Have bots impacted the way you farm?

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  • Sylvermynx
    Sylvermynx
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)
    I farm everywhere on every character. I can't actually recall seeing anything I thought was a bot, but then, I don't pay much attention to others in the zones. My head is entirely on what my toon is there to do, which does generally include harvesting whatever's around other than low level mats on low level toons, since I have tens of thousands of all that - enough so that every one of my low levels can craft from now to forever. Forever.
  • Goregrinder
    Goregrinder
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)

    It's not silly. Botting is ruining this game. They are everywhere, they make 1 percent of players control the entire trading game on my platform allegedly, and prices for items are absolutely decimated because of the constant bots. For instance, we have botters who have accrued so many gold mats and other rare mats that they sell them in stores all over for 4k or less. And the undersellers push it further down.

    Because of this, farming is no longer worth it AT ALL if you want to do it legitimately. I don't farm a large amount of things anymore because it's not worth my time. I'm a major trader, so it's cut deeply into my motivation to play this game. I don't touch khenarthi's, I don't farm tempers or dreugh wax anymore. And so on and so on.

    It's a huge problem. It all stems from 2 to 3 main sources.

    I enjoy farming. I deal with PTSD, and farming is a way for me to relax and get reward for my work as well. It's not fun or relaxing anymore since good routes are inundated by bots and I get almost nothing for my work now. Doesn't help that the RNG in this game is horrific. I only get 1 gold mat from every 400 raws most of the time. While others have said they usually get 1 every 100, and the standard is supposed to be 1 in 200. This game is unfair and no one does anything about that or the bots that crush it underfoot.

    This all is part of a much worse set of issues involving cheating and monopolies and underhanded tactics and threats and toxicity. I'm not writing a 50 page post though. I'm PS4 NA. Things are garbage here.


    TL;DR

    Bots are ruining this game. They are constant and everywhere and nothing is done about them. Not enough by far, anyway.
    The market is destroyed by them and other parts of the game that I have not gone into detail about are wrecked in certain ways, as well.
    Sylvermynx wrote: »
    I farm everywhere on every character. I can't actually recall seeing anything I thought was a bot, but then, I don't pay much attention to others in the zones. My head is entirely on what my toon is there to do, which does generally include harvesting whatever's around other than low level mats on low level toons, since I have tens of thousands of all that - enough so that every one of my low levels can craft from now to forever. Forever.

    Yeah I learned to stop wasting time and effort focusing on what everyone else around me is doing, and just focus on what I am doing. If there is suddenly an obstacle in my way, I don't wait around and try to force someone to move it. I just go around it, or go a different path completely and go about my merry little way.
  • SeaGtGruff
    SeaGtGruff
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)
    I usually go to Bal Foyen when I need to farm, unless I need Medium Armor materials, in which case I go to Stros M'Kai. There are always a lot of other players of varying levels farming in both of those zones, so there's a lot of competition, but I just run around as long as it takes me to find as much as I need of whatever I'm looking for. I don't pay attention to whether the other players have names that look like they could be bots.
    I've fought mudcrabs more fearsome than me!
  • bmnoble
    bmnoble
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    I don't farm
    I do my crafting surveys, never seen the point in running around harvesting loads of nodes, if I come across a node on my way somewhere I might stop and harvest it but I don't go to areas for the sake of harvesting nodes.

    What I can't be stuffed harvesting I buy off those that do spend time provided they sell for a good price in guild stores.


    Even if there were not bots, you would still have other players stuffing up your harvesting routes, just keep reporting the bots there is nothing else you can do about it.
  • Zacuel
    Zacuel
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    I dunno.

    ._.
  • Canned_Apples
    Canned_Apples
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    PC-NA. Haven't seen any bots.
    I saw a multiboxing sorc once, but that's it.
  • LadySinflower
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    I used to have a great farming route on Stros M'kai but bots have invaded the area to the point that it's no longer worth my time to go there. Now I do my farming in Elsweyr because they don't seem to have discovered it yet.
  • SeaGtGruff
    SeaGtGruff
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)
    If they're bots, most likely because it's a Chapter.
    I've fought mudcrabs more fearsome than me!
  • dem0n1k
    dem0n1k
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    I don't farm
    The bot trains in Shadowfen occasionally provide me with a bit of entertainment when I find them. I go find a nearby Wamasu & drag it back into the bot's path while they are attacking a mob. Usually the Wamasu will kill a couple of them before the rest of them kill the Wamasu. These are the XP bots though I assume as they just go on a path & kill all the easy mobs on it. I don't think I've seen them harvest nodes.
    NA Server [PC] -- Mostly Ebonheart Pact, Mostly.
  • Hamish999
    Hamish999
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)
    Not a problem for me on PC EU. Though my farming tends to only be whatever I grab as I'm doing my surveys and when I do my lap of Craglorn once a week or so.
    TBH I've only ever seen a handful of bots in the 2+ years I've been playing 🤷
    PC-EU
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  • parpin
    parpin
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    the first bot i saw, was in delve in cyrodill, the bot was running around gathering mobs and kill them, over and over and over again. at that time i did not know what is bot, so i whispered the bot "why are u doing this" and waited for answer lol. but yes bots are very annoying. i think people who cheat in video games are the most pathetic people they can not even play game in a right way, and they need to cheat, how they live in real world is beyond me.
  • MartiniDaniels
    MartiniDaniels
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    I don't farm
    I report bots when I saw them, but I don't farm, so they don't impact me.
  • SeaGtGruff
    SeaGtGruff
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)
    parpin wrote: »
    the first bot i saw, was in delve in cyrodill, the bot was running around gathering mobs and kill them, over and over and over again. at that time i did not know what is bot, so i whispered the bot "why are u doing this" and waited for answer lol. but yes bots are very annoying. i think people who cheat in video games are the most pathetic people they can not even play game in a right way, and they need to cheat, how they live in real world is beyond me.

    Some players level up this way. For instance, one of the places in Vvardenfell that's good for this is the public dungeon up by the north shore-- I forget the name, Forgotten Wastes or whatever. There's one place in that dungeon where players can just run around the room/cavern killing things over and over. You can level up pretty quick there, I guess-- I was already CP160+ when I was doing it with a group, but I was there farming Sixth House fragments rather than XP.

    So don't assume that just because a group of players are doing what you've described, then they must be bots. And they may have not answered you because they were too busy, or figured the answer was self-evident and you must be trolling them.
    I've fought mudcrabs more fearsome than me!
  • pod88kk
    pod88kk
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    I don't farm
    I just do my writs and do the surveys, between that and the hirelings I've more than enough
  • Rex-Umbra
    Rex-Umbra
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    I stopped farming 3 years ago when prices crashed due to bot farmers flooding the market.
    Xbox GT: Rex Umbrah
    GM of IMPERIUM since 2015.
  • Elsonso
    Elsonso
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    Ysbriel wrote: »
    I’m on PC NA and honestly up to this day i’ve never seen a farming bot, unless i have but really haven’t paid any attention.

    You haven't paid attention. Well, unless you spend all your time in a Chapter or DLC, then you probably won't cross paths with them. They are in every base game zone that I have cared to check, and they frequent a number of base game cities, like Ebonheart, because that is where the merchants are.
    ESO Plus: No
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  • Dominion_Nightblade
    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    I was in the north east of the rift last night farming nodes and I seen a bot train of some cp 100-300 plars and sorcs. I thought to myself that even though I'm having fun picking nodes, it bothers me that these lames are automating the process. I didn't report because I try to keep my distance from zos these days, but yes it bothers me as an ethical player who actually works for my gold.
  • Elsonso
    Elsonso
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    I didn't report because I try to keep my distance from zos these days

    Isn't that goal rather moot due to ... well ... being logged into their game?
    Edited by Elsonso on October 5, 2019 7:41PM
    ESO Plus: No
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    XBox EU/NA: @ElsonsoJannus
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  • Dominion_Nightblade
    Yes, they have (comment where they have)

    Isn't that goal rather moot due to ... well ... being logged into their game?

    Not really if you think about it. By being simply logged in doesn't mean I have to communicate with them. My report would end up being a hate tell to the company. Simple common sense would figure the difference pal..
  • Alphawolf01A
    Alphawolf01A
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    I love how with all the "bot farmer" posts on various boards, ZOS has not once acknowledged that there even is a problem. I have never seen a Moderator respond to any of the posts.
  • jircris11
    jircris11
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    Yup, i now go out of my way to harcest before them. Time it right and you can break yheur prigram getting them to just stand there untill someone resets them.
    IGN: Ki'rah
    Khajiit/Vampire
    DC/AD faction/NA server.
    RPer
  • jircris11
    jircris11
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)

    I wonder if ZOS can manage PC bots better than they can on console. Which if that is the case, this poll is skewed some more.

    Sadly a company cant do much, every mmo has them from wow to ffxiv. As long as ppl buy from yhem they will contine. If they ban one 2 more stolen accounts appear in its place. Bots are like hydra
    Edited by jircris11 on October 9, 2019 6:24PM
    IGN: Ki'rah
    Khajiit/Vampire
    DC/AD faction/NA server.
    RPer
  • Squidgaurd
    Squidgaurd
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)
    Cyrodil
  • Squidgaurd
    Squidgaurd
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    Not at all (comment where you farm)
    Have you or a family member lost time or money because of a bot? If so you may be entitled to compensation.
  • MLGProPlayer
    MLGProPlayer
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)
    jircris11 wrote: »

    Sadly a company cant do much, every mmo has them from wow to ffxiv. As long as ppl buy from yhem they will contine. If they ban one 2 more stolen accounts appear in its place. Bots are like hydra

    They can be more aggressive with detecting/banning. The game doesn't appear to have any automated cheat detection system, or if it does, the definitions for it aren't updated nearly often enough.
  • Kuramas9tails
    Kuramas9tails
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    Yes, they have (comment where they have)

    They can be more aggressive with detecting/banning. The game doesn't appear to have any automated cheat detection system, or if it does, the definitions for it aren't updated nearly often enough.
    @MLGProPlayer I just assume ZOS doesn't have the time tbh. Too busy starting future DLCs, in process of another DLC, finishing up another DLC, coordinating/scheduling events, working on future/present patches, designing/creating new crown store items and crates, social media connections/advertising, ect.

    I think they leave the reporting of bots to us for that reason but at the pace bots are being born, it isn't something us players can keep up with ourselves and ZOS should look into ways the system can recognize bots and flag them.

    But as others stated, other games have this issue too and if they haven't found a way to counter bots, ZOS wont either and maybe there isn't a way to flag bots other than through players. :(
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    • pdblake
      pdblake
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      Yes, they have (comment where they have)
      PC EU, I no longer farm Khenarthi's Roost. There is single bot there, constantly at level 5, moves from node spot to node spot, stops for sasecond at each one, whether there's anything there or not. It moves really fast and is permanently invisible (as in you just get that ghostly see through look). It just goes around that little island near the town (I forget the name), around and around. If you manage to get ahead of it and harvest a node, it still runs to the same spot and waits a second, then zips off to the next one.

      This one does have a proper name though, which happens to match the account name, but it's been stuck on level 5 for ages. I'm certain it's a bot.

      I reported it, but it's still there and has been for weeks. I didn't even realise this was a thing on PC EU.
    • Michae
      Michae
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      I don't farm
      Surveys are a much better source of mats. But I didn't have any problems with bots back when I did farm. I had few routes in Abah's Landing, Stonefalls and Orsinium and met maybe one and the same bot in the latter.
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    • doomette
      doomette
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      I don't farm
      I just do surveys and gather as I go, but bots still bother me as I detest cheating. They have so overrun the starter islands that they compete with each other. It’s not a good look and if I were new, this sad state would probably dissuade me from continuing with the game.
      And though I don’t farm and rarely sell any of my crafting hoard unless I need a little extra gold, they do make doing the starter island quests on alts much longer because I get sidetracked with meat sacking the ones I come across :D
    • Gracous
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      When I played UO we would agro a few mobs, drag them to the bot farmer, and then hide and watch as they killed the bot. when the monsters left we looted the farmer. I wish we could do that in this game.

      Most of the time i wait for the node to spawn and then beat the bot to the resource. Its fun for a while :)
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