Curse

SOT · Jul 30, 2005, 12:50 AM // 00:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drakron

You dont, only way would be body block the exists so bots would be stuck (as everyone else).

The bots became a larger issue withe nerfs and even if we could end bot presence in the game (highlt doubt it) Arena Net would continue to nerf areas because of farmers.

Correct me if I am wrong, but after nearly a decade and a half of programming experience, I am faily certain Anet has the ultimate solution to bots:

Hard-code into the game engine itself, their implementation tools, their live client support applications, and their network (server side and client) framework a block that prevents ANY applications whatsoever from accessing Guild Wars executable while it is resident in the user's system memory.

Now I want to ask: Why have they not done this for every single GOD DAMN MMO out there?

And I answer:

They refuse. It seems to support diversity and reasons for doing major things like nerfs (which I have not yet SEEN much of, despite all the screaming about it).

I mean seriously. These guys are coding guru's (hehe) and they have the ability, resources, tools and staff to program such an amazingly complex game world, keep it running live, and maintain all the bells and whistles, why can they not seem to figure out that bot programs only work as spoofers, which seek out the game client they are specifically written for, and null their access to the program as a whole, even with it NOT running? It makes so much sense, and yet no one has bothered to say this out loud, and I have kept silent about it for months. It simply is a shame.

Cmon you coding badasses, kill the bots in the womb, so we can end the tirelessly stale debate!

Tactical-Dillusions · Jul 30, 2005, 12:55 AM // 00:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOT

Correct me if I am wrong, but after nearly a decade and a half of programming experience, I am faily certain Anet has the ultimate solution to bots:

Hard-code into the game engine itself, their implementation tools, their live client support applications, and their network (server side and client) framework a block that prevents ANY applications whatsoever from accessing Guild Wars executable while it is resident in the user's system memory.

Now I want to ask: Why have they not done this for every single GOD DAMN MMO out there?

And I answer:

They refuse. It seems to support diversity and reasons for doing major things like nerfs (which I have not yet SEEN much of, despite all the screaming about it).

I mean seriously. These guys are coding guru's (hehe) and they have the ability, resources, tools and staff to program such an amazingly complex game world, keep it running live, and maintain all the bells and whistles, why can they not seem to figure out that bot programs only work as spoofers, which seek out the game client they are specifically written for, and null their access to the program as a whole, even with it NOT running? It makes so much sense, and yet no one has bothered to say this out loud, and I have kept silent about it for months. It simply is a shame.

Cmon you coding badasses, kill the bots in the womb, so we can end the tirelessly stale debate!

Do you mind if i email this to support? That's a masterpiece.

Beats my idea i was sitting on...tell the FBI.

Silmor · Jul 30, 2005, 01:09 AM // 01:09

As long as you can play the game, you can write a bot/macro to do the clicking for you. I sincerely doubt the current bots go anywhere beyond simple macro'ing, and this method is hard to distinguish from a regular player playing the game - someone suggested making sure actual keys were pressed checking keyboard interrupts, but I'm not sure this is a good idea considering the rise of alternative interface devices these days.

I think a better bet is to check for repetitive behavioural patterns rather than technical aspects since this would be a far lower-tech approach to stopping botting, although it could probably be made a lot more complicated with sufficiently randomized behaviour. Monitoring eBay/similar venture gold auctions and taking measures against sellers (ban account) / buyers (remove purchased gold?) would also work to push the cost for botters to buy new accounts higher than the returns they get before they're caught. Careful trade logs should show where the money comes from, to make sure it's not just intermediates getting banned. If botters need to spend more money than they can earn, you can bet they'll be gone before you know it.

aB- · Jul 30, 2005, 01:26 AM // 01:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drakron

ArenaNet have a anti-farming policy or they would not have made a code the registers how many times you been on a map and adapts (raise) mobs and (lower) drops based on it.

Or maybe they implemented that to stop botters who continuously go into and of a zone? Just maybe?

Sagius Truthbarron · Jul 30, 2005, 01:36 AM // 01:36

Where does this idiotic notion that all Chinese people are bots come from? This is all just some mass fear of another culture. The same way you act with the Koreans. The same way alot of people did durring the Cold War.

aB- · Jul 30, 2005, 02:33 AM // 02:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sagius Truthbarron

Where does this idiotic notion that all Chinese people are bots come from? This is all just some mass fear of another culture. The same way you act with the Koreans. The same way alot of people did durring the Cold War.

Maybe it's because in the Ember Light Camp there is the same 20 people that constantly say a chineese phrase and exit the area for days at a time.

Drakron · Jul 30, 2005, 02:38 AM // 02:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by aB-

Or maybe they implemented that to stop botters who continuously go into and of a zone? Just maybe?

So do farmers when they find a nice spot, they will raid it over and over again.

Bots (in GW) just automate farmers activities.

Tactical-Dillusions · Jul 30, 2005, 02:51 AM // 02:51

I'm a farmer but i don't spam the channels with hyroglyphics...it's disrespectful, unneccesary and sticks to fingers up at ArenaNet and ourselves.

I've got six names written down. Tomorrow i'm returning to ember light camp and if they are still there, my report will be sent.
I'm sick of not selling/buying from the merchant there incase i buy too much of X or click "sell" too many times during a latency spike. It's not nice to delete those collector items and spare pieces of droknars armour.
It is almost as bad as seekers at times...and we all know about that one!

Anarkii · Jul 30, 2005, 02:58 AM // 02:58

Well, you are on an honorable mission, but I dont think you are going about it in the best way. Prevention is better than cure.
Until ANet does something to either
(1) technically make it impossible to run bot programs , or
(2) Modify the current game environment and economy to make botting not worthwhile....
Botting will go on....

Tactical-Dillusions · Jul 30, 2005, 03:05 AM // 03:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarkii

Botting will go on....

...and so will i.
Until my last breath or until my inbox is full of support case replies.

Lasareth · Jul 30, 2005, 03:06 AM // 03:06

I'll tell you one thing. I prefer to farm peacefully. And if I get tells asking if I'm a bot, the reply is either going to be

a) None
b) You'd wish you hadn't whispered me
c) I'd report you for harassment (if I got more than one tell)

If other people join your crusade, I'm sure this problem will grow larger. As it did in FFXI.

Granted I don't speak in tongues in trade/allchat, but this is still very irritating to see forming, knowing it'll grow to the fear/witchhunt ffxi turned into.

Lorelei · Jul 30, 2005, 03:16 AM // 03:16

Bot=hunting, a new form of farming, should be nerf-ed!

Fight monsters, people! get back slaving on monsters! you are slacking off!

Nisha · Jul 30, 2005, 03:25 AM // 03:25

Would it not also help if we tried to report as many of these ebay sellers as possible?
I just did a search on "guild wars gold" and came up with 1092 listings!
One seller had 614 feedback and a 99.5% positive rating...along with this unbelievable line in his auction...
"DisClaimer:All items related to Guild Wars are the property of NCsoft."
Hunting ebay sellers would be easier since you don't have to guess if they really are illegal...

Lasareth · Jul 30, 2005, 03:27 AM // 03:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nisha

Would it not also help if we tried to report as many of these ebay sellers as possible?
I just did a search on "guild wars gold" and came up with 1092 listings!
One seller had 614 feedback and a 99.5% positive rating...along with this unbelievable line in his auction...
"DisClaimer:All items related to Guild Wars are the property of NCsoft."
Hunting ebay sellers would be easier since you don't have to guess if they really are illegal...

Legally, I don't think that would be possible. It's fairly easy to begin an auction under a false name if you really wanted to frame someone else.

Everything Anet works off of they have to base on transactions occuring within the game. This includes trades, chat, etc. The person must say some form of "I sell/buy gold for real money" for action to be taken upon their account. This also comes up in FFXI regarding RMT.

Shagsbeard · Jul 30, 2005, 02:52 PM // 14:52

Anet just needs to catch some of the ebayers, delete their accounts, and the rest will soon realize they stand to lose more than they stand to gain.

Fatalis · Jul 30, 2005, 02:55 PM // 14:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOT

Hard-code into the game engine itself, their implementation tools, their live client support applications, and their network (server side and client) framework a block that prevents ANY applications whatsoever from accessing Guild Wars executable while it is resident in the user's system memory.

I find your ignorance very curious.

Aniewiel · Jul 30, 2005, 03:01 PM // 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fatalis

I find your ignorance very curious.

This is perilously close to flame bait. Unless you explain further in respectful disagreement, I will have to delete the above quoted post.

Thanks for sticking to forum guidelines.

Numa Pompilius · Jul 30, 2005, 03:02 PM // 15:02

The only realistic approach (beyond perhaps getting the Chinese authorities to do something (yeah, right)) is to ban accounts found using bots, and it seems obvious that is exactly what Anet is doing.

3 weeks or so ago I added a bunch of suspected (and reported) bots to my 'friends' list to keep track of what happened, and today they're all offline. Unfortunately they may well have generated enough gold/items that the botter not only can replace the account, but still turn a profit by selling on ebay.

Also I cant help but wonder if the botters have anything to do with all these keyloggers intended to steal GW accounts that keep getting posted everywhere. I mean, that's definitely another way for them to lower the cost of replacing banned accounts.

Tactical-Dillusions · Jul 30, 2005, 03:09 PM // 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Numa Pompilius

Also I cant help but wonder if the botters have anything to do with all these keyloggers intended to steal GW accounts that keep getting posted everywhere.

Exactly my thought yesterday. There was one chinese guy who was spamming lots of stuff over and over and he had a curious number in his sentence.

What would happen if curiosity got the better of you and you googled that number and got taken to a website?
I'm thinking keyloggers too!!

Mormegil · Jul 30, 2005, 03:12 PM // 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by aB-

Maybe it's because in the Ember Light Camp there is the same 20 people that constantly say a chinese phrase and exit the area for days at a time.

Yes, definitely. No one has something against chinese/korean people, but I do have something against the same sentence spammed 24/24 in the trade/local channel by bots. And I guess someone agrees with me.