The bot problem is rising and real.

[Zepoh]

Seems legit, 92 bots in that zone

[Monsoon_Lues]

I wish there was a section to post this where it would actually be noticed by someone from the staff, but it's either in the general discussion or sending a "suggestion" ingame using the support desk.

[warcanoe]

I am fairly new to ffxiv so what are SE's method of combating bots? Do they track and ban ect?

[null4646]

I am fairly new to ffxiv so what are SE's method of combating bots? Do they track and ban ect?

There are no effective methods. Most players can run bots for years without issue and reports are generally ignored. On the rare occasion that they get disciplined, it is usually lightweight and laughable. There is some "mass ban" thing they come out with every so often which appears to do absolutely nothing at all. It is really a blight on the game. My only hope is that it gets to a breaking point where they take action. But years have passed, so I don't see that happening. I can't even imagine the scale of fraud that must go into these accounts. You'd think they would take action from a legal perspective alone.

Real "named" players using more sophisticated bots are also rampant though less noticeable unless you're familiar with the patterns. They tend to do what they do without impunity as well and reporting has no effect.

[Monsoon_Lues]

I am fairly new to ffxiv so what are SE's method of combating bots? Do they track and ban ect?

they have an ingame report feature for RTM, which you can't clearly use on every bot, just the ones that spam in chat. other than that you either report them one by one by filling a form or wait for a banwave, if it even works.

[AngeliouxRein]

Been leveling up a new character and literally every map I have been to, people were talking about the insane amount bots that flood all of ARR in the shout chat. I have never seen it this bad. Some folks in Eastern Thanalan was stopping a train of them by placing their chocobos in their path. The bots eventually got force log out by that afk timer but of course, about 100 more appeared after that. It's like we are already experiencing an apocalypse.

[KageTokage]

Some folks in Eastern Thanalan was stopping a train of them by placing their chocobos in their path..

I need to know how to do this for science and amusement.

I don't think simply having a chocobo would stop them, but I know in some other MMOs naming a pet after a mob the bots want to kill will confuse them and make them attempt to attack it.

[Monsoon_Lues]

I, by just literally standing for ONE minute in the main entrance to ul'dah, see about 30 bots and 5 actual players

[Taybat]

could we make so we can right click on characters and report them for being a bot. Also maybe make a program that doesn't allow keyboard smash names.

[Zomkei]

could we make so we can right click on characters and report them for being a bot. Also maybe make a program that doesn't allow keyboard smash names.

right click -> report -> RMT, its already a feature. for the keyboard smash names, Roegadyn (specifically sea wolf) naming convention looks like a keyboard smash, so I don't think it'd be fair to those who use randomize or who prefer lore-friendly names.