Anti-Botting Agreement

[Asamith]

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:

• 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:

1st Galactic Line of Defence The 6th Interstellar Corps The 9th Legion The 12th fleet The 51th Massilia Corporation 95th Squadron ACE Exploration After Earth Stellar Alliance Agent BGS AID-the Allies Aisling's Angels Aisling Wing Command Altaran Oversight Council Angel Spacial Operations Group Arbor Caelum Ancient Legio Archeron Syndicate The Armory Artemis Corp Alba Rotam Private Military Alliance of Casual Entrepreneurs Alliance Deepspace Organisation Alliance Rapid Reaction Corps Allied Order of Exemplar The Angels of Death Arissa Lavigny Duval PowerPlay leadership Aseveljet Balkan Intergalactic Guerilla squadron Barbera Crew BFNF Solutions Black Birds Squadron Black Sky Legion Bloodfox Tribe Brotherhood of Terra Mater Caballeros de Sion Cameron's Combat Sevices The Canonn CapsuleCorp Interstellar Cascade Agri-Care Survey Cavaliers Le Chardon Cerberus CCCP-2061 Chapterhouse of Inquisition Chimera Civitas Dei Cobra Wing Communist Interstellar The Congressus Tenebris Crimson Dagger Creed of Valhalla Daily Routine Incormporated Dark Echo Dark Enterprises The Dark Initiative DaVinci Corp Dead Pirates Society Despair Owls Devenport Corporation

Los Diplomaticos Dogs Of Lore Earth Defense Fleet East India Company EDA Kunti League Elitach multipurpose forces squadron Elite Branch Anihilation Elite Torval ELITE TRADERS Enigma Dyson Syndicate Evil Inc. Explorers of the Anarchy Explorers of Nabudis squadron Explorer on Tour The Eyes of Leshak [Yuri Grom] Fatal Shadows Federal Liberal Command [Felicity Winters] Federation Naval Command Federal Republic Command [Zachary Hudson] The Fédération Québécoise The Forgotten Initiative Forsaken Corsairs Forsaken Hunters Fusang Heavy Engineering GALACTIC 911 The Galactic Academy Galactic E consumers' Initiative Ghost Legion Gilgamesh Corps Green Dragon Space Corps Guardians of Harmony The House Chanter Corporation House of Saga Imperial Enforcement Division Imperial Hegemony of Palaiologos The Imperial House of Chanter Imperial Privateers Independent Allied Forces The Imperial Council of Nobles The Imperial Octopus Cartel The Imperial Privateers Imperial Self Defense Force Independent Defence Agency Independence Separatist Fleet The Ishtar Sovereignty Jolly Cooperators Just 4 Fun Kamadhenu Chapterhouse of Inquisition Knights of Isarian The Knights of Orion Kui Xiani Purple Netcoms Network The Kuun-Lan Lave Radio / Lave Radio Network Lavigny's Legion Lunatics Mercantile Association Of Operators Lunatis Interstellar Lupus Dei CMVI The Mercs of Mikunn MetaVem Brotherhood

The Nemesis Research Assembly New Pilots Initiative NODE 6 Nova Navy Operation Andromeda The Ordo Hereticus Ordo Corona Stellarum Osiris Interstellar Paladin Corporation Pan Galactic Mining Corp Pan Imperial PvP Patreus Planning Pigeon Shipping Lines Pixel bandits Praetorian Curiate Assembly Pranav Antal Powerplay The Prismatic Imperium Prismatic Knights The Privateer's Alliance Quantum Intelligence Enterprise Red Barons Retaliation Platoon Royal Elite of the Grand Duke Royal Phoenix Security Group Russian Raiders Sacra Oculus Seraphin Seventh The Shadows of Ariatia Shadows of the Void Shirli-Myrli Silver Hunter Order Silver Thrusters Sirius power Play Sirius Inc. Solaris Xeno-psychology Group The Spear Network Squadron 11 Starlance Alpha Starlight Brigade Tartan Spartan Freelancer Group Thule Empire League TITAN Contractors (TCON) Terran Colonial Forces Terra-EX Astro Corp Turkish Federal Forces Turkish Galactic Empire The Undaunted Pilots United Coalition of Boonta United German Commanders United Systems Cooperative Utopians Vampyr Ponys The Void Walkers Warriors of Wyrd Wolves of Jonai Wraith Shipping Wrecking Crew Zama Rangers

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

1. There is a Zero-Tolerance Policy on the content of discussion of cheating methods
2. 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.

Our inara page is >> here<<:
Our discord is >>here<<:​

 

[Jane Turner]

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

1.1 More informative in station traffic information and or bounty boards​

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2. Things that could help FD detect possible bots more easily

2.1 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​

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4. Ways for players to help themselves

4.1 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.​

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Ping me if I've missed one.

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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.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

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?

 

[Jane Turner]

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.

 

[Dharrch Streynjer]

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?

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?

 

[AirZeee]

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

 

[Thyrgils]

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/

 

[Agony_Aunt]

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.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

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]

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.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

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]

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.

 

[Deleted member 192138]

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.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

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.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

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.

 

[Chaines]

I do not condone botting, but maybe IA is the only thing that can save us from rampant communism

 

[KKomrade Sylas]

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!

 

[KKomrade Sylas]

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]

Does FDev care about botting?

That's a heck of an accusation to make That there are accounts shown in the AOS report on botting in Elite Dangerous currently passing through the systems we think there be something fishy happening in is a verifiable fact. That they are bots, is of course not possible to know.

forums.frontier.co.uk

This is worth flagging too

 

[KKomrade Sylas]

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".