New set of Bots (necros):Chebek Village

Kotetsu Rain

Kotetsu Rain

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2006

Utopia

D/

I aplogise if this has been posted already but the search function is in decent need of a tune up.

I was hanging out in GToB until me and two other people noticed the Necro's with bot like names. behavior and all wearing Istani armor first running to the trophy honoring Everfrost and then to the storage. At first we we're taken aback by two points.

1) This is the freaking Battle Isles. What are the possibly doing farming faction?
2) They we're all level 3 which meant they had to be PvE characters.
3)WTH can you farm in NF at level 3?


So me being bored and having nothing to do I went to Noob Island and looked for them. My search stopped at Chebek Village where I was immediatly hit with spam that's impossible to ignore. The 'gain level' message.


These we're about 90% bots. <.> (I had to edit out some real names.) So they then proceeded to run to the Sunspear Recruits to gain more exp before running back to First Spear and warping away.

My guess is this: They take the quest chain of Rally the Recruits (Tutorial) > Into Chahbek Village to get to Chahbek Village. Then the repeatidly go to the Training Area in Churrhir Fields and farm the Iboga Roots for their Sentient Roots.

Since Chebek Village has no Storage their programmer makes them warp to GToB to dump everything in the storage. I think... I have no idea how botting works but shouldn't it be like..something thats earns way more than 3g? Though with the amount of Bots that we saw..we thing the quanity makes up for the lack of price.

How do you think Anet's going to handle this one?

Edit: I can't get my pics uploaded on the site. Here's a link ---> Mod Edit: Bots are people too. Feel free to repost the screenshot without names

Metal Herc

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2007

I really have no idea what Anet will do. But from the way I've been seeing it: Nothing.

And I am really not sure why they would be botting there

Across The Battle

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2006

Jersey

W/

First, take out the names of the pics. Whos to say they are bots, you havent shown any bot behavior in the pics it seems to me

Vizzi

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

Yes I went there myself last night to do the Challenge Mission,
to add to my list of finished Missions,. and I saw an endless army of necros.

I have no idea what the new craze is in money farming, but I am sure someone has found an exploit once again.

I was going to make a thread of this myself, but decided against it,. I felt If I just ignore it, it won't bother me,. but It is still bothering me.

Kotetsu Rain

Kotetsu Rain

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2006

Utopia

D/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Across The Battle
First, take out the names of the pics. Whos to say they are bots, you havent shown any bot behavior in the pics it seems to me
The rapid (insert bot name here) is now level 2 wasn't enough for you? Trust me I'm not hurting anyones feelings by leaving those names uneditied. Go check it out for yourself if my pics aren't enough.

Lord of the Yoshis

Lord of the Yoshis

Academy Page

Join Date: Apr 2006

Litchfield, MI

F L O U N C E [hmmm]

E/

They are taking the quest rewards for the starting quests. It nets them some amount of money, they go to GToB, dump it in storage, and delete the char, ready to start a whole new char to get the rewards and delete.

Shiney

Academy Page

Join Date: Jun 2007

Ireland

E/

I just looked in GToB and Chabak Village and couldn't see any of these bots, what disterict are they in? I checked international and european distericts.

Kotetsu Rain

Kotetsu Rain

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2006

Utopia

D/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shiney
I just looked in GToB and Chabak Village and couldn't see any of these bots, what disterict are they in? I checked international and european distericts.
They're in American districts

Jaher Dal

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Mar 2007

Santa Clara, Ca

Cobra Island

D/E

I noticed this last night as well, when I made a new character.
All you see is Necros, running in straight lines like crazy.
They are still all hanging out there if anyone wants to check em out.
lol.

Metal Herc

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jan 2007

Ya I just visted them. Deffinetly bots. Tu Adfd, Utf dfgd, Xu Trnh (all made up names by me) Names like those, and them all following 2 feet behind eachother, not to mention they don't answer to you.

At least it's a change from the Mo/W....

Shiney

Academy Page

Join Date: Jun 2007

Ireland

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kotetsu Rain
They're in American districts
Thanks, i thought they might be there, but i couldn't check to find out. Maybe if anet decided to make the quest reward -50g (so that instead of lodging money in GToB, they actually withdraw it to repay their "dept") we could bankrupt all the bots in a few hours

Zinger314

Zinger314

Debbie Downer

Join Date: May 2006

N/Me

This trick was fixed in a patch last month...

Lucien Beaumont

Lucien Beaumont

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2006

Dominus Mysteri

Me/N

Why is there no in game moderation of this sort of thing? I really doubt there would be as much of a bot problem if an Anet employee would pop their head into some of the trouble zones every now and then and observe bot behavior first hand. They could then take 5 minutes or so to hand out a round of bans right then and there, and the rest of us could go on happy knowing that they are doing something about it. I guess they are taking the "hands off" approach to enforcing their game rules.

RhanoctJocosa

RhanoctJocosa

Legendary Korean

Join Date: Aug 2006

The Benecia Renovatio [RenO]

W/

They won't do anything.

But you've gotta admit, seeing necro bots is a nice change to the norm ;D

Vizzi

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

Pull your head out Zinger and go take a look for yourself,.
Fixed last month?
There is a steady stream of Necros running amuck in Chahbek Village at this very moment.
I guess these necros can't read patch notes.

Zinger314

Zinger314

Debbie Downer

Join Date: May 2006

N/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vizzi
I guess these necros can't read patch notes.
Duh. It used to be 250g, which was about 5x as it is now.

50g per minute for some Chinese farmers won't destablize the economy [further]...

darkknightkain

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2007

P/W

Don't you need to "unlock" Kamadan in order to travel to Battle Isles?

sindex

sindex

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2006

California

Swords of Night & Day [SWRD]

Here is the thing A-net has thrown everything they can at these “bots;” looting scale, anti farming code (supposedly deceased) and then some. They can even throw the kitchen sink at them, and they will still exist. No matter the actions of A-net or that of any other MMO you can never really get rid of these bots. The only thing you can really do is:

1. Make them angry.
2. Make them more desperate.
3. Make them find an alternate route around the obstacle that A-net has set for them.

Of course I think the more A-net sets up obstacles, the more is it going to tick off the player base instead.

I hate them as much the next person but it’s simply inevitable.

Vizzi

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

Someone should atleast go there and make a video and set it to the music from the Benny Hill Show just for gits and shiggles.

"I would, but I don't have the ability to make videos."

Seef II

Seef II

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

US

R/Mo

My question: why necromancers?
I'd have thought that the Shing Jea noob quests that can be redeemed for skill points and monastery credits would be abused as well, at this point.

Vizzi

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2007

could it be, that the closest trainer to the exit to Kama is a necro trainer?

Molock

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2006

Qu??bec

Legacy of Angels [Halo]

E/

A few screenies I sent to Anet... i'm sure I wont get an answer tho..
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/175...stationvp8.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/900...stationew2.jpg
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3...linfestys4.jpg

When you see stuff like that... you begin to think that anet just doesn't give a **** about the problem. All their "solutions" have failed.. badly. Maybe its time for a little tough justice... we need the ban hammer. Other MMO's have used it, why not Guild Wars.

Gaile Gray

Gaile Gray

ArenaNet

Join Date: Feb 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucien Beaumont
Why is there no in game moderation of this sort of thing? I really doubt there would be as much of a bot problem if an Anet employee would pop their head into some of the trouble zones every now and then and observe bot behavior first hand. They could then take 5 minutes or so to hand out a round of bans right then and there, and the rest of us could go on happy knowing that they are doing something about it. I guess they are taking the "hands off" approach to enforcing their game rules.
Support people -- several of them -- "pop their heads" into the trouble areas several times a day. They're permanently banning about 300 bots a day. You see a lot of the bots but believe me, you'd see a lot more if the Support Team members are three continents weren't working on this issue every day.

I know some areas are badly hit with bots, but there isn't anything more that we reasonably can do, and in fact a very significant amount of time and money is being spent on this issue at present and will be, for the foreseeable future.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Molock
Maybe its time for a little tough justice... we need the ban hammer. Other MMO's have used it, why not Guild Wars.
I'd say 300 hammer bashes a day is pretty "tough" in the justice department.

Molock

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Sep 2006

Qu??bec

Legacy of Angels [Halo]

E/

Ok.. so they ban ~300 per day. That's not a bad number.. the thing is there are a lot of ***holes like this guy stealing accounts everyday. Not to mention all the account people are selling for ~100k..

ryanryanryan0310

ryanryanryan0310

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2006

Scars Meadows [SMS]

^^hey hey don't post my name in that screenie.....
Next time fade it out....

The bots have been real active of late. In Chebek Village their probaly using trial passes. In the pass few days seen thousands of bots at regular farming spots...

AscalonWarrior

AscalonWarrior

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

Kokkola, Finland

Mo/

Just.... stop complaining. Anet does their work, and for me it's enough.
Really saddens me to see, not bots, but people complaining about Anet's actions and saying that they don't give a shit to this problem.
Just let them do their job.

And if anything should be thrown out the game, it's the racists. Saw pretty bad language used about black people last night in ToA

fujin

fujin

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2007

Hong Kong, all the way in Asia :O

Officer of United Jedi [UJ]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by ryanryanryan0310
^^hey hey don't post my name in that screenie.....
Next time fade it out....

The bots have been real active of late. In Chebek Village their probaly using trial passes. In the pass few days seen thousands of bots at regular farming spots...
Heh, there`s a whole army of bots in... Bergen Hot Springs I believe... Lots of Undead out there.

sindex

sindex

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2006

California

Swords of Night & Day [SWRD]

Not to complaining or anything but I think A-net is doing all they can. However fighting against a well organized bot squad is pretty useless. It’s like: “their account gets ban, they find another (or steal another), and finally start the process over again.” These people are very enthusiastic when it comes to breaking the rules over and over again. I mean what is the normal ratio of bots on GW in a 24 hour day? Probably a whole bunch load. Problem is there is no working solution to this, which does not involve something really bad for the community.

It’s like a cure for some rapidly spreading disease. You may find the source of the problem, but how many dead did it take to get there? Not to mention it’s only a matter of time before it mutates and starts all over again.

Do what you can A-team, because I know it’s hard enough as is catching all these crooks.

strcpy

strcpy

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jul 2005

One of Many [ONE]

I added one to my friends list, they were online for about 4-5 hours or so. The name of the person was a random list letters so while I can't be sure it was a bot, it probably was.

I wondered what they were doing for that time, I wish the friends list also listed where they currently were - it would be interesting to see what outposts/areas they were in. I dunno, I guess the bots have to get to level 20 somehow, maybe we are just seeing the beginnings of a farm bot instead of a farm?

NekoZ

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

Long Island

So Goth We Crap [Bats]

I believe that the whole bot issue has reached a high enough point to where more drastic action is needed. I think that setting up bot traps, as many other games have, temporally will prove worthy to the cause. Also subtle things like making sign posts unclickable will help annoy botters that much more without annoying fair players.

Andisa Kalorn

Andisa Kalorn

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2006

[PMS]

Bots seem to be swarming more and more locations now. I'm in Marketplace now and there's a ton of Mo/Me with bot-like names and attire. Maybe they're on their way to Altrumm ruins, which is even worse, or more likely, farming the jade brotherhood just outside.

I remember back when there were tons of bots in augury rock, and then in drok's. But it seemed that they were in fewer places, and more confined to international districts. It's only recently that I've seen a number of american outposts so swarmed by bots that they vastly outnumber real players. In every chapter too now. It's sad.

Perhaps it was a mistake to get rid of the anti-farming code.

Roshi_ikkyu

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

Mo/W

Quote:
Originally Posted by ryanryanryan0310
...
The bots have been real active of late. In Chebek Village their probaly using trial passes. ...(
Wrong. Trial passes can't trade. and are only good for 10hrs or so, meaning storage is useless.

If there using trial passes there not a threat.

1 up and 2 down

1 up and 2 down

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Mar 2007

Rt/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andisa Kalorn
Bots seem to be swarming more and more locations now. I'm in Marketplace now and there's a ton of Mo/Me with bot-like names and attire. Maybe they're on their way to Altrumm ruins, which is even worse, or more likely, farming the jade brotherhood just outside.

I remember back when there were tons of bots in augury rock, and then in drok's. But it seemed that they were in fewer places, and more confined to international districts. It's only recently that I've seen a number of american outposts so swarmed by bots that they vastly outnumber real players. In every chapter too now. It's sad.

Perhaps it was a mistake to get rid of the anti-farming code.
Actually its working, we are seeing more bots because it is not as profitable for fewer bots so they need to make more to get the ammount they used to get.

Miral

Miral

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2005

Hell. AKA Phoenix, AZ

The Gear Trick [GEAR]

W/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1 up and 2 down
Actually its working, we are seeing more bots because it is not as profitable for fewer bots so they need to make more to get the ammount they used to get.
which isnt really any better.... it makes them get slightly less profit but they still bot... and just f**ks with normal players as well :\ they should probably go back to the old anti-farm code

Gun Pierson

Gun Pierson

Forge Runner

Join Date: Feb 2006

Belgium

PIMP

Mo/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vizzi
Someone should atleast go there and make a video and set it to the music from the Benny Hill Show just for gits and shiggles.
That would be hilarious lol (speed the vid up a little, just like in Benny Hill)

WinterSnowblind

WinterSnowblind

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2007

I never even thought about this until reading this topic, but I often see a large amount of Monk/Mesmers running around, usually low levels with strange names with no Guild. I assumed it was some strange Guild just messing around, but I'm guessing this is the work of bots?

http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...rrent=mome.jpg

Thunder79

Thunder79

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2006

Chaos Rising

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gun Pierson
That would be hilarious lol (speed the vid up a little, just like in Benny Hill)
lol....

I just saw that town...that place is crazy...every 2 second (sometimes more often) another one of those bots dings to level 2.

Kinn

Kinn

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2007

Englandshire, England.

The International Association of Mending Wammos

R/

Ugh. Just what we need - more bots.

I am sick and tired of these Balthazar-blasted bots and the Balthazar-blasted gold sellers behind them, ruining the game for legitimate players, as they cause Anet to cook up half-baked "solutions" like Lootscale, that spoils everyone else's fun.

Newsflash! Lootscale hasn't stop botting - as availability of gold goes down, its value goes up! Welcome to Economics 101 kids!

In fact a quick peek in any of the "Bot Spots" would suggest that botting has increased dramatically since Lootscale.

Aphraelyn

Academy Page

Join Date: Jul 2006

[bleh]

Mo/

ANet should re-enable bodyblocking in towns...QQ

Probably won't happen but if it did...would be pretty interesting with what you could do to screw up bots, huh?

Longasc

Longasc

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kinn
In fact a quick peek in any of the "Bot Spots" would suggest that botting has increased dramatically since Lootscale.
Yep. The price of GW gold has risen, too.
Are not the buyers the problem? More so than the bots?


Fact: There are more bots than ever, despite all attempts to stop them and the mentioned 300+ bans per day.


Fighting bots is a necessary thing, but it is also a fight that cannot be won. You also cannot stop people from buying GW gold. And as long as enough people buy ingame money with real cash, professional bot-farming won't die.