Bots in Campaign -_-;

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Bad enough people try to level in Campaign, completely ingoring the skills they might need for thier jobs, but I've come upon at least one botter so far.

As far as I can tell, they've been doing little more than spamming the first tier of Minuet on what I can only surmise is a BRD or possibly a THF or DNC with BRD subbed. Obviously, they know that buffs account for part of the EXP total in Campaign. I've found them in Meriphataud Mountains (S) at almost any time.

Well, until today, anyway. Seems they died and HPed since they were AFK, for the last 20 mins, they have been colliding with the archway south of the Windurst Waters (S) Home Point. Whatever program they're running, the pathfinding sucks, they'll back up a few paces and try to head south, ram into the wall, turn around a few paces and run back into it.

I can only assume the program is trying to run to the C.A. to head back to MM(S). I've taken the time to report it anyway.

I'm guessing the guy - who's exploiting the buff factor to AFK levelling BRD - is doing so because you don't need Singing, Wind or String to be a bot that spams Ballad, Ballad is only duration based, it has a fixed potency. Second possiblity is that this character aleady had dagger capped and there's really nothing else a DNC or THF could really need to skill up aside from Evasion, DNC doesn't have a healing skill, after all.

Still, its kinda sad to see this stuff happen in the game, isn't it. This is the sort of thing that could end up punishing mage/buff jobs in campaign rather than improving the situation for them :(

[Coinspinner]

I see a lot of guys standing around the tags npc, singing and buffing themselves repeatedly. I guess this proves that at least some of them are bots...

[MrMageo]

I saw a similar thing on my server in North Gustaber [S], except it was a group of 1 RDM/BRD?, 1 THF/BRD(?) 1 BRD and all shared a similar name Ascoti,Escoti,Iscoti.
Basically the RDM would play 1 song the thf another and the BRD another and would continue to do so for the duratio of the battle. The three would then run and wait next to the C.A. for the next battle. I moitored it for the hour i was there, and periodicall checked the names (for the record they were there for 4 hours becore being ported to bastok[S]).

I did not report it as the last time i eported something nothing was done i still see the names of the people i reported (Lwgame,Lwgamer,Lwgamez,Lwgamee) in sea serpent grotto sill fishbotting. I have MPK'd them three times now and have acctually received a Warning.

Dear Player,
We have received a complaint about you causing player deaths in certain areas of the game. This is a violation of the agreement which you accepted. Consider this as a warning to cease your actions. If this matter is not resolved and further reports are filed we will be required to proceed with further investigation and action.
Thank You
GM Department

Thats the message i received in game from them. Aparently they can do nothing about a stack of 20 fish bots. But the owner/operator of said fish bots can get me in shit, that is ass backwards.

[LyonheartLakshmi]

Thats the message i received in game from them. Aparently they can do nothing about a stack of 20 fish bots. But the owner/operator of said fish bots can get me in shit, that is ass backwards. You can do something. You already did something. You reported them (you did report the fish bots, right?) I report the fish bots I see on the ferry, and I have yet to see one still there the following week.

Did you really think you could MPK with impunity? What rock have you been hiding under? If you MPK even bots, there's a chance you'll pay the price. MPK bots, or don't MPK them, that's your choice. Just don't come whining on the forums when you get caught.

[MrMageo]

I wasnt whining i was stating it as it is. I reported them and the GM said i cant do anything about that "refer to that new service thing" i forget what its called. But i am not going out of my way to resolve an ingame issue when a GM who sees 5 bots with variating names amongst 15 other fish bots on the same tile, your damn right im going to MPK them.

[Dark Raz]

So wait..you MPK someone...and get mad when you get reported? You -do- know MPK is basically a crime in FFXI..right?

That's like robbing a bank then later calling the bank saying "Yeah, I robbed you guys, my name is Joe Statter and I live at (address) and would like to know if you can call the cops and have them arrest me? Thank you. Have a nice a day."

So, here's to hoping you get banned, MrMageo, because if you'll keep MPking them, you'll only get yourself banned, and I honestly will laugh when you do so.

As for the topic at hand, I've seen bots in plenty lately...anywhere you can get something easy...you can damn well bet your ass they'll bot it.

So if there's no way to fix this (e.g fixing the way xp gained) you can guarantee SE will do some changes people won't like soon...

[Sevv]

I'm not a bot but i stand there and hit a 4 song macro while i watch tv seeking

[Mhurron]

I see a lot of guys standing around the tags npc, singing and buffing themselves repeatedly. I guess this proves that at least some of them are bots...
No, it suggests some might be.

[Sevv]

No, it suggests some might be.

Its still alive kill it kill it now!

[Vyuru]

I wasnt whining i was stating it as it is. I reported them and the GM said i cant do anything about that "refer to that new service thing" i forget what its called. But i am not going out of my way to resolve an ingame issue when a GM who sees 5 bots with variating names amongst 15 other fish bots on the same tile, your damn right im going to MPK them.


Enjoy your ban then, you've deserved it.

I'm curious though as to why they stay the entire fight. I thought that the buff exp capped at 200 exp, 20exp/buff. So wouldn't it be better to sing 10 songs and get new tags?

[Neomage]

Enjoy your ban then, you've deserved it.

I'm curious though as to why they stay the entire fight. I thought that the buff exp capped at 200 exp, 20exp/buff. So wouldn't it be better to sing 10 songs and get new tags?

I think it is 15 EXP/Buff, but caps at 15 songs.. So these... bots, are getting at most 900 EXP/Hour(For 15 Min Campaigns Back-To-Back), or even less. I think. I've never actually attempted to record this, I would much rather fight.

And well, at 900 EXP/Hour(less if they are below 60) well... personally I'd rather them not be there at all, but this pales in comparison to other bot pandemics we have had in the past.

[DakAttack]

You can easily MPK some one in Campaign without any GM-related consequences. Just do that.

[Feenicks]

I think it is 15 EXP/Buff, but caps at 15 songs.. So these... bots, are getting at most 900 EXP/Hour(For 15 Min Campaigns Back-To-Back), or even less. I think. I've never actually attempted to record this, I would much rather fight.

And well, at 900 EXP/Hour(less if they are below 60) well... personally I'd rather them not be there at all, but this pales in comparison to other bot pandemics we have had in the past.
But I think you can just hit the cap on buffs, end your evaluation and receive XP/ANs, then get new Allied Tags and repeat the process so that you don't have to worry about the cap. I remember reading a guide for SMN that said a similar method was to do this but buff yourself four or five times with BP: Ward instead of Bard songs.

[Neomage]

But I think you can just hit the cap on buffs, end your evaluation and receive XP/ANs, then get new Allied Tags and repeat the process so that you don't have to worry about the cap. I remember reading a guide for SMN that said a similar method was to do this but buff yourself four or five times with BP: Ward instead of Bard songs.

Well then maybe a solution to stop these bots is to make it so you can only join the same battle once.

[MrMageo]

that wouldnt be fair to the rest of us who acctually do battle "legit". I always trdae my tags in a lull in the battle its how im able to acheive 4-6K /hr, if they were to change that id probly stop campaining all together, and outside the new jobs Wotg will be useless to me. Letting the bots win by changing something so they cant do it anymore is BS, you can toss a report on them but they always come back in a different way. The only way to stop bots is to let players MPK them. I think instead of banning them just so they comeback, they give us a list of targets in every server and, offer us rewards for killing them.(like a bounty hunter) It would make me feel better to know that they are at least staying dead and not doing their thing, instead of going out and buying a new game/account and doing it again.

[Selphiie The Enchantress]

As much as i HATE RMT and Bots, i know that no matter what we do, no matter how much we complain, no matter how many we report, no matter what SE does to prevent it, they will always be there.

If they are banned, they will always come back. RMT don't just exist in FFXI they exist in every MMORPG, theres no escaping them. I used to report every one i saw, but then i realized that its not worth it. Even if they are banned they will find a way to come back.

Just have to learn to live with them... they are like pesky parasites, no matter what you do to prevent them like bug control and exterminators they will always come back.

What i do when i see a bot or rmt i know that is a rmt and not just a legit /anon player with no LS and absolutely no life, is i just send them a emote /slap, its not much but it makes me feel better i can slap them virtually and have them know they are hated by the general FFXI community :]

[Karinya]

Well then maybe a solution to stop these bots is to make it so you can only join the same battle once.
Or at least close the loophole that lets rejoining reset contribution caps. Might as well not have caps if they're going to be THAT easy to circumvent. In most campaign areas the action is right around the tag npc (with a few exceptions like Garlaige) so it costs you nothing to retag.

I'd say allow players to rejoin the same battle, but don't reset their caps when they do; they can continue to earn whatever amount is left under the caps. (Some categories of action aren't capped anyway, IIRC.) This would remove retagging as an exploit, but still allow it if you cash in to go do something else, then change your mind and go back to the battle (or go back for new sigil in mid battle - btw, does anyone else think you should also be able to get sigil from the tag npcs?)

[Jei]

Well, try to think positively there. Those people you reported probably had recieved similar warnings just like what you recieved. We just never know. At least there are bannings going on regularly right?

Just stay cool and don't break the rules yourself.

At least you're still in game. I tried to log in one day and found out all my 3 accounts were banned and I wasn't even given any explanation. My accounts were all 6 years old.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

btw, does anyone else think you should also be able to get sigil from the tag npcs?

Given the nature of the freelance program, it might be difficult to do that, unless they decided to leave it to nation affiliation per outpost as they already do the conquest system. It would be useful though. I'm sure when Jeuno (S) opens up, we'll have another place to get Sigil at any rate.

[Ziero]

I did not report it as the last time i eported something nothing was done i still see the names of the people i reported (Lwgame,Lwgamer,Lwgamez,Lwgamee) in sea serpent grotto sill fishbotting. I have MPK'd them three times now and have acctually received a Warning.

Thats the message i received in game from them. Aparently they can do nothing about a stack of 20 fish bots. But the owner/operator of said fish bots can get me in shit, that is ass backwards.

I wasnt whining i was stating it as it is. I reported them and the GM said i cant do anything about that "refer to that new service thing" i forget what its called. But i am not going out of my way to resolve an ingame issue when a GM who sees 5 bots with variating names amongst 15 other fish bots on the same tile, your damn right im going to MPK them.

So because YOU don't know the right way to report bots, you feel it's perfectly justified to break the rules however you want?

GMs do not handle bots. So reporting bots to them is useless. You did it wrong, they pointed you in the right direction and you said 'screw you guys, I'm doing it my way' and got warned for it. Next time you MPK someone, enjoy being banned.

The only way to stop bots is to let players MPK them. I think instead of banning them just so they comeback, they give us a list of targets in every server and, offer us rewards for killing them.(like a bounty hunter) It would make me feel better to know that they are at least staying dead and not doing their thing, instead of going out and buying a new game/account and doing it again.

....that is one of THE single WORST ideas ever stated.

[Dark Raz]

I never get it..why is it always the immature people that think the only way to stop people is to kill them? lol, that's why I don't play most of the other generic MMOs or WoW.

I guess the only way to stop gang violence is to kill every gangster..eh? <_<

Really now..the only way to stop Bots is for SE/STF to change game mechanics...however, STF already stated they're gonna change the mechanics in the game itself to combat this type of issue.

[LyonheartLakshmi]

I'd say allow players to rejoin the same battle, but don't reset their caps when they do; they can continue to earn whatever amount is left under the caps. (Some categories of action aren't capped anyway, IIRC.) This would remove retagging as an exploit, but still allow it if you cash in to go do something else, then change your mind and go back to the battle (or go back for new sigil in mid battle - btw, does anyone else think you should also be able to get sigil from the tag npcs?)
SE would probably have to rethink some of the capped categories if they did that. One of the most noteable uncapped categories is damage taken. And that makes sense to me. If you're actively tanking mobs, then you don't have the opportunity to go and get your performance assessed mid battle.

The key categories related to healer roles and support roles are capped. Currently, you can play just the role of a healer/debuffer in campaign and still get worthwhile returns as long as you get your performance assessed periodically. If you take away the opportunity to get those assessments, then you probably need to raise various caps. In which case, you may still end up with bots being able grind their way to 75 via campaign.

At least those bots aren't getting any skill ups.