SE we have bots problems

[Savagelf]

i like report behometh is have bots problem

i figure set up we report are server for bots problem


their teleport all over place to mobs and stuff

i would if i could get screen shot but i can't
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qw5...ew?usp=sharing

i was able upload it to google drive but i not sure how upload it to the forum

[DrWho2010]

you don't report bots here on the forum. you do it in game and the report gets forwarded to the special task force.

[Ranaku]

Reads like if that thread was written by a bot. Yeah there is a problem, be thankful SE takes care about it without installing spyware on your pc to see if you run bots etc.

[Vahlnir]

the report gets forwarded to the special task force.

Who do basically nothing.

[Enla]

Who do basically nothing.

They do ban them in pretty big waves. The issue is that they don't seem to realize the fact that most bots just auto-delete their characters after an hour or so before making a new one to continue the cycle. It'd be nice if they could find a way to get them chat banned for a time with enough reports and then attribute a full ban to the account when the task force can actually look at it on an individual basis, but it'd be hard to implement something like that without having it be abusable by normal players.

[Jennah]

The way I see it, the game has (or had) 4 bot problems; none of which are "I see people violating the ToS and it annoys me."

1) By far the worst - in early Heavensward, gillseller bots constantly whispered people. If you weren't there, you have no idea of the scale; you'd usually get a tell every second. Most people turned off chat entirely, because it was completely impossible to hold a conversation. SE pretty much fixed this; now, at most, people get around once a day the message about "SE should not allow this! Log onto fakesite.xyz!"

2) Bots sometimes monopolize kills of world mobs needed to advance the MSQ. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow's ARR rework removes these quests; there have been far fewer of them in the expansions too.

3) Bots sometimes monopolize instances, particularly Amdapor Keep, preventing anyone from queuing in. I've never experienced this myself; but there seem to be fewer outraged threads about it lately, so perhaps its died down?

4) Bots distort the marketboard. True, but this is a benefit to buyers, and only affects some methods of selling things to earn gil. SE's put in a number of methods to make gil that bots basically can't do as well (notably maps and deep dungeon); and taken steps that result in materia - pretty much the only thing people actually need to buy, and a former bot money-maker - being nearly free.

[Theodric]

They do ban them in pretty big waves.

Right. Though is it broken down by server cluster? At times, it really does feel as if the development team are unaware of what is going on over on the NA and EU server clusters when it comes to certain issues.

For example, European players are still waiting for the ability to get their hands on the Fat Black Chocobo mount that Japanese and North American players had promotions for long ago.

I'm starting to worry that there's an issue with feedback not making its way to where it needs to go and with the rarity in which our community representatives post and make themselves known, it's very difficult to know if a legitimate issue in need of attention is actually being highlighted.

[DrWho2010]

i would think the problem with the fat black chocobo is a lack of promotional partnerships that can be efficiently done in the EU.

[Enla]

Right. Though is it broken down by server cluster? At times, it really does feel as if the development team are unaware of what is going on over on the NA and EU server clusters when it comes to certain issues.

For example, European players are still waiting for the ability to get their hands on the Fat Black Chocobo mount that Japanese and North American players had promotions for long ago.

I'm starting to worry that there's an issue with feedback not making its way to where it needs to go and with the rarity in which our community representatives post and make themselves known, it's very difficult to know if a legitimate issue in need of attention is actually being highlighted.

Oh I definitely agree there. It does feel like half the time the NA/EU side of the equation is basically left out to dry because the developers don't seem to understand how to adequately handle us and our concerns over the bots. I want to believe that the majority of the bots being removed are from the NA/EU worlds and that SE is trying to come up with ways to negatively impact bots without impacting the playerbase, but sometimes it does kinda feel like we're screaming at a brick wall.

[ForteNightshade]

They do ban them in pretty big waves. The issue is that they don't seem to realize the fact that most bots just auto-delete their characters after an hour or so before making a new one to continue the cycle. It'd be nice if they could find a way to get them chat banned for a time with enough reports and then attribute a full ban to the account when the task force can actually look at it on an individual basis, but it'd be hard to implement something like that without having it be abusable by normal players.

They ban RMT. Not actual player controlled bots. There's a notorious botter on my server and despite video evidence, he's been at it for over a year. He's even go so far as to outright mock them. Square does literally nothing unless it's downright blatant.