Why Large Groups of Characters with Odd Names Fighting Mobs?

FlopsyPrince

I assume they are bots, with names like Tjhdlkgfhlkg, but can someone tell me why anyone does this? Are they leveling them up so they can farm mats later?

One area that almost always has this group is in Auridon near the Mathisen Wayshrine. I have also seen them in Alik'r near the main city.

I would think ZoS could easily find these given how they act.

therift

Those are Chinese bot farmers.

On PS4, checking one of the PS4 profiles shows the preferred language is Simplified Chinese, they have no other games, achievements, friends, or followers when that information is set to Public

Many times you will observe groups of a dozen or more moving in unison. I once observed 6 teleport out of the Rawl'kha back in perfect unison, as if one was the 'master' and the others were mirror copies.

DragonRacer

Those are bots. There are several places on several maps where they can be found. They are programmed to either farm animals for raw hide or to run routes to blacksmithing/jewelry nodes (the latter seems to be a recent development and is why the value of grain solvent and tempering alloy has plummeted lately, and chromium grains have gone down some as well). It isn't so much the raw mats... it's refining for the gold mats that can drop no matter what level mat.

I don't know the scheme, but my general understanding seems to be that these mats are then moved through large traders or maybe just sold wholesale in exchange for accumulating gold, which they then sell on illegal sites for real life money.

All very TOS-breaking. You can report bots and they may or may not be banned by ZOS. Feels like no matter if they are, more just get spawned.

FlopsyPrince

DragonRacer wrote: »

Those are bots. There are several places on several maps where they can be found. They are programmed to either farm animals for raw hide or to run routes to blacksmithing/jewelry nodes (the latter seems to be a recent development and is why the value of grain solvent and tempering alloy has plummeted lately, and chromium grains have gone down some as well). It isn't so much the raw mats... it's refining for the gold mats that can drop no matter what level mat.

I don't know the scheme, but my general understanding seems to be that these mats are then moved through large traders or maybe just sold wholesale in exchange for accumulating gold, which they then sell on illegal sites for real life money.

All very TOS-breaking. You can report bots and they may or may not be banned by ZOS. Feels like no matter if they are, more just get spawned.

I have reported them in the past, but I don't bother now since it is clear ZoS doesn't really care or they would fix this problem since it is quite easy to find.

Farming for hides is a good point. I had not thought of that. I was wondering about that.

How do they do that on the PS4? Have they hacked their PS4 software or do they have some kind of mechanical device? Something else?

ArchMikem

The Chinese actually make these sort of businesses where they have multiple consoles with numerous accounts, all to have bots farm mobs for the mats. They then refine the mats en mass then sell the more desired mats for gold, THEN they list the gold online for real cash. A desperate and or stupid player would pay real money in order to start the game with a couple million in the bank.

The bot accounts are also sold when they reach level cap, so people can get a head start.

FlopsyPrince

ArchMikem wrote: »

The Chinese actually make these sort of businesses where they have multiple consoles with numerous accounts, all to have bots farm mobs for the mats. They then refine the mats en mass then sell the more desired mats for gold, THEN they list the gold online for real cash. A desperate and or stupid player would pay real money in order to start the game with a couple million in the bank.

The bot accounts are also sold when they reach level cap, so people can get a head start.

I guess they would have to pay for a name change. But it would be quite easy to track for this kind of activity if ZoS really cared about it. (Look for a name change, possibly from a really odd name if you can get the grep working.)

Though how do they do this? What steps do they take to get the PS4 to run automatically?

DragonRacer

The PlayStation consoles can be hacked. I do not know the logistics -and clearly if I did, why would one share such information? - but from seeming legitimacy of my husband’s complaints on COD, it is clearly possible to download hacks/cheats onto PS4 to change the playing field.

Dusk_Coven

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I assume they are bots, with names like Tjhdlkgfhlkg, but can someone tell me why anyone does this? Are they leveling them up so they can farm mats later?

One area that almost always has this group is in Auridon near the Mathisen Wayshrine. I have also seen them in Alik'r near the main city.

You ever notice in a group, when someone kills a shroom beetle or goat or other critter, you might get a drop too?
So I think the idea is that one wolf they kill could net multiple units of leather.

Xerikten

Dusk_Coven wrote: »

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

I assume they are bots, with names like Tjhdlkgfhlkg, but can someone tell me why anyone does this? Are they leveling them up so they can farm mats later?

One area that almost always has this group is in Auridon near the Mathisen Wayshrine. I have also seen them in Alik'r near the main city.

You ever notice in a group, when someone kills a shroom beetle or goat or other critter, you might get a drop too?
So I think the idea is that one wolf they kill could net multiple units of leather.

yep you are right on as to why there is a group. each has a chance on getting a drop.

gold farmers have been in mmo's for over 20 years. each company has there own set of guidelines on how to manage them. as it is really time consuming to monitor them not much is done unless they hurt the games economy in a significant way, grief players and etc etc.

might want to think twice on buying stacks and stacks of really cheap mats. as it is us that keeps them farming.

FlopsyPrince

Finding and eliminating these would be trivial. Some may be hard to find, but not large groups like this.

Verbal_Earthworm

FlopsyPrince wrote: »

Finding and eliminating these would be trivial. Some may be hard to find, but not large groups like this.

Yes, ZOS could easily remove them constantly from the game but chooses not to.

There are even websites where you can buy max level eso accounts from these people.

Someone is making a lot of money from all this and it's worrying when you see nothing done to prevent it.

MajBludd

Those are part of the 11 million subs, op

NordSwordnBoard

We need a memento that they access with X (collect) and get pulled out of position in the process. People have tried with mixed results using the mystery meat sack and bear trap.

Gilvoth

well atleast we now know where zenimax gets these bragging rights of 11 million subscribers.

Ingenon

Given how obvious they are, and the fact that ZOS doesn't remove them ..
sometimes I wonder if they are contractors working for ZOS.

twev

DragonRacer wrote: »

Those are bots. There are several places on several maps where they can be found. They are programmed to either farm animals for raw hide or to run routes to blacksmithing/jewelry nodes (the latter seems to be a recent development and is why the value of grain solvent and tempering alloy has plummeted lately, and chromium grains have gone down some as well). It isn't so much the raw mats... it's refining for the gold mats that can drop no matter what level mat.

I don't know the scheme, but my general understanding seems to be that these mats are then moved through large traders or maybe just sold wholesale in exchange for accumulating gold, which they then sell on illegal sites for real life money.

All very TOS-breaking. You can report bots and they may or may not be banned by ZOS. Feels like no matter if they are, more just get spawned.

That is a clue as to how lucrative they are.
They make so much cash from selling mats/gold for $$ that the cost to replace banned account licenses is worth it for them.
Which, btw, adds to the number of 'We're Killing It' accounts the game claims to be in existence.

Kingslayer513

ArchMikem wrote: »

A desperate and or stupid player would pay real money in order to start the game with a couple million in the bank.

It's naive to think that new players are driving sales to the botters. Most of the time it's guild leaders and endgame players buying gold. And they know how to do it safely without getting caught.

Androconium

Gilvoth wrote: »

well atleast we now know where zenimax gets these bragging rights of 11 million subscribers.

I don't think it's 11 000 000 subscribers. More like 11M game copies.
With people dropping in and out of subscription, I'd be surprised if they had a reliable, static number.

I'd still like to see that unreliable number at some point.

FlopsyPrince

Androconium wrote: »

Gilvoth wrote: »

well atleast we now know where zenimax gets these bragging rights of 11 million subscribers.

I don't think it's 11 000 000 subscribers. More like 11M game copies.
With people dropping in and out of subscription, I'd be surprised if they had a reliable, static number.

I'd still like to see that unreliable number at some point.

They definitely have a number. They know how many people are actively subscribing and how many played in the last X days. They likely don't want to share that publicly however.