Enough is Enough With the Bots

bobfitz64b16_ESO

This has been posted already I know but I really think we need to keep this up.

Things have gotten ridiculous. In the last couple of days I've been in Coldharbour questing. I've been getting updates for killing mobs for quests but I haven't laid a finger on them - I didn't get the chance. I just happened to be nearby while bots killed them first. It really is that bad. Loads of them just running about killing everything in sight.

I've accepted the bugs, dying from weapon swap lag, not been able to log into Cyrodill and more but this is beyond the pale. As it stands I'll be cancelling before the end of this month and wait till this gets sorted as logging into the game has now become a test of patience not a gaming experience.

Come on guys - this needs drastic action now.

Tabia

Ive experienced the same since i moved to coldharbour. It is so frustrating to be working towards completing something when you get the quest update before you even get to the mob.

Bhakura

heyguyslol

The GM's have been banning bots which is better than most online games I've played over the 20 years of online gaming I've done.

Expecting to play an online game like ESO without bots is not realistic thinking imo. Every online game I've ever played has always had bots there's just no escaping them.

Canceling your sub for this reason seems an unfair action since Zenimax has put forth more effort to banning bots than most companies.

bobfitz64b16_ESO

I wish I could see your point but the reality is I cant - yes I've seen bots in other games as well but I just dont see how Zenimax's current strategy is having an impact. In essence, I just have to accept it?

If the botting impacts on playing the game then cancelling the game is a valid option. If playing an online game like Eso without bots (or at least limited bots) is unrealistic thinking then I don't want to play it.

I dont want to cancel my sub - I like this game but in its present state its become a source of frustration not fun.

mndfreeze

I think part of the problem with the bots is the stand zenimax has on what is and isn't allowed. In some other games where you don't see botting as OBVIOUS and in your face, those companies have outright bannable offense rules against running any 3rd party software, scripting, etc. So just seeing your character run back and forth on auto pilot is easy to pick up on the software side and act on. In ESO they ALLOW you do use those tools and scripting as long as it doesnt hurt other players and because they want there to be a modding like community building addon's and such. So it makes it that much harder for them to attack the bot problem. If they change their stance you can bet the community will be up in arms about it. So they have to constantly fight in the grey area, being especially careful not to ban real players (especially after their auto banned some before and people freaked out).

Also, because of these reasons, it also makes it a LOT easier for all the people breaking the rules to cry and whine and act innocent and get away with it because they can't just say 'Well you were obviously rrunning a third party scripting program' or whatever and ban em.

This is just one tiny facet on the entire problem of course. There are tons of reasons beyond this why botting is bad. Its bad just because of the popularity of the game as well. So many millions of people signed up that probems are going to be magnified that much more.

mndfreeze

Oh I did forgt to mention in my prior post, most of the botting you see is done by actual companies with large amounts of money invested into doing it because it's such big business. Every bot you report helps because it gives zenimax that much more ammo into finding a way to trace the root of the accounts being used and ban the whole chunk, but currently those companies setup and buy hundreds if not thousands of legit accounts to spam with, bot with, etc. So banning each one does cost them money, but they have such huge resources it will take a while and some tactics to really hit hard enough to make it not worth their while.

And all you have to do is look at every other game out, and see if you can find a place that sells items or gold for it. If you can, then that game has failed in stopping them as well. Chances are no mmo has.

snigernissen

i know this is impossible and would hurt tons of legit players to but...

ban the IP the bot is comming from forever !!!

DragonMother

mndfreeze wrote: »

'Well you were obviously running a third party scripting program'

There is quite a difference in addon's, and scripts.

Scripts are embedded in the client, third-party programs inject scripts and abuses exploits left open by the developers.

Addon's do not have any direct control over your characters functionality or use, therefore allowable and non-intrusive to your own, or others gameplay.

Addon's are designed through the use of LUA, and TOC language (I think, I never really opened up any of the files that make up an addon for fear of messing it up, my curiosity gets the best of me at times I'm afraid.) which is in part the commands allowable through each patch and update of the game that gives the addon functionality and call-commands to pick up data, such as the time of day in-game, or even your mounts hunger status, and displays it in the way the addon's design frameworks to do. You could say that the addon is more a frame for the same artwork, while still paying tribute to the original artists. (A good analogy, I think?) The LUA and TOC languages are allowable for the games basic interface, and can change certain functions to appear different without abusing the changes. (We'll get to abuse of TOC and LUA in a bit.)

Scripts require a set of macro's (Which I had not seen the use for in ESO just yet...nor anyway to save them in-game, thus uncertain if macro'ing is even allowed at this early point in the games lifetime.) and a third-party program to run these scripts, injecting script-commands and controlling the character in game to follow a set order or path. Most of the third-party programs are hosted on sketchy sites that often ask users to subscribe, pay for a feature, or expand their access to other programs and tools. (*Ahem*, I know a few of the sites, though I do not think that ZOS will go directly to the root to tear up the weeds. Not that I use them, but I'm aware of them from past games and players I knew.)

Now, addon's can be made to abuse or break certain features, but most of the ones that do that are not available on ESO. (That I know of, anyhow.) One of the examples I'm going to point out is one that is heavily used on roleplaying servers in Blizzard's world of warcraft. It's called Gryphonheart Items. This addon created custom items, and effects that can in fact cause the game to crash, glitch out players, and even so far as cause the players with the addon to become banned for foul language, and just downright rude/offensive behavior in open channels. (Say, Yell, and Emote are considered open channels and are heavily monitored on there.) This addon also had extensive capability to create tools for players to use without any foreknowledge of lua. Some of these uses could change the color of the screen of the user of the created item, shake the screen, or even blare loud noises and alarms. I had used this item a few times only to create little costume items to share with my friends on there, but after watching a group of players with the same item get "mindcontrolled" through the use of the addon, I removed it and never picked it up again. There are few limits to what it can do and I simply didn't want to be open for abuse like that. This is merely an example however, take it as you will.

Bhakura

Made an alt yesterday, went to starter island, first iron ore node i see ... a bunch of hands flapping out of the ground underneath it and the node disappearing in tin air.
Already have a blacksmith that can make everything, so resources arent needed anymore. but not everyone is an alt but mains who still need to level craft all the way through, and they cant since nodes vanish the moment they pop up and apart from some hands flapping due to mining animation theres no indication why it vanished.
Pity the new players who wanna take on a craft, one solution is to start botting themselves.

Davinna

I don't understand the logic that it's all the MMO developers to blame if bots are in a game.

I blame the people that make it profitable for them to be here in the first place. If players would quit buying from the botters, they would have no need to infest our games because they'd be losing money. If they are losing money, they'll stop. It's simple economics really.

Mitlak

Davinna is right. The company's would not be here if they were not making money. I never have bought from one but I know people who had in other games. They would claim lack of playing time as a reason they did or they couldn't be bothered gathering resources for their crafting fix. there is a bunch of excuses out there. Don't matter, I refuse to let anything ruin my enjoyment of a game I have been looking forward to play since I first found Arena. Yes, the bots are a pain, but if there are too many in the area I am in I either go to another area or go to an alt that is in a different area. If y'all is thinking a quitting a game you enjoy because too many bots in 1 area when you can have 8 characters in 8 different areas, I am not sure on how much y'all really enjoy the game. The bots are not everywhere and as long as EOS keeps working on getting rid of them I am willing to give them enough time to do it.

RedTalon

Basically they need to ban all parties involved not just the bots, basically sure there is a w ay to tell if someone just recently got a large amount of gold or resouces through a trade or by mail...ban people and discourage buying.

kitsinni

Being in VR content I didn't really see them that much. I started an alt and it seems like every day there are more. I have played MMOs for more than a decade and have at least tried the launch of most major ones. I have never seen the amount of bots I have seen in ESO and have never seen them do it so blatantly out in the open.

RavenSworn

Its the script editing that needs to be policed rather than the addons. WoW had bots too during launch, all the way till mid of Burning Crusade ( i know, since i've started at BC and it was as rampant as ESO ).

but i dont expect Zen studios to be able to solve this asap as NO company shares its trade secrets to handle these problems.

I wouldn't want my rival company to know what i did to reduce the number of bots or gold spammers. its the same here, so i dont really think its gonna be solved so easily.

but that doesnt mean ESO does not have to solve it fast. Botting is a serious offence and Zen needs to maintain this throughout the game itself.