please remove the bots in karthdar

dudecollarb14_ESO · September 2017

Just... please? Pretty please? I don't like watching bot trains all day, it ruins the immersion of the game and people are abusing said game. Just... fix the issue? I don't know how hard it is to remove bots, sure, but I know ZOS has done it before, ya'll can do it again, right?

ZOS_KatP · September 2017

Hello,

If you're running into bots, this article lists the proper steps to take on how to report them in-game.

Hope this helps,
KatP

Wreuntzylla · September 2017

Do bots do something that puts them in the chat window??

For the ignore list, they all use special characters like eumlats, which in the past (and now?) made it impossible to report players. Is it different for the ignore list? I don't ignore people, those with bad behavior are to funny to ignore, so no idea how that works.

"PC/Mac

To report a player for abuse, exploitation, harassment, or other inappropriate behavior, right-click their name in the Chat Box and select the Report Player option.

You can also add other players whose behavior they find objectionable to your ignore list. To do this:

Open the contacts list by pressing the [O] key.
Click on the "No Entry" icon in the upper right corner.
Press the [E] key.
A screen will come up that will allow players to manually add another player to their ignore.
Enter the player's character name or UserID.
Hit the [E] key to accept."

agingerinohio · September 2017

Many have reported these bots in Karthdar. They just keep popping up. They're like fleas. >:-/

Belegnole · September 2017

ZOS_KatP wrote: »

Hello,

If you're running into bots, this article lists the proper steps to take on how to report them in-game.

Hope this helps,
KatP

Since bots don't chat, how does that article help someone report them? Nor do they wait around to let you use the silly interaction function.

karldavy149b16_ESO · September 2017

yeah with the amount of special alt codes all the bots have how do u expect us to report them !! ??

eso should have ingame moderators that actively check all the regular botted spots and then they can just perma ban i can literally spend weeks reporting the same bots and see that nothing is happening

Elsonso · September 2017

Seriously, I don't think they really want people reporting bots. Chasing after them to get them into Interaction range? Trying to enter in unicode characters, odd spellings, and other garbage in the account name? Breaking bot reporting add-ons? They certainly don't want it to be easy. What next... Require that we get approval from the person we are reporting before we can send? Limit to one bot report per week per person? Maybe they can monetize bot reporting, somehow.

Verbal_Earthworm · September 2017

It's up to the people who run the game to waste their time and effort policing them, not the players.

MasterSpatula · September 2017

Verbal_Earthworm wrote: »

It's up to the people who run the game to waste their time and effort policing them, not the players.

Ah, but that would mean living up to the BARE MINIMUM STANDARD of a company that has any business running an MMO, having GMs online at all times to deal with issues as they occur. ZOS has no intent of meeting that standard.

Ardan147 · September 2017

That we see whole trains of bots, whose behavior is so unnatural that it is obvious that they are being controlled by some script on not an actual live human being, shows that ZOS's approach hasn't been all that effective.

I've been harping on this for some time now: create a crown exchange to allow players to buy or sell crowns for gold, similar to what World of Warcraft is doing with tokens for game time (ZOS could even consider implementing the same system for ESO+ subscriptions). There will always be those players who are willing to spend real-life currency for in-game gold; at least this way the money spent goes to ZOS rather than some third party whose actions adversely affect the game experience for everyone. When the botters are no longer able to make enough money to cover the costs of new accounts to replace the ones that get banned, then they will go away. (They'll likely move on to some other MMO but that's not ZOS's problem).

dudecollarb14_ESO · September 2017

@ZOS_KatP
Thank you for the response but as they said, these bots get reported all the time. I have reported probably close to ten myself, in Karthdar alone. But there are 10 there or more at any given moment. We saw in year one that ZOS was able to find these bots and exterminate them through certain methods which I do not know or understand, probably have to do with reading pathing or w/e. Something needs to happen beyond reporting, because it has not stopped or reduced the amount of bots there, and dozens of players have also reported upwards of 10 bots.

Elsonso · September 2017

Verbal_Earthworm wrote: »

It's up to the people who run the game to waste their time and effort policing them, not the players.

This is, ultimately, the answer. It is their job, not ours.

Caligamy_ESO · September 2017

Ardan147 wrote: »

That we see whole trains of bots, whose behavior is so unnatural that it is obvious that they are being controlled by some script on not an actual live human being, shows that ZOS's approach hasn't been all that effective.

I've been harping on this for some time now: create a crown exchange to allow players to buy or sell crowns for gold, similar to what World of Warcraft is doing with tokens for game time (ZOS could even consider implementing the same system for ESO+ subscriptions). There will always be those players who are willing to spend real-life currency for in-game gold; at least this way the money spent goes to ZOS rather than some third party whose actions adversely affect the game experience for everyone. When the botters are no longer able to make enough money to cover the costs of new accounts to replace the ones that get banned, then they will go away. (They'll likely move on to some other MMO but that's not ZOS's problem).

Wait wait wait...

ZOS has an approach?

FloppyTouch · September 2017

Hey if ZoS is not going to do anything then I guess it's safe to buy gold and tempers from these guys. They obviously don't care if gold sellers and farmers are in the game. Why the hell is it up to the players to report.

Voltair · September 2017

If ZOS have an approach then its not working.

The same problem exists in Shadowfen but there it interferes with a quest where you kill the crocs for a gem for the guar lady. And these pesky bots also interfere with fishing as in they run under the line. Breaks the mood!

I am so tired of chasing them to report a name and come back to that area 6 hours later to find yes...they are still there! A day later and yes still there...

I did enough of the "report bots" after early access during the early days of the game/gold sellers. It's way past time that ZOS got a handle on this.

D0PAMINE · September 2017

Players have no authority over each other. Moderaters are NEEDED IN GAME. Thats a fact.

Erris · September 2017

What I do is run up to the bot train, aim at something there and press F... that brings up the interaction wheel, where I select the report player function. It will already have their name there, so just change that you're reporting for cheating and add a line saying it's a bot train and the general location. If you want to report more, copy that line to your clipboard (ctrl-c), run up and do the same for each other name you haven't done. Adjust the "cheating" dropdown and paste (ctrl-v) the line you typed before.

All you have to do is get the wheel up to report them... it doesn't matter if they run off in the meantime while you're adjusting it.

I figure the more people report them, the better chance that something will be done about them. But who knows...

Chronicburn · September 2017

ZOS_KatP wrote: »

Hello,

If you're running into bots, this article lists the proper steps to take on how to report them in-game.

Hope this helps,
KatP

How does this get answered and threads on jewelry crafting get ignored?

Xelrick · September 2017

ZOS should've integrated an anti-grind system so these mob killing bots wouldn't be effective...

Like all they need to do is either;

1. Create a grind debuff which if you, or your group killed so many mobs within an area in a set amount of time, disable loot drop and XP for 30 mins.

2. Create a standstill kill stack debuff which goes up a stack of 100, this debuff will go up 1 every kill you, or your group makes while you are standing still (their X,Y position doesn't change), at 25 kills Loot will no longer drop exluding Bosses, at 50 kills cut XP by 50%, at 75 kills cut XP by 99%, and at 100 kills is instant death and wayshrine. This debuff can removed only by moving equal to the number of stack in game meters, or travelling to a wayshrine.

I'd lean for the second one because bots are less effective moving around.

Eyesinthedrk · September 2017

When I'm trying to report botters do ffff1626, fffff1887, fffff9876, fffff6561, fffff7491, nm3721, nm4741,nm1889, nm1617, eb9765, eb2298, & eb5437 all have to be reported individually?

Waylin · September 2017

Ardan147 wrote: »

That we see whole trains of bots, whose behavior is so unnatural that it is obvious that they are being controlled by some script on not an actual live human being, shows that ZOS's approach hasn't been all that effective.

I've been harping on this for some time now: create a crown exchange to allow players to buy or sell crowns for gold, similar to what World of Warcraft is doing with tokens for game time (ZOS could even consider implementing the same system for ESO+ subscriptions). There will always be those players who are willing to spend real-life currency for in-game gold; at least this way the money spent goes to ZOS rather than some third party whose actions adversely affect the game experience for everyone. When the botters are no longer able to make enough money to cover the costs of new accounts to replace the ones that get banned, then they will go away. (They'll likely move on to some other MMO but that's not ZOS's problem).

And? Did things get better in WoW? I know other MMO's had a similar approach. Just curious.

Zimbugga · September 2017

Why game have that "Gamemaster" logo if we never see them? ZOS must do more work against those bots. It's their job to keep their game clear and fair. It's not players' job, because we are customers.

Elsonso · September 2017

Erris wrote: »

What I do is run up to the bot train, aim at something there and press F... that brings up the interaction wheel, where I select the report player function. It will already have their name there, so just change that you're reporting for cheating and add a line saying it's a bot train and the general location. If you want to report more, copy that line to your clipboard (ctrl-c), run up and do the same for each other name you haven't done. Adjust the "cheating" dropdown and paste (ctrl-v) the line you typed before.

All you have to do is get the wheel up to report them... it doesn't matter if they run off in the meantime while you're adjusting it.

I figure the more people report them, the better chance that something will be done about them. But who knows...

While you are doing this, don't dally. The reason they are botting at that location is that the monsters tend to spawn before they get back. If you are reporting bots at this place in Auridon, you might have about 60 seconds to get that done before a wolf kicks you out of the dialog by attacking you.

Chronicburn wrote: »

How does this get answered and threads on jewelry crafting get ignored?

"This" is operational, while jewelry crafting is discussing a new feature. The quotes are because they really are not answering anything. All that happened in here is pointing to a repoting process that is really a waste of time to read. ZOS has not answered the bigger question about when they are actually going to do something about bots in the game. All they say is that they take it seriously and point to that document to describe how to report. While they say that, unaddressed bots that have been reported can run freely for weeks.

Eyesinthedrk wrote: »

When I'm trying to report botters do ffff1626, fffff1887, fffff9876, fffff6561, fffff7491, nm3721, nm4741,nm1889, nm1617, eb9765, eb2298, & eb5437 all have to be reported individually?

I have tried to combine bot reports into one. Given the time between report and action, it is hard to tell whether it really works. My guess is that no GM stops by to observe the location. Maybe they have some tool that uses the name in the reporting field to run some query against the database and, if that account meets a strict definition of a bot, it is actioned. For most bots, all they need to do is send them a private message saying "talk to me" and then send that character to some random location. If there is a player there, and they find themselves suddenly standing in the middle of some city, they will get back to the GM and ask what's up. If there is no player there, the character will be found running against some wall trying to get to the next mob on the path, until something guides the character back to the path.

Edit: of course, that last comment depends on them actually having GMs in the game.

Arizona_Steve · September 2017

I just aggro some monsters in the area and run around the bot train, getting the monsters to attack them.

Elsonso · September 2017

Arizona_Steve wrote: »

I just aggro some monsters in the area and run around the bot train, getting the monsters to attack them.

It would be more effective to aggro the mobs ahead of the bot train and kite them away from the bots so they pass by without stopping. This will be annoying to humans, but they can follow you. Bots won't, if you are out of their detection range.

Otherwise, you have to kill the bots. If you don't, they just get more loot and XP.

Iselin · September 2017

ZOS_KatP wrote: »

Hello,

If you're running into bots, this article lists the proper steps to take on how to report them in-game.

Hope this helps,
KatP

Yeah well reporting them by name one at a time is a pain when they're in constant motion and each sorc bot has 2 pets out and they run in groups of 10.

Like I've said many times before, we need an option to just report a botting spot when we see it happening... like right now, PC NA in Auridon around the Tower of the Vale. They're there just like they always are 24/7 as they have been for months.

D0PAMINE · October 2017

Still there, it's impossible to report one by one. im killing the mobs before they get to them but im by myself and cant cover all locations. Can we please PLEASE have a Gamemaster deal with botting?

D0PAMINE · October 2017

These screenshots wont do anything, but what else can I possible do? lol

Crimsonwolf666 · October 2017

I am sorry ZOS but it doesn't seem like you are dealing with the bots in a timely manner. What's the point in taking the time running around trying to get each @name in a group of 10-sometimes30 different individuals isn't fun on my part

lagrue · October 2017

We were safe for months... even years... on console - only had rubber banders/button tapers and the odd "asian gold seller" popping up...

Well... I was running an alt yesterday and got to the Coldharbour quest that was the old tutorial (Prison of Wails)... two players with names like "nnnnh1" (not their name, just an example) - and their good friend "nnnnh2" - running in perfect unison, sync - even walking through traps at one point as though... oh I don't know... scripted/macrod/botted to do so...

Get ready console bois, this stuff is starting to bleed our way. ZOS needs to up the ante and create a rule where even digital copies of the game only get 1 or 2 activation and if they've been used, too bad. I seem to recall this ancient form of product activation that was common on PC.... what was it again? Serial codes? Like yeah - I know cracks are a thing - but seriously just limited product activations would limit this issue severely. Send 2 codes upon purchase and if they get used, that's that - buy the game again or go without.

The problem, imo is that they can simply make new accounts over and over. Don't really know how it is on PC at the moment - but it's not hard to gameshare on consoles... as long as only the secondary accounts get banned, then the primary can still continue to share to endless secondaries - if the primary could only activate the game twice, then that's that - secondary is gone and all that's left is primary.

IP bans don't work, endless reports don't work... nothing works... anybody with half a brain can manipulate or even change their IP if its dynamic - you need to hit them where it hurts - right now they're cutting a head off a Hyrda, and that doesn't work because it just sprouts more heads

I'll tell you now, most people running bots for profit aren't going to be willing to buy more copies of the game to continue botting - some will, but it wouldn't be nearly the plague it is now. And the more they clamp down with limited activations and bans, the less and less desirable it would be to commit these offenses.

Verbal_Earthworm · October 2017

At this point i wonder if they don't take proper action due to realising that the majority of the player base is running bots.