is using bots instead of reporting them bannable?

SnowmanDK · May 2014

I have seen quite a few players say they earn a LOT of gold running with the bots instead of reporting them, so they won't report them.
One player even said in zone chat that he earns more than 100,000 gold an hour doing it.
In my opinion that should be just as bannable as botting.
We really need some clear lines from the GM's.
Is it bannable or not?

rayvn03b14_ESO · May 2014

I don't think I get what you mean. Are you saying "Instead of reporting bots, some people have adopted a 'If you can't beat them, join them!' attitude"? I would say that's definitely bannable, even if it's a real player behind them.

Naguur86 · May 2014

Why should it be? There is a person controlling this char, where is the difference between this person following bots or other players for farming? Bots just seem to have the most effective routes/places to farm because it is the job of the developers of them to make them most effective.

SirAndy · May 2014

Naguur86 wrote: »

Why should it be?

Because you're exploiting an exploit that wouldn't be there if there weren't any bots around.

The 1 second respawing jute is made to respawn at a 1 second interval by the bots. Remove the bots from that node and the jute will respawn normally again.

For a normal player, there is no way to get a 1 second respawn other than joining the botting exploiters. Thus doing so makes you an exploiter as well. Simple as that.

Nobody has a problem if you do a resource run using known node locations. You can get a decent amount of mats doing so.

But knowingly piggybacking with someone who uses an exploit makes you just as guilty and should get you banned.

Whenever i see an obvious real player standing with a group of bots harvesting 1 second respawn nodes, i report them as cheaters, just like the bots.
;-)

Swampster · May 2014

If you look in the right (or wrong) places on the interweb.. you will see these bots and frameworks for sale for use with ESO, and yes people are buying them, discussing them and using them to farm for themselves while they're not present.. i.e while at work/school/college. They're basically using bots to automate the more mundane aspects of the game while they're out doing something else..

Oh, and yeah.. get caught using them and quite rightly you can/will get banned.

zeuseason · May 2014

This would not be bannable because you are a person controlling your character, not an automation program.

Altho I don't know why you would follow mindless bots around....I've never even 'participated' in the mindless aoe farm 'parties' and see no reason to.

Daverios · May 2014

Running with the bot pack is likley bannable. Tell your friend.

KerinKor · May 2014

Daverios wrote: »

Running with the bot pack is likley bannable. Tell your friend.

On what grounds?

SnowmanDK · May 2014

rayvn03b14_ESO wrote: »

I don't think I get what you mean. Are you saying "Instead of reporting bots, some people have adopted a 'If you can't beat them, join them!' attitude"? I would say that's definitely bannable, even if it's a real player behind them.

That's what people do. They join the bots and run with them instead of reporting them.

zeuseason · May 2014

Daverios wrote: »

Running with the bot pack is likley bannable. Tell your friend.

It's not. You are a person controlling your character experiencing the game's content offering.

crush83 · May 2014

I don't believe for a second that anyone is earning 100k gold per hour. Not even the bots.

stefaan.de.wasch1b16_ESO · May 2014

100.000 gold in an hour... yeah... right...

Daverios · May 2014

KerinKor wrote: »

Daverios wrote: »

Running with the bot pack is likley bannable. Tell your friend.

On what grounds?

Umm what interference of other players not enough. Why do you think bots are banned solely based on automation? No its bc that auto mation effects others negatively.

Wont argue though. Just say if you do as the bots do you run a risk.

Naguur86 · May 2014

There is a difference between following a bot just to adapt the way of farming gold and using an exploit caused by a bot. If the jute node thing is caused by a bot (didn't know that) and I follow them to gather these exploited nodes, yes I should be banned because using exploited nodes is a good reason for that.

Soloeus · May 2014

Piggybacking a bot falls into the realm of ill-gotten gains, and would be bannable. When someone exploits, and you discover them in the act and share in the wealth of it, you become guilty.

JessieColt · May 2014

What the heck do you need 100K gold an hour for?

Not like you can buy a house. Buy a Dragon. Buy an Island.

If you seriously feel like you "need" 100K gold an hour, you need mental help, not a response from a GM about a video game.

gladen5rwb17_ESO · May 2014

I find this post confusing. You cannot harvest a node that has been caused to instant spawn. Try it, you wont be able to harvest it.
If you are talking about becoming involved in their industry in any shape or form including hacking the game to do as bots do then of course it is against the ToS.
If you are talking about just following them around to work out their harvesting routes then no, that is not against the ToS.

SnowmanDK · May 2014

What I have seen is that people not just follow them. They use the bots by healing them as they then get drops from the mobs too. All they do is heal them, and then they earn the gold from the drops that is essentially given by the bots.
That is not right in my opinion, as they do it well knowing it's bots they follow.
They even talk about it openly in zone chats.

gladen5rwb17_ESO · May 2014

SnowmanDK wrote: »

What I have seen is that people not just follow them. They use the bots by healing them as they then get drops from the mobs too. All they do is heal them, and then they earn the gold from the drops that is essentially given by the bots.
That is not right in my opinion, as they do it well knowing it's bots they follow.
They even talk about it openly in zone chats.

I see. I did not realize this may be what the OP was referring too. I must admit though, that is a low way to play the game.

Soloeus · May 2014

JessieColtub17_ESO wrote: »

What the heck do you need 100K gold an hour for?

Not like you can buy a house. Buy a Dragon. Buy an Island.

If you seriously feel like you "need" 100K gold an hour, you need mental help, not a response from a GM about a video game.

Nunya. Do you say the same to real life people who want real life dollars in that number range? What do you say?

I believe it is bannable for reasons I already stated, however there is a large plethora of players well over the 10m range (I know) and the idea of competing against those players or others like them is frankly disgusting.

If there is a way I can catch up...

Big_Bob · May 2014

It's just like someone committing a crime, deep down you know what they did is wrong, and you're suppose to report to the authorities yet you don't and instead take a cut for yourself.

This makes you just as guilty. So in this game sense, yes, the guilty party deserves to be banned

Nazon_Katts · May 2014

Bots have been around for so long, maybe people take them for a feature?

Abigail · May 2014

Thank you for bringing this up ... I'm quite certain ZoS will find a way of stopping this activity by penalizing normal players even further.

Moonraker · May 2014

What the Zenimax Terms of Use say;

Promote, upload, transmit, encourage or take part in any activity involving hacking, cracking, phishing, taking advantage of exploits or cheats and/or distribution of counterfeit software and/or virtual currency/items. In an effort to continuously improve the Services, You and other players discovering exploits, cheats, cracks or other inconsistencies are required to report them to ZeniMax;

source
From that I would read that if a person knowingly use an exploit then you could be banned for doing so. Whether the exploit is in the game or created by illegal bots isn't going to be any different.

cisadanepajsuxrwb17_ESO · May 2014

Its like stealing. Its fine unless you got caught.

Corithna · May 2014

SirAndy wrote: »

Naguur86 wrote: »

Why should it be?

Because you're exploiting an exploit that wouldn't be there if there weren't any bots around.

The 1 second respawing jute is made to respawn at a 1 second interval by the bots. Remove the bots from that node and the jute will respawn normally again.

For a normal player, there is no way to get a 1 second respawn other than joining the botting exploiters. Thus doing so makes you an exploiter as well. Simple as that.

Nobody has a problem if you do a resource run using known node locations. You can get a decent amount of mats doing so.

But knowingly piggybacking with someone who uses an exploit makes you just as guilty and should get you banned.

Whenever i see an obvious real player standing with a group of bots harvesting 1 second respawn nodes, i report them as cheaters, just like the bots.
;-)

I'm uncertain how guilty it makes a person or not to be honest. But it certainly does include the risk of being caught up in an aoe flag by a hidden GM that then gets put through the autoban process. These machines are so prevalent that for the sake of expediency I'm sure they are grabbed as a group. That's probably not a group you'd really want to be associated with during bot hunting season.

"Shhhhhhh, be wery wery quiet! Were huntin Wobots! hahahahahhahahahaha" Elmer Zoss GM and ban hammer deity. Welcome to the Elmer Scrolls everyone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGS0fuqqDEo

Edit:I personally have nothing to do with recording or the associated video, however given the topic of conversation and my post here it seemed very appropriate. Enjoy!

stefaan.de.wasch1b16_ESO · May 2014

I seriously feel that if you start using botters to get an advantage in the game, you're no better then they are.

Big_Bob · May 2014

stefaan.de.wasch1b16_ESO wrote: »

I seriously feel that if you start using botters to get an advantage in the game, you're no better then they are.

Yea, same should be said about multiboxing lol

Slantasiam · May 2014

lol at this time gold is about useless so farm away lmao I have almost 1 million now... the only thing at all that costs me anything is repair costs everything else is right there in the world for the taking I have bought a few legendary mats... some food mats im too lazy to go get and that's it.

Naguur86 · May 2014

gladen5rwb17_ESO wrote: »

I find this post confusing. You cannot harvest a node that has been caused to instant spawn. Try it, you wont be able to harvest it.
If you are talking about becoming involved in their industry in any shape or form including hacking the game to do as bots do then of course it is against the ToS.
If you are talking about just following them around to work out their harvesting routes then no, that is not against the ToS.

That's what i meant. Of course it is not right and I wouldn't do it and anybody who does should be banned in my opinion. Nevertheless it is nit against the rules if no exploit is involved. Additionally it would result in a lot of false bans because hiw would you differ between someone doing a boss with bots around or farming and someone specifically following bots to get an advantage?

vstadenerwb17_ESO · May 2014

100k gold an hour? I call BS