A harvesting companion?

Rittings · July 2022

Could this help to solve the bot crisis we currently have?

The reason bots are so plentiful, is because they have a stranglehold on the material economy - due to having sole harvest control of many zones now.

What if we had a companion, that had to be earned (or crown purchased for quicker access) that would increase our harvest yield AND stacked with the CP passive? Allowing real players to harvest way more from nodes than bots can currently generate would help players control the material market once more, it would also alleviate the skeptical responses of how bots keep material prices lower (which isn't economically or fundamentally correct either) - and it would generate further revenue for Zenimax via purchases of Blackwood and/or crown sales.

Thoughts?

MagicalLija · July 2022

I agree that there should be a companion which increases the yields or gives more variety (different levels worth of materials).

My idea for this would be tied in with a Warden Companion which gives some like "Nature's Blessing" passive which increases the yield of materials.

Each week the cost of materials and upgrade mats are just going up and up, at least on PcEu. There needs to be something to help dive the cost of everything a bit

Alchemical · July 2022

What would prevent bots from just using those companions though? You think they wouldn't drop $40 on an expansion to double their income? Most bots are part of huge farms with dozens or hundreds of accounts, which they buy hundreds of bot licenses to run on them, and are accustomed to getting hundreds of accounts banned at the same time, buying more, and continuing business as usual. If it helped them keep their dominance over the market, they wouldn't even think about it, $40 is small potatoes when you're turning all that gold into RMT schemes that pull in thousands of dollars, and that's just the 'legit' ones that don't use your account info to then double dip by phishing you and stealing your identity.

Inflation itself is as much, if not more, of a problem as the bots as well. There are players with hundreds of millions of gold (legitimately), it makes no difference to them if Roe is 8k or 80k, it's equally insignificant. Until they nerf capitalism, it's gonna continue to be a problem where the people with the most money are setting the standards for everyone else.

Rittings · July 2022

Alchemical wrote: »

What would prevent bots from just using those companions though? You think they wouldn't drop $40 on an expansion to double their income? Most bots are part of huge farms with dozens or hundreds of accounts, which they buy hundreds of bot licenses to run on them, and are accustomed to getting hundreds of accounts banned at the same time, buying more, and continuing business as usual. If it helped them keep their dominance over the market, they wouldn't even think about it, $40 is small potatoes when you're turning all that gold into RMT schemes that pull in thousands of dollars, and that's just the 'legit' ones that don't use your account info to then double dip by phishing you and stealing your identity.

Inflation itself is as much, if not more, of a problem as the bots as well. There are players with hundreds of millions of gold (legitimately), it makes no difference to them if Roe is 8k or 80k, it's equally insignificant. Until they nerf capitalism, it's gonna continue to be a problem where the people with the most money are setting the standards for everyone else.

Bots wouldn't. They are there to make money - not spend it. You see, ZoS do ban bots, but then they just make new accounts. They can't keep sinking that kind of money into multiple accounts to get a companion. Thus, you hide behind a gate that only real players would be willing to open and unlock.

Amottica · July 2022

I see the logic. There are bots farming matts so Zenimax should create an assistant so we have our own personal farming bot.

Rittings · July 2022

Also, the cost of items and inflation is created by there being too much currency in the game - and also the devaluing of currency being too easy to aqurire - both of which are also results of bot interference. But that discussion is for another thread, another time...

I do like the idea of a Warden companion too btw... that would really make sense!!

Dr_Con · July 2022

The companions already help me harvest by distracting or dealing with mobs on my typical farming routes. Other than that, I have hirelings and multiple toons which deliver me items daily.

For these reasons, I feel that other than raw prices for raw rubedite ore and raw ruby ash wood, prices are in a good place. I would like to maybe see trait components be used for gear morphs rather than the transmute stones at some point, or in addition to, in order to raise their price.

bmnoble · July 2022

Would be nice if are companions could handle are surveys.

Feel like that harvesting mythic they were planning awhile ago that we haven't heard about since would be a better option for normal overland harvesting:

Harvester's Hope-Ring

(1 item) Whenever you gather resources from a harvesting node, gain 1 stack of Harvester, up to 20 stacks max. Each stack of Harvester increases your chance of gathering bonus materials by 10%. Removing this ring removes all stacks of Harvester. Harvester does not affect resources gathered with Crafting Surveys or bonus resources received during holiday events.

RealLoveBVB · July 2022

Using bots to counter bots doesn't sound like a smart strategy.

EvilAutoTech · July 2022

Crown store, crown store, crown store get your ZOS bots here.

AvalonRanger · July 2022

I like picking up crafting material on the road. So, I don't want those kind of bot.
Finding various shape of grass or mushrooms for killing time of dungeon queue as DPS.

kargen27 · July 2022

Rittings wrote: »

Also, the cost of items and inflation is created by there being too much currency in the game - and also the devaluing of currency being too easy to aqurire - both of which are also results of bot interference. But that discussion is for another thread, another time...

I do like the idea of a Warden companion too btw... that would really make sense!!

That doesn't make sense to me. Maybe with rare items that could happen. Materials are common. Bots flood the market with materials keeping the prices mostly low. Players with tons of funds might be willing to pay more but they don't need to because supply is greater than demand.

And I'm guessing most players that have tons of gold also have tons of material.

Ragnarok0130 · July 2022

We really already have this if you chose the minion skill point in the various crafting lines. The only crafting line lacking this feature is jewelry.

Rittings · July 2022

RealLoveBVB wrote: »

Using bots to counter bots doesn't sound like a smart strategy.

Where did I say it was a bot? It’s meant to be a passive on the companion just like when Bastion gives you better potions. This companions passive would be to increase your harvest amount … and have it stack with plentiful harvest. Thus meaning we could harvest way more than a bot ever could…. Which would begin to alleviate PC mat prices, and drive down the value of bot farming.

Plus… it’s another avenue for Zenimax to explore to benefit themselves too.win win win.