Player Feedback: Gathering Bots

[DrWho2010]

They tend to ban bots in waves. They don't want them to know what activity specifically got them banned I believe. They're part of the report you see on the lodestone every so often for Actions Taken Against In-Game RMT & Other Illicit Activities. For example Jan 5 - Time Period: Dec. 22, 2016 to Jan. 4, 2017

・Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT advertising: 1,232
・Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT/illicit activity: 47,989
・Action Details: Permanent ban from FINAL FANTASY XIV

the bots would fall under "illicit activity". However, as soon as a bunch of bots are banned, more will be created. The stuff they gather is sold on the Market Board and then the gil is prob used to sell to players buying into RMT.

[Zigabar]

They tend to ban bots in waves. They don't want them to know what activity specifically got them banned I believe. They're part of the report you see on the lodestone every so often for Actions Taken Against In-Game RMT & Other Illicit Activities. For example Jan 5 - Time Period: Dec. 22, 2016 to Jan. 4, 2017

・Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT advertising: 1,232
・Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT/illicit activity: 47,989
・Action Details: Permanent ban from FINAL FANTASY XIV

the bots would fall under "illicit activity". However, as soon as a bunch of bots are banned, more will be created. The stuff they gather is sold on the Market Board and then the gil is prob used to sell to players buying into RMT.

If it weren't against the rules, I could give you 3 names off the top of my head that have been botting for at least 2 years. Those illicit bans are probably gil buyers and sellers, not player ran farming bots.

[Tyrn]

the bots would fall under "illicit activity". However, as soon as a bunch of bots are banned, more will be created. The stuff they gather is sold on the Market Board and then the gil is prob used to sell to players buying into RMT.

After observing certain botters on my own server and reading forums where it's talked about freely it seems to me that only the least thoughtful players who fully admit ingame that they bot or buy gil get at most a few days temp ban but usually they aren't touched at all and even the ones who do get temp banned just go straight back to botting after their temp is over. Only the characters belonging to RMT companies who are guaranteed to get new accounts to replace the banned ones are permabanned. The only thing that seems to get real players banned is mean words.

[SuperZay]

They tend to ban bots in waves. They don't want them to know what activity specifically got them banned I believe. They're part of the report you see on the lodestone every so often for Actions Taken Against In-Game RMT & Other Illicit Activities. For example Jan 5 - Time Period: Dec. 22, 2016 to Jan. 4, 2017

・Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT advertising: 1,232
・Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT/illicit activity: 47,989
・Action Details: Permanent ban from FINAL FANTASY XIV

the bots would fall under "illicit activity". However, as soon as a bunch of bots are banned, more will be created. The stuff they gather is sold on the Market Board and then the gil is prob used to sell to players buying into RMT.

The problem is by the time they actually ban them they'll have enough time to make profit for 100 more accounts, so that problem will go nowhere for a looooong time.

[Airget]

You know what happens when you remove a bot? They make another one, why? Because you didn't take their gil. It's a basic Sting operation, you allow the drones to do their work til they lead you to the Queen Bee. Once you find the Queen Bee you get this.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...164944b676725f

However if you just ban bots every time, you know what happens? The ones holding the gil just learn to play it safe, you don't lure them into a false sense of security and it's that false sense of security which allows them to catch nearly 39k accounts/users as noted above.

So ask yourself this, do you honestly think it's productive if the team were to just constantly ban 2-5 bots that most likely come from the same group while never finding the source? Because that's how you cause the issue to continue by going after the small fries.

[Aerowaffle]

You know what happens when you remove a bot? They make another one, why? Because you didn't take their gil. It's a basic Sting operation, you allow the drones to do their work til they lead you to the Queen Bee. Once you find the Queen Bee you get this.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...164944b676725f

However if you just ban bots every time, you know what happens? The ones holding the gil just learn to play it safe, you don't lure them into a false sense of security and it's that false sense of security which allows them to catch nearly 39k accounts/users as noted above.

So ask yourself this, do you honestly think it's productive if the team were to just constantly ban 2-5 bots that most likely come from the same group while never finding the source? Because that's how you cause the issue to continue by going after the small fries.

I would agree, if it was indeed what was taking place.

But we're talking about situations where the same bots are seen for months on end. Are these same bots being used after the gil handlers are banned? I kinda doubt it.

If SE is leaving the gathering bots un-banned but banning the gil handlers; why? Why are they not banning it all in one fell swoop?

[Ama_Hamada]

To me, someone in SE seems to be protecting them to cause issues like this. I been reporting these 3 gather bots since June 2016 and nothing is done.

I gave detailed reports though support desk, though the website, everything imaginable and they still get to bot. I feel it is a great insult considering my friend (who i was with during the incident) was suspended for 9 days for being a victim of harassment just because she logged off and told them to stop harassing her though the novice network. She had to log off because we where in a duty and would not stop when asked by several people.

3-4 people follow each other, stacked on each other, follow the same stiff routes and sometimes end up MPKing people because scripts do not know how to monster dodge some of the nodes. It is very obvious they are bots and one GM told me "Well maybe they found out it was real players and not bots" If that is the case, I say someone is protecting them.