Bots, bots everywhere

Bots, bots everywhere

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Posted by: Cecylio.1286

Cecylio.1286

Hello! I didn’t notice it before, never in Guild Wars 2, but nowadays I started to notice strange characters. One time it was Charr, then two Humans at once. Anyway, character is always a thief with dual pistols, using 3d skill “Unload”. They wear the same armor, have normal-ish names (only one was like “rsdgsgjsdkgtjsg”). They’re very smart – they activate hero points, participate in events, just explore the map like normal players would. One even was in guild! And obviously, what got my attention was their walking. They usually stuck at walls, but not for long, they move forward and then turn when blocked.

I don’t know. They’re strange and suspicious, but I wonder if I should report them? How to prove that it is a bot? Screenshot does not show much.

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Posted by: DeWolfe.2174

DeWolfe.2174

Lol… so auto-running into something is now botting?

Now let me clue you in, the game isn’t that interesting any more. HoT content is 3 months old and been done to death. So most players are multi tasking by watching TV and Netflix, talking on the phone, web browsing, etc. while playing. I auto run into walls all the time before looking back to the screen to turn the character. It’s called players giving no cares and not paying much attention.

[AwM] of Jade Quarry.

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Posted by: Danikat.8537

Danikat.8537

Is it only running into walls that makes you think they’re bots? Because I do that a lot as a result of turning on auto-run and then typing in guild chat or even switching to a different window. Since I’m not in any danger as a result of hitting a wall I don’t bother to correct it until I’ve finished what I’m doing. I can imagine a lot of other people doing the same thing.

Having said that if you suspect someone is a bot the best approach is to report them and let Anet decide. They have access to a lot more data and experience spotting bots.

Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).

“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”

(edited by Danikat.8537)

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Posted by: Illconceived Was Na.9781

Illconceived Was Na.9781

Is it only running into walls that makes you think they’re bots? Because I do that a lot as a result of turning on auto-run and then typing in guild chat or even switching to a different window. Since I’m not in any danger as a result of hitting a wall I don’t bother to correct it until I’ve finished what I’m doing. I can imagine a lot of other people

Having said that if you suspect someone is a bot the best approach is to report them and let Anet decide. They have access to a lot more data and experience spotting bots.

/agreed

John Smith: “you should kill monsters, because killing monsters is awesome.”

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Posted by: WereDragon.6083

WereDragon.6083

I’ve caught myself running into a wall whilst tired and looking at a second monitor. Not that I’m saying your claims aren’t unfounded OP. But there are a metric ton of variables you need to go through before you can scream “Bot!” Send in a report to Anet and anet will watch them, they have the tools and the logs to do so, your observations could just be. Like in my case. A distracted or tired player using autorun or simply, unconsciously holding down his W key.

In fact, just the other day while on a latenight binge with friends I walked off a cliff no less then three times in VB because I was dozing while holding the run key. XD

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Posted by: Zaxares.5419

Zaxares.5419

I would need to observe their behaviour in person to be sure, but those characters (even the weirdly named ones) might be throwaway characters that people are just getting through the HoT story in order to farm the various rewards that are given out as part of the story.

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Posted by: Annonrae.3681

Annonrae.3681

I’ve come across something similar as the OP is talking about. I was levelling a sylvari when a group of players ( or bots, I’m really not sure ) came running up to me. They were moving perfectly synchronized, they were all wearing the same armor, they all carried the same weapons. And by moving synchronized, I mean in ways that I don’t think are possible without some form of ‘outside help’ – running everywhere the same time, moving the same, executing the same skills. They, too, were in a guild.

What threw me off was that they were talking to each other, so I thought at first they were just some players messing around, but then I followed them for a while. In the screenshot attached you can sort of see what they did. But all at the same time, using the exact same skills and moving the exact same way, at the exact same time. It was like one player controlling five toons, or five players letting a program run and sitting at the screen watching.

In the screenshot you can see how they surrounded my toon and attacked my target. Which, I know, is neither an offense nor indication of a bot. But it still threw me for a loop in how they did it. And I’ve seen a couple of those ‘player groups’ in the meantime, moving/acting that way.

Attachments:

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Posted by: Takoyakii.2146

Takoyakii.2146

I’ve come across something similar as the OP is talking about. I was levelling a sylvari when a group of players ( or bots, I’m really not sure ) came running up to me. They were moving perfectly synchronized, they were all wearing the same armor, they all carried the same weapons. And by moving synchronized, I mean in ways that I don’t think are possible without some form of ‘outside help’ – running everywhere the same time, moving the same, executing the same skills. They, too, were in a guild.

What threw me off was that they were talking to each other, so I thought at first they were just some players messing around, but then I followed them for a while. In the screenshot attached you can sort of see what they did. But all at the same time, using the exact same skills and moving the exact same way, at the exact same time. It was like one player controlling five toons, or five players letting a program run and sitting at the screen watching.

In the screenshot you can see how they surrounded my toon and attacked my target. Which, I know, is neither an offense nor indication of a bot. But it still threw me for a loop in how they did it. And I’ve seen a couple of those ‘player groups’ in the meantime, moving/acting that way.

LOL

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Posted by: Shikigami.4013

Shikigami.4013

If they “surrounded” you, they could not all have moved in the same way, else they would have formed some kind of blob next to you. Do you think it is possible that they deliberately tried to troll people and startle them? Sounds like the most plausible explanation to me.

PS: As far as I know most bot users are lazy gits who all run the same scripts that some other cheater prepared and uploaded to some cheater forum. I believe bots do not normally move so awkwardly that they will draw attention.

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(edited by Shikigami.4013)

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Posted by: Annonrae.3681

Annonrae.3681

If they “surrounded” you, they could not all have moved in the same way, else they would have formed some kind of blob next to you. Do you think it is possible that they deliberately tried to troll people and startle them? Sounds like the most plausible explanation to me.

Which is why I said I’m not sure.

Even if it was a bunch of players trying to troll/startle others – in which case, my hat goes off to them because you managed – I find it extremely weird that they’d all use the exact same skills at the exact same time on the exact same target and moved everywhere as if they were a kind of blob.

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Posted by: zenleto.6179

zenleto.6179

If they “surrounded” you, they could not all have moved in the same way, else they would have formed some kind of blob next to you. Do you think it is possible that they deliberately tried to troll people and startle them? Sounds like the most plausible explanation to me.

Which is why I said I’m not sure.

Even if it was a bunch of players trying to troll/startle others – in which case, my hat goes off to them because you managed – I find it extremely weird that they’d all use the exact same skills at the exact same time on the exact same target and moved everywhere as if they were a kind of blob.

I’ve seen something similar. Three Rangers travelling as a group through Wayfarer. All were dressed the same, had the same weapons, had the same pets (one guess…) and all harvested the same nodes at the same time. I stalked them for ages trying to figure them out. Then they ran in the Wolfmaster, and this was back when he was a champ and not the chump he is now, and it took them three goes to get him down. I just sat there and watched. The fact the three characters ran out sort of separately from Twinspur made me think it was a guy running three accounts. I don’t think he was doing anything illegal but it can’t have been comfortable playing that way.

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Posted by: BrotherBelial.3094

BrotherBelial.3094

Best thread ever.

Yeah auto running in to walls is not the best way. I think most people who have played GW2 for a good deal of time have done it.

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Posted by: Danikat.8537

Danikat.8537

This is why it’s best to let Anet figure it out instead of trying to work it out yourself.

Back in the GW1 days they posted a blog about how they ID bots, the short version is a bot can be programmed to move and act like a normal player (especially since in that game they could only been seen in outposts), but what gave them away is they will follow exactly the same path each time and Anet can check logs that will show a lot more detail than anyone could see or remember.

For example if they always fight by using skill 1, then skill 2 1 second later, then skill 3 1.7 seconds after that etc. whereas even if a player always uses those skills in that order sometimes it will be exactly 1 second, sometimes 1.4, sometimes 0.9 etc.

Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).

“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”