Maintenance for the week of April 6:
• PC/Mac: No maintenance – April 6

The bots are now farming regular mobs and not the boss

Reykice
Reykice
✭✭✭✭✭
I was in the Bewan solo dungeon today and i noticed a few templars running circles in the instance killing the NPC`s all doing the same attacks and running on the exact same path over and over.

This is why changing the boss loot will do nothing to stop them, we need active GM`s.... and a better way to report them, one that gets prioritized and answered fast.
  • YourNameHere
    YourNameHere
    ✭✭✭
    Oh yeah, I saw this too. One of the clear bots in another dungeon I reported, was running around and doing this.

    *sigh*
    NA Megaserver / RPer
    Alinyssa Gaethar - AD || Raahni-do - AD || Wind-In-Tree's-Shadow - DC
  • ANewShadeRep88_ESO
    You know what this calls for? Reporting Bots takes too much time, we need to counter-act this by making Bots to report the Bots! Mission success!
  • Doowie
    Doowie
    ✭✭✭
    What they do need is a developer or someone within their security department to create some scripts that run on the server without impacting stability, which will look for commands that the bots give off and then instantly take action.
    [Name]: Doowie Doucheolas
    [Level]: Veteran Rank 5 / [PvP Rank]: Veteran
    [Class]: NightBlade / [Race]: Woodelf
    [Server]: EU Megaserver / [Faction]: Ebonheart Pact
    [Skills]: Medium Armour / Bow / Dual Wield / Werewolf / Clothing

    "The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."
  • Chirru
    Chirru
    ✭✭✭✭
    They do this not only inside dungeons..they do this outside also. Hordes of bots roaming about where ever there are more than one NPC...slaughtering everything in their path
  • Uncle_Bob
    Uncle_Bob
    ✭✭
    Chirru wrote: »
    They do this not only inside dungeons..they do this outside also. Hordes of bots roaming about where ever there are more than one NPC...slaughtering everything in their path

    Are you sure you're not confusing this with the large non-bot grind groups in Coldharbour?
  • MorHawk
    MorHawk
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bad as this is, I think this is proof at least that, despite what many people here were saying, the changes did work. Yes, this still isn't ideal, but it has at least reduced their returns significantly.

    I do wonder how much longer this'll happen. Rumours of keygens aside, I see the bots dropping off significantly once their accounts need an extra $15 to keep going. I don't think harvesting junk mobs is going to yield those kind of returns.
    Observant wrote: »
    I can count to potato.
    another topic that cant see past its own farts.
    WWJLHD?
  • Chirru
    Chirru
    ✭✭✭✭
    Uncle_Bob wrote: »
    Chirru wrote: »
    They do this not only inside dungeons..they do this outside also. Hordes of bots roaming about where ever there are more than one NPC...slaughtering everything in their path

    Are you sure you're not confusing this with the large non-bot grind groups in Coldharbour?

    Ah.... ten Chars with names like...ficase, efesa, frtoa, and such... sure... I am absolutely confusing it...Not.

    No, it was not in Coldharbour.
  • Duckfather
    Duckfather
    ✭✭
    But the changes didn't work. I still see teams of bots in every dungeon I go into :(
  • Uncle_Bob
    Uncle_Bob
    ✭✭
    Battling bots is an uphill battle, they're always one step ahead. Even in games that have been out for a decade like WoW still have bot problems. Changing loot tables/spawn points/respawn timers don't attack the problems at the source, they just force botters to exploit something else. Ultimately, the legit players are the ones that get screwed by these changes. ZOS needs to figure out how to run detection methods in the game code to catch bots and not alter the game itself.
  • Kythia
    Kythia
    Uncle_Bob wrote: »
    Battling bots is an uphill battle, they're always one step ahead. Even in games that have been out for a decade like WoW still have bot problems. Changing loot tables/spawn points/respawn timers don't attack the problems at the source, they just force botters to exploit something else. Ultimately, the legit players are the ones that get screwed by these changes. ZOS needs to figure out how to run detection methods in the game code to catch bots and not alter the game itself.

    Human ressources equipped with a ban bat.

    I remember in EQ over a decade ago, a GM showed up when you wrote a petition that something didn't work, was bugged or some unfortunate player tried to harass someone. They were friendly, immersive assistants of the gods. Age of Conan had them too in the beginning. "Quest didn't work? No worries, I'll check and grant you the completed flag. Enjoy your day!"

    And today? Copy&Paste response by ZOS Bot Kenzie and the weekly "We're working on it"-mantra, while the game feels more like The Walking Dead than Elder Scrolls with all the mindless bot hordes.
  • steveb16_ESO46
    steveb16_ESO46
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    They can alter the crap out of the game if that is what it takes. Instance public dungeons. Check and moderate all large store transactions, block all inter account gold transfers, change terms and conditions to permanent ban and charge a 6 month sub to gold buyers. Anything.
  • Hrithmus
    Hrithmus
    ✭✭✭
    Only a 200 Million dollar budget. No big deal
  • Uncle_Bob
    Uncle_Bob
    ✭✭
    Simple DB queries to look for large amounts of gold, abnormal level gains etc would be a good starting point to flag accounts. The problem is, they probably don't physically have the man power to investigate the large number of bots/farmers/exploiters after accounts have been flagged.
  • steveb16_ESO46
    steveb16_ESO46
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Then they should get the manpower.
  • Kyotee0071
    Kyotee0071
    ✭✭✭
    Actual human GM's are the answer. They can port around and respond to the bot reports, gold spamming reports, and character in game problems.

    Everquest did it very well. GM's could even summon you, they had Godly powers Lol. I had a petition in back in the day. I was out questing / grinding and suddenly lost complete control of my character. I was whisked up and away and suddenly appeared before a GM who handled my issue. I remember being in dungeon groups only to have a GM appear out of thin air. They might be there to reprimand someone in our party for something they did earlier, or to help with an issue. But they were there, they did help, they worked.

    Yes, it might take them a while to get a grasp on the problem. But we as customers would see them working on the issue. It would make us feel better. And the bots / gold spammers would get the message that this game is not worth their time because of those damn GM's running around!
    Edited by Kyotee0071 on April 24, 2014 3:27PM
    I didn't think my hangover was that bad this morning until I spent 10 minutes trying to log into my old Etch-A-Sketch

  • Duckfather
    Duckfather
    ✭✭
    In Everquest, you actually had to contact a GM to get a last name for your character at lvl30. They turned up within 15 mins or so and changed it there and then :-)
  • Ospoon
    Ospoon
    ✭✭
    Duckfather wrote: »
    But the changes didn't work. I still see teams of bots in every dungeon I go into :(

    Yep, there's still tons of them, and GMs appearing and mass banning them only leaves room for the next ten to immediately log in and take their place.

    I got tired of spending 10 minutes per dungeon reporting all the bot names, now it's only if I get a direct mail or guild invite.

  • Censorious
    Censorious
    ✭✭✭✭
    I remember when you stopped at a petrol station someone would be standing there ready to fill your tank for you, he'd check your oil, water and wipe down your windscreen while it was pumping.
    'Would you like a shot of Red-X sir?' he'd ask.

    Of course there were only half-a-dozen cars in our town...still...
    'Clever' sigs get old real fast - just like this one.
  • thegamekittenub17_ESO
    Ban Buyers..Once word is out that buyers are being banned the need to purchase gold is going to get awful small. I truly believe that most gold buyers want to play the game, they care about their accounts. But as of now most dang MMOs (with an exception of one I know of so far) are scared to slap bans on buyers. This is giving the buyers the go ahead to buy gold without fear. This in turns destroys most decent MMOs economy because gold spammers and their bots infest the MMO.

    Start a bit heavy handed on banning buyers. Give a temp ban first offense and the second ban them perm. This is the way to start thinning the gold spammers and their bots. If they have no one buying they sure as heck aint gonna take the time to stay in that MMO.
  • Xaaz
    Xaaz
    ✭✭✭
    Duckfather wrote: »
    In Everquest, you actually had to contact a GM to get a last name for your character at lvl30. They turned up within 15 mins or so and changed it there and then :-)

    It was at level 20 and it was only for the first month or so. After that, they automated it.
  • Duckfather
    Duckfather
    ✭✭
    Xaaz wrote: »
    Duckfather wrote: »
    In Everquest, you actually had to contact a GM to get a last name for your character at lvl30. They turned up within 15 mins or so and changed it there and then :-)

    It was at level 20 and it was only for the first month or so. After that, they automated it.

    I sit corrected on the level. It was a long time ago after all :blush:

    Although I do remember that it took me a long while to get to the level to receive my last name. It may have been more like 2 - 4 months or so, but I have no experience of it after that, as I only ran a main character :smile:
    Edited by Duckfather on April 24, 2014 4:36PM
  • Dracovar
    Dracovar
    ✭✭✭
    I was in the Bewan solo dungeon today and i noticed a few templars running circles in the instance killing the NPC`s all doing the same attacks and running on the exact same path over and over.

    This is why changing the boss loot will do nothing to stop them, we need active GM`s.... and a better way to report them, one that gets prioritized and answered fast.

    This is exactly what I said would happen. They will clear trash while waiting for boss cooldown to expire. Putting restrictions in game to combat bots will only hurt real players.

  • crush83
    crush83
    ✭✭✭✭
    In-game GMs means less profit. Suits don't like less profit.
  • crush83
    crush83
    ✭✭✭✭
    Dracovar wrote: »
    I was in the Bewan solo dungeon today and i noticed a few templars running circles in the instance killing the NPC`s all doing the same attacks and running on the exact same path over and over.

    This is why changing the boss loot will do nothing to stop them, we need active GM`s.... and a better way to report them, one that gets prioritized and answered fast.

    This is exactly what I said would happen. They will clear trash while waiting for boss cooldown to expire. Putting restrictions in game to combat bots will only hurt real players.

    And while they are waiting for that cooldown to expire, other players have an opportunity to kill the boss.
  • Gisgo
    Gisgo
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Duckfather wrote: »
    In Everquest, you actually had to contact a GM to get a last name for your character at lvl30. They turned up within 15 mins or so and changed it there and then :-)

    That is pretty much what happened on Daoc too: if you had an issue, you called a GM and they showed up.
    However, it was more than ten years ago and my server had a population of 3500 players, 2000 being the max number of players online at the same time.

    I can only wonder how many GMs Zenimax would need to hire for this game...
    Edited by Gisgo on April 24, 2014 4:56PM
  • crush83
    crush83
    ✭✭✭✭
    Gisgo wrote: »
    Duckfather wrote: »
    In Everquest, you actually had to contact a GM to get a last name for your character at lvl30. They turned up within 15 mins or so and changed it there and then :-)

    That is pretty much what happened on Daoc too: if you had an issue, you called a GM and they showed up.
    However, it was more than ten years ago and my server had a population of 3500 players, 2000 being the max number of players online at the same time.

    I can only wonder how many GMs Zenimax would need to hire for this game...

    2000x how many servers?
    Edited by crush83 on April 24, 2014 5:00PM
  • Chomppa
    Chomppa
    ✭✭✭
    Bots are clearing out public dungeons also , I was on my alt and I just ran through the skyshard because there were just bots and no mobs .
    :):D:(;):\:o:s:p :'( :|B):#o:)<3 (*) >:)
  • IronMaiden_burnout
    IronMaiden_burnout
    ✭✭✭
    crush83 wrote: »
    In-game GMs means less profit. Suits don't like less profit.

    Banning bot accounts means more money from fresh new ones. Suits love more money!

  • crush83
    crush83
    ✭✭✭✭
    crush83 wrote: »
    In-game GMs means less profit. Suits don't like less profit.

    Banning bot accounts means more money from fresh new ones. Suits love more money!

    That's a good point. If a GM can ban 50 bots per hour, and each bot is replaced, then that means 50 * $60 = $300/hr - $14/hr wage = $286/hr that single GM is making for the company.

    Great money making opportunity being squandered.
  • Gisgo
    Gisgo
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    crush83 wrote: »
    Gisgo wrote: »
    Duckfather wrote: »
    In Everquest, you actually had to contact a GM to get a last name for your character at lvl30. They turned up within 15 mins or so and changed it there and then :-)

    That is pretty much what happened on Daoc too: if you had an issue, you called a GM and they showed up.
    However, it was more than ten years ago and my server had a population of 3500 players, 2000 being the max number of players online at the same time.

    I can only wonder how many GMs Zenimax would need to hire for this game...

    2000x how many servers?

    In my case ONE server + ONE test server (thats something this game could use).
    Vortigern italian server, CTO management. That was before GOA and the EU daoc servers.
Sign In or Register to comment.