Is it OK to use bots in FFXIV?

[KageTokage]

You can't really take advantage of the undercut bots because they're able to set a price floor that they will not go under.

You can feel them out to figure out what their floor is and sell just below it, but the next time they check the bot, they'll just make the floor even lower and keep playing a game of "how low can you go" with their legit competition until they back off because the time/money ratio becomes too low to bother with.

These days, it feels like the only time you can make much profit via mainstream goods like consumables and crafted gear is within the first weeks of a major patch before the bots get updated and they start digging their feet in.

[Espritduo]

These days, it feels like the only time you can make much profit via mainstream goods like consumables and crafted gear is within the first weeks of a major patch before the bots get updated and they start digging their feet in.

It's not even weeks anymore. Typically the resident botters on any given server will tank the prices of the newest gear to pointless levels within days of release. Mateus's resident botters had the price of Neo-Ishgardian gear trashed before the first weekend even hit when the last patch dropped. I sold one full set of gear at basically no profit and called it quits, permanently, after that.

It's sad, because this is the first time ever I am basically not interested in the new set of crafting gear coming next patch. Usually I'm excited to bang out the new gear, meld it to the hilt, and grind out some money on selling the current battle and DoH/DoL gear with more efficient rotations, but now it's like, who cares? The new crafter gear serves no purpose because there is no money to be made by taking advantage of it anymore. Bots will just be there already controlling everything.

[Liam_Harper]

Agreed, I expect the window for profit on 5.3 gear won't even last a week and will be much smaller than previous patches and 5.4 will maybe last a few days. It's bot heaven really, easy to craft endgame gear in good demand made from easy to bot mats.

There has been a gathering bot on Zodiark for months now. I caught them in a dismounting/mounting loop at a timed node for 16 minutes straight and unresponsive, reported it, they're still there. It also seems their bot is capable of Extracting materia, so I assume craft bots are capable of the same, which is why grade 7 and 8 materia is almost worthless compared to the past.

They couldn't have set things up better for the bots. I'm baffled why they basically ripped DoH/DoL from those who enjoyed it and handed it over to bots.

[ForteNightshade]

It's not even weeks anymore. Typically the resident botters on any given server will tank the prices of the newest gear to pointless levels within days of release. Mateus's resident botters had the price of Neo-Ishgardian gear trashed before the first weekend even hit when the last patch dropped. I sold one full set of gear at basically no profit and called it quits, permanently, after that.

It's sad, because this is the first time ever I am basically not interested in the new set of crafting gear coming next patch. Usually I'm excited to bang out the new gear, meld it to the hilt, and grind out some money on selling the current battle and DoH/DoL gear with more efficient rotations, but now it's like, who cares? The new crafter gear serves no purpose because there is no money to be made by taking advantage of it anymore. Bots will just be there already controlling everything.

I know the feeling. I have all but quit crafting this expansion save to occasionally poke at Ishgard. It just isn't worth spending all the time to gather up mats for the Neo sets and only make 30k. The level 50-60 vendor gear in Idllyshire sells for more than that. Of course, plenty of players either don't care or actually support these bot wars because they benefit from it. I remember arguing with someone who insisted bots were "necessary" because it isn't fair he had to buy 9k for raid pots, or whatever the prices were at the time. I do always love that mentality because those same people scream murder at other exploits where they aren't benefiting.

[Jijifli]

I remember arguing with someone who insisted bots were "necessary" because it isn't fair he had to buy 9k for raid pots, or whatever the prices were at the time.

This might sound cold, and it's not to you, it's obv about whoever you argued with here.

I think if a player actually defends botting, they should be instantly on a watch list at minimum (I'd prefer suspended, but let's give some 'hope' for 3 months while they 'make legit profits'). Usually if someone is defending botting, they either bot themselves, or do business with a botter. Otherwise, why would they defend something that makes an entire section of the game pointless to do, and causes inflation hardcore?

[KageTokage]

I think the only reasons a lot of people don't bot are:

1. They don't want to have to pay for a botting program.

2. They're not willing to accept that extremely tiny risk of them getting banned.

3. They don't want to damage their reputation.

In the long run though, the amount of bots has just continued to snowball as time goes on.

[Awha]

I think the only reasons a lot of people don't bot are:

1. They don't want to have to pay for a botting program.

2. They're not willing to accept that extremely tiny risk of them getting banned.

3. They don't want to damage their reputation.

In the long run though, the amount of bots has just continued to snowball as time goes on.

Sadly someone in our FC posted a rudimentary bot script they found for free because someone was complaining about the length of time required with crafting. Cost is becoming less of an issue. Caused some issues within our FC since we found out they have been doing this for fairly long time.

Reputation is also kind of an odd one since as our FC mate said not like interact with strangers most of the time nor care what people think. Not like it sill hurt his sales, since people will just buy the cheapest itme possible and not care why it is cheap.

SE neess to accept outside evidence, or expand the STF or train GMs to deal with bots.

[HadesNight]

I think the only reasons a lot of people don't bot are:

1. They don't want to have to pay for a botting program.

2. They're not willing to accept that extremely tiny risk of them getting banned.

3. They don't want to damage their reputation.

In the long run though, the amount of bots has just continued to snowball as time goes on.

Since SE has made it evident they don't actually care about botters, I've gone from hating them with a passion, to now being grateful for the cheap crystal, shard, cluster, sand cost. (It's me just trying to turn a negative into a positive in my mind because it was driving me insane on Midgardsormr)

It felt like wasted energy to video record and send them a report with a link to the video showing them follow the same pattern for hours and not have anything happen to those characters.

Knowing now that SE doesn't do anything, it's highly tempting. I mean why not? You get all the reward and profit at no effort. Paying for it is not an issue, and people would never know it's me in how i'd set it up. But I've been playing this game too long and totally fall into the #2 category. I'd be devastated if I got banned and lost my houses, so I'll never touch it.

I'm assuming the people that bot might not have anything to lose?

Honestly, it's not fair that I work really hard in this game to gather and craft. I am completely jealous and envious of botters but it no longer is something I can healthily say is worth getting angry over since it's been close to 4 years now and nothing has changed. I'm assuming turning on anti-cheat measures isn't possible with our game code but I don't know enough about that topic to have an informed opinion on why SE hasn't acted yet.