Does Square intend to address Market botting?

[KatCnaa]

Considering how very restricted the things a free trial player can do are [i.e. they can't use retainers, they can't trade, they can't friend people or join free companies], I'm guessing this is the primary way SE is trying to address market botting.

[Jojoya]

Considering how very restricted the things a free trial player can do are [i.e. they can't use retainers, they can't trade, they can't friend people or join free companies], I'm guessing this is the primary way SE is trying to address market botting.

There's nothing new about those trial restrictions. They've been in place for years. They take QoL away from the trial player as a way to encourage purchase of the game if the players is enjoying the content they can access.

It's not a way of addressing the current market botting problem, though certainly the problem would be worse if those restrictions weren't in place.

[KageTokage]

They blocked trial accounts from entering PvP after that hacker fiasco recently and they also had shout chat and party invites enabled on free trials until the RMT spammers started abusing the heck out of it so they have made some changes specifically in response to cheaters.

[Nepentha]

Just so everyone knows, there is now a bot program that allows for one to link up to Discord and have chat messages relayed to their discord. Which allows for them to see GM whispers that might be sent to verify activity, and reply to them using Discord for the illusion of actually being at their keys.

So really, SE needs to revise how they verify bot activity to more than just 'send a tell to verify'.

[Kes13a]

Just so everyone knows, there is now a bot program that allows for one to link up to Discord and have chat messages relayed to their discord. Which allows for them to see GM whispers that might be sent to verify activity, and reply to them using Discord for the illusion of actually being at their keys.

So really, SE needs to revise how they verify bot activity to more than just 'send a tell to verify'.

but their method works so GREAT for them now!
apparently only RP adverts are a danger to the game, not botting...

[KageTokage]

I have a feeling that the sudden surge in treasure map bots might be because the DoL/H bots have essentially hit critical mass and have flooded the economy to such a point that not all of them are able to pull a profit if they're having to compete with each other.

I think at an average price of 60K per map they're still getting a net profit even if no portal spawns.

[Kes13a]

thats my assumption too Kage

at this point, SE has simply walked away. all indications seem to point at banning people for doing things like RPing to get the real people out of the game. we may pay them for stuff, but really, we want things. bots will just continue to sub.

I can see little explanation for their actions against people actually ENJOYING the game (in their own way) and yet...zero against the prevalent botting now affecting ALL aspects of their game

(yes, I said zero... I dont call banning "players" that a 5 year old could find by sitting in a major city actual "action" against botters/cheaters))

[ReynTime]

thats my assumption too Kage

at this point, SE has simply walked away. all indications seem to point at banning people for doing things like RPing to get the real people out of the game. we may pay them for stuff, but really, we want things. bots will just continue to sub.

I can see little explanation for their actions against people actually ENJOYING the game (in their own way) and yet...zero against the prevalent botting now affecting ALL aspects of their game

(yes, I said zero... I dont call banning "players" that a 5 year old could find by sitting in a major city actual "action" against botters/cheaters))

The botting issue is part of the reason why I stopped using my DoH/L for anything and am pretty much done trying to make gil.

I don't think anything is gonna change. The way they handle botting is as stagnant as the producer's short-sighted design decisions with game content.

[Kes13a]

The botting issue is part of the reason why I stopped using my DoH/L for anything and am pretty much done trying to make gil.

I don't think anything is gonna change. The way they handle botting is as stagnant as the producer's short-sighted design decisions with game content.

not to mention his statement that "cross world travel effect was 'negligible'" and their new plans to allow cross data center travel.

[ForteNightshade]

not to mention his statement that "cross world travel effect was 'negligible'" and their new plans to allow cross data center travel.

To be fair, I actually think Yoshida's correct there. World transfer may have had an impact but it's likely the smallest. What utterly crashed the markets is how absurdly easy crafting became this expansion, and more specifically, the overwhelming amount of bots. The sad reality is people are more emboldened now because they know SE won't do anything. I've even met some who are so brazen with botting, they'll outright tell you because, and I quote, "Not like SE ever does anything."

I hate to say it but literally every single one of us in this thread could google a bot program, set it up and never get caught. That's how poorly handled the situation has become.