Lots of posts here about getting more staff on the servers specifically to keep banning accounts. I get the idea, and the goal would be great for everyone, but you're missing a point. You have to recruit and train someone to do that (which is not a cheap thing to do), and frankly I've never known a company who can keep people in that kind of menial work for more than 5 minutes without them getting bored, or realising they're in a dead end job, and leaving. Which means a never ending cycle of resource being spent on getting people only to have them leave in 5 minutes.

I completely get why people are suggesting that throwing people at it would fix the problem, but it's really not the best answer.

The solution, if there can be one, which is unlikely if WoW have had 10+ years and not managed it, is in code. It will get better, but as long as there is a market there, then it'll exist.

crush83 wrote: »

Now Zenimax has 50 new employees that they have to do something with. If they fire them, then they now have to pay them unemployment.

Erm. Not necessarily. For instance, assuming you're not just being fired for being incompentent, in the UK you a "temporary" worker and be released from employment within a matter of hours. And a "permanent" employee can be made redundant without any kind of severence / redundancy pay *if* the company can prove that your role is no longer required.

In both cases, the only thing you're owed is any outstanding wages for the last period you worked since the previous wage.

Trust me, companies "hire and fire" all the time. It all comes down to a company decision.

jamesharv2005ub17_ESO wrote: »

Oogaci wrote: »

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

We understand that bots can be very frustrating to encounter in-game, but please understand that we cannot assist with these types of issues on the forums. We have an in-game system in place that allows you to report violations of our Terms of Service, including bots and other forms of cheating.

If you haven't already done so, please make sure to use the reporting function to ensure these accounts are investigated by the appropriate team. Thank you!

@ZOS_AmeliaR The problem is that NOBODY responds to the in-game support tickets. I am seeing Veteran Rank 1 bots in Coldharbour that I have reported on numerous occasions in the early level dungeons or scripted pathing in overland areas. Perhaps this is something that needs to be addressed internally because it appears that one department at ZOS has no clue what the other is doing.

Or maybe they arent bots and you just think they are?

i know the difference between a bot and a live person. Anyone with a modest IQ can see the difference. Those who lack the intelligence to see the difference aren't able to tell the truth that is in front of their faces.

Bots move in point to point movement patterns, V, W, Z, M, N shaped. Live players move (with their mouse) in U, O, C, J shaped patterns,

Bots move in the same path over and over and often teleport at the end of the path to the beginning to restart their scripting. Both points can be noted by following them to where they disappear and then finding out where they are reappearing. Live players get distracted after a time and move in different patterns and never instantly teleport from once place on the map to the next.

Bots have a stutter when they move as they reach one point and pivot to move in a new direction. Live players move seamlessly.

Oogaci wrote: »

jamesharv2005ub17_ESO wrote: »

Oogaci wrote: »

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

We understand that bots can be very frustrating to encounter in-game, but please understand that we cannot assist with these types of issues on the forums. We have an in-game system in place that allows you to report violations of our Terms of Service, including bots and other forms of cheating.

If you haven't already done so, please make sure to use the reporting function to ensure these accounts are investigated by the appropriate team. Thank you!

@ZOS_AmeliaR The problem is that NOBODY responds to the in-game support tickets. I am seeing Veteran Rank 1 bots in Coldharbour that I have reported on numerous occasions in the early level dungeons or scripted pathing in overland areas. Perhaps this is something that needs to be addressed internally because it appears that one department at ZOS has no clue what the other is doing.

Or maybe they arent bots and you just think they are?

i know the difference between a bot and a live person. Anyone with a modest IQ can see the difference. Those who lack the intelligence to see the difference aren't able to tell the truth that is in front of their faces.

Bots move in point to point movement patterns, V, W, Z, M, N shaped. Live players move (with their mouse) in U, O, C, J shaped patterns,

Bots move in the same path over and over and often teleport at the end of the path to the beginning to restart their scripting. Both points can be noted by following them to where they disappear and then finding out where they are reappearing. live players get distracted after a time and move in different patterns and never instantly teleport from once place on the map to the next.

Bots have a stutter when they move as they reach one point and pivot to move in a new direction. Live players move seamlessly.

I bet zenimax said the same thing and look at all the innocent people they banned for supposedly being bots.

GreySix wrote: »

jamesharv2005ub17_ESO wrote: »

I bet zenimax said the same thing and look at all the innocent people they banned for supposedly being bots.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

Well these people were unbanned so obviously it was not a duck. Arent you quitting anyways? Why do you even care? First its grouping now its bots its always something with you isnt it heh. Ah well 2 more days.

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

We understand that bots can be very frustrating to encounter in-game, but please understand that we cannot assist with these types of issues on the forums. We have an in-game system in place that allows you to report violations of our Terms of Service, including bots and other forms of cheating.

If you haven't already done so, please make sure to use the reporting function to ensure these accounts are investigated by the appropriate team. Thank you!

Well I have submitted quite a few "in-game" reports on bots in a few areas over the past 48 hours, I still found most of them well and active a day later! While I do understand you guys may be super busy, maybe ask the powers that be to invest more money into their support team (yes I know this takes away from your actual profit), however your going to bleed more subs if you do not have the man power or spend the resources to have your tech combined with man power to deal with all these bots.

Reality here, is that your account management team is probably crying their eyes out with the over whelming amount of "bad accounts" they have to review along with your CC specialists who work hard to avoid "charge backs" against the company, which in itself costs any MMO company a fortune if they don't take pro-active measures of.

You have account fraud / stolen CC info that is clearly being used to buy 100's or even 1000's of bogus accounts just to be used for botting / gold farming. Find a way to help your Account Management team and a big part of this issue with bots / gold sellers will go away.

Such things as black listing CC information as you find bad accounts and can link the CC numbers to multiple purchases / accounts. If you end up hitting a handful of possible legit ones, it is far easier to deal with those few then dealing with the ongoing mass hysteria your creating your team by not doing so.

I feel for you Zenimax, I really do! How I would love to be a fly on the wall listening in to the decisions your masters above give, and see just how much money they are willing to invest in a proper, strong support infrastructure they should have had on day 1, with a heavy support for your Account Management team.

Truly wish you folks there the best, been in your shoes before and unless your company invests properly into those badly needed resources, I would be afraid of what the future might hold =(

jamesharv2005ub17_ESO wrote: »

Oogaci wrote: »

jamesharv2005ub17_ESO wrote: »

Oogaci wrote: »

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

We understand that bots can be very frustrating to encounter in-game, but please understand that we cannot assist with these types of issues on the forums. We have an in-game system in place that allows you to report violations of our Terms of Service, including bots and other forms of cheating.

If you haven't already done so, please make sure to use the reporting function to ensure these accounts are investigated by the appropriate team. Thank you!

@ZOS_AmeliaR The problem is that NOBODY responds to the in-game support tickets. I am seeing Veteran Rank 1 bots in Coldharbour that I have reported on numerous occasions in the early level dungeons or scripted pathing in overland areas. Perhaps this is something that needs to be addressed internally because it appears that one department at ZOS has no clue what the other is doing.

Or maybe they arent bots and you just think they are?

i know the difference between a bot and a live person. Anyone with a modest IQ can see the difference. Those who lack the intelligence to see the difference aren't able to tell the truth that is in front of their faces.

Bots move in point to point movement patterns, V, W, Z, M, N shaped. Live players move (with their mouse) in U, O, C, J shaped patterns,

Bots move in the same path over and over and often teleport at the end of the path to the beginning to restart their scripting. Both points can be noted by following them to where they disappear and then finding out where they are reappearing. live players get distracted after a time and move in different patterns and never instantly teleport from once place on the map to the next.

Bots have a stutter when they move as they reach one point and pivot to move in a new direction. Live players move seamlessly.

I bet zenimax said the same thing and look at all the innocent people they banned for supposedly being bots.

Actually that is Zenimax being lazy.

Rather than logging into their own game and policing it.
They are going by reports sent in by the customer that sit for days before they even get to reading them or acting on them.

Zenimax is not observing and making the determination themselves. They are relying on us to do the legwork. And let's face it, some players do not observe the activity long enough to determine if it is actually a bot or a live person. Some of us follow the avatar around for a bit to make certain it is indeed an automated script before we report. I will not report any avatar unless I am 100% certain that it is automated, even if it's name is "fgfgasdsdsd".

If i were a botter i would implement a script that reports every player i encounter.
So CS gets spammed with bot reports.
I am convinced that reporting is useless, it takes way to long for them to act. Botters are better, faster and obviously more motivated.

Skirmish840 wrote: »

If you ignore them nothing gets done, if you report them very little gets done. What is one to do, report or ignore, both seem like the same option to me atm... The reporting ingame is very lacklustre, It doesn't make me feel like I've made a difference for my 30 mins of reporting a zone of Bots, there's no feedback in game. It all feels useless.

Can someone please point me to the "bot reporting mod", I'm done reporting the hard way

http://www.esoui.com/downloads/info181-FastReport.html

Can ZOS make us a spell that brings down a giant hand and swats them like flies?

@Kililin‌

THX for mod, maybe this help, oh and with this mod i will feel as if i'm at "duck shooting race".

butthurtlocker wrote: »

IT NEVER ENDS

Please send a GM ASAP

I'd just like to say....your character is the uggliest mofo I've ever seen! Put a helmet on that disgraceful head

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

Keep in mind that you'll need to have targeted at least one of the bots to submit your report, that way the GM who receives your report has the specific location data he/she needs to track down the swarm.

I'm sorry, I really don't want to be rude but saying that just shows you really don't understand the reality at all.

I spent TEN MINUTES reporting a 5-bot train running around a zone the other day. In order to do what you're demanding us to do this is the reality:

1) With the lack of NAMEPLATES to interact with the only way to do what you're telling us to do is run after the train until they find mobs to hit.

2) Frantically try to target one of them to bring up the nameplate and hope you're able to trigger the radial menu in order to hit the Report! option at 10 o'clock. This has to happen within 5 seconds otherwise the mobs is dead, the bot runs off, you lose focus and lose the chance to pop up the radial menu. The reality is most attempts fail because your game is broken and sometimes you can target something an no nameplate appears.

3) If you miss (2) go to step (1)

4) If there are more bots go to step (1)

Given the literally SCORES of bots rampaging round zones like Glenumbra, Greenshade, etc. just when do you think we'll have time to actually PLAY?

Your comment that this is the only way to report a bot seems to mean screen-shotting the bot and then filing a report transcribing the bot's name, or simply remembering the briefly-flashed nameplate and pressing F1 is not going to result in a usable report.

Can you please confirm this?

If this is the case then forget about most people trying to report bots, because my description above shows just how painful is the process ZOS is demanding we use! I'm sure the OP's 50 bots weren't reported using the method you're demanding, meaning (s)he wasted their time entirely it would seem.

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

We understand that bots can be very frustrating to encounter in-game, but please understand that we cannot assist with these types of issues on the forums. We have an in-game system in place that allows you to report violations of our Terms of Service, including bots and other forms of cheating.

If you haven't already done so, please make sure to use the reporting function to ensure these accounts are investigated by the appropriate team. Thank you!

LOL, are you being serious?

In-game, Ive reported over a hundred bots in just 5 days. Called out for GMs in so many zones, asking them to come stop the bots.

Yet, for each of those days, I've yet to see no resolve. In fact, I even recognize some of the bots names I've encountered days earlier that I reported. Sometimes, I feel like what Im doing isn't really making a difference despite how much I report and try to rally others to do the same.

I know you guys have a lot on your plate but still, this has gotten out of hand and you'll need a 2nd team of mods that are dedicated to stamping out bots

Jenasy wrote: »

Is it just me who thinks the amount of bots in the game have been reduced? I run into these suspected bots on occasion in public D's and stuff but i see them less and less and i play this game alot more then id like to admit LOL.

you have not been back to the starter zones I take it?

Theres more bots than humans, running around in a congo line