AFK players blocking nodes. What is this?

CrashTest

I've been seeing this more and more - AFK players standing at unpicked nodes but when you try to pick it, you get the error message saying, "Someone is using that." Obviously they're not using it and are just standing there somehow blocking out the node.

Are these bots? How are they blocking out the node without actually picking it up?

wilykcat

Afk without ever disconnecting from the game is a clue that that character is mostlikely some type of bot/AI.

Those use some kind of unapproved scripting action that is preventing those nodes from being looted. The use of bots and other forms of unapproved software is against the rules and it should be reported.

virtus753

CrashTest wrote: »

I've been seeing this more and more - AFK players standing at unpicked nodes but when you try to pick it, you get the error message saying, "Someone is using that." Obviously they're not using it and are just standing there somehow blocking out the node.

Are these bots? How are they blocking out the node without actually picking it up?

They may be holding the loot menu open.

Necrotech_Master

virtus753 wrote: »

CrashTest wrote: »

I've been seeing this more and more - AFK players standing at unpicked nodes but when you try to pick it, you get the error message saying, "Someone is using that." Obviously they're not using it and are just standing there somehow blocking out the node.

Are these bots? How are they blocking out the node without actually picking it up?

They may be holding the loot menu open.

this, sometimes i hit the button to interact with the node and turn around to check something else and the menu for the loot may be sitting there open for 10-30 seconds longer than it normally does because i wasnt paying attention lol (sometimes even minutes lol)

not everyone has auto loot turned on

Dagoth_Rac

Could be an accident. They really do go afk while on loot menu. Could be griefing. Someone holding loot menu open just to be a jerk. But I can't see it being bots. Whatever tiny advantage they gain by keeping a resource off the market would be dwarfed by running a circuit and collecting as many resources as possible. There is a very slight absolute effect in denying a resource to a competitor but the opportunity cost (missing out on collecting many more resources yourself) is too great.

Hapexamendios

Was it a low level character in a starter area with a nonsensical name? If yes, it was probably a bot.

Elsonso

Used to be common back in the early days that people would camp on the nodes. There were times that every node location in sight at one place on Stonefalls had someone standing there.

Alastrine

One time in Cold Harbour I was farming flowers, got to a columbine and just as I open it the doorbell rang,... I got up and ran to the door because I knew it was a delivery and if I didn't answer it FAST they'd leave.
Was back within 2-3 minutes and someone had left me a nasty whisper... I msged them back and said I had to answer the doorbell!
So sometimes yea, might just be momentary life interfering for a few minutes.

Another time, also in Cold Harbour, there was someone standing at a single node. Every time it spawned they picked it. Literally for hours (I kept checking). I reported that one. They weren't blocking the node just harvesting it the instant it spawned. Never moved either, except to bend over and pick the node.

ArchangelIsraphel

Another reason that someone might be "holding" a node, is that their inventory got full, and they don't have ESO plus.

Sometimes, when people have a non-eso plus account, they space out and forget they don't have a bag when harvesting. They go to pick up a node, then oops! Inventory full.

If they see someone near them, they hang onto the node they're trying to pick until the coast is clear, then summon a banker or merchant and do a bit of cleaning. I've noticed this happening a lot to people during this event, especially with the extra box drop and the constant node competition that drives people to snipe nodes out from under others noses.

Happened to a buddy of mine, and he had to hold onto what he'd tried to pick until he could get his banker out because he didn't want to loose his box.

zaria

Alastrine wrote: »

One time in Cold Harbour I was farming flowers, got to a columbine and just as I open it the doorbell rang,... I got up and ran to the door because I knew it was a delivery and if I didn't answer it FAST they'd leave.
Was back within 2-3 minutes and someone had left me a nasty whisper... I msged them back and said I had to answer the doorbell!
So sometimes yea, might just be momentary life interfering for a few minutes.

Another time, also in Cold Harbour, there was someone standing at a single node. Every time it spawned they picked it. Literally for hours (I kept checking). I reported that one. They weren't blocking the node just harvesting it the instant it spawned. Never moved either, except to bend over and pick the node.

Later was probably not an bot but an simple macro pressing the loot button over and over while aiming for the node.
Think questionable meat sack will move character away from node.

Pelanora

Live in the southern hemisphere, play on EU, never anyone anywhere. Nodes free for all.

Jaimeh

Alastrine wrote: »

One time in Cold Harbour I was farming flowers, got to a columbine and just as I open it the doorbell rang,... I got up and ran to the door because I knew it was a delivery and if I didn't answer it FAST they'd leave.
Was back within 2-3 minutes and someone had left me a nasty whisper... I msged them back and said I had to answer the doorbell!
So sometimes yea, might just be momentary life interfering for a few minutes.

I mean if something like that happens just close the menu, go do your thing, and then come back and then if the node is still there that's cool, because with RL stuff something might take longer that you think, so there's no sense in holding the node from others.

Tobyja

Jaimeh wrote: »

Alastrine wrote: »

One time in Cold Harbour I was farming flowers, got to a columbine and just as I open it the doorbell rang,... I got up and ran to the door because I knew it was a delivery and if I didn't answer it FAST they'd leave.
Was back within 2-3 minutes and someone had left me a nasty whisper... I msged them back and said I had to answer the doorbell!
So sometimes yea, might just be momentary life interfering for a few minutes.

I mean if something like that happens just close the menu, go do your thing, and then come back and then if the node is still there that's cool, because with RL stuff something might take longer that you think, so there's no sense in holding the node from others.

Of course there is. Each and every lootbox i would check first, each and every time, before i would close the menu for whatever reason. There could be a non collected set item (for which i maybe have to free space for first), a cool housing item or whatever special loot in there, maybe even a lead that i'm after for months. So never ever i would close a menu. Never ever!
Not to say, that for example, when i'm harvesting and the delivering service rings the bell, i'm on my way to the door, before i would even see the lootmenu popping up.
And there are so many more circumstances i can imagine, why a player has to be afk instant, a bot or a freaky troll are the last ideas that came to my mind. This is a mmo, with thousands of players. Sometimes i'm just wondering, why there are not more playerchars just standing around in the world. Things happens all the time. To one, maybe once in years, but i bet, permanently to somebody.

ganzaeso

Does the bear trap still interrupt someone harvesting?

Auldwulfe

Honestly, they probably have autoloot turned off, and are using it to go use the bathroom, or something, without as much of a risk of timing out, and having to log back in..... some emotes work the same way.
I will prefer to use an emote, but it is a logical reason.

Auldwulfe

Necrotech_Master

zaria wrote: »

Alastrine wrote: »

One time in Cold Harbour I was farming flowers, got to a columbine and just as I open it the doorbell rang,... I got up and ran to the door because I knew it was a delivery and if I didn't answer it FAST they'd leave.
Was back within 2-3 minutes and someone had left me a nasty whisper... I msged them back and said I had to answer the doorbell!
So sometimes yea, might just be momentary life interfering for a few minutes.

Another time, also in Cold Harbour, there was someone standing at a single node. Every time it spawned they picked it. Literally for hours (I kept checking). I reported that one. They weren't blocking the node just harvesting it the instant it spawned. Never moved either, except to bend over and pick the node.

Later was probably not an bot but an simple macro pressing the loot button over and over while aiming for the node.
Think questionable meat sack will move character away from node.

an auto-playing macro is basically the definition of a bot, you dont need a full on script to be considered "botting" lol

VvwvenomwvV

It's a resource farming bot that has its pick up timer set to the exact second the resource spawns. You have 0% chance of obtaining that material when a bot is setup like that. I've been complaining about them for years.

Here is a video I made with solutions on how to stop / slow them down. There are clips of different types of bots toward the end of the video.


https://youtu.be/_EEOqQdHWyM

Belegnole

Found quite a few players standing on nodes doing nothing during this event. So far I've been thinking they were either in menus or were afk. Hasn't been an issue as there are lots of nodes.

boi_anachronism_

Idk what is node competition is lol. The spawn rates in the telvanni Peninsula are insanely high right now. There are people everywhere and i can just wander along my merry way grabbing whatever. There has only been twice that someone has raced me to a node in several days.

Wolf_Eye

Dagoth_Rac wrote: »

Could be an accident. They really do go afk while on loot menu. Could be griefing. Someone holding loot menu open just to be a jerk. But I can't see it being bots. Whatever tiny advantage they gain by keeping a resource off the market would be dwarfed by running a circuit and collecting as many resources as possible. There is a very slight absolute effect in denying a resource to a competitor but the opportunity cost (missing out on collecting many more resources yourself) is too great.

Also....isn't it impossible for the node to renew itself if you've got the menu open the whole time?

I don't know if anyone's tested this; I can't imagine anyone is even bored enough to wait at a node with a menu open for like an hour to see if it respawns right in the menu while the menu is open.

Given that nodes "switch places with each other" (e.g. blacksmith nodes also double as jewelry craft nodes, so you can't guarantee it will always be a blacksmith node each and every time), I can't imagine the menu would re-populate itself with a completely different node like that.

Monte_Cristo

ArchangelIsraphel wrote: »

Another reason that someone might be "holding" a node, is that their inventory got full, and they don't have ESO plus.

Sometimes, when people have a non-eso plus account, they space out and forget they don't have a bag when harvesting. They go to pick up a node, then oops! Inventory full.

If they see someone near them, they hang onto the node they're trying to pick until the coast is clear, then summon a banker or merchant and do a bit of cleaning. I've noticed this happening a lot to people during this event, especially with the extra box drop and the constant node competition that drives people to snipe nodes out from under others noses.

Happened to a buddy of mine, and he had to hold onto what he'd tried to pick until he could get his banker out because he didn't want to loose his box.

Years ago, when I found my first nirncrux in a node, I discovered my inventory was full. While I opened inventory and destroyed something to make room, someone else came in and swiped the nirncrux from the node i was standing over.