Guild Wars 2

Let the players take the server back, from the bots!

I have seen this done in WvWvW, with guilds putting up videos of them specifically targeting bots in battlegrounds, but I would like to see this extended into the PvE environment.

Rather than just report the bot, I feel a system below would allow players police their server for bots.

1. Players flag a character as a bot.
- When you see an avatar you feel is a bot, you flag it as normal.
- However after a preset number of reports (3 for example), the bot is up for “elimination”.

2. Bot given a chance to respond.
- When the avatar is flagged for “bot elimination”, an automated whisper is sent to the bot via chat.
- The name of the account sending the whisper is randomised, so that bot scripters can’t write code to automate a response.
- The whisper will ask the player to whisper back a code given to them, which also is randomised.
- If the code is whispered back, all previous reports are dropped and the player can proceed as normal.

3. Bot is found, unleash the Gamers of War!
- If the bot fails to respond to the whisper within a period of time (i.e. 60 seconds), then the avatar is flagged as a bot.
- When flagged the bot is flagged for PvP, regardless of where they are. Players can attack the bot on sight (their name goes red), and the name and location of the avatar is messaged to all players on that map. For fairness the bot is allowed to fight back on any player that attacks them, but the attacking players are not flagged for PvP to any other player, just the bot. In essence, this turns the bot into a named mob.
- As an incentive to kill the bot, players will be rewarded with loot, just as you would get from a Veteran/Champion mob.
- A system alert is sent to the GM pool, alerting them to the bot and that they have been flagged.
- Also, when the bot avatar is flagged, they will be sent a system message to that effect. The only a GM request to be unflagged, will allow the bot flag to be turned off.

Before the haters go on about players abusing this system, remember:

- It takes multiple people reporting, before a bot is flagged. So a single person can’t grief other players into flagged bots, it will take a group of players to do this.
- The prospective bot is given a chance to respond, so that if an entire guild started griefing other players, the victims could prove their human-ness, and avoid the flag.
- GM’s will be alerted to any bot flagging, so they can step in and rectify any false positives as necessary.

I agree with most of what you purposed. I think it is a bit more complicated than it needs to be. A system-wide alert isn’t needed. Those kittenport the bot can hang out for a few mins and see what happens. Also, giving loot shouldn’t be a requirement. I think the simple fact that a bot/game account just got terminated is enough of a reward. Giving loot will only provoke bot farming and add to the risk of mistaken reporting.

This still seems like it can be abused. I suppose if people who too often falsely flag someone as a bot are punished in some significant way, then it might be enough to discourage abuse.

I suspect not everyone who plays this game knows what a “bot” is and if they were suddenly labeled as a bot they might not understand what to do for fear of being scammed somehow.

But in principle, I think it is a good idea, but an expensive one to implement.