Does Square intend to address Market botting?

[KageTokage]

Welp, I just found a huge botting operation on my server that's farming Zonureskin maps.

There's a full party of eight bots led by a tank that's constantly hopping between ShB zones and doing maps. These bots are further fueled by mule accounts that constantly buy/mail zonureskin maps to them on a regular basis, as I noticed some suspicious mass-buyouts of zonureskin maps on various servers, and tracing the players in question always led me to some barebones character that was standing next to a post moogle.

I'd like to hope that the sheer number of bots operating in tandem would make the illicit activity especially obvious to the STF, but considering their track record...

[Sqwall]

SE needs to get serious about the game's infractions.

The EULA needs to be updated to promote healthy play vs. allowing "botting/cheating". And if caught you will be subject to suspension or permaban. This is the only way you will push these slimy people from capitalizing on SE's products.

If SE took the little nugget, "Hey, we pay for the development of the game, the servers and network infrastructure, support, and marketing of this game....but these a-holes are stealing from us by destroying the experience of our product?"

Wake up SE! These slime bags are PROFITTING on your intellectual property by subverting one of it's aspects, which is GIL (in game currency). I highly doubt the people that does this "care" about the story, making friendships, contributing to the game's multiplayer aspects, or simply engaging at all. If SE would realize the game to them is simply another vehicle to produce capital for a false enterprise.

In an AMERICAN corporate environment, this would be SQUASHED insanely fast or the false enterprise would be purchased to be destroyed.

[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!

[Wrestlefire769]

SE needs to get serious about the game's infractions.

The EULA needs to be updated to promote healthy play vs. allowing "botting/cheating". And if caught you will be subject to suspension or permaban. This is the only way you will push these slimy people from capitalizing on SE's products.

If SE took the little nugget, "Hey, we pay for the development of the game, the servers and network infrastructure, support, and marketing of this game....but these a-holes are stealing from us by destroying the experience of our product?"

This assumes, end of the day, they WANT to do it. I believe, as I have said, there are Square-Enix employees that are certainly in bed with account sellers, gil sellers, etc. I do not believe many of them are in the JP section, mind you.

You also have to start asking the question as to whether this company has the balls to actually enforce the ownership of it's materials. This is as much counterfeiting SE property as if someone mass-produced a bunch of Squall swords and sold those online.

Wake up SE! These slime bags are PROFITTING on your intellectual property by subverting one of it's aspects, which is GIL (in game currency). I highly doubt the people that does this "care" about the story, making friendships, contributing to the game's multiplayer aspects, or simply engaging at all. If SE would realize the game to them is simply another vehicle to produce capital for a false enterprise.

In an AMERICAN corporate environment, this would be SQUASHED insanely fast or the false enterprise would be purchased to be destroyed.

Oh no. If anything, an AMERICAN corporate environment would demand this level of cheating and the like as a precondition of play.

Which see Final Fantasy XI for many, many years.

[Kes13a]

so I have decided on a new strategy.

its no longer about selling, its to find the basement and post items just above that so that the bots make a minimal amount of gil. since they must buy all their crafting materials, their cost to produce is far higher than mine. so my idea is all about dragging them down so low that eventually, they will have to reconsider a strategy... or, they buy my things. either way, works for me.

Most real people will see a price under 60k and think "pfft, obviously an abberation, let it sell and I'll just wait it out" if they even check at all. but the bots, the bots HAVE to undercut, so 58,999 they go. and once there is more than one bot, the price stays down there

I know, unlikely to make any crafter friends, but right now, more interested in ruining income of the people who arent playing anyway

[KageTokage]

The unfortunate thing is some botters have already realized this tactic actually works against them and have secondary accounts that constantly run trusts to farm allegory mats, thereby reducing their production costs to zero.

[Kes13a]

The unfortunate thing is some botters have already realized this tactic actually works against them and have secondary accounts that constantly run trusts to farm allegory mats, thereby reducing their production costs to zero.

I generally check who has bought what, and pricing of materials. and they are all still buying things like dolomite, solstice etc. so they do still have costs

[Prrringles]

..since they must buy all their crafting materials, their cost to produce is far higher than mine.

I have to disagree here. Technically bots have zero costs. Yes, they buy materials off the market board but with gil they made running a script. There is no human behind the screen clicking buttons and crafting for hours. Your cost is actually far higher than theirs since you are there physically clicking buttons instead of having some other quality time.

The reason they have a bottom set is because they run a business -- selling gil. If they still undercut you, they are making enough profit to keep the business running (trust me). Don't forget that they are active on basically every server selling ALL items lvl 50 and over. While you can slow their business down on Zalera (how many items do you actually sell?) it's business as usual on the other servers. Think about that before you waste more time on them. Even without selling the items you screw them on they are probably still making millions of gil on items lvl 50 - 79.

EDIT: Not trying to bash you by the way. I'm just trying to warn you about how little impact you will have on their operations. Undercut them for personal profits by all means, but don't think it will hurt them in any way. They don't even know you are undercutting them anyway because they don't physically play.

The -ONLY- way to screw them over really good is by having at least one person on every server dumping items all day long below their buttom price. And trust me, literally no one in his/her right mind can keep that up for items lvl 50 and up.

Lost cause boys. Either SE steps in or none of this will ever go away.

[Kes13a]

The reason they have a bottom set is because they run a business -- selling gil. If they still undercut you, they are making enough profit to keep the business running (trust me). Don't forget that they are active on basically every server selling ALL items lvl 50 and over. While you can slow their business down on Zalera (how many items do you actually sell?) it's business as usual on the other servers. Think about that before you waste more time on them. Even without selling the items you screw them on they are probably still making millions of gil on items lvl 50 - 79.

EDIT: Not trying to bash you by the way. I'm just trying to warn you about how little impact you will have on their operations. Undercut them for personal profits by all means, but don't think it will hurt them in any way. They don't even know you are undercutting them anyway because they don't physically play.

The -ONLY- way to screw them over really good is by having at least one person on every server dumping items all day long below their buttom price. And trust me, literally no one in his/her right mind can keep that up for items lvl 50 and up.

Lost cause boys. Either SE steps in or none of this will ever go away.

well, after spending a good portion of my day doing nothing but crafting, yes, you are right. I sold 40 things but its unsustainable and only a crazy person would ever hope of competing against them. and no, I didnt feel bashed at all, I had not actually considered the wider implications, but you make a very valid point. the RMT importers who bring in a stack of goods from a single crafter on a central world are proof of this. Jojoya and his friends win I suppose. it will continue and SE will continue do nothing but cover their ears and loudly exclaim in Japanese "I cant heeeear you"

Just as a thought after what you wrote I took a look at lower level gear and the penetrate very deeply. so, my little experiemnt, ended up very much proving your point. I wouldnt have even raised a programmed eyebrow

thank you. looks like crafting is done.

[Jojoya]

Jojoya and his friends win I suppose. .

They aren't my friends and you really need to stop stating that they are.

I gave you a dose of reality based on my years of MMO experience. You thought you knew better. Now you understand why I've stopped obsessing over bots.

Again, absolutely report anyone if you've come across undeniable proof that they are botting or cheating in some way. I still do.

But don't let their existence get to you because it's just a game. It's not worth it..