Automation and Scripting - An investigation into further abuses of BGS and Powerplay

[Crank Larson]

Ignorantia juris non excusa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignorantia_juris_non_excusat).

I'm not using it as an excuse for anything, just stating a fact. I have literally hundreds of games. I am not about to start reading the T&Cs before I play. I read T&Cs when I am asked to sign something.

 

[The Librarian]

I'm not using it as an excuse for anything, just stating a fact. I have literally hundreds of games. I am not about to start reading the T&Cs before I play. I read T&Cs when I am asked to sign something.

They're a great cure for insomnia.

 

[Crank Larson]

They're a great cure for insomnia.

I know better ones. :O

 

[Rob At Work]

They're a great cure for insomnia.

And the GRIND! you gotta love the grind

 

[CMDR Tom D]

Some details I've managed to pull upon someones request and thought I'd repost them here:

This shows their climb just before the suspected 30 day ban on the 26th-27th September:

Spoiler

This shows their return 30 days later to begin their climb again on the 26th-27th October.

Spoiler

 

[evanevery]

Except bots can fly all hours of all the day. We commanders can only fly when other stuff like dayjob's etc doesn't block. Oh don't forget sleep.

True for the most part that most of the bot accounts observed stuck to 8 hour stints, but log off one bot CMDR boot up another bot CMDR and continue.

Yes, but the Thargoids also fly 24x7...

Relegate these bots to Open, let the community fly against them, and make believe its NEW CONTENT!

 

[Martin Schou]

Yes, but the Thargoids also fly 24x7...

Relegate these bots to Open, let the community fly against them, and make believe its NEW CONTENT!

This doesn't solve the issue, as they force quit at the first sign of hostility, not to mention you can prevent instancing from happening in the first place.

 

[sollisb]

For the people who don't see any problem with game automation, I'd like to add it's a breach of the game T&C so it gives unfair advantage over those who play by the rules.

Actually you're wrong. Voice Attack automated the game and has been passed as acceptable by FDev. Therefore, automation is accepted.

You cannot allow one program and disallow another. Without specific addressing that. Further; They cannot just allow voice attack. Voice Attack is a separate Purchasable Product, so FDev have to abide by competition rules. Which means I could write my own voice activation software. And, indeed, sell it !

 

[IamNickMan]

Actually you're wrong. Voice Attack automated the game and has been passed as acceptable by FDev. Therefore, automation is accepted.

You cannot allow one program and disallow another. Without specific addressing that. Further; They cannot just allow voice attack. Voice Attack is a separate Purchasable Product, so FDev have to abide by competition rules. Which means I could write my own voice activation software. And, indeed, sell it !

I think that's a little too black and white to gloss over how voice attack effects game play.

 

[CMDR Tom D]

Actually you're wrong. Voice Attack automated the game and has been passed as acceptable by FDev. Therefore, automation is accepted.

Your definition of Automation needs some work.

Macros to change pips to presets, voice commands to raise landing gear or enable or disable modules, even macros to speed up repeatable station service routines are examples of accessibility and QoL improvements. The process still need regular player interaction.

You're conflating Short term automated process with long term foolproof automation.

 

[CaptainKirby]

Actually you're wrong. Voice Attack automated the game and has been passed as acceptable by FDev. Therefore, automation is accepted.

That's like saying: My car has a cruise control system and a lane keeping assist system, so it's an autonomous car and I can sleep while it's driving me home. Nope. It's not working that way.

 

[DukeIronHand]

CAPTCHA?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA

Maybe the occasional in-game Turing test will tell the bots from the men (and women).

"Select each square in the following image which has a Thargoid in it".

Please no.

 

[CMDR_Brantford of FLC]

So your solution is for Fdev to do nothing about removing bots - which is obviously exploiting and cheating both the BGS and the PP... but to just take away PP (and leave the problem of bots still affecting BGS)?

I quite honestly don't get this hatred for PP some of you hold.. Sure it has some defects.. but so does all aspects of this game.

If bots are altering the BGS, or Power Play, and Frontier cannot, or will not stop them, it is time to stop playing those games, or scrap them.

Tampering with the BGS affects all players. Losing Power Play might lose players, but it's better than ruining the game for everyone.

I am quite serious.

 

[sollisb]

Your definition of Automation needs some work.

Macros to change pips to presets, voice commands to raise landing gear or enable or disable modules, even macros to speed up repeatable station service routines are examples of accessibility and QoL improvements. The process still need regular player interaction.

You're conflating Short term automated process with long term foolproof automation.

I think autopilot would be a QoL improvement. I'll go write it and sell it?

 

[CaptainKirby]

I think autopilot would be a QoL improvement. I'll go write it and sell it?

You argue like you're scared FDev will take away a cheating tool you already use. I don't understand why people would side with these bots, they are clearly an abuse and endanger the integrity and fairness of a game we all put a lot of time into.

 

[WorldsGreatestForumDad]

You argue like you're scared FDev will take away a cheating tool you already use. I don't understand why people would side with these bots, they are clearly an abuse and endanger the integrity and fairness of a game we all put a lot of time into.

For the same reason people dont want hotel california change. They know they can and will be stopped. These monkeys take every advantage they can get when it comes to the BGS and Powerplay against other commanders.

I should be able to blast every one of them out of the sky.

 

[CMDR Maelstrom Dragons]

what if these bots are fdev's? I mean, I know this sounds very unlikely but this could allow them to control factions without taking full blame of tinkering with BGS... And programming such bots seem very sophisticated considering most files are encrypted.

 

[Faybs]

what if these bots are fdev's? I mean, I know this sounds very unlikely but this could allow them to control factions without taking full blame of tinkering with BGS... And programming such bots seem very sophisticated considering most files are encrypted.

They own the game's back end, so they can tweak the values on the databases directly. Having actual NPC ships flying around and doing things would be doing it the hard way. It would be amazing to be able to follow an NPC around as it lived its life, but I don't see it happening.

 

[Chaparral]

In my opinion, bot authors enjoy a healthy ego. In this example, the bot author is exploiting a vulnerability in the design of the BGS and PP and redundant game play and screwing with a player group. It's a double troll. Doing it in Open is the equivalent of saying, "I'm smarter than you and watch me prove it. You're not even going to be able to do anything about it." This isn't really about the BGS, its hubris.

If the author just wanted to score personal credits, there is no audience, no secret grin. In most mmo's there is a lot of in game spam chat about gold selling, power leveling, and prestige gear. All of that is about rl$. If the author just wanted to mess with the BGS, then it could be carried out in solo or PG. These are not the mechanics here. This seems personal.

 

[ilo]

In this example, the bot author is exploiting a vulnerability in the design of the BGS and PP and redundant game play and screwing with a player group. It's a double troll. Doing it in Open is the equivalent of saying, "I'm smarter than you and watch me prove it. You're not even going to be able to do anything about it." This isn't really about the BGS, its hubris.

What if there is one guy, the author that developed the bot, and 20 users who purchased it?