Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Elunarie.9283

Elunarie.9283

I’ve noticed as time goes on, the number of bots are increasing. Without numbers from behind the scenes I can’t really say how many or where, but just from playing I’ve noticed the following:

1. Bots are the most prominent things you will see in low-level areas
2. Bots are moving to higher level areas as well
3. Almost all are rangers with bears
4. Bots are becoming more prominent than the real player population (servers are becoming full of bots, and the real population is much less – again, the times players are online and the activities they do affect this and I cannot really say – but the experience is diminished due to these bots)

At this point, the game is continuing to fill with bots – and almost all from China (if not all). The coding to block botting must be enhanced or the servers will always seem dead due to the fact that bots are taking up real player spots in the population. I personally always report a bot if I can, but the main thing is this: bots always travel in groups of 3-4 or more and half the time you will not be willing to hang around and click report on every single one.

Another worrisome thing is occasionally those people standing around reporting the bots might be reported by someone else who thinks they are botting with that group.

I personally think that IPs from China should be blocked entirely from playing on American servers. The money from those accounts (which some are legitimately bought to bot) is not worth the time saving compromised accounts and loss of true players.

// Bathea Havocbringer \\

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Zaken.1806

Zaken.1806

IP blocks will never work since VPN can easily defeat that.

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Elunarie.9283

Elunarie.9283

In order to use a VPN, the chinese would have to have a central network here in America. Obviously they could get around to doing that, but currently they don’t seem to have that. Why not block Chinese IPs now, and then have everything centralized here in america, where we can then have an option of either pursuing this through the legal system or at the very least identifying the networks one by one. Blocking the network based here in the usa would then block all bots using that location/IP.

// Bathea Havocbringer \\

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Zaken.1806

Zaken.1806

There are plenty of VPN service out there and it doesn’t cost much on a yearly basis. They do not need to have any central network in the US or anywhere to use VPN service. Not to mention there isn’t really a legal issue here. They will be breaking the user agreement and that will result account banning, it is not illegal.

No law enforcement would arrest people for botting in game.

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Wenzzom.2309

Wenzzom.2309

The most disturbing thing is the amount of people getting banned for “botting”, people that never used such stuff, like ME!!!

It seems that these guys at ANet dunno what to do to fight off this “bot rampage”, so they start banning everyone blindly?!

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: zbrkesbr.4173

zbrkesbr.4173

In order to use a VPN, the chinese would have to have a central network here in America. Obviously they could get around to doing that, but currently they don’t seem to have that. Why not block Chinese IPs now, and then have everything centralized here in america, where we can then have an option of either pursuing this through the legal system or at the very least identifying the networks one by one. Blocking the network based here in the usa would then block all bots using that location/IP.

just type in google “free proxy list” and you’ll get numerous addresses through which you can connect to GW2 server and mask your IP. Have fun banning thousands of IPs around whole World. Also there are paid proxies and VPN services that players use to lower their latency in game. Banning those would harm legitimate players as well.

War doesn’t determine who is right, only who is left.

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Karabatak.1976

Karabatak.1976

They r using bot!. <=> I using my body for spot of gold.
They r still playing <=> My account is blocked

and my character not RANGER…
.. i farmed only 30g in my gw2 life.

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Elunarie.9283

Elunarie.9283

No law enforcement would arrest people for botting in game.

It isn’t an issue of arresting anyone – its an issue of suing. Companies that farm gold for US dollars or euro are money companies. You address the issue by suing them for the money they made off the NCSoft product. Forcing them to localize a network here in the US would make suing them much easier.

just type in google “free proxy list” and you’ll get numerous addresses through which you can connect to GW2 server and mask your IP.

If they are doing that now, the service is very poor. If someone compromises your account, you can see exactly where its coming from on your account security tab. If that’s possible now, then its also possible to block that.

// Bathea Havocbringer \\

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Zaken.1806

Zaken.1806

There is no ground for suing gold farming company. If there were one, Blizzard would have sued the hell out of those gold farmers. Do you see Blizzard suing any gold farming companies ?

The paid VPN server is far from being poor. Do you know how many IPs those VPN companies have ? There is no way ANet is going to block every VPN IPs.

Game of Bots - The Bot Issue

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Gaile Gray

Gaile Gray

ArenaNet Communications Manager

IP blocking isn’t the answer. Most botters use, or know how to use, proxies. The guy who is botting from Beijing may appear to be playing from Boston or Berlin.

So no, that is not a viable suggestion.

And FYI — we don’t make money on the bots. They use stolen credit cards that end up costing us money, not increasing our revenues.

Lawsuits are not the answer, either.

Gaile Gray
Communications Manager
Guild & Fansite Relations; In-Game Events
ArenaNet

(edited by Gaile Gray.6029)