Does Square intend to address Market botting?

[Jojoya]

Started a thread in the UI subforum asking for changes to be made to the Support Desk UI so hopefully bot reports can start being directed to the STF in-game. Add a like if you support the idea.

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...95#post5465195

[Kes13a]

Started a thread in the UI subforum asking for changes to be made to the Support Desk UI so hopefully bot reports can start being directed to the STF in-game. Add a like if you support the idea.

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...95#post5465195

the reporting system for it definitely needs a rework if they are unable to process those. Its long overdue and not very clear unless you get a reply at which point most people wont bother with a second report to the right area

[Vaen]

Wait, so what's the Special Task Force website? Is there currently a way to send reports to them directly?

[Shinzan]

https://support.eu.square-enix.com/c...383&la=2&fty=2
and there scroll down to the very end

[Vaen]

Thank you! It's a shame that it's so hidden.

[Jojoya]

Thank you! It's a shame that it's so hidden.

Definitely. Unless someone points you to it, you're unlikely to ever find it.

[Shinzan]

since my topic "24/7 market-manipulating-bots ... frustrating!" was deleted without any notification or feedback I will not invest any more energy into this topic,
my 5 months long fight is over now!
@Vaen don't expect more to happen when using the website link, I've sent really many with enough details to terminate accounts, but nothing happened with the
obvious bot free companies, 2 masters sitting 24/7 in gridania/limsa appartments and all their automated bots still active since June, and those are single players
with legacy accounts ruining the market. there are many obvious sings that those activity come from single legacy accounts because the crafter of the items selling
on the market is same on every server. my personal view is that market manipulation in European datacenter is handled like homelessness in Japanese culture.

[Sauteed]

I got ticked off at Black Friday traffic, so came home hoping to find some items sold on the mb and instead found some same suspects undercuts and decided to just email support to take out my frustration. I haven't gotten to making spreadsheets and plotting market trends yet, but I've noticed these suspected automaters are really ramping things up this holiday season, probably to sell their ill-gotten gil for holiday present funds or just be sitting on multi-gil capped retainers and bragging how they dominated the market and lie about how legit they did it too. If by legit they mean they made their own code strings to set their little bots up , ok. I don't suspect anything will legitimately happen, but I hope it does. I don't know anyone saying they're legit going to pack up and go to some other MMO over it, but it is for me at least one more little thing that is bothersome and unlikable about this game.

PVP automation/afk/abuse is also something that should be seriously looked in but I'll leave that alone as there is a slew of feedback on that topic and this thread isn't for that.

Anyhow, hope everyone had a wonderful holiday here in the United States, and hope you do find some enjoyable things to get into other than marketboard warrior'ing and white maging.

[Kes13a]

for anyone just joining this thread in the hopes that Square Enix will do something about the bots taking over the game in its entirety... here is the tldr version.

No.

From all appearances Square Enix provides lip service to the idea that they are against RMT and cheating, but the reality is far different. Reported bots function with immunity from any kind of action from the makers of this game. In the botting community this game is known to be "very bot friendly". The STF, if it is anything more than a group that organizes staff parties, is 4 people that apparently do all of the bot investigations for Jpn, NA and EU.. the ONLY activities they seem to ban are those that a 5 year old could figure out, such as the RMT barkers in major cities. The GM's are not allowed to act against blatant botting/cheating and refer you to the 4 person "task force"

While other games seem to try at least to go after botting and cheaters, Square Enix has taken a "head in the sand" approach and the business unit, developers and I suspect even the STF have decided to ignore the problem in combat, in maps, in crafting, in the market, and hopes it will just go away one day.

So there you have 34 pages in a nutshell. You're welcome ^^

[BraundoniusBigd]

Market bots are akin to illegal immigrant workers of the United States: they are now a staple of the workforce. There are those who want them to stay and those who want them to go. Buyers love it and sellers hate it. It takes about 10 minutes of research at most to know if one is a bot account yet SE does nothing about them. You can assume with near certainty that SE won't be taking action against them, ever, so don't even worry about reporting it. It's ironic how the bots are a major source of RMT and that is supposedly something SE really cares about. In my opinion SE doesn't mind the bots because bots make everything cheaper so it is very helpful for the casual and new player base, and may keep them paying for subs longer than they would if bots weren't around.