drop their bottom price it quickly starts chewing into their profits, not that I think they consider manufacturing costs, but it also stops the RMT importers to some degree. but it took hours to craft all that and rather tiring lol.

[Prrringles]

yeah I experimented with that and it works, but unless I dont want to actually play, its impossible to do long term. and I dont want to run multiple accounts just to be able to put up enough items to put them out of business. for that you need a team effort with a Fc backing you to buy the tome items for you and then just post everything below their basement price set. On Zalera right now, seems to be around 58k on Exarchic items. had about 40 things up and sold them in less time than it took to craft them.

since the bots buy -everything- even if they drop their bottom price it quickly starts chewing into their profits, not that I think they consider manufacturing costs, but it also stops the RMT importers to some degree. but it took hours to craft all that and rather tiring lol.

That is exactly why I just quit crafting in batches. I craft the odd glamour item here and there if I can get the leather cheap or maybe flip a mount once in a while but that's it. Can't be bothered anymore and I can't blame others for quitting. SE just took all the fun out of crafting with their "Ishguard screw up" and not taking on the bots.

[Kes13a]

That is exactly why I just quit crafting in batches. I craft the odd glamour item here and there if I can get the leather cheap or maybe flip a mount once in a while but that's it. Can't be bothered anymore and I can't blame others for quitting. SE just took all the fun out of crafting with their "Ishguard screw up" and not taking on the bots.

I agree. pretty much that portion of the game is pointless to me, much the same as pvp (which never interested me anyway) mind you, part of the crafting that issue that bothers me more now are the "botting will always exist so just accept it" crowd. who will remain silent because "its not worth worrying over". I agree its not worth losing focus on everything else over, but cheating should always be punished and pushed against, and I think companies should always do more than give it lip service.

[Prrringles]

I agree. pretty much that portion of the game is pointless to me, much the same as pvp (which never interested me anyway) mind you, part of the crafting that issue that bothers me more now are the "botting will always exist so just accept it" crowd. who will remain silent because "its not worth worrying over". I agree its not worth losing focus on everything else over, but cheating should always be punished and pushed against, and I think companies should always do more than give it lip service.

Well, bots only "exist" because SE lets them exist. Their passive stance baffles me. We (the players) can only do so much and it is not "our" job to fix this problem. SE should be keeping their streets clean but instead choose the easy way out and stay silent. Every day I see groups of bots teleporting through the world, killing things while being underground. How the hell do they allow that? I'm not a programmer but surely there must be a line of code that says "this action or pathing is illegal" triggering an instant disconnect or ban. Anyway..we all sound like broken records in here..it's kind of sad. Frankly I don't know what else we can do other than to accept the *bleep* state of the game. Apparently SE thinks it's all nice and dandy so yeah...why bother.

[Wrestlefire769]

It's simple. All they have to do is ban the botting circles. We have already exposed all those circles for them. Once they are gone it will take "some time" for them to get back up and running. Then they get banned again. If even WE can totally expose them, SE would certainly be able to confirm it and take action against them.

-THEY JUST DONT CARE- it's obvious.

Just undercut them out of business. I have done this and totally shut them down on the higher lvl items and glamour. The only reason I stopped is because I don't have the energy to keep crafting because I value my personal time. Bots can keep going forever since it's all automated and costs them zero personal time. So anyway, if you have the stomach for it, just undercut them and they will stop posting items. But this needs to be done on every server otherwise they will still make gil. It's probably the same band of *bleep* running all the circles anyways.

Then it's worse than that. SE then is part of the problem -- and then it's clear that there are people within SE, and that includes people in charge of the community, who accept and SUPPORT RMT and similar behavior.

(Hint: North America.)

At that point, it isn't that they don't care -- it is actually against some sections of the community for them to care.

[Angelhearth]

Then it's worse than that. SE then is part of the problem -- and then it's clear that there are people within SE, and that includes people in charge of the community, who accept and SUPPORT RMT and similar behavior.

(Hint: North America.)

At that point, it isn't that they don't care -- it is actually against some sections of the community for them to care.

I wonder if they actually think the prices were too high, and then decided that the bots could fix that problem for them. If you look at the changes done to the retainer drops in patch 5.4 you'll see that it was mostly changed into craftable items being added to the retainer drops. Have a look at some of the stuff that is sold cheap on the MB and check the crafters name (bottom left). In most cases there won't be any name there, meaning the item was a drop. Then check what's for sale and check the items as you get higher in price. You'll have to go a long, long, way up there before you find an item that was actually crafted by a player (or bot). The thing is SE, no one will craft Alexander statues and the likes for 250 gil, no one!