Player Controlled Bot Detecting/Kicking

[Nick_Cards]

I have been in need of credits in game for a while now, I did some research online and found a bunch of easy ways to get some. I was willing to put in the hours of running back and fourth hoping to at lease a few of the methods would work. But to my surprise every location I tried was flooded with bots. I have never seen botting so bad before. Of course you would see them once in awhile on the fleet, but they were never doing to much harm.

Now that players can squelch other players by reporting them for spam, I though: Why can't we do that same for botting?

The setup would be simple, if a player happens to see a bot, or what seems to be a bot, he/she should be able to report him, adding a new reporting tab label: "Bot" or something could easily be added. Once the bot player was reported, his/her actions should be monitored for about 20 minutes. If there actions seem to be repeating several times, the bot should be kicked from the game for 1-2 hours. If the bot returns and gets reported again, he/she should be banned for the day, and the credits they earned, in a certain amount of time should be deleted.

[Dalagante]

I have been in need of credits in game for a while now, I did some research online and found a bunch of easy ways to get some. I was willing to put in the hours of running back and fourth hoping to at lease a few of the methods would work. But to my surprise every location I tried was flooded with bots. I have never seen botting so bad before. Of course you would see them once in awhile on the fleet, but they were never doing to much harm.

Now that players can squelch other players by reporting them for spam, I though: Why can't we do that same for botting?

The setup would be simple, if a player happens to see a bot, or what seems to be a bot, he/she should be able to report him, adding a new reporting tab label: "Bot" or something could easily be added. Once the bot player was reported, his/her actions should be monitored for about 20 minutes. If there actions seem to be repeating several times, the bot should be kicked from the game for 1-2 hours. If the bot returns and gets reported again, he/she should be banned for the day, and the credits they earned, in a certain amount of time should be deleted.

 

This would be so abused. Player could easily use this system to grief other players. There is already too much going back and forth over resource nods in chat now. The other thing is you tie up a customer service rep or another employee monitoring this. Personally if I wasn't botting and I got kicked for 1-2 hours I want the person who reported me kicked for 1-2 days. That being said you can create a ticket and let them know someone is botting.

[Nick_Cards]

One, the fact that you responded this way likely means you have botted before. And the idea is, that if a player reports another player that is botting, the botting player will be monitored. If the same action is being repeated over and over again, then he/she gets kicked. It wouldn't be abused. For if a player was reported, and wasn't botting nothing would happen. Because without a botting program, it is very unlikely that a player would be making the same exact moves.

[SelinaH]

And the idea is, that if a player reports another player that is botting, the botting player will be monitored.

It's not a player-controlled system if there's monitoring by BW staffers.

[Nick_Cards]

Does SWTOR constantly monitor all there players? No, that is how the reporting system works. I don't know why it is super hard to understand. Plus it would be easy to set up an automatic monitoring system that triggers when you report them.

[Dalagante]

One, the fact that you responded this way likely means you have botted before. And the idea is, that if a player reports another player that is botting, the botting player will be monitored. If the same action is being repeated over and over again, then he/she gets kicked. It wouldn't be abused. For if a player was reported, and wasn't botting nothing would happen. Because without a botting program, it is very unlikely that a player would be making the same exact moves.

 

No it means I played Aion which had a similar system which was used to grief people. The fact you want this system shows you have never played under a system like that. The other thing you don't understand is the cost /benefit of this. You asking them to pay someone money to sit and monitor a players actions. While I don't know for sure this would cost more than your sub per person caught. The benefit isn't there. I would rather they put the money into developing.

 

The other thing is I don't know what server you are on or what you are doing but I pretty sure I can count the times on my hands that I have seen a bot running in this game of the whole summer. This post sound more like you either ran into the the rare bot or you are mad that someone took a box while you were fighting or stole your kill and you want to report them. Which is why I would never support a system like this because all it would do is lead to griefing by people who offend others.

 

The other thing is botters are so easy to beat. One just stay ahead of the bot. If they are picking up boxes just beat them too it. A human can adjust pattern a bot most likely can't. If it's killing just tag each mob before the bot does and let him kill them for you. The other fun thing to do especially if the bot is using aoe pull mobs into the AoE area and then do a deaggro ability. It's fun to kill bots.

 

Finally you can report them just submit a customer service ticket.

[Nick_Cards]

OMG! It wouldn't be monitored by a employee. It would be an automatic system. Which would be super easy to set up. The system would start detecting when you reported him. And I have played under many systems like it before. ALSO SWTOR has a build in spam punishment now. If you are spamming, and a player reports you, you get squelched for 24 hours. So there is already a system in place that is player controlled! AND there isn't a person monitoring it. It is done by a program. You are not educated about these such things, please don't reply to this post again. I am getting sick of repeating myself. Edited September 7, 2015 by CommunityDroidEU
rude part removed

[SelinaH]

If you are spamming, and a player reports you, you get squelched for 24 hours. So there is already a system in place that is player controlled! AND there isn't a person monitoring it. It is done by a program.

Which, as Dalagante mentioned above, opens up the potential for abuse of the system.

 

You can't have it both ways.

You are not educated about these such things, please don't reply to this post again. I am getting sick of repeating myself.

You are, of course, free never to post again if it bothers you so much. Others are also free to reply as they see fit within the guidelines set forth by the EUALA and Rules of Conduct.

[Nick_Cards]

You can have it both ways? Are you even reading my posts? If you can't read, please don't participate in this post. I am not here to argue. If you don't agree with this post then ignore it. Your comments will be deleted in a day. This is a serious idea. I can't keep repeating myself. It gets old. Edited September 7, 2015 by CommunityDroidEU
rude parts removed

[Daewan]

OMG! Why are you so slow! It wouldn't be monitored by a employee. It would be an automatic system. Which would be super easy to set up. The system would start detecting when you reported him. And I have played under many systems like it before. ALSO SWTOR has a build in spam punishment now. If you are spamming, and a player reports you, you get squelched for 24 hours. So there is already a system in place that is player controlled! AND there isn't a person monitoring it. It is done by a program. You are not educated about these such things, please don't reply to this post again. I am getting sick of repeating myself.

 

No, the problem is that you are a naive idiot. We understand what you are typing, but you don't seem to realize that the game is populated with people exactly like you: rude, impatient jerks with no self-control. To save you the effort that I know you would never make, here are a few links to instances of subbed players complaining about how the squelching is being misused by people just like you.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=626290

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=833289

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=820815&highlight=squelch

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=833931&highlight=squelched

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=827522&highlight=squelched

 

There are more, but the common theme should be pretty clear. Anyone with any common sense would not want a system like this that can prevent actual players from being able to play based on the whims of anonymous people around them.

 

tl;dr: player-controlled bans and mutes are a bad idea. A BAD IDEA.

[SelinaH]

If you don't agree with this post then ignore it. Your pathetic comments will be deleted in a day.

Unlikely. What's more likely to happen is that the thread will eventually be closed for being unproductive and/or veering wildly off-topic -- as these types of threads inevitably do.

 

The only question is how many replies you'll get before then.

[MaximusRex]

But to my surprise every location I tried was flooded with bots.

 

So other people farming the areas you want to farm are now bots and you want a way to kick them form the game so you can get all the loot for yourself. I'm on Harbinger, the most populated server, and hardly ever see bots even when farming in the most popular locations, yet I see a lot of posts from other people trying to farm that they see nothing but "bots". I tend to see nothing more then people upset they have to compete for resources.

 

Also, the spam squelch requires multiple players to report the person within a certain amount of time to work, that helps reduce the likelihood that players will use it to take advantage of other players. It also allows them to continue playing the game, even if they can't use public chat. "Bots" out in the wild don't have a large enough audience for that kind of system to work, so it pretty much leaves it open to a system where one person get's a competitor banned because they dared to farm the area you want to farm, and following the same circle every time hardly does a bot make, but an automated system wouldn't know the difference.

[Nick_Cards]

Unlikely. What's more likely to happen is that the thread will eventually be closed for being unproductive and/or veering wildly off-topic -- as these types of threads inevitably do.

 

How am I off topic? You guys are reading my post incorrectly. I am trying to explain to you how the system would work. I have not gone off topic.

[cyrusramsey]

All you are doing right now is proving that you're the one who is not reading posts properly.

[Nick_Cards]

All you are doing right now is proving that you're the one who is not reading posts properly.

 

Please remain on topic,

[Jaryk]

I am not complaining about getting squelched. I don't know how you got that. I am complaining about the bots. Sure they are easy to get around, but I don't like the idea of people being able to cheat at the game like that. You idiots do realize that botting is a serious problems, and affects many MMOs. I am willing to put in a few hours, running back and fourth, they are CHEATING.

 

No one was saying that you were complaining about getting squelched.

 

They were highlighting the problems inherent to player controlled squelching and then comparing those problems to the ones inherent to player controlled bot detecting and kicking.

[Nick_Cards]

Oh, I must have misread the newest post. Either way, I thought I already touched on that subject in an earlier post. Edited September 6, 2015 by Nick_Cards

[Dalagante]

OMG! Why are you so slow! It wouldn't be monitored by a employee. It would be an automatic system. Which would be super easy to set up. The system would start detecting when you reported him. And I have played under many systems like it before. ALSO SWTOR has a build in spam punishment now. If you are spamming, and a player reports you, you get squelched for 24 hours. So there is already a system in place that is player controlled! AND there isn't a person monitoring it. It is done by a program. You are not educated about these such things, please don't reply to this post again. I am getting sick of repeating myself.

 

It isn't me who need to educate myself. Honestly if it was easy to detect botters with a program it would be there. What you fail to understand is playing an MMO requires a lot of repetitive key punching. I am pretty sure from just doing it so many times. My key presses at the start of a fight are pretty much the same. When I run dailies I almost always take nearly the exact same path. Even old school way of sending messages to player by customer service reps isn't fool proof. I know for me if I am running dailies sound is off and I am not looking at chat. Heck friends usually have to text me on my phone to get me to look at chat in a game.

 

I have been in games where botting is a problem so I understand the frustration. The thing is SWToR isn't one of the those games and your suggestion would never be the answer if it was. I suggest stop thinking everyone is a bot and just play the game. If you are having a problem making money just run some dailies you can make ok money and really not as competitive as resource gathering.

 

On a side note even if your idea was great your confrontational approach would turn people against you. If you think you are surround by idiots, it is time to look in the mirror.

[Nick_Cards]

Have you seen a bot before? If they are spamming anything in the chat it is hard to detect. But if you time it, you will see that they spam the specific message about 3 minutes apart. EVERY TIME! That is what you would be looking for. And no player will be making the EXACT same movements, unless they are a bot. I don't understand why you don't get it.

[MaximusRex]

Have you seen a bot before? If they are spamming anything in the chat it is hard to detect. But if you time it, you will see that they spam the specific message about 3 minutes apart. EVERY TIME! That is what you would be looking for. And no player will be making the EXACT same movements, unless they are a bot. I don't understand why you don't get it.

 

And a good bot program will randomize the movements. I don't get why you don't get it.

[Dalagante]

Have you seen a bot before? If they are spamming anything in the chat it is hard to detect. But if you time it, you will see that they spam the specific message about 3 minutes apart. EVERY TIME! That is what you would be looking for. And no player will be making the EXACT same movements, unless they are a bot. I don't understand why you don't get it.

 

I am going to try one more assuming two things

1. You are not trying to troll.

2. You have the ability to actually listen and follow logic.

I realize that is a stretch given how the thread has gone but I guess I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. If I assume those things that leaves me with you are most not be really knowledgeable in scripting programs, and MMO player bases .

 

1. Botting isn't a problem hasn't really ever been a problem so dedicating any time to coding to combat it would be a waste of resources.

 

2. Bot detection isn't a matter of detecting exact same patterns because even basic scripting programs have the ability to add random pauses and randomness to patterns. The other thing would be length of script most likely vary repeating if the program only watches for 20 minutes and the loop is 40. This would mean to be able to detect enough bots to make it worth doing you need flexibility in detection. When you add flexibility to detection you will catch real players. So it really is a a no win situation to put in a program like this in.

 

3. Clearly you don't understand MMO player base. There are players who just play to ruin others people's gaming experience. I have seen players stand on fly masters in other games to keep people from using them I have seen them do the same thing in Rift for an event quest giver. They gain nothing from this but ruining a person's day. They would abuse this system.

There is also the group that feel they are entitled have everyone agree with them and everyone should play the way the want them to. They will use this system to grief anyone they feel has wrong them if it is that they disagreed with them or kill a mob or grabbed a resource they felt was theirs.

 

4. Posting something into chat means nothing. I can sent the exact same message over and over by hitting 3 keys <enter> <up> <enter> I have done it on mean games for guild recruiting. I had a timer set to ring ever 30 minutes. I hadn't thought about it but it might have looked like botting but guild leader asked me to do it so I did.

 

So to review

1. it's not needed

2. Either it won't detect bots or it most likely will catch some real players also

3. Players would abuse this system

 

This is my last post in here so good luck.

[Keta]

dalagante makes an excellent argument in that last post.

 

Bot's and griefers just are. Some folks just enjoy breaking the norms of mmo's. If I'm in area that has a lot of them, I either move on or find another instance of the planet with fewer people. That way you're away from the gold farmers and the fools. A win-win.

[Nick_Cards]

Botting is greifing, it isn't a matter of your opinion. It is against the rules, and the bots are probably gamereasy.com grinding credits to sell, and make money! I am 100% positive that if the devs could, they would ban/stop all bots. I mean if it isn't a problem, eventually there could be 100s of bots, spamming the GTN, stop players from complementing missions. It is a problem. The reason some of you are backing them is because you have botted before!

[Jrr_hypernova]

Botting is greifing, it isn't a matter of your opinion. It is against the rules, and the bots are probably gamereasy.com grinding credits to sell, and make money! I am 100% positive that if the devs could, they would ban/stop all bots. I mean if it isn't a problem, eventually there could be 100s of bots, spamming the GTN, stop players from complementing missions. It is a problem. The reason some of you are backing them is because you have botted before!

 

or they think your idea is stupid and causes more harm than good due to the well explained and laid out points in multiple responses. i mean thats an option isnt it? sometimes a stupid or unneeded idea is stupid or unneeded. also ive been playing this for 2ish years and ive never seen a single bot so i think the bot plauge is being exagerated by you.

 

after all you did say you went to the most well known farming areas in the game maybe your not the only one farming the by your own admission well know and populer farming areas? again just my thoughts

[Nick_Cards]

I know the location of three 24/7 bots, on the fleet anyone spaming about credits, on sites like Gamereasy are bots. If you have never seen one, you just don't know what they are. AND there isn't even a report for botting tab. Currently it is impossible to report bots. IMPOSSIBLE.