botting.

[Fullmetal]

I'm emailing SE to find out their stance regarding a device or program that automates spamming the "enter" button as long as the user is there to hold down the key. Their rules and policy seem to be structured more against "absentee playing" and botting and I feel that as long as you are physically there at the computer holding down the button a turbo controller wouldn't be in violation of this.

To be honest, what's the difference to us if someone is at their computer spamming enter versus holding a button down on a turbo controller?

A bot on the other hand, is a whole different issue because it allows the user to be completely away from his PC and still gain from it. This defeats the spirit of fair play and shouldn't be allowed.

You are just blurring the lines here. If you followed your own logic through completely, it would imply there is no difference between using a turbo controller or using a bot.

[Bluetaro]

You are just blurring the lines here. If you followed your own logic through completely, it would imply there is no difference between using a turbo controller or using a bot.

How so? The player would have to be present to hold the turbo controller button down, whereas a bot you could leave the computer by itself.

[Blarp]

How so? The player would have to be present to hold the turbo controller button down, whereas a bot you could leave the computer by itself.

Scotch tape + turbo gamepad = crafting bot
It's easier to use. You don't ever have to worry about things like finding and updating memory offsets. The turbo-gamepad "bot" will never stop working because of a patch, or a bug. It's nearly undetectable. When SE changed the default cursor position to "Recipe" they turned everybody with a turbo gamepad into a potential hacker.

[indira]

botting is in every online game. and there obvious to spot out they just sit there at gathering nodes or in town crafting. send the a tell or ten and they wont respond.

I have often wondered if people assume I am botting - I am definitely not. Crafting is tedious at times and I highly doubt that nearly as many people are truly botting as are suspected of doing so.

most of them are botting after the bot is out of mats they just sit there in there synth kneel.

[Jynx]

If I was more energetic I'd get a second moniter set up to watch stuff while I craft, and still be able to see the game.

As it stands when I rarely craft I tend to browse the forums and refocus my window every few seconds (Tab+Alt) to "Normal synth" Then again it was mostly the same for my XI crafting career aside from the fact it took longer to due to needing to fill recipe slots everytime.

*edit*

But I never will support people who bot, I think it's the most idiotic thing you can do. Why bother playing the game when you can't even bother to be around? Being lazy and half idle is one thing...but totally absent is another.

[tragic]

Using third party programs or tools in FINAL FANTASY XIV is strictly prohibited since they allow users to gain an unfair advantage over other players. The use of programs or tools within FINAL FANTASY XIV that allow certain continuous actions to be performed automatically are often referred to as absentee play, which is also prohibited in FINAL FANTASY XIV. Additionally, during the course of an absentee play investigation, players may be requested to respond to or comply with a GMs instruction. Failure to do so is consider a violation and may result in disciplinary action being taken against the account.

http://support.na.square-enix.com/fa...909&ret=faqtop

[Bluetaro]

Using third party programs or tools in FINAL FANTASY XIV is strictly prohibited since they allow users to gain an unfair advantage over other players. The use of programs or tools within FINAL FANTASY XIV that allow certain continuous actions to be performed automatically are often referred to as absentee play, which is also prohibited in FINAL FANTASY XIV. Additionally, during the course of an absentee play investigation, players may be requested to respond to or comply with a GMs instruction. Failure to do so is consider a violation and may result in disciplinary action being taken against the account.

http://support.na.square-enix.com/fa...909&ret=faqtop

I realize the importance of what you have bolded, however as I mentioned earlier the key words that SE seem to be focusing on are absentee play. If I am physically at my computer holding down a turbo controller and I am able to respond to any instructions that they may have for me, I don't see any problem?

If someone leaves their comp running with an auto-button press overnight by all means punish away.

[Nayt]

I realize the importance of what you have bolded, however as I mentioned earlier the key words that SE seem to be focusing on are absentee play. If I am physically at my computer holding down a turbo controller and I am able to respond to any instructions that they may have for me, I don't see any problem?

If someone leaves their comp running with an auto-button press overnight by all means punish away.

With the wording in the ToS, yeah, you'd be fine. They'll only punish you for spamming enter if you're not responding.

[Bluetaro]

With the wording in the ToS, yeah, you'd be fine. They'll only punish you for spamming enter if you're not responding.

Which would be fine with me. If I'm afk-crafting that is totally unfair to all the players who are actually leveling legit.

However, I hope that SE wouldn't ban someone using a "tool that allowed for continuous actions to be performed automatically" when all it would be doing is have them hold down "enter" instead of spamming it.

[Pangy]

Crafting is mindless.

Before 1.19, we had to hit "down" one time between synths (to go from Requested to Recipes), and it was otherwise just enter-spam.

After 1.19, Recipes is the default option. We don't even have to look at the screen to hit down or anything else. Just spam enter, or Confirm Button on a controller.


Crafting is when I watch all my TV/movies. The rest of the time, I'm engaged in the game, probably in voice chat, having fun. Crafting for me is a thoughtless/mindless "in-between" time that lets me have more fun later.

I see people /wave to me all the time, and while I sometimes wonder if they think I'm botting, /wave doesn't even work while crafting. I might throw them a /em yay or a /tell, but probably not. I keep an eye on my chatlog for anyone looking to talk to me etc, but now that we don't even need to change menu options between synths, I pretty much just hit Confirm on my controller every 3-7 seconds for hours on end.


I'm a student with a very light semester and I have more time than most players (and no life!). Sitting here for 8-15 hours straight on a Wednesday while I watch 5-7 movies in a row isn't unpleasant.

That said, I have no doubt there are people on my server who think I've botted. Almost all of the time, the 'proof' or reference is that a player has multiple Lv50 crafts, and that just isn't possible unless they bot. After all, they'd have to sit there for like 8 hours and spam a button!

At this point I'm comfortable letting these people have their opinions. I've been hearing the same stuff about various players' crafting since December, and how they MUST be a bot because they have too many crafts etc.

At the end of the day players who use bots know the risks and will probably be caught and banned. I'll still be here skillfully repeating Confirm Button years from now, and more than likely so will the people thinking I'm using some kind of bottastic magic.