Craft/Fishing bots - possible fix

[WanderingOne]

Botter software is getting rather robust... to the point where my spending a few hours fishing means... nothing. Whoo, why didn't you just fish all day with a bot software? Then you might catch enough to make real money.

That was actually proposed to me. That's rediculous. Hey, the lifeless that want to sit at their keyboards all day fishing, fine, go for it folks. But bot software's a bit much. Including being bored out of my skull grinding away on the 4 billionth fleece. Sure, a bot would make things easier, but gods, I HATE bots and I'm tempted just because the grind is boring as hell.

So, what's the solution? Offhand, I'm not sure there is one, not that will be 'embraced'. Nothing's perfect except continual change to keep it from being programmed against. However, I don't know if anyone here is familiar with a game called 'Puzzle Pirates'. They have crafts too. For example, their alchemy is a pipe-sorting game. Brewing is roughly a sideways inchworm with no letters. These are actually engaging puzzles, not just 'click a button'. You need your brain to work, not just time to push da buttons.

Minigames that don't allow for anticipation (nor communication overrides, to avoid any interface masking you might do) but actually require mental involvement is one of the only ways to avoid automation. This is a huge developmental work, I understand that. Puzzle Pirates is a game in its own right that is built around the puzzles themselves.

However, that game is notoriously hard to automate. It CAN be done, in particular the bilge puzzle is one of them, but that's because they've let some puzzles stagnate. XI was proof that automators could kill the honest work of regular players (if you can call wasting time with my electrons "work"). With the new changes in play to reduce gil income, lazy fools will turn to more to automators and RMT to suppliment. If it's not nipped in the bud early, it will get out of hand again and I'll probably feel the need to leave yet another FF game and leave it to the RMT and automators.

Yes, I know the arguments. Ban waves improve sales because all the RMTs need to repurchase licenses and the like and waiting until they've invested enough to make it painful to their time is supposed to help. It doesn't. The game needs to be programmed against it by engaging the player (not the mechanisms), or SE needs strong logging and constant review by live humans who can do something about it.

What I'm hoping here is instead of just beating the drum with everyone else, I might propose a solution instead of a whine. It's up to the devs though if they feel it's worth it. I personally think fun mini-games while crafting/gathering would be a hell of a lot better in general *anyway*.

[Chocobits]

How can people run crafting and fishing bots on http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/ ? Does anyone have a screenshot of people running crafting bots on the forum website? Just curious. This is a subforum for making website related suggestions.

[WanderingOne]

How can people run crafting and fishing bots on http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/ ? Does anyone have a screenshot of people running crafting bots on the forum website? Just curious. This is a subforum for making website related suggestions.

My apologies, I thought this was a generic feedback forum for the devs, not just the website. From what I saw for other posts in this forum (ie: attack animations) this wasn't just the website itself that this forum was for.

[DexteraDomini]

How can people run crafting and fishing bots on http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/ ? Does anyone have a screenshot of people running crafting bots on the forum website? Just curious. This is a subforum for making website related suggestions.

Why don't you try having a clue what you are talking about before you make a complete idiot of yourself. This is posted in feedback and suggestions which is a sub category of FEEDBACK. Website bugs is also a sub category of FEEDBACK, a completely separate one. In your haste to try to make someone else look stupid for an oversite that YOU made, you failed to see that this is a well written and highly insightful post, even if it were misplaced, which it isn't. Back under the bridge you!

[Chocobits]

Why don't you try having a clue what you are talking about before you make a complete idiot of yourself. This is posted in feedback and suggestions which is a sub category of FEEDBACK. Website bugs is also a sub category of FEEDBACK, a completely separate one. In your haste to try to make someone else look stupid for an oversite that YOU made, you failed to see that this is a well written and highly insightful post, even if it were misplaced, which it isn't. Back under the bridge you!

Nope, mistake wasn't mine sir Anything game related doesn't belong in this forum. Read the sticky. I can see why people would assume this is the thread for that; the stickied topic is misleading and most people don't read them. But do please read the sticky. The Feedback and Suggestions is for site onry, not game suggestions.

[Zoltan]

Chocobits = instawin.

lol "oversite". My overbite beats your oversight.

-Zoltan of Quetzalcoatl FFXI.

[WanderingOne]

Nope, mistake wasn't mine sir Anything game related doesn't belong in this forum. Read the sticky. I can see why people would assume this is the thread for that; the stickied topic is misleading and most people don't read them. But do please read the sticky. The Feedback and Suggestions is for site onry, not game suggestions.

Chocobits, what is the correct forum for game feedback then? I can't seem to locate it.

This from the sticky:
This forum is dedicated to feedback and suggestions related to the FINAL FANTASY XIV official forums, The Lodestone and other official websites concerning FINAL FANTASY XIV.
If you wish to submit feedback or make suggestions about the game, please make a post in the appropriate forum.

Threads that contain feedback or suggestions about the game will be moved to the appropriate area.
Thank you for your understanding.

It doesn't tell you where to go.

[tymora]

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