Should the ToS be updated to allow botting?

[HyoMinPark]

The players are all lv60 gatherers in ironworks. They zone in near the aetheryte and perform some conversions. Regardless of where they are in reference to the aetheryte when they've zoned in, they will always move on foot to the same location before mounting up and flying away. Based on where they load in, I can even tell you if they'll use sprint before moving. It is entirely possible that a dozen different players all perform the same actions, including moving to the same location, with no deviation whatsoever from the script, but it's much, much more likely that they're bots. Above info aside, I've witnessed one in the group FATE botting in N Thanalan and I reported one a while back for using a gathering bot which was much more obvious.

Or they are all heading to the same unspoiled/empherical node? Just because multiple players all move to the same location doesn't mean that they are botting. Have you ever seen gatherers at an empherical node before, or an unspoiled node--be it level 50 or 60? Have you ever seen them all hovering on their mounts above it right before they spawn? Just because several different players spawn in the Forelands and all head to the same area does not equate to botting. They're probably heading towards the same node that spawns at a certain time in-game. Unless these conversations they "perform" are the EXACT same EVERY TIME they spawn in, I don't see this as proof of botting.

Now if they were all melted into the other like you see the RMT bots, could probably assume they're botting as most players at the keyboard won't be melted into the other like the RMT bots do. But just moving in unison to the same area doesn't really mean anything, unless you start seeing them teleporting around.

I suspected some hacking was involved. Popular opinion seems to be that nothing is done when they are simply automating gameplay.

I don't think that's the popular opinion here. The popular opinion is that botting shouldn't be allowed period, and that the process for punishing bots STILL OCCURS, albeit at a very, very, VERY slow rate. Not that people aren't punished for it.

So if someone is lv60, there would be no way to know if they have been banned or if they just haven't been online?

While that's true that you can't tell with a 60, unless you start to notice that their character profile never updates on the lodestone (it changes after a while if you change jobs in-game), are you obsessing so much that you're stalking a person's lodestone profile waiting to see some action? It seems you want some notification of an individual being banned from this game, but the GMs will never give you such notification.

They use bots to gather items/gil for them while they aren't playing. It's not hard at all to understand why they do it.

At the risk of sounding snarky: so, they do it to fuel their own laziness? My statement isn't asking for WHY people bot, as in what do they need the bots to do for them. It's asking what kind of mindset do these people even have. Why pay for a game and not play it, but let a bot do it instead? Makes as much sense to me as a football bat.

I mentioned the mount once. I've seen the mount used by people performing the actions described above, as in, I've seen them move to the spot, summon the a12s mount and fly off. I mentioned the mount to help convey the idea that these aren't simply dummy accounts we're talking about, but to also show how brazen they are.

As I mentioned above, just players moving in unison with each other isn't proof of botting. They could easily be heading to the same node that spawns at a certain time in-game. Serious gatherers have schedules for hitting all the important nodes that spawn within an Eorzean day. Unless these players perform the exact same conversations each time they load in (automatic/scripted conversations), and move so much in unison that they are melting into the other, you can't use your example as proof of anything.


My stance remains the same: bots have no place in this game. Too lazy to do your (general "you" here, again) gathering? Well, sounds like a personal problem. Doesn't give any reasons to use bots. Wanna make Gil? Make it like the legit players do: using your own keyboard and mouse/controller. Not a bot.

[SilkaN]

At the risk of sounding snarky: so, they do it to fuel their own laziness? My statement isn't asking for WHY people bot, as in what do they need the bots to do for them. It's asking what kind of mindset do these people even have. Why pay for a game and not play it, but let a bot do it instead? Makes as much sense to me as a football bat.

They don't want to waste their time gathering and do other stuff while they are online. Maybe they view gathering as an annoying hassle but realize that it's necessary for them, so they use bots to avoid doing it themselves.
It doesn't matter whether they are lazy or don't have much time to play each week, there are people out there who are using bots in online games for exactly these reasons.
Just as there are people who are willing to buy Gil from RMT sellers.
You want to know why they are doing this? Because it's safe enough for them to do so and doesn't take away anything from their enjoyment of the game. In fact, it makes it even more enjoyable for them since they don't have to "waste" their time on doing the farming themselves.

Either you are trolling, or incredibly naive.

[HyoMinPark]

Either you are trolling, or incredibly naive.

Not trolling. Neither am I naive. I'm aware that people bot. Still doesn't mean that I agree with the practice of it, agree with the mindset/reasoning behind it, nor think it should be allowed. I don't think you read, nor understand, my posts. And I wasn't aware that disagreeing with the OP on their stance regarding botting, disagreeing with botting in general, or considering it a lazy practice, was considered "trolling" or me being "incredibly naive."

If they don't want to "waste" time on farming mats, then they probably shouldn't have picked up gathering. No one "has" to do anything in this game. One does not "have" to gather, one chooses to. And yeah, it's safe...until one of them ends up on the unlucky side of the banhammer. But, I guess that's up to them, if they are willing to risk their account. And I don't see how enjoyable a game can be if you aren't playing it, but again. Perhaps that's just me. Different folks, different strokes.

[SilkaN]

And I wasn't aware that disagreeing with the OP on their stance regarding botting, disagreeing with botting in general, or considering it a lazy practice, was considered "trolling" or me being "incredibly naive."

Before you accuse me of not reading your posts, please do read mine. I didn't call younaive for disagreeing with OP, I called you naive because the whole concept of wanting to avoid activities some players might consider a hassle seemed completely foreign to you. You are trying to defend viewpoints I didn't even cricitize.

If they don't want to "waste" time on farming mats, then they probably shouldn't have picked up gathering. No one "has" to do anything in this game. One does not "have" to gather, one chooses to. And yeah, it's safe...until one of them ends up on the unlucky side of the banhammer. But, I guess that's up to them, if they are willing to risk their account. And I don't see how enjoyable a game can be if you aren't playing it, but again. Perhaps that's just me. Different folks, different strokes.

Actually, it's not just you, but also the majority of the playerbase (me included). But there are, just like in real life, people who want to avoid hard work and still get the same benefits / rewards as everyone else. I am not trying to justifiy their behavior, but it baffles me that you even have to ask

what kind of mindset do these people even have.

That is why I was calling you naive.

[Vnolan]

Or they are all heading to the same unspoiled/empherical node? Just because multiple players all move to the same location doesn't mean that they are botting. Have you ever seen gatherers at an empherical node before, or an unspoiled node--be it level 50 or 60?

Picture the aetheryte as being the center of a map. Regardless of where they zone in, whether it be NW, NE or somewhere else, they will always move on foot to SW of the aetheryte before mounting up and flying away.

[FabricioRF]

Give up, OP. I've seen the same bots everyday since I moved to Gilgamesh, a year and a half ago.