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Bots - They have to stop

lee_mcdonaghb16_ESO
I have just got to Coldharbour and am sitting here watching an endless stream of level 3 characters wearing prison rags.

I repeat, there is a constant flow of level 3 characters. As I write this I have counted over 100 characters run past.

This is absolutely soul destroying and I will not support the game any more if this continues past the next subscription date.
  • Chomppa
    Chomppa
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    Even the starter islands are being affected , resources are becoming scarce in starter areas .
    :):D:(;):\:o:s:p :'( :|B):#o:)<3 (*) >:)
  • GossiTheDog
    GossiTheDog
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    Coldhabour issue has been going on for weeks. Here's the exploit: bot master levels to get to Cold Habour. Then sub-bots teleport to Coldhabour at level 3. Then other bots friend them, and teleport to those 'bot friends' in Coldhabour. Then mine or exploit the resources.

    By going in at level 3 they skip a majority of the players who report them, as most players aren't yet levelled enough to get to Cold Habour. So they don't get reported (and so banned) as much.

    The solution? Zenimax should set Cold Habour so you can't teleport there unless you're level 30.
    Edited by GossiTheDog on May 13, 2014 1:45PM
  • IronMaiden_burnout
    IronMaiden_burnout
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    Harvesting bots/hackers have been going on since 5 hours into the game on headstart. In fact I still see some familiar names of some bot scripts to this day still level 3 auto harvesting away.

    Anyone that thinks banning a bot will do anything is an serious denial. Where there is 1 bot banned 2 spring up to take its place.

    I am playing this month out but i will cancel my sub at the end of this one if this is not fixed.
    This is ruining our game play because we are the type that play these MMO's to explore / harvest /craft and enjoy the leveling road ahead no use for PvP or end game. So at every corner of our play style it is littered with bots and hackers running rampant.
  • Phinix1
    Phinix1
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    I cancelled my 3-month sub during my free play due to this, then came back and paid them for one month that I am still on when they promised they would do something about this.

    Now I have cancelled again because they clearly have done NOTHING, and the bot problem only continues to get worse. I will play to the end of the month when my patience with empty dungeons and disappearing nodes allows, then move back to FFXIV.

    I'll be watching the forums here though to see if they ever manage to stop this, or if the suits ever decide that the amount of players they are losing to allowing this outweighs the profit of the amount the bots are paying for their accounts.

    At this point though, I have lost all confidence in ZOS's ability or desire to do anything about this problem. I am now calling this "World of Bot Craft."
  • Hozec
    Hozec
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    they are working on the bots issue damn people stfu bout it already. How many times do you need them to say "We are working on it" Plus gms have been out and about on occasion cleaning up some.
  • Phinix1
    Phinix1
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    Hozec wrote: »
    they are working on the bots issue damn people stfu bout it already. How many times do you need them to say "We are working on it" Plus gms have been out and about on occasion cleaning up some.

    How many times to you need someone to lie that they will stop punching you in the guts until you finally shut up about still getting punched in the guts?
  • Tipsy
    Tipsy
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  • Auric_ESO
    Auric_ESO
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    ah, so your position is that they SAY their working on it but lying to us and doing nothing. What is more likely, they care about the game they've working on for 5 years and are developing the systems to combat them in the background and maybe have even put some in place and perhaps the bot makers are adjusting. Or that they don't see or care about the problem and are just letting the bot makers do whatever they want because they want the game to die and thier reputations with it?
    "The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit." Morihei Ueshiba
  • Hozec
    Hozec
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    Hozec wrote: »
    they are working on the bots issue damn people stfu bout it already. How many times do you need them to say "We are working on it" Plus gms have been out and about on occasion cleaning up some.

    How many times to you need someone to lie that they will stop punching you in the guts until you finally shut up about still getting punched in the guts?

    just wow. Can you not read the sticky at the top of this forum about battling bots? So your saying all of ZOS is just lying to us? Have you not seen some GMs going around killing/banning bots? Sure they are slow but they are working on it.

    If your not reporting them with the report function it takes them even longer to investigate the bots because they have to find the account name etc when reporting it here on the forums. Yes they can send Gm's there which they have already. But not much they can do until they get security protocols to make bots lives harder.
  • lee_mcdonaghb16_ESO
    Hozec wrote: »
    they are working on the bots issue damn people stfu bout it already. How many times do you need them to say "We are working on it" Plus gms have been out and about on occasion cleaning up some.

    Hire some people to sit in game with a tool to right click and ban the accounts that are botting.

    Sit in Coldharbour or any dungeon for a few days or every day if needed.

    The reason it has taken so long is because they are NOT doing a good job or dealing with it correctly.

    They need to take action!


  • GossiTheDog
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    Obviously, they are working on the bot issue. They posted here say it's their #1 priority, and I believe 'em. ZOS have fixed things like dungeon farming bots by changing loot timers, and jute farming has stopped as it no longer instantly respawns.

    That said, it's soon going to be two months since launch, and if you create a new character and start the game, bots are still running around the starter island - thousands of them. If you have a high level character and progress to Coldhabour in story, thousands of bots of running around. If you watch resources, bots take them while underground. If you look in the sky, you will see bots flying around. If you go in houses, you will see bots teleporting around rooms taking things.

    You can all probably see the perception people here. People believe ZOS aren't doing anything, because they play the game and react. You've all seen the posters here over and over and over about jute farming, Coldhabour etc - most people don't know anything about it, they just see it in game, rage, and report it.

    Personally, bots don't even bother me. I just ignore them.
  • Caduryn
    Caduryn
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    Well, look at the Grotto vet lvl exploit that exist since ......forever, they do nothing....

    Every other MMo would shut down and remove that, just eso not, they let it run and run and run.....
  • Yankee
    Yankee
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    Not understanding why they do not set a minimum level for Coldharbour to stop the weeks long exploit. But perhaps they fear the bots will just go to a lower zone where it impacts and pisses of even more players.

    Whatever they plan to do, it should be done soon. The bot infestation is the biggest problem this game has. I would be surprised if they are not losing subscriptions over it. Maybe just not enough yet.

    I have two characters in VR where I see no bots. As long as they do not nerf Molag or make main quests able to group that should remain clear because as far as I know a low level cannot port to a player in VR.

    But I will not level my baby DK until they do something about the bots.
  • Harbingers
    Harbingers
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    The solution? Zenimax should set Cold Habour so you can't teleport there unless you're level 30.

    It use to be set where you had to be 40+ and completed all prerequisites for coldharbour then people complained about it being bugged or gated. And how it shouldnt be gated. Then we got this. Just ad the gate back!
    ~ Immersion is no substitute for Exposition ~
    Karesh Zeal - VR12 Templar - Live
    Abyssiana Zeal - VR10 Dragon Knight - Beta - Retired by Zenimax 5/27
  • raglau
    raglau
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    ZOS have fixed things like dungeon farming bots by changing loot timers

    I think this has made the game less playable for real people than bots.
    Edited by raglau on May 13, 2014 2:35PM
  • Sarevok
    Sarevok
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    Some people surprise me they really do. You say their are hundreds of bots in cold harbor and expect ZOS to know what faction your talking about and where exactly in cold harbor they are? Cold Harbor is a big place so just naming a zone is not very helpful.

    Also for your information there have been GM's logging in to ban what gold sellers and bots they can find and also announce themselves and ask for anyone that spots any bots or gold spammers to whisper them the names. So don't say they are not doing anything about it because they are.

    The accounts of these spammers and bots are getting banned but we all know as that happens there is always another to take it's place. If you want to blame anyone for the spammers and bots still been around look towards the players buying gold.
    Edited by Sarevok on May 13, 2014 2:41PM
  • KerinKor
    KerinKor
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    Bots Complaints Threads - They have to stop
    FTFY.
  • KerinKor
    KerinKor
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    Sarevok wrote: »
    Some people surprise me they really do. You say their are hundreds of bots in cold harbor and expect ZOS to know what faction your talking about and where exactly in cold harbor they are? Cold Harbor is a big place so just naming a zone is not very helpful.
    Er, no they don't, in fact they don't really need to know the zone since they will have access to tools that can locate an active player on an account wherever that player is: if they don't that's just another game management tool ZOS never developed.

  • Phinix1
    Phinix1
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    Auric_ESO wrote: »
    ah, so your position is that they SAY their working on it but lying to us and doing nothing. What is more likely, they care about the game they've working on for 5 years and are developing the systems to combat them in the background and maybe have even put some in place and perhaps the bot makers are adjusting. Or that they don't see or care about the problem and are just letting the bot makers do whatever they want because they want the game to die and thier reputations with it?

    I am saying they are a BUSINESS, and the suits want to hedge their bets and guarantee they will make back the money it cost developing the game those 5 years. ZOS is well aware the bots are paying for their accounts and are slow to permanently ban them for a reason.

    At the same time, they do not want to alienate and lose legitimate customers, who also pay, so they will maintain the line "they are working on it." I am sure there are even some token GM appearances, though I have never seen one.

    Yet instead of banning the entire account they just lock out that character, and the bot owners just delete it and start up another one.

    Eventually they will lose enough legit customers that it will be financially worth it to eliminate the bots, but I don't think we are there yet.

    Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the ARTISTS behind the game. They have created something beautiful. But let's be honest. This is how this corrupt world works. The talent are ALWAYS at the mercy of the suits, and the suits always make bad decisions due to greed.

    EDIT: This is just my OPINION, so take it with a grain. But I know a little from my own personal experience in corporate life about how these things work.
    Edited by Phinix1 on May 13, 2014 2:52PM
  • Anath_Q
    Anath_Q
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    Sure, I believe they are "working on it". They don't need to keep telling me. The problem is that I have yet to see any evidence that their efforts have had any positive effect on mitigating the issue. Dungeon/Boss timers that merely push the problem to a different area of the game is NOT a fix to the problem.

    There are bots and sellers everywhere. Underfoot, overhead, training through mobs, crafting, banking, mailing, chatting. They have been around since beta and their numbers just seem to keep rising.

    For kicks, pull out a chair and sit out in front of the little house (any alliance) that a new player emerges from after escaping the Wailing Prison. They stream out of that house like roaches.

    My favorite new bot train spawned last night in Daggerfall. The leader, a husky male specimen, boldly named after himself after his gold selling company (you can imagine the laugh he's having snubbing his nose at ZoS). He was then followed by 15 busty female bots with gibberish names. They ran off - probably to Delyn's Mill - only to have their form-up spot in front of the little house taken by the next bot train.

    There are GMs nowhere. I believe you when you say you caught a random sighting of one, but I have never seen one. Yet, I bet I will see the chap named for his gold selling company again. And again. And again.

    ZoS would gain some much needed credibility on this issue if they would stop "talking" and start taking noticeable action. And no, I do not mean implementing some other timer, etc. that hurts the player more than the ever-adaptable botter.

    It means getting GMs into the game to monitor and act against cheaters in chat and all zones until a more elegant solution can be found...well, if one can be found. ZoS having an active presence in the game would go a long way towards giving me the confidence that they really are "working on it".

    | GM Cheesemongers of Nirn |
  • Kykosis12
    Kykosis12
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    Tbh i have seen 1 hord of bots running around since the begginning and they havn't been a problem for me.... i do however understand how much of a pain in the ... they are, this kind of problem is not being addressed fast enough, as it is deturing a lot of people from playing. I see so many people on chat saying that this is happening everywhere. Like many others have said already. Get a fair few people to scope each part of the map and right click and ban account.
  • Decimus_Rex
    Decimus_Rex
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    ESO is an old style coded game that has been hack friendly for probably 10 years.

    Has anyone ever seen a low level toon pop on a node , harvest it ,then disappear 1 second after it was harvested?

    How about low level toons getting quest updates like NPC turn in updates and object gather updates

    I have!!

    I used to see that in EQ1,vaguard,DF and others

    Now it's a been developed to a science by hackers

    i.e gold sellers,power levelers (that small squad of toons x4 closely following frrqfafaa) and course hack levelers , all this will be VERY HARD to eradicate.

    It will NEVER be nonexsistant they may lower it to an exceptable level. maybe

    ....Sniff Sniff....

    Smells like DarkFall in here

  • Reykice
    Reykice
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    They are humiliating ZENIMAX every day now they are even in the starter areas harvesting every node... so every new player can see who is the real power in this game...

    All ZENIMAX did was talk... talk... talk... and take our money. I doubt they are letting them stay as they lose so many players due to them.... i just think that whoever is in charge of bot stomping should be replaced as he is clearly in over his head.

    In most MMO`s the farming is done by actual people as bots get banned so fast its not a good tactic... and the few bots that do exist don`t dare to teleport as that would be a very fast ban. The reason you see so many here is because here the bots are not getting detected in any way when teleporting so they are not getting banned. This means that the people running the bots can just bring them all here with no risk and keep the manual farming(that is less invasive as they only have so many actual humans) to other games with better detection.

    They need to do something fast tho a lot of the people in my guild quit due to them... i think they all mentioned bots at one point or another. The quests got fixed mostly, other things got patched but the bot problem is only getting worse every day... the only reason some people don`t see them is because they are under the map only popping out at harvest nodes. But they are always there....
  • ShintaiDK
    ShintaiDK
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    Only thing I can say is, there are no bots or gold spammers in VR zones. Since the main quest lines have to be completed.
  • billp_ESO
    billp_ESO
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    The game is still playable, even with all the bots. But, it detracts from the game in some serious ways:
    - exploration -- supposed to be a big part of the game. Not so fun when everywhere you go is infested with bots
    - immersion -- gone, once you see all the bots
    - crafting/harvesting -- hard to harvest when every node is covered in bots
    - farming -- hard to farm mobs when trains of bots are everywhere

  • prana33b14_ESO
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    I am saying they are a BUSINESS, and the suits want to hedge their bets and guarantee they will make back the money it cost developing the game those 5 years. ZOS is well aware the bots are paying for their accounts and are slow to permanently ban them for a reason.

    LOL. These accounts are almost all purchased with stolen credit cards from people buying the gold in the first place or getting phished, and ZOS will have the money charged back from their account, meaning they get nothing.

    But I know a little from my own personal experience in corporate life about how these things work.


    ;)
    Edited by prana33b14_ESO on May 13, 2014 3:46PM
  • ThyIronFist
    ThyIronFist
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    Currently bots are the thing that keeps this boat afloat. Zenimax would lose a lot of money if they would ban all of them.

    Same goes for WoW. Bots have been infesting PvP for gods-know how long. Blizzard is well aware of it, and yet takes little action. Why?

    - Money gain from banning all bots? $0 (and it would probably cost them money)

    - Money gain from not banning all bots? *insert bot number here* × 15 bucks a month.
    The Elder Zergs Online
    Sainur Ironfist - DK - EU - Ebonheart Pact
    Retired
  • Reykice
    Reykice
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    You are wrong on that part... the botters hack accounts/steal CC`s so the money they use to buy the game or whatever has to be refunded...

    However nobody is refunding ZENIMAX for the money they spend removing the bots/helping people with hacked accounts/lost subs due to the number of bots.

    The bots are humiliating ZENIMAX every day 24/7... i`m sure they would like them gone but are not capable to do it.
  • Dita
    Dita
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  • pxtc_ESO
    pxtc_ESO
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    +1 I agree with you OP.
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