How do you feel about implementing anti-cheat methods such as captcha?

[callipygoustp]

Huh? How would captcha even work in WoW? Are there games where captcha is used?

[kaminaris]

It wouldn't stop anything. In order for it to be useful it would have to appear all the time and that would just lead to players being annoyed when enter a dungeon, mounting, gathering, etc. There are also services out there that offer bots that solve them.

Blizzard has far better ways to finding and stopping bots then a captcha.

Nope, just suspicious activity, being in combat in same spot for extended period of time, entering many instances per hour, gathering more than 1000 herbs without stopping and so on.
This way captcha could work.

And by the way it would work because even if you enjoy farming for hours its pretty much impossible for human to not do breaks like eating or going to toilet. And bot doesnt do that.

[Toybox]

Ideas:

1. soulbind everything.
2. instead of soulbinding everything, create a new metric called "farming time allowed". Then, tie "farming time allowed" to "game participation". Completing a dungeon awards x hours of farm time. Completing a raid awards x hours of farm time. If your toon doesn't have any "farming time", then it can't mine/herb/skin etc.

I wasn't sure there could be an idea worse than introducing a captcha system, but you just might've found one.

[rhorle]

And by the way it would work because even if you enjoy farming for hours its pretty much impossible for human to not do breaks like eating or going to toilet. And bot doesnt do that.

So why even do a captcha? Why not just do normal bot investigations? If you are only going to use it for situations where 99.9% of the time it is a bot then what is the point?

[sanaubia]

How would it be used?

[Cosmic Janitor]

First of all: Why?
Seond: How?
Third: Oh my god, no, what is wrong with you?

[kaminaris]

So why even do a captcha? Why not just do normal bot investigations? If you are only going to use it for situations where 99.9% of the time it is a bot then what is the point?

Its not about banning but breaking bot activities. Ban needs to be thoughtfully investigated, captcha doesnt. Even if legit player sees it like once in a while its fine.
Banning legit player isnt.

Algorithm for showing captcha can be "highly suspicious"
Algorithm for banwaves must be "absolutely sure"

[T-34]

The pain, suffering and drudgery of a captcha-system far outweighs the minimal impact it would have on botting, so it is a big NO from me.
Furthermore botting is only a problem for players that grind gold to pay for sub and players that farm herbs etc. As I am none of those then bots are only a win for me as my consumables are much cheaper thanks to bots. More bots please.

[Hellobolis]

if you want to go this route you go the minigames route not captchas.

or you know, just use the "i am not a robot" checkbox that works with your mouse movement so it can be invisible to the player. oh wait, blizz already does that kinda stuff.

i lowkey wanna write an addon that adds captchas to readychecks though, would result in some fun times in discords.

[kaminaris]

We dont need captcha-system, this isnt some mobile phone-game we're talking about here.

Adding captcha-like systems to a subscription-based game like WoW is would be terrible.

How would a captcha-system be a good "anti-bot" means?

People on thins thread don't get it how it would work. First of all there would be a really really really really really really really really really really really really slim chance of legitimate player to see captcha.

But it's fairly easy for bots to get them and ultimately break them. Obviously more advanced bots would probably be able to avoid it, nevertheless there are tons of "stupid" bots that would break.

[zhero]

just imagine, almost achieving mythic world first raid clear, everyone started getting captcha popups and wipe. it would be worse than the elevator boss.

[Hellobolis]

People on thins thread don't get it how it would work. First of all there would be a really really really really really really really really really really really really slim chance of legitimate player to see captcha.

But it's fairly easy for bots to get them and ultimately break them. Obviously more advanced bots would probably be able to avoid it, nevertheless there are tons of "stupid" bots that would break.

wouldn't doing it that way be counterproductive?

that way you are basically telling the bots exactly when you caught on to them and how long it takes you to take action. that way you both give them time to start working on their next bot and an idea how long lazy they can be about that.

[Mouri Kogorou]

the system will only be triggered on suspicious activities and not normal players.
stuff like farming on the same route for extended period of time and so on..

[aeuhe4yxzhds]

Did we really learn nothing about classic and blizzard trying to limit bots? People are so god damn entitled that just the mere thought of not being completely unlimited at what you can do makes them go crazy and whine online, that blizzard is trying to make their experience worse.

Even though some limit might only affect 0,01% or less of players, some people will rage and just constantly whine about it that their game play MIGHT in some crazy shape or form IN THEORY be impacted.

Its amazing how much brain gymnastics people do just for their own right instead of thinking of the whole integrity of the game.

just imagine, almost achieving mythic world first raid clear, everyone started getting captcha popups and wipe. it would be worse than the elevator boss.

Imagine not even thinking two steps ahead. If there was one it wouldnt pop up in combat inside a raid unless the fight is past its enrage, it would more likely pop up before the fight start or before you can loot ect. Jesus, how come people just think of the absolute dumbest way something could be implemented that no human would actually do

[kaminaris]

wouldn't doing it that way be counterproductive?

that way you are basically telling the bots exactly when you caught on to them and how long it takes you to take action. that way you both give them time to start working on their next bot and an idea how long lazy they can be about that.

No, first of all system wouldn't fire immediately after catching suspicious activity. But after a random period of time. To not give away what triggered it.
Developers ain't stupid.

Second, failed captcha can result in various different outcomes such as teleporting to random city, getting killed etc.
You wouldn't get ban, your bot would be just innefective.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah the lazy bots would break for sure, but Im pretty sure sophisticated bot-developers consider even things like captchas.

Yeah but pro bots are pretty rare and if you encounter pro bot you won't even know its a bot.

[Krimzin]

Blizzard does more for Anti-Hack/Anti-Bot programs than any other developer out there. I mean 40,000 accounts on Classic a couple months ago.
I wish they would just focus more on RMT advertisers and the asshats who are always spamming chat to sell carries for RL currency, the ones linking websites and such.
Multiboxing is one I don't care one way or another because I dont see it as botting.

[Hellobolis]

No, first of all system wouldn't fire immediately after catching suspicious activity. But after a random period of time. To not give away what triggered it.
Developers ain't stupid.

Second, failed captcha can result in various different outcomes such as teleporting to random city, getting killed etc.
You wouldn't get ban, your bot would be just innefective.

I'm talking more in terms of weeks, not so much the literal line of code that made it suspsect it was a bot. botter runs his bots, after 6 weeks captchas start showing up, after another 4 weeks his bot is broken. next time he knows when to stop work on his current bot and that he has at least a couple of weeks to come up with something new to immediately take over. botters aren't stupid either most of the time they probably know the likely ways blizz will break their bot, now they can just plan for the timing though.

[Zentail]

This suggestion was brought to you by a time period where AI couldn't solve captchas.

[Razion]

The captchas would have to only be triggered on people who were suspected of botting. If everyone had to do these it would be annoying. There's also the problem of people reporting others en masse and triggering a captcha, and the captcha getting in the way of legitimate users in the middle of critical gameplay.

[Zyrinx]

Nearly as bad of an idea as a Jump to Conclusions mat.

This would add annoyance and solve no problem.