The bot problem is rising and real.

[Arillyn]

Edit: Anyone seen people camping the MB for longer than is reasonable? As in, possibly using a bot to purchase items? I know this occurs in other MMOs, but i don't recall seeing it here before this. I've seen the same character standing at the MB outside Shirogane apartments for hours on end. I'll port there, go to my apartment, port out to do something else, port back, they're still there... haven't moved an inch. For hours and hours, days on end, though granted there are times they aren't there. I dunno, either they're a very careful bot, or a player who doesn't mind camping the board... for, uh, hours... Maybe I should just send them a tell.

If you are engaged in an interactive menu the game won't kick you out. They could have been looking at something to buy then had to go afk and just hadn't come back.

[Makeda]

I rarely see them and when I do it is usually just a couple of level 1 male Hyur at the loadin spot of Limsa.

Not to discredit anyone but by way if why SE might be slow acting... perhaps the bots are using certain times if day to avoid being seen by SE or reduce the risk if reporting?

I note at least one post above me here was from someone on a server I made an alt on last night (planning a server transfer, scouting choices for where to) and was able to wander around freely with no issues and no bots... making me think the bots are being clever in choice of timing...

Edit: Anyone seen people camping the ... for hours on end. I'll port there, go to my apartment, port out to do something else, port back, they're still there... haven't moved an inch. For hours and hours, days on end, ...

I went back to an old server last night to see if I wanted to transfer back and there was a guy standing by the MB in a certain place doing the same dance emote in the same subligar he was doing every single time I passed that spot back in early 4.0... but when I looked he was level 80 now...

So appearances can be deceptive... I guess that guy just knows the exact spot he wants to stand in when not playing but refusing to get logged out...

[Nyvara]

The supposed task force is a joke. It just feels like a pacifier " Hey SE there are bots! Calm down we have task force here is your binky." If they feel some need to have this system then create as -task force- for each DC or groups of DCs. NA, EUR, JPN etc.

As a screen in another thread shows (The one with the horde of archers) The situation is out of control. I'm inclined to think they would rather have numbers and $$ than a happy player base.

[ElazulHP]

If you are engaged in an interactive menu the game won't kick you out. They could have been looking at something to buy then had to go afk and just hadn't come back.

There are MB/crafting bots that exist. They'll update prices every 15 or 30 minutes on the dot to be the lowest price down to a set amount then stop. I've reported these before and they're usually associated with a crafting bot(s) that will craft 24/7 inside a house next to a bell so they can craft and list stuff without exposing themselves. These crafting bots will also have gathering bots gathering for them and a lot of the times they're all contained inside of the same FC where all the members are bots or mules of bots. These mules are generally always naked level 20 characters and will log in just long enough to update prices or allow the crafting bot(s) to access their retainers/bags.

[Arillyn]

There are MB/crafting bots that exist. They'll update prices every 15 or 30 minutes on the dot to be the lowest price down to a set amount then stop. I've reported these before and they're usually associated with a crafting bot(s) that will craft 24/7 inside a house next to a bell so they can craft and list stuff without exposing themselves. These crafting bots will also have gathering bots gathering for them and a lot of the times they're all contained inside of the same FC where all the members are bots or mules of bots. These mules are generally always naked level 20 characters and will log in just long enough to update prices or allow the crafting bot(s) to access their retainers/bags.

Yes I know they do exist, believe me. And I REALLY wish SE would finally do something about them. I was just pointing out that someone could have been buying something, the menu is still open and they went afk. The game won't kick you if you are in an interactive menu. I just don't want to see people with pitchforks going after everyone they see that they feel is a bot because they were standing by a MB (or somewhere else) for a long time. As long as an interactive menu is open, you can't be kicked.

[ElazulHP]

Yes I know they do exist, believe me. And I REALLY wish SE would finally do something about them. I was just pointing out that someone could have been buying something, the menu is still open and they went afk. The game won't kick you if you are in an interactive menu. I just don't want to see people with pitchforks going after everyone they see that they feel is a bot because they were standing by a MB (or somewhere else) for a long time. As long as an interactive menu is open, you can't be kicked.

Fair enough and I agree. Solution would be for them to hire more people to the STF assuming that is the current limitation. They need to do something beyond what they're already doing cause what they're currently doing isn't working.

[Greyhawk]

It's really too bad this company doesn't care about the state of the game when it comes to bots. I've reported them so many times for so many issues, I've given up on reporting because their (lack of) enforcement action is obvious. Each time they post on the site the action taken, the numbers continue to increase. Obviously there is no enforcement taking place, only knee-jerk reactions to mass ban/suspend these bots. They could literally camp a GM at three specific spots that I can think of right off the top of my head, and just snipe them from existence. They could really be more proactive and not reactive with this problem.

[KageTokage]

They could realistically put the whole botting problem on ice by reworking the enemy AI to reset if it detects that their targeted player is out of bounds or otherwise in a location they cannot actually path to.

Their success shoulders entirely on the fact that they can kill literally everything without need of a tank due to being able to go out of bounds to avoid damage.

[Mirhd]

They could realistically put the whole botting problem on ice by reworking the enemy AI to reset if it detects that their targeted player is out of bounds or otherwise in a location they cannot actually path to.

Their success shoulders entirely on the fact that they can kill literally everything without need of a tank due to being able to go out of bounds to avoid damage.

I don't understand why SE haven't just made it so you die instantly if the game detects you're out of bounds... No, it wouldn't kill botting outright, but it'd certainly make a dent in that garbage at the least...

[Tiraelina]

You don't even need to be in-game to see it in action.

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/community/