Bots, bots, and more Bots

[Puppymeow]

If you've done battlegrounds lately, you may have noticed that many of the players there aren't actually players. The player may mount up and run around the map in circles, or perhaps run to the flag and cast the same spell over and over. Both Alliance and Horde are impacted by this, and it seems the winning faction for the battleground is determined by which side has the least amount of bots on it's team.

Mining and herbalism are a similar story. An endless stream of "players" farming the map 24/7.

Is Blizzard actually doing anything about this? The problem is so widespread we need some kind of zero tolerance policy.

[XenuMC]

And what would you suggest Blizzard does about this, heh?

[Deleted]

This thread is lacking bots.

[Puppymeow]

And what would you suggest Blizzard does about this, heh?

Ban people who use botting applications?

[Phibi]

And what would you suggest Blizzard does about this, heh?

as usually they don't do shit about it because banning the bots means less $$ for blizzard.
that's why the honest players are fucked up big time.

if blizzard wouldn't be a bunch of retards they'd just ban those people.
but well...that will never happen. sadly.

[XenuMC]

Ban people who use botting applications?

Most of the bots are run by Chinese dipshits who use stolen accounts. This is just trying to fight the symptoms, not the cause. It won't help, at all.

I am not sure whether that unedited post was intentionally racist or just bad phrasing and against bots only, so I am only giving you an infraction for forbidden topics. ~Raven.

[conscript]

as usually they don't do shit about it because banning the bots means less $$ for blizzard.
that's why the honest players are fucked up big time.

if blizzard wouldn't be a bunch of retards they'd just ban those people.
but well...that will never happen. sadly.

They ban those accounts all the time. They usually do them in a giant wave rater than one at a time though. If you report them and they are caught botting, they are disciplined up to the point of a permenant ban depending on the offense.

[monkeyshine]

heard of games rolling back people now for botting instead of banning since they lose money out of it, though doing this blizz would have to probably hire more people to do investigations against people who were botting, track where the mats they mined / herbed went etc etc. Doesn't work so well =/

[iLLFluenT]

And what would you suggest Blizzard does about this, heh?

Pretty simple actually... same thing they do in every other MMO, ban dudes. (FFXI, SW:G do anyway)

[XenuMC]

Pretty simple actually... same thing they do in every other MMO, ban dudes. (FFXI, SW:G do anyway)

Did you really think it's 'that simple'?

[iLLFluenT]

Most of the bots are run by chinese dipshits who use stolen accounts. This is just trying to fight the symptoms, not the cause. It won't help, at all.

Actually, if they installed the proper software, a bot could be detected almost instantly, and then ban them. Just like FFXI did when they were having huge problems wit smart Koreans and their crazy bots farming rare spawns.

---------- Post added 2011-01-17 at 09:57 AM ----------

Did you really think it's 'that simple'?

I know it is. Like I said, look at FFXI and SW:G.

[XenuMC]

Actually, if they installed the proper software, a bot could be detected almost instantly, and then ban them. Just like FFXI did when they were having huge problems wit smart Koreans and their crazy bots farming rare spawns.

---------- Post added 2011-01-17 at 09:57 AM ----------



I know it is. Like I said, look at FFXI and SW:G.

I like how you seem to know what you are talking about. What 'proper software'?

[iLLFluenT]

I like how you seem to know what you are talking about. What 'proper software'?

Not sure of the exact name, I'm sure they all have different names. Kinda like a Punkbuster-ish type thing. But actually much easier to make one with an MMO since so much data is stored on their servers.

[Deleted]

Search these or the official forums for threads about accounts getting banned for botting.. There are lots of them from people who think they didn't deserve it. How many do you think are banned and don't post here because they know they are at fault?

The problem is, as stated in a few posts above, that most of the gather bots are actually stolen accounts. Blizzard can ban those accounts, but another one will take their place using the same software. It's a matter of wits vs wits, blizz vs bot programmers. It's neverending, just like normal virusses will never be fully wiped out.

[XenuMC]

Not sure of the exact name, I'm sure they all have different names. Kinda like a Punkbuster-ish type thing. But actually much easier to make one with an MMO since so much data is stored on their servers.

Yes, please. Use up more resources, make it more bloated. Meanwhile this won't do shit to stop bots. Yes, it might help for a few days against certain type of botting applications that hook into WoW's memory. It won't do jack-shit against botting applications that watch your screen and imitate key presses and mouse movement. It'll work until the hackers have figured out a different way to get around it (and they will) and it'll just cost both sides more money, resources and time which will make us, the customer, suffer. All the while Blizzard will get swamped by people who have been hacked and now their account is banned for 'botting', even though IT WAS TEH CHINESE.

Seriously, it isn't as simple as you think it is. But if you are so sure that it is, please, start a company and make mad profit yo.

[iLLFluenT]

Search these or the official forums for threads about accounts getting banned for botting.. There are lots of them from people who think they didn't deserve it. How many do you think are banned and don't post here because they know they are at fault?

The problem is, as stated in a few posts above, that most of the gather bots are actually stolen accounts. Blizzard can ban those accounts, but another one will take their place using the same software. It's a matter of wits vs wits, blizz vs bot programmers. It's neverending, just like normal virusses will never be fully wiped out.

There aren't as many hacked accounts out there as you make it seem. Most people that get hacked, are low level newbies who have a level 40, what good is farming on a 40? Anyone with an 85, probably plays regularly, and would notice their account hacked, and contact blizzard and get it straightened out rather quickly. On top of that, who's gonna take a hacked account and then use a Bot in a BG? What good does that serve? Farming honor up? Lmao.

---------- Post added 2011-01-17 at 10:06 AM ----------

Yes, please. Use up more resources, make it more bloated. Meanwhile this won't do shit to stop bots. Yes, it might help for a few days against certain type of botting applications that hook into WoW's memory. It won't do jack-shit against botting applications that watch your screen and imitate key presses and mouse movement. It'll work until the hackers have figured out a different way to get around it (and they will) and it'll just cost both sides more money, resources and time which will make us, the customer, suffer. All the while Blizzard will get swamped by people who have been hacked and now their account is banned for 'botting', even though IT WAS TEH CHINESE.

Seriously, it isn't as simple as you think it is. But if you are so sure that it is, please, start a company and make mad profit yo.

If I had 12 million subscribers at $15 a month, you bet your ass I'd be making such a program. And I don't care about how it would be a never-ending battle, it's one I just wish they'd fight more aggressively.

[Merrena]

I don't like bots in BGs but I do find it funny when people think they can bot arenas, yeah I've seen people that are either bots or play like bots

[Dawnseven]

There's a blue post on MMO's front page called "My fathers account banned" which apparently was for botting. This is just one example, but Blizz DOES ban for it all the time (I agree with conscript above). Between Warden and taking action on reports made I wouldn't say Blizz does nothing. You just have to accept that there's going to be stuff like this in a game this popular and report botting when you see it.

[Alfador]

Not sure of the exact name, I'm sure they all have different names. Kinda like a Punkbuster-ish type thing. But actually much easier to make one with an MMO since so much data is stored on their servers.

Because punk buster isn't the single worst, most bloated piece of shit I've ever installed on my computer before, right? Oh wait, it is.

I love how people have these magical solutions to everything and act like subject matter experts because they have some vague idea of how things probably work based on some only loosely related anecdotal experience.

[iLLFluenT]

Because punk buster isn't the single worst, most bloated piece of shit I've ever installed on my computer before, right? Oh wait, it is.

I love how people have these magical solutions to everything and act like subject matter experts because they have some vague idea of how things probably work based on some only loosely related anecdotal experience.

I didn't say I liked punkbuster. But it works. I love how people change subjects because they have no idea not even a slightly vague idea of how to raise a good argument.

---------- Post added 2011-01-17 at 10:13 AM ----------

There's a blue post on MMO's front page called "My fathers account banned" which apparently was for botting. This is just one example, but Blizz DOES ban for it all the time (I agree with conscript above). Between Warden and taking action on reports made I wouldn't say Blizz does nothing. You just have to accept that there's going to be stuff like this in a game this popular and report botting when you see it.

I saw that post too, and I bet it's bullshit. That kid prob did something dumb and got banned, now he lying wit some sob story that it's his 65 year old fathers.