What is this? Botting, cheating, "legitimate" behaviour?

Ermiq

lordrichter wrote: »

EvilCroc wrote: »

I am just curious. If I will read a book or watch tv, while holding right trigger with my finger, will be I recognized as cheater or bot handler?

Why would you do this? Just play the game.

But, to answer your question, there was a person in here not to long ago that claimed they were playing with their toe while watching Netflix, etc. They were banned for botting, I guess.

This is why I say that it is not how you do it, but what you are doing.

Exactly. I've read a topic in another game forums, there was a player who was complaining that he was banned for botting. He explained that he was just watching videos and clicking left mouse button every second while the game was in a window mode. He also told that he can do it one hour and more, it's ok for him.

SGT_Wolfe101st

Seraphayel wrote: »

Platform: XOne
Region: EU

I noticed some really weird behaviour of players during dolmens - players standing on "safe spots" and casting Destruction Staff heavy attacks permanently. Those players are there in the morning, during daytime and in the night. It seems like they're "bots" or players using macros (?) so that they can constantly get the dolmen XP when the event starts. I even saw those players in Camlorn doing the same thing (farming Werevoles, there is no dolmen or event) - casting staff heavy attacks without a pause. They are not on every dolmen but on some special ones e.g. the first dolmen in Auridon. Dozens of players doing the same thing - this can't be legitimate, right?

I just made a video (really bad quality because I had to film my TV with my smartphone to get a video) where you can see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-XQpdkou1M&feature=youtu.be

Can somebody tell me what this is? Is this cheating? Botting? What is this? And the more important question: is this legitimate behaviour or can I report them?

There is a thread on the Reddit page were a guy is doing his part to kite enemies over to the bots and get them to engage the AFK toons. I think this is great and we should all do our best to make this a common occurrence. If their efforts are undermined by the community perhaps they will stop, some improvement anyway.

Lake

SGT_Wolfe101st wrote: »

There is a thread on the Reddit page were a guy is doing his part to kite enemies over to the bots and get them to engage the AFK toons. I think this is great and we should all do our best to make this a common occurrence. If their efforts are undermined by the community perhaps they will stop, some improvement anyway.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work for the dolmens that have an area mostly out of reach of the current mobs. Like that one dolmen with a rock heap where a horde of AFKers stand on.

ZOS_GinaBruno

@Seraphayel Were you able to report this group? If so, could you pass along your ticket number please?

STEVIL

lordrichter wrote: »

EvilCroc wrote: »

I am just curious. If I will read a book or watch tv, while holding right trigger with my finger, will be I recognized as cheater or bot handler?

Why would you do this? Just play the game.

But, to answer your question, there was a person in here not to long ago that claimed they were playing with their toe while watching Netflix, etc. They were banned for botting, I guess.

This is why I say that it is not how you do it, but what you are doing.

So here is the thing.

Every once in a while, i have a char go to a fire and burn down my excess provisioning mats - where i have over 1000 of recipes (1000 click so 4000 portions) that can be cooked that i dont ever use etc - to get them down to 500 and then sell the products at like what 5g each to the vendor. usually can make tens of thousands but it takes a lot of click-click-click-click.

So i have sat here, clicking, while also watching netflix or google or some other stream.

Even then i thought "someone might think i am a bot cuz i have been standing here for an hour just making the ..."

never been banned. Dont expect to ever be.

but if inattention combined with repetition is cause for punishment, they should really look into a "craft multiple" option built into the main game craft UI without add-ons.

Zorgon_The_Revenged

OMG, there's a GM dressed as Sheogorath zapping players with The Wabbajack, laughing insanely as he sends them to the log in screen ...............that I would love to see.

Tasear

There's also people getting count in the cross fire. I happen to go across a dolmen attacked once and stood there.

"I don't really want to do this"

Actually got yelled at while I was pondering such thoughts.

I would suggest higher the participation needed for dolmen credit, but that wouldn't work for half a dozen reasons.

Maybe change AI of pets? I know it auto attacks so maybe set it to defend if the player is idle for to long or not using skills for 20mins?

CromulentForumID

RoyalPink06 wrote: »

Everyone needs to do their part and report when they see something like this. It is a pain on console, but I just put the report under "cheating" and then I write "bot" under the additional info section. Everyone I've ever reported (even large groups) this way is gone when I come back to the area to check, so ZOS is able to deal with them. Bot or rubber banding, it still plagues the game and it needs to be reported as much as possible.

Console is pretty bad for sure. I have had trouble just using the menu with reporting, instead of targeting a player and starting the process. If I am not interacting with a character and using the wheel, sometimes I cannot even type in the character name field at all, and the attempt fails for lacking necessary information. It could have been something I was doing, but I tried both my keyboard and controller, and in the end I could not get a successful ticket.

I find it especially bad when trying to send something in for racist or phobic talk in zone chat. You can't click on a name in chat and choose "Report." Then you can't type their name in directly. So you either don't do anything or you have to run around the city and hope to find them.

I know, I know, special offended snowflake...but I am not sure it is intolerant to report repeated use of the "N" word or the "F" word. Especially when the player is deliberately using it to troll.

RoyalPink06

CromulentForumID wrote: »

RoyalPink06 wrote: »

Everyone needs to do their part and report when they see something like this. It is a pain on console, but I just put the report under "cheating" and then I write "bot" under the additional info section. Everyone I've ever reported (even large groups) this way is gone when I come back to the area to check, so ZOS is able to deal with them. Bot or rubber banding, it still plagues the game and it needs to be reported as much as possible.

Console is pretty bad for sure. I have had trouble just using the menu with reporting, instead of targeting a player and starting the process. If I am not interacting with a character and using the wheel, sometimes I cannot even type in the character name field at all, and the attempt fails for lacking necessary information. It could have been something I was doing, but I tried both my keyboard and controller, and in the end I could not get a successful ticket.

I find it especially bad when trying to send something in for racist or phobic talk in zone chat. You can't click on a name in chat and choose "Report." Then you can't type their name in directly. So you either don't do anything or you have to run around the city and hope to find them.

I know, I know, special offended snowflake...but I am not sure it is intolerant to report repeated use of the "N" word or the "F" word. Especially when the player is deliberately using it to troll.

@CromulentForumID

YES the chat is a huge problem to report on (on console). I always try to select someone's name in the chat window and then I remember I can't report them that way, so I'm left with just having to block them. For the most part, I just ignore the usual offensive stuff because there is very little that actually bothers me personally, but certain things I report for, for example, misogyny, and racism or religious prejudice directed specifically at another player (general zone nonsense I don't care about because that's usually meaningless trolling, but I hate to see bullying and I know personally I would appreciate if someone stood up for me if they saw me getting bullied).

As far as reporting bots, it is hard to make sure you get all the names when they all stack together. Usually I just report a few of them and that usually is enough. I also submit video too, so that probably helps.

drakhan2002_ESO

Looks like the Bear camp spawn on PC NA...there's always a large group like that there...nothing ever gets done about it.

driosketch

STEVIL wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

EvilCroc wrote: »

I am just curious. If I will read a book or watch tv, while holding right trigger with my finger, will be I recognized as cheater or bot handler?

Why would you do this? Just play the game.

But, to answer your question, there was a person in here not to long ago that claimed they were playing with their toe while watching Netflix, etc. They were banned for botting, I guess.

This is why I say that it is not how you do it, but what you are doing.

So here is the thing.

Every once in a while, i have a char go to a fire and burn down my excess provisioning mats - where i have over 1000 of recipes (1000 click so 4000 portions) that can be cooked that i dont ever use etc - to get them down to 500 and then sell the products at like what 5g each to the vendor. usually can make tens of thousands but it takes a lot of click-click-click-click.

So i have sat here, clicking, while also watching netflix or google or some other stream.

Even then i thought "someone might think i am a bot cuz i have been standing here for an hour just making the ..."

never been banned. Dont expect to ever be.

but if inattention combined with repetition is cause for punishment, they should really look into a "craft multiple" option built into the main game craft UI without add-ons.

I don't know why people feel the need to lawyer the point. I remember during the bot crisis people would come in here and claim, "I'm not botting, I'm farming. I'm capable of being super percise humanly in my route, and I have chat turned off so I won't see your real person check message."

Your finger would cramp if you held the trigger for 8 hours straight, which is what we are talking about here. It's like 2:1 waiting around vs activity, sometimes longer, why would you shoot at nothing when you could give your finger a break? If you're really there you should be aware enough not to stand in the auto fire clump. Also, aren't you going to want to collect the loot as well?

People AFK in front of the bank or craft stations, all the time, there is no external animation of your actions. To be frank, it's not blatant like a group doing heavy staff attacks at an anchor.

Seraphayel

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

@Seraphayel Were you able to report this group? If so, could you pass along your ticket number please?

@ZOS_GinaBruno

Hello Gina and thanks for taking the time answering my thread!

I tried to report most of them on different occasions but it's pretty difficult to get them all. I sent you a message with some of the ticket numbers.

jaye63

kewl wrote: »

Botting. Please report each and every player.

reportable as possible but it could just be bored players waiting for the dolmen to spawn. If this were a dance party, no one would even consider it was botting. I've done this with 3-4 other players and it was as I stated... boredom while waiting for the dolmen to spawn. That being said... it COULD be botting.

Seraphayel

jaye63 wrote: »

kewl wrote: »

Botting. Please report each and every player.

reportable as possible but it could just be bored players waiting for the dolmen to spawn. If this were a dance party, no one would even consider it was botting. I've done this with 3-4 other players and it was as I stated... boredom while waiting for the dolmen to spawn. That being said... it COULD be botting.

I don't report the people standing around but the ones constantly spamming staff heavy attack and are stacked at the same spot.

DHale

I honestly do not report bots anymore. Every bot I have reported is still there.... months later.

icontrive

Personally I don't see the problem with someone holding their controller down like in OP's video. What is it hurting? Actually playing the game levels you up much faster. I don't agree with using programs to help farm items but just rubber banding doesn't seem wrong to me. If it's that much of a problem, just fix the spawn times

jaye63

Seraphayel wrote: »

jaye63 wrote: »

kewl wrote: »

Botting. Please report each and every player.

reportable as possible but it could just be bored players waiting for the dolmen to spawn. If this were a dance party, no one would even consider it was botting. I've done this with 3-4 other players and it was as I stated... boredom while waiting for the dolmen to spawn. That being said... it COULD be botting.

I don't report the people standing around but the ones constantly spamming staff heavy attack and are stacked at the same spot.

Then I better make sure Im never where you are because I do that while waiting for dolmen to spawn.

Seraphayel

jaye63 wrote: »

Seraphayel wrote: »

jaye63 wrote: »

kewl wrote: »

Botting. Please report each and every player.

reportable as possible but it could just be bored players waiting for the dolmen to spawn. If this were a dance party, no one would even consider it was botting. I've done this with 3-4 other players and it was as I stated... boredom while waiting for the dolmen to spawn. That being said... it COULD be botting.

I don't report the people standing around but the ones constantly spamming staff heavy attack and are stacked at the same spot.

Then I better make sure Im never where you are because I do that while waiting for dolmen to spawn.

Just go to a different position and don't stand where the "bots" are standing. And yes, if you're standing there spamming heavy attack you're most likely getting reported by me or anybody else. That's your fault, not mine. If you behave like a bot you might be a bot.

Kodrac

jaye63 wrote: »

Seraphayel wrote: »

jaye63 wrote: »

kewl wrote: »

Botting. Please report each and every player.

reportable as possible but it could just be bored players waiting for the dolmen to spawn. If this were a dance party, no one would even consider it was botting. I've done this with 3-4 other players and it was as I stated... boredom while waiting for the dolmen to spawn. That being said... it COULD be botting.

I don't report the people standing around but the ones constantly spamming staff heavy attack and are stacked at the same spot.

Then I better make sure Im never where you are because I do that while waiting for dolmen to spawn.

Do you bunny hop too? Someone jumping around mindlessly spamming skills to make the screen all shiny because they have the attention span of a goldfish looks a lot different than a bot that stands there and hits heavy attack every 2 seconds like clockwork.

magnusthorek

It's pathetic!

Much or little (depending if dollar conversion applies) people pay real money for a game they let a piece of duct tape play for them (c'mon now, not literally)

Then ZOS "ban temporarily" because these cheaters one day may become buyers of Crown Store.

jaye63

Kodrac wrote: »

jaye63 wrote: »

Seraphayel wrote: »

jaye63 wrote: »

kewl wrote: »

Botting. Please report each and every player.

reportable as possible but it could just be bored players waiting for the dolmen to spawn. If this were a dance party, no one would even consider it was botting. I've done this with 3-4 other players and it was as I stated... boredom while waiting for the dolmen to spawn. That being said... it COULD be botting.

I don't report the people standing around but the ones constantly spamming staff heavy attack and are stacked at the same spot.

Then I better make sure Im never where you are because I do that while waiting for dolmen to spawn.

Do you bunny hop too? Someone jumping around mindlessly spamming skills to make the screen all shiny because they have the attention span of a goldfish looks a lot different than a bot that stands there and hits heavy attack every 2 seconds like clockwork.

I've done that. And I have never botted and never used macros. Just bored waiting for the spawn. And like I said in my op... it COULD be botting so reporting it wouldnt be out of the question.

KerinKor

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

@Seraphayel Were you able to report this group? If so, could you pass along your ticket number please?

Maybe given there's only one server per region ZOS would put someone to deal with them PROACTIVELY, especially considering the poor/unfriendly tools you provide us to report such issues, it takes waaaaaay too long to report one player let alone the herd you're suggesting we report .. or do we get free ESO+ time for doing it?

technohic

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

@Seraphayel Were you able to report this group? If so, could you pass along your ticket number please?

Just please do not address it by nerfing dolmen XP and punishing everyone who grinds this stuff in person.

STEVIL

technohic wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

@Seraphayel Were you able to report this group? If so, could you pass along your ticket number please?

Just please do not address it by nerfing dolmen XP and punishing everyone who grinds this stuff in person.

Its the only real solution - after x per day the dolmen doesn't put out for you.

STEVIL

driosketch wrote: »

STEVIL wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

EvilCroc wrote: »

I am just curious. If I will read a book or watch tv, while holding right trigger with my finger, will be I recognized as cheater or bot handler?

Why would you do this? Just play the game.

But, to answer your question, there was a person in here not to long ago that claimed they were playing with their toe while watching Netflix, etc. They were banned for botting, I guess.

This is why I say that it is not how you do it, but what you are doing.

So here is the thing.

Every once in a while, i have a char go to a fire and burn down my excess provisioning mats - where i have over 1000 of recipes (1000 click so 4000 portions) that can be cooked that i dont ever use etc - to get them down to 500 and then sell the products at like what 5g each to the vendor. usually can make tens of thousands but it takes a lot of click-click-click-click.

So i have sat here, clicking, while also watching netflix or google or some other stream.

Even then i thought "someone might think i am a bot cuz i have been standing here for an hour just making the ..."

never been banned. Dont expect to ever be.

but if inattention combined with repetition is cause for punishment, they should really look into a "craft multiple" option built into the main game craft UI without add-ons.

I don't know why people feel the need to lawyer the point. I remember during the bot crisis people would come in here and claim, "I'm not botting, I'm farming. I'm capable of being super percise humanly in my route, and I have chat turned off so I won't see your real person check message."

Your finger would cramp if you held the trigger for 8 hours straight, which is what we are talking about here. It's like 2:1 waiting around vs activity, sometimes longer, why would you shoot at nothing when you could give your finger a break? If you're really there you should be aware enough not to stand in the auto fire clump. Also, aren't you going to want to collect the loot as well?

People AFK in front of the bank or craft stations, all the time, there is no external animation of your actions. To be frank, it's not blatant like a group doing heavy staff attacks at an anchor.

i have chat off most days cuz visually impaired so reading it while doing stuff is basically impossible.

So there you go... another notch in the must be a bot report him category.

Do not get me wrong - no love for bots or botting or any of that - i enjoy playing.

But sometimes the cure is worse than the crime esp if witch hunts are involved where "guilt by association" and "if you are standing there its your fault" logic is sufficient to prosecute. most of the time i dont pay any attention to the other PVE players in overland stuff. i have no idea who i am standing beside or how long they have been there.

Elsonso

STEVIL wrote: »

driosketch wrote: »

STEVIL wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

EvilCroc wrote: »

I am just curious. If I will read a book or watch tv, while holding right trigger with my finger, will be I recognized as cheater or bot handler?

Why would you do this? Just play the game.

But, to answer your question, there was a person in here not to long ago that claimed they were playing with their toe while watching Netflix, etc. They were banned for botting, I guess.

This is why I say that it is not how you do it, but what you are doing.

So here is the thing.

Every once in a while, i have a char go to a fire and burn down my excess provisioning mats - where i have over 1000 of recipes (1000 click so 4000 portions) that can be cooked that i dont ever use etc - to get them down to 500 and then sell the products at like what 5g each to the vendor. usually can make tens of thousands but it takes a lot of click-click-click-click.

So i have sat here, clicking, while also watching netflix or google or some other stream.

Even then i thought "someone might think i am a bot cuz i have been standing here for an hour just making the ..."

never been banned. Dont expect to ever be.

but if inattention combined with repetition is cause for punishment, they should really look into a "craft multiple" option built into the main game craft UI without add-ons.

I don't know why people feel the need to lawyer the point. I remember during the bot crisis people would come in here and claim, "I'm not botting, I'm farming. I'm capable of being super percise humanly in my route, and I have chat turned off so I won't see your real person check message."

Your finger would cramp if you held the trigger for 8 hours straight, which is what we are talking about here. It's like 2:1 waiting around vs activity, sometimes longer, why would you shoot at nothing when you could give your finger a break? If you're really there you should be aware enough not to stand in the auto fire clump. Also, aren't you going to want to collect the loot as well?

People AFK in front of the bank or craft stations, all the time, there is no external animation of your actions. To be frank, it's not blatant like a group doing heavy staff attacks at an anchor.

i have chat off most days cuz visually impaired so reading it while doing stuff is basically impossible.

So there you go... another notch in the must be a bot report him category.

Do not get me wrong - no love for bots or botting or any of that - i enjoy playing.

But sometimes the cure is worse than the crime esp if witch hunts are involved where "guilt by association" and "if you are standing there its your fault" logic is sufficient to prosecute. most of the time i dont pay any attention to the other PVE players in overland stuff. i have no idea who i am standing beside or how long they have been there.

You also are not firing off a light staff attack once per second for 8 hours straight at a dolmen, without otherwise moving.

Karivaa

Somebody posted on the Xbox forum that they got banned due to this and I have heard there were gms in Xbox going to check out the dolmens. I hope so!

STEVIL

lordrichter wrote: »

STEVIL wrote: »

driosketch wrote: »

STEVIL wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

EvilCroc wrote: »

I am just curious. If I will read a book or watch tv, while holding right trigger with my finger, will be I recognized as cheater or bot handler?

Why would you do this? Just play the game.

But, to answer your question, there was a person in here not to long ago that claimed they were playing with their toe while watching Netflix, etc. They were banned for botting, I guess.

This is why I say that it is not how you do it, but what you are doing.

So here is the thing.

Every once in a while, i have a char go to a fire and burn down my excess provisioning mats - where i have over 1000 of recipes (1000 click so 4000 portions) that can be cooked that i dont ever use etc - to get them down to 500 and then sell the products at like what 5g each to the vendor. usually can make tens of thousands but it takes a lot of click-click-click-click.

So i have sat here, clicking, while also watching netflix or google or some other stream.

Even then i thought "someone might think i am a bot cuz i have been standing here for an hour just making the ..."

never been banned. Dont expect to ever be.

but if inattention combined with repetition is cause for punishment, they should really look into a "craft multiple" option built into the main game craft UI without add-ons.

I don't know why people feel the need to lawyer the point. I remember during the bot crisis people would come in here and claim, "I'm not botting, I'm farming. I'm capable of being super percise humanly in my route, and I have chat turned off so I won't see your real person check message."

Your finger would cramp if you held the trigger for 8 hours straight, which is what we are talking about here. It's like 2:1 waiting around vs activity, sometimes longer, why would you shoot at nothing when you could give your finger a break? If you're really there you should be aware enough not to stand in the auto fire clump. Also, aren't you going to want to collect the loot as well?

People AFK in front of the bank or craft stations, all the time, there is no external animation of your actions. To be frank, it's not blatant like a group doing heavy staff attacks at an anchor.

i have chat off most days cuz visually impaired so reading it while doing stuff is basically impossible.

So there you go... another notch in the must be a bot report him category.

Do not get me wrong - no love for bots or botting or any of that - i enjoy playing.

But sometimes the cure is worse than the crime esp if witch hunts are involved where "guilt by association" and "if you are standing there its your fault" logic is sufficient to prosecute. most of the time i dont pay any attention to the other PVE players in overland stuff. i have no idea who i am standing beside or how long they have been there.

You also are not firing off a light staff attack once per second for 8 hours straight at a dolmen, without otherwise moving.

But if i am standing in beside a bunch of folks who are and a witch hunter cursors over and sees my character id are they gonna take the time to tell who is who or is it my fault for standing where they have determined guilt by association applies?

Preyfar

DHale wrote: »

I honestly do not report bots anymore. Every bot I have reported is still there.... months later.

They're ALWAYS in the same places, too. Certain dolmens in Alik'r, Sanguine Barrows, Drown Coast Dolmen... you can always find these guys in the same spots day in, day out. Every. Single. Day.

I literally just logged in now to check in on Sanguine Barrows... and yep, there's 2 sorc bots in a train. How do I know they're bots? When 2-3 players are stacked on top of one another, all doing the same attacks at the exact same time, doing instant 90 or 180 degree turns and all follow the exact same path, turning at the exact same places, NEVER, EVER veering from their path unless there's something to loot. You can watch them march up and down the same paths over and over and over again.

Bots never strafe. They just go forward or backwards.

ZOS has to be aware of these locations. Long ago I was on the customer support staff for another MMO and we we would often check in on "hot zones" where botting activity was a known problem. I used to report it, but reporting bots doesn't seem to do anything. There's a ton of bots around, and they're so common to run into that I just don't understand what's going on behind the scenes at ZOS' side. Either botting is considered good for the game or taking actions against bots is severely low priority.

I go to vendors and see one player has 30 stacks of 200 Clean Pelts for sale and I just have to wonder. Is this person selling for the bots? Is it a legit player whose existence is farming? I don't know.

I just wish I had the power to destroy the freakin' bots.

Seraphayel

STEVIL wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

STEVIL wrote: »

driosketch wrote: »

STEVIL wrote: »

lordrichter wrote: »

EvilCroc wrote: »

I am just curious. If I will read a book or watch tv, while holding right trigger with my finger, will be I recognized as cheater or bot handler?

Why would you do this? Just play the game.

But, to answer your question, there was a person in here not to long ago that claimed they were playing with their toe while watching Netflix, etc. They were banned for botting, I guess.

This is why I say that it is not how you do it, but what you are doing.

So here is the thing.

Every once in a while, i have a char go to a fire and burn down my excess provisioning mats - where i have over 1000 of recipes (1000 click so 4000 portions) that can be cooked that i dont ever use etc - to get them down to 500 and then sell the products at like what 5g each to the vendor. usually can make tens of thousands but it takes a lot of click-click-click-click.

So i have sat here, clicking, while also watching netflix or google or some other stream.

Even then i thought "someone might think i am a bot cuz i have been standing here for an hour just making the ..."

never been banned. Dont expect to ever be.

but if inattention combined with repetition is cause for punishment, they should really look into a "craft multiple" option built into the main game craft UI without add-ons.

I don't know why people feel the need to lawyer the point. I remember during the bot crisis people would come in here and claim, "I'm not botting, I'm farming. I'm capable of being super percise humanly in my route, and I have chat turned off so I won't see your real person check message."

Your finger would cramp if you held the trigger for 8 hours straight, which is what we are talking about here. It's like 2:1 waiting around vs activity, sometimes longer, why would you shoot at nothing when you could give your finger a break? If you're really there you should be aware enough not to stand in the auto fire clump. Also, aren't you going to want to collect the loot as well?

People AFK in front of the bank or craft stations, all the time, there is no external animation of your actions. To be frank, it's not blatant like a group doing heavy staff attacks at an anchor.

i have chat off most days cuz visually impaired so reading it while doing stuff is basically impossible.

So there you go... another notch in the must be a bot report him category.

Do not get me wrong - no love for bots or botting or any of that - i enjoy playing.

But sometimes the cure is worse than the crime esp if witch hunts are involved where "guilt by association" and "if you are standing there its your fault" logic is sufficient to prosecute. most of the time i dont pay any attention to the other PVE players in overland stuff. i have no idea who i am standing beside or how long they have been there.

You also are not firing off a light staff attack once per second for 8 hours straight at a dolmen, without otherwise moving.

But if i am standing in beside a bunch of folks who are and a witch hunter cursors over and sees my character id are they gonna take the time to tell who is who or is it my fault for standing where they have determined guilt by association applies?

I am pretty sure ZOS is not banning people only due to one report. I think they will observe the account and maybe the player and when they happen to do this pretty often, many hours a day, they will get banned. If you're there once or twice I doubt you'll be punished at all.