Are Blizzard ignoring botting in Classic?

[Huehuecoyotl]

I've been floating around STV the last few days, and there is a hunter in a certain spot that is clearly botting. Been there every time I log on and has levelled from 49 to 57 in that time purely grinding out mobs.

I've reported this character 3 times, and yet there he still is. Botting away. Are Blizzard ignoring tickets? Or are they just happy for people to bot?

[huth]

They generally try to figure out how the bot works and break it if possible, rather than just banning individuals.

[Roxyfoxy]

Blizzard bans bots in waves, they dont ban them as soon as they are reported.

They observe them to find ways to better detect the bots, however its a eternal battle since bot makers are usually one step ahead

[Daedius]

They generally try to figure out how the bot works and break it if possible, rather than just banning individuals.

Such a useless approach... while Blizzard are busy scratching their hole "observing", the bot user is raking in gold and selling it for money. By the time any action is taken, the botter has accumulated their wealth to buy the next set of updated bots and accounts to do it all over again.

This will only catch out regular players, it doesn't affect gold sellers AT ALL.

Blizzard benefits either way because they were paid for accounts, the botter made their money, all the while the players have to put up with bots 24/7.

If a direct approach with active GMs banning botters on the spot (like what other MMOs actually commit to...) bot activity would quickly whittle down.

[Phuongvi]

They don't ban someone just because you say he's botting.

[Craaazyyy]

Such a useless approach...

well they have to know if its bot and how it works, they cant just ban only because of reports.. because then many innocent people will get banned and people already can get banned for nothing because of report system..

[Daedius]

well they have to know if its bot and how it works, they cant just ban only because of reports.. because then many innocent people will get banned and people already can get banned for nothing because of report system..

By "many" you mean those caught and lying? Many bots are bloody blatant to observe... And as far as I am aware of people don't get banned merely from reports, just squelched from talking if accumulated enough...

[Craaazyyy]

By "many" you mean those caught and lying? Many bots are bloody blatant to observe... And as far as I am aware of people don't get banned merely from reports, just squelched from talking if accumulated enough...

with enough reports even innocent people can get banned.. my guild tested it multiple times back in the days and i know it still works like that, where you 100 people can just report a person and he'll get banned. Ofc people will get unbanned later, but innocent people definitely still getting banned, some people even get bans on accounts they didn't even play on because of mistakes etc.

suggesting that people only report botters and that people even know how to detect bots.. like i myself was called a bot a lot when i was farming herbs, because i was running in circles around the zone essentially

again regardless of all that they cant just start banning people because you reported them alone because you thought they were botting, they have to investigate if that person was actually botting

[garicasha]

The reason they wait is because botters usually have access to so many compromised accounts that being banned on one didn’t make any difference.

[arkanon]

The reason they wait is because botters usually have access to so many compromised accounts that being banned on one didn’t make any difference.

I really dont think that is the reason at all. Where did you get this idea?

[Pandragon]

Been there every time I log on and has levelled from 49 to 57 in that time purely grinding out mobs.?

Sounds like basic vanilla leveling to me.

[Eapoe]

Such a useless approach... while Blizzard are busy scratching their hole "observing", the bot user is raking in gold and selling it for money. By the time any action is taken, the botter has accumulated their wealth to buy the next set of updated bots and accounts to do it all over again.

This will only catch out regular players, it doesn't affect gold sellers AT ALL.

Blizzard benefits either way because they were paid for accounts, the botter made their money, all the while the players have to put up with bots 24/7.

If a direct approach with active GMs banning botters on the spot (like what other MMOs actually commit to...) bot activity would quickly whittle down.

“Hey, I just reported you for botting, have fun on your ban!”
That’s kind of why they actually look into the reports.

[Seranthor]

I've been floating around STV the last few days, and there is a hunter in a certain spot that is clearly botting. Been there every time I log on and has levelled from 49 to 57 in that time purely grinding out mobs.

I've reported this character 3 times, and yet there he still is. Botting away. Are Blizzard ignoring tickets? Or are they just happy for people to bot?

They dont ban solely based on reports... they actively try and prove that its actually a bot before they act... Imagine if you got banned for false reports (yes, they could do that).

[Mirishka]

I've been floating around STV the last few days, and there is a hunter in a certain spot that is clearly botting. Been there every time I log on and has levelled from 49 to 57 in that time purely grinding out mobs.

I've reported this character 3 times, and yet there he still is. Botting away. Are Blizzard ignoring tickets? Or are they just happy for people to bot?

So they should just take your word for it and instantly ban the guy?

/facepalm

[Mukind]

I've been floating around STV the last few days, and there is a hunter in a certain spot that is clearly botting. Been there every time I log on and has levelled from 49 to 57 in that time purely grinding out mobs.

I've reported this character 3 times, and yet there he still is. Botting away. Are Blizzard ignoring tickets? Or are they just happy for people to bot?

A lot of guys play at work and stuff as they play

I have tested a lot of people who looked like bots who were clearly just very bad or unable to sit down and play properly at that moment

At least 50% of the time he's just a shitter

[Kilee25]

A lot of guys play at work and stuff as they play

I have tested a lot of people who looked like bots who were clearly just very bad or unable to sit down and play properly at that moment

At least 50% of the time he's just a shitter

This has been my experience as well. I knew a guy who worked in IT at my company who kept a spare PC at his desk and the smallest monitor he could find. He spent the day fishing and basically just farming a small little area while he worked. I saw him do that for literally years. It was basically how he made money.... I don't think he really even did anything with it. He just liked collecting money, and was bored at work. It was horribly inefficient, but I think it just gave him something to do.

[Azerate]

They don't ban someone just because you say he's botting.

This. Guy is probably just farming mobs like crazy all day. Leave him alone.

[lonely zergling]

If you cant identify a bot you are probably a bot.

There are a lot of lvl 60 hunter bots farming in silithus / azshara. I also found a 5 man bot group farming Sunken Temple on my realm, free 2.5k honor EZClap when there was no battlegrounds.

Some of these bots even had gank protection active so they logged out for 10 minutes after each kill.

[Eosia]

I've been floating around STV the last few days, and there is a hunter in a certain spot that is clearly botting. Been there every time I log on and has levelled from 49 to 57 in that time purely grinding out mobs.

I've reported this character 3 times, and yet there he still is. Botting away. Are Blizzard ignoring tickets? Or are they just happy for people to bot?

Here's what happens:

1) You spot alleged bot and report it
2) Blizzard investigates and determines if it is a bot or not. If no, then stop here. If yes, continue.
3) Start studying bot and how it is interacting because it has obviously gotten around Warden and other such things.
5) Blizzard develops countermeasure
6) Blizzard identifies a pattern to help them identify others using the same bot with minimal false positives and gets a hit list.
7) Blizzard implements fix via hotfix, client patch, etc.
8) Ban wave goes out
9) Bot author updates code and we go back to step 1.

[Seranthor]

If you cant identify a bot you are probably a bot.

There are a lot of lvl 60 hunter bots farming in silithus / azshara. I also found a 5 man bot group farming Sunken Temple on my realm, free 2.5k honor EZClap when there was no battlegrounds.

Some of these bots even had gank protection active so they logged out for 10 minutes after each kill.

And I'm willing to bet that not a single person howling about 'bots' is willing to eat a permaban for misidentifying someone as a bot.