Should I be concerned or Not?

>>Before we start, YES I still have my account all you "tl;dr jump to conclusion" readers. I did NOT lose it and I am not Q_Q ing here - Read on now.

To start this off, I will be sincerely telling you that I am (despite what you see on the surface) a mature individual who takes a lot of responsibility with his belongings. One of these belongings being my Guild Wars account in it's entirety. My actions on this site are purely...well how shall I put this, for the fun. I really am a decent guy in real life, but of course you don't have to believe me. I don't care either way.

I have been playing since the first quarter of 2006. For 4 long years now I have NOT (to date) used any 3rd party programs (except TexMod) that include bots as extreme as PvP, PvE farming or bots as small as autoclickers/drunkardbots. I've worked hard to keep my passwords out of sight of others, ignore friend's request's to play on my account, I even stopped trading with people right after the big arm brace duping incident. I barely communicate with anyone in the game (day 1 and to today) and have probably 4 people on my friends list 3 being real life friends that still play. I don't associate with the iffy or immature crowd. Oh, and during the crazy hackings I made sure my NC and GW passwords changed weekly in very complicated forms too, unreadable, no words or obvious phrases. Basically, I've done a LOT as a responsible person to make sure the investment in my account does not go to waste and I've taken it very seriously. To think being banned (for no reason) can restrict me access from NC for the rest of my life worries me (Guild Wars 2) and I want to know what you guys think.

After all this work to keep myself completely legit, it's payed off and I still have my account.

DO I have the right to be concerned or should I just take a chill pill? Do I have less or more of a chance at being wrongly banned, innocent and banned?

At this point I'm not fighting to keep my account and goodies a float anymore, as well... I've ringed the game dry of so much and got my fill of everything. I'm trying hard here to keep my rightful access to NC/Anet afloat for the GW2 generation and well... I really think I have the right to be worried.

God, I feel like I need to keep looking over my shoulder for the GM's with their ban scythes and I've done nothing wrong, ever!

Thanks.

Even if you do everything perfectly, yes.

Take a chill pill and play. You will be fine. Why are you worried exactly? What could possibly flag your account as a bot?

This is just it.. I've been doing everything to by the book and perfect and I'm not even joking when I say this!

It just seems so unfair for my to keep looking over my shoulder (so to speak) with this.

Bad apples in the bunch really suck don't they? It us good guys that have to lose our shit to compensate for their mistakes.

Visibly, nothing at all. I'm just seeing a lot of posts with people explaining that they really did nothing wrong but got Code 45'd.

Sounds like extreme paranoia issues. That aside, why be afraid of something that hasn't happened, especially when there is no evidence to support it ever happening.

I actually, in a way, feel the same paranoia as you. After reading all these threads about accounts getting banned, I can't help but feel that it sounds like ANET seem reckless in their banning of accounts. Possibly due to the sheer amount of accounts they have banned, or possibly due to the amount of QQ threads claiming that they have done nothing wrong.

Either way I feel the need to be extra cautious in this game. Part of my paranoia, I think, is due to the sheer amount of time and effort I have put into progressing my character..and the thought of it all being taken away in an instant is a bit of a worry..after seeing the reality kick into some people ^.^

My only concern would be the texmod players. I'm not even talking about the cartographers, but the people using the easier to read adrenaline gage mods and whatnot.

We don't actually know what kind of detection protocols are in place, so this kind of stuff should unnerv quite a few players.

Then again I already have my carto title, and I hadn't used texmod in ages, so it's not my problem, but I'd definitely have to think on it.

yeah, kinda feel the same. I, like the poster, have never used anything on my account. Yet when I read on the Guild Wars website about the bans I immediately logged in hoping everything was still there. Maybe I'm just used to my usual bad luck.

I'm a little worried too, same as you Bob i've only used texmod (ksmod too tho, no point lying), I do some things that I'm worried could be mistaken for botlike activity. Eg. Killing the 3 bosses outside Altrumm Ruins repeatedly (for Faction) and afk'ing on Amatz Basin challenge mission and letting heroes do all the work while I watch tv (also for Faction).

just chillax till u get banned...

take a chill pill. I play in a laid back fashion and joke around alot in populated towns with very explicit and offensive language, and I hardly ever get banned (72 hour suspensions), except today my friend reported me to mess with me and actually did get me banned (F@*k you Ryan).

Chill, I've had a 14 digit password for 3 years and only changed it when GWG got hacked and I realized my email registers for GW and GWG were the same and had the same password on both. Hackers cannot get you unless you download third party programs or sign up for sketchy sites and use a universal password.

As for Texmod, ANet has stated they don't care if you use it or not, just that they won't help you if you mess you game up.

If you play the game like a bot, then you might feel a little concern, but it would still be highly unlikely they'd ever target you without a lot of other fishy stuff running on your PC. And even if they did mistakenly ban you I think the likelihood is near 100% they could sort it out.

Also the people griping right now, I can see a few being mistakes, but I see as many who know they used a bot and shouldn't even be around here. They botted, broke the most policed part of the EULA, case closed, bye now.

PLZ PLZ i need a laugh...basically your saying your a Guild Wars trade+chat virgin? lol

no need to worry bro just dont use 3rd party programs.

I understand OP...I have the same issues (my hubby doesnt even know my password!!!!)...I ALWAYS worry that my account will get zonko'd for one reason or another (no I dont bot, dont even know how, or have the whatever to even try)....my password is pretty intricate and my guild is only me, hubby and his brother (who doesnt even play anylonger)....
yep paranoia is a biggie----I keep looking over my shoulder!

You'd get a lot of that if you visited a prison, too.

I was pretty concerned about my main during the rash of account jackings due to NCSoft security holes earlier this year.

I'm not concerned at all about the mass bannings this week, because like you, I've done nothing wrong and don't associate with *that* crowd.

Well sir, I too do the upstanding GW thing, i did the same semi paranoid password resets and all. That being said I realize this is an MMO, meaning you need to loosen up a little, meet people, make some friends in game. looking over your shoulder day and night doesn't help you do what this game is designed to do, give you an escape. As hard as it is to believe, there is a very upstanding community of folks in this game. been fortunate enough to have run a guild full of those folks for many years now. Just remember, if you can't relax playing the game, then whats the point in playing at all.
As far as the rash of "innocent bans" being handed out, just remember, every guilty man sees himself as innocent

I'm with Bob

I have never cheated or used a bot. The only 3rd party program I have ever used is GWx2

But this recent set of bannings concerns me because I did buy accounts for both my sons and I'm pretty sure we put the same mailing address in both of their accounts as well as my mule.

Thankfully, I don't think they play anymore. But I have no idea whether they ever used bots when they did. I would hate to have my accounts banned because of something that someone else did.

So yeah

you could be wrongfully banned if you use a shared computer, if you have information in common with your brother, cousin, kid, parent etc or just because ANet made a mistake.

And banning the people who used the drunkbot may be in the rules - but let's face it - if that was the only bot they ever used it was a stupid reason to ban as it does not really affect anything.

Basically I don't trust ANet to be able to make wise decisions

Plus, the habit of giving automated responses and no investigating complaints stinks from a customer service point of view. Lousy customer service and poor security are the only reasons I did not buy Aion. Before I buy ANY software I always check message boards to see how customer service is handled.

Should you worry being banned? Probably not. Chances are small you will be unfairly banned. But the support response is a clear sign to me that staying away from ANet and NCSoft in the future might be a wise move.

Bob, I know a bit how you feel. I've played since the day Prophecies was released. Never used a bot nor texmod nor any third party software. Only casual farming, very limited trading with other players. But when you don't really know what triggers the ban stick, it is only natural to be a bit nervous. I am a bit nervous too.

Of course I am happy that ANet is taking strong action against botters. But there is a natural fear that any of us may be a part of the "collateral damage."

EVERY game bans botters. A.net no more then any other. The QQers and the "I didn't do anything and got banned" crowd are all liars. Of all the posters, I think only one guy on that botter thread said "yes I botted, I got caught, was fun while it lasted." Now, do you honestly think there was only ONE guy out of those 3700 who botted, and all 3699 others were caught by accident and are actually innocent as they are claiming?

Also, 3700 accounts is nothing. Especially since some of the botters who were banned owned over 50 accounts!!! The number of people actually banned (and not just accounts) is actually quite small. This game has a huge population, despite what all the neigh sayers and people with rose colored glasses say.

I think the generic support response doesn't help with the paranoia. Many a guildie has asked me if their texmod would get them banned. i even admit, when the first cries of wrongful ban went up, I was logging on to my account hourly, just to be sure. I think sir, that though little we say will change that rolling in the pit of your stomach, you should be perfectly safe. Anet made a huge step this week, and though i don't always agree with their every action, i do think that they are looking out for the good of the fanbase that makes up this game.

If you should get banned through a GM's misconception of your in-game actions, ArenaNet will review it. I have seen many threads where players got banned for various reasons and straightened it out. This does not mean you can run a bot or make a purchase from a gold-seller and get your account back. It just means that if you really are innocent of the charges, the chances are very good that the issue can be resolved.

I am not worried. Not even a little because I'm so far off the radar it's not even funny.

I don't have a lot of money, or stacks of anything except for common stuff like iron, feathers and dust etc.... I rarely trade/buy because enemy/monster drops pretty much satisfy my needs (I'm not into prestige/rare weapon skins). Maybe I'm the rare player because I am so completely and utterly unmotivated or impressed by titles, money or prestige weapons. I just like to play. Although I have to admit I got sucked into the stupid courier farming frenzy because I wanted a mini and I'm too cheap to buy it . Fortunately that bit of insanity quickly passed when Falken was nerfed and they buffed the awesome and cool Wanted bounties. GJ Anet. Love it totally.

Besides, I am so utterly paranoid of introducing viruses and ugly things into my home network, I will not download anything unless it's from a 100% trusted and authenticated sources such as known internet businesses. So, no way am I evening thinking about third party mods.

If you don't actually do anything against the EULA, you have no reason to be concerned.

And even if you did, its just a game. Oh big whoop, you loose HoM "prestige" benefits. They're probably just going to be unique starter weapons and armor.

Don't worry about yourself if you're innocent, instead rejoice in Anet's retribution!

If you have done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to worry about, account terminations are carried out manually by actual human GM's, and nothing is automated, and a GM will only push the ban button if they have enough proof in their logs to justify the ban.

And to all the "OMG I GOTS B& FOR NO REASON"posts,their most likely lying and just trying to gain sympathy or something.

In summation, take a chill pill, and keep playing the game you love the way its meant to be played.

The only thing that had worried me in the past as to being misinterpreted, was my guild mate and I passing large sums of gold back and forth between ourselves.

We would 600/smite, either as a team or with a hero, and split the gold equally between us. At one point, I had lost internet access for a couple of months. My guild mate just kept on farming, sometimes 8 or more hours a day. When I was able to log back on, he gave 500,000 gold, because he was out of room for it. I was looking over my shoulder waiting for the "gold buying" ban, which I would have challenged.

As it has been awhile since we have made such sizable trades, I am less worried now. I don't know if they have a "statute of limitation" in their "background" check, but I am not going to fret it too much. GW2 is not on the horizon for me, anyway.

I got really worried when the NCsoft security thing kicked off (still hasn't quite worn off but I'm not feeling twitchy about it like I was back then) and I'm really worried again now.

I use GWx2 and Texmod (the three carto tpf's and the dark glass tpf, although I have several more tpf's downloaded that I've not got round to trying out) all the time and really don't want to play the game without the help of either program - I miss the adrenaline system, the spirit radar, the health marker and the clear icons so much when I boot up without Texmod, not to mention the fog markers when I'm on my cartographer, and I trade festival collector items and rare mats to my alt account on a daily basis. I'm fairly sure both programs are the original version and I'm fairly sure none of the tpf's are dodgy and I'm absolutely certain I've not deliberately downloaded any bots... but every time I boot up GW I find myself wondering if today's the day I discover I was wrong. It's not even like I can stop myself worrying about it by not using them any more and do my trading and mapping the slow way from now on, because if there was anything dodgy about what I've done so far, it'd be there on their system. /sigh

Perhaps both of us will get less paranoid as the days/weeks/months go by, eh Bob.

Is pet considered 3rd party programm or other person? My cat regulary jumping on keyboard and catching moving objects on screen, worst he doing that during my tea pause also. Until now he don't farm ecto but agroed foes regulary. I know this is again EULA, so I just waiting when I get banned.

My only concern is that it said any breach of the EULA was a banning offence. I haven't done anything wrong, only 3rd party programs are Texmod and KSmod. However, when I had to fill out the personal information most of it was crap. I can't remember what I put now although, whenever I buy things off of the in-game store its all legit info and everything so I figure they're not too concerned. (besides, if they were to a "T" then anyone with a char name not accepted would be banned instead of sent a change request).

take a chill pill. this was probably a one-time thing. i don't expect any real follow-up to the 3700. so unless you were 1 of the 3700, you probably have nothing to worry bout.

5 year legit player here, I wouldn't be so worried... none of my friends got banned and many of them are Chinese players that farm 24/7... they in fact have a higher risk of being misflagged because that is where RMT mostly comes from.. which has happened to my best friend 7 times.... but all 7 times i contacted support on her behalf. and she has gotten her account back all 7 times... even if you do get flagged, from what i have experienced they will help you... after persistence gets you threw automated responses... and always be polite.