The use of “Shadow WIngs” and “Ghost Fleets” in Power Play and the Background Simulation is something we wish was not a part of Elite: Dangerous. Rather than hope it goes away, or that it affects someone else, the following groups and individuals are proud to sign up to the following A-BA Code of Practice.
The time has come to set aside in-game rivalries. It's not Federation versus Imperials or Communists versus Capitalists or Anarchists v Dictatorships. This is players v cheaters!
We pledge:
Signatories:
Numbers are based on self-declared numbers and affiliations of groups who have committed. PLease continue to post numbers and shout if you are not in the list and should be (or vice versa)
Please note that nothing should be read into groups that have not yet pledged - there must be no suggestion that not signing up means that groups condone botting
Our initial aims are to highlight the strength of feeling against the use of scripted commanders in the ED community, but we hope to able to move beyond mere virtue signaling and Identify practical ways to increase the reporting of suspected botting to Frontier Developments and also ways to make the in-game lives of those who indulge in botting or tacitly support botting as uncomfortable as appropriate. Discussions around what can be practically done are progressing in the discord channel linked below.
Please note that while we welcome comments on this thread, ideally saying why you or your group wish to sign up to the A-BA, or why you decline, all posts must stay within FD’s forum guidelines and specifically
The time has come to set aside in-game rivalries. It's not Federation versus Imperials or Communists versus Capitalists or Anarchists v Dictatorships. This is players v cheaters!
We pledge:
- To not use scripted commanders in Elite: Dangerous
- To not benefit from 3rd parties using scripted commanders in Elite: Dangerous
- To report any suspected scripted accounts to the Frontier Developments Community Protection team
Signatories:
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Numbers are based on self-declared numbers and affiliations of groups who have committed. PLease continue to post numbers and shout if you are not in the list and should be (or vice versa)
Please note that nothing should be read into groups that have not yet pledged - there must be no suggestion that not signing up means that groups condone botting
Our initial aims are to highlight the strength of feeling against the use of scripted commanders in the ED community, but we hope to able to move beyond mere virtue signaling and Identify practical ways to increase the reporting of suspected botting to Frontier Developments and also ways to make the in-game lives of those who indulge in botting or tacitly support botting as uncomfortable as appropriate. Discussions around what can be practically done are progressing in the discord channel linked below.
Please note that while we welcome comments on this thread, ideally saying why you or your group wish to sign up to the A-BA, or why you decline, all posts must stay within FD’s forum guidelines and specifically
- There is a Zero-Tolerance Policy on the content of discussion of cheating methods
- No naming and shaming or witch-hunting We do not permit our forums to be used as a medium to name and shame, or to witch-hunt other people in our games. If you feel you need to bring an individual to our attention please contact our support team >>here<<. This includes content linking to 3rd party websites that contain such content.
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Jane Turner
Volunteer Moderator
Ideas that are emerging from discussions in Discord.
These fall into 4 categories
1. Things that could help player groups identify a possible bot attack
3. Things that could make running bots sufficiently annoying to the botter to make it not worth their time
These fall into 4 categories
1. Things that could help player groups identify a possible bot attack
1.1 More informative in station traffic information and or bounty boards
2. Things that could help FD detect possible bots more easily2.1 Algorithm to look at time-stamped in game events to flag possible non-human behaviour.
3. Things that could make running bots sufficiently annoying to the botter to make it not worth their time
3.1 Player incentivised, VR compatible in-station "Captcha" >>here<<
3.2 Reduce repetitive game loops
4. Ways for players to help themselves4.1 Voluntary task force to deal with the aftermath of presumed botting incidents [easier in BGS than PP]
4.2 Sharing of ways to identify possible botting incidents
4.3 Internal mechanisms to resolve situations where a signatory is the beneficiary of a possible botting incident
4.4 Better reporting of apparent cheating to FD.
Ping me if I've missed one.
These ideas are not intended to be fully formed yet - but as they get a bit of momentum in discussions I will start separate discussion threads for each. The ideas listed here will be a one-line "headline" - any detail behind them will be fleshed out in an eventual discussion thread on the subject. Eg. Captcha in 3.1 isn't literal, its being used as short-hand for a concept that makes things harder for OCRs to read.
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Jane Turner
Volunteer Moderator
Why would you draw such a conclusion?So you are saying those groups would have used bots otherwise without this agreement? Not exactly a resounding endorsement of those groups (and commanders).
If they wouldn't anyway, then the agreement is meaningless.
Do you think most of those who do use bots will sign this agreement?
You clearly didn't look into the entire premise or else you would realise how wrong you seem.
Where do I sign up for the Alliance Rapid Reaction Corps?
While commendable, and I completely agree with you, it’s not like those who use bots will 1) be in the slightest bit interested or 2) stop, or reconsider trying to. Cheaters will cheat.
i get cheesed off enough with people hoarding minerals on fleet carriers only to sell them just before i get there with my mining haul, flattening the price, but that is part of the game. Good luck
i get cheesed off enough with people hoarding minerals on fleet carriers only to sell them just before i get there with my mining haul, flattening the price, but that is part of the game. Good luck

If you are interested in signing up please join the Anti-Botting Agreement discord server: https://discord.gg/74C9QmxrTs
Do also enter a coalition with Anti-Botting Agreement on Inara as a part of signing the agreement: https://www.inara.cz/squadron/9820/
Do also enter a coalition with Anti-Botting Agreement on Inara as a part of signing the agreement: https://www.inara.cz/squadron/9820/
Why would you draw such a conclusion?
You clearly didn't look into the entire premise or else you would realise how wrong you seem.
Where do I sign up for the Alliance Rapid Reaction Corps?
Then explain please what this does that wouldn't happen before.
I presume all involved would already:
a) never use bots anyway
b) no using scripts to gain an advantage
c) report anyone they suspected
So not sure what this agreement is needed for.
It's a bit like the Hague convention currently - we agree not to break the EULA and is a bit motherhood and apple pie. It where it goes from here that will be interesting.
Do you expect it to actually change anything in relation to people using bots?
Jane Turner
Volunteer Moderator
Probably not, but we can change how groups who don't use bots respond - if that is the way this goes. We can also increase awareness, increase reporting of possible cheating etc.Do you expect it to actually change anything in relation to people using bots?
Probably not, but we can change how groups who don't use bots respond - if that is the way this goes. We can also increase awareness, increase reporting of possible cheating etc.
Hmm...
Jane Turner
Volunteer Moderator
We can also get away from the current situation where groups who think they have been botted just look the other way with relief when they move on and dismantle someone else.
Sharing info, yes, that's a worthy goal.
Groups that say they don't use bots, agree with each other that they don't use bots. I suppose it's nice in so far as you have a formal list of the groups that say they don't use bots.
Problem is, groups may not, but "supporters" of the same powers as those groups might and lead to accusations between groups that they are doing it on the quiet.
Its like the open only powerplay topic, where every power leader swears blind that all their people are in open, its the other side that is hiding in PG/solo.
While for now this may look as just an agreement to not use bots, there's more to come in the future. More practical ways of dealing with bots, reporting them, reduce their effectiveness, and help those who may be victims of botting at this very minute deal with it. And there are groups who are being botted against as we speak.
What usually happens is that bots show up somewhere, deal a lot of damage to a specific player faction or powerplay power, and then they move on to their next victim. They use a divide and conquer strategy by keeping everyone to their own, and giving them relief once they are gone and have retreated people from 10 systems at a time. We're trying to stop this, to come together and deal with it.
This agreement would be irrelevant if there weren't any bots. But there are, and we're trying to do something about it.
Consider me signed up!
What usually happens is that bots show up somewhere, deal a lot of damage to a specific player faction or powerplay power, and then they move on to their next victim. They use a divide and conquer strategy by keeping everyone to their own, and giving them relief once they are gone and have retreated people from 10 systems at a time. We're trying to stop this, to come together and deal with it.
This agreement would be irrelevant if there weren't any bots. But there are, and we're trying to do something about it.
Consider me signed up!
Why would you draw such a conclusion?
You clearly didn't look into the entire premise or else you would realise how wrong you seem.
Where do I sign up for the Alliance Rapid Reaction Corps?
Apologies for the double-message spam, I just saw this.
If you want to sign up, individually or in the name of your player group, you should join the discord server that's linked in the original post, and do it through there. o7
Jane Turner
Volunteer Moderator
Does FDev care about botting?
I'm becoming increasingly convinced that FDev has no intention of ever helping and that I may as well try learn to fight fire with fire, even if it does put extra load on their server. Your own members want to learn to fight fire with fire? You mean fight bot traffic with more bot traffic? Any...
This is worth flagging too
While commendable, and I completely agree with you, it’s not like those who use bots will 1) be in the slightest bit interested or 2) stop, or reconsider trying to. Cheaters will cheat.
i get cheesed off enough with people hoarding minerals on fleet carriers only to sell them just before i get there with my mining haul, flattening the price, but that is part of the game. Good luck![]()
Something that is also part of the agreement is to not benefit from 3rd parties using bots. If there are bots working in someone's favour, people in the agreement would pledge to not aid the bots in whatever they are doing, and to undo the damage that the bots did. If they show up and help my minor faction, unsolicited, I will not take advantage of it and I will pledge to undo the damage. This puts pressure on those who benefit from botting, and makes this very not pointless at all. As someone else said, it's "putting your money where your mouth is".