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

[Stigbob]

I agree... However, it's a very sticky situation, when you need absolute proof a specific player was botting.

That is extremely hard to prove.

I was involved in a situation whereby we had a report of a player killing the same mobs in the same rotation and same locations, for hours every single day.

We monitored the account and then banned it. The player never returned our 'tells'.

His father then contacted us, and explained it was his son who had asbergers? or something like that, and that was what he did. Talked to no-one and killed mobs over and over again.

We had to re-instate the account and make an apology. That was in the 90s.. Imagine the law suit now?

No need for law suits that's why the shadow server exists, they can still play so they don't have a case.

Do FDEV even care?!?! This post is 48 pages long and there is no comment from FDEV at all. I am frustrated with this issue and several other issues that no comment from FDEV has been forthcoming.

They dealt with it twice before, no reason to think they won't do it a third time.

 

[Theodrid]

According to the OP some month long shadowbans, plus some perma's. That's twice though this thread is about the third bot wave.

For botting they should go straight for perma's IMO, but they've always been too nice to cheats.

I agree Stig, Frontier need to use real deterrents or they'll be chasing the cheat train more than they should for the entire life of the game.

 

[CMDR Tom D]

To be honest, stop dreaming. I ll give you an example : we have given proof to FD that a group of players were cheating and multiboxing. Guess what ? They are still in the game.

You didn't read the comment you quoted did you?

 

[CMDR Tom D]

A few days of shadowban - if this is indeed the case - is an absolute and utter joke IMHO.

That's what our data suggests. It's detailed in the OP.

We reported 6 accounts to FDev in which a few days later 2 were banned (i.e didn't show up in game anymore, player search for friends was null) and the influence drops were in line with sustained attacks halting.

exactly 30 days later the attacks started again.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

I agree... However, it's a very sticky situation, when you need absolute proof a specific player was botting.

That is extremely hard to prove.

I was involved in a situation whereby we had a report of a player killing the same mobs in the same rotation and same locations, for hours every single day.

We monitored the account and then banned it. The player never returned our 'tells'.

His father then contacted us, and explained it was his son who had asbergers? or something like that, and that was what he did. Talked to no-one and killed mobs over and over again.

We had to re-instate the account and make an apology. That was in the 90s.. Imagine the law suit now?

What good are the rules when they aren't enforced properly?

 

[rootsrat]

I agree... However, it's a very sticky situation, when you need absolute proof a specific player was botting.

That is extremely hard to prove.

I was involved in a situation whereby we had a report of a player killing the same mobs in the same rotation and same locations, for hours every single day.

We monitored the account and then banned it. The player never returned our 'tells'.

His father then contacted us, and explained it was his son who had asbergers? or something like that, and that was what he did. Talked to no-one and killed mobs over and over again.

We had to re-instate the account and make an apology. That was in the 90s.. Imagine the law suit now?

Yeah, fully understandable. However if they shadowbanned them already, then they must be pretty sure that thet were cheating. The punishment was already issued, it's the weight of it that's the problem - bearing in mind these are all just assumptions and not an official info.

Again, an official comment from FDEV would be appreciated. They did comment officially on "G5 rolls for G1 mats" exploit, so it's not like they've not done it before.

 

[Gully Foyle]

Turn off all voice command functionality in-game.
Next problem please.

 

[CMDR Tom D]

Update to this situation

Last cycle, the bots managed to out vote our consolidation vote and prepped in huge numbers the loss making system Soholia.

This is a call to any CMDRs available to undermine Mahon. Please undermine our expansion in the Soholia system. Any time you can put into this will be appreciated.

If they can do this to Mahon, they can do this to ANY power. Don't let them win.

 

[rootsrat]

Turn off all voice command functionality in-game.
Next problem please.

There is no voice commands in game. It's all done via 3rd party apps.

 

[GG7]

There is no voice commands in game. It's all done via 3rd party apps.

And what would any of that have to do with Illegal Bot use in the game anyway? [rolleyes] [wacko]

 

[rootsrat]

And what would any of that have to do with Illegal Bot use in the game anyway? [rolleyes] [wacko]

Not sure, just provided the information

 

[+Mikie]

Has anyone figured out technicalities of automation? Like a piece of software they use, what's it called?

I'm asking for purely academic reasons, of course.

 

[rootsrat]

Has anyone figured out technicalities of automation? Like a piece of software they use, what's it called?

I'm asking for purely academic reasons, of course.

That kind of information is not allowed to be shared on these forums.

 

[Valethar]

To be honest, stop dreaming. I ll give you an example : we have given proof to FD that a group of players were cheating and multiboxing. Guess what ? They are still in the game.

Botting and multiboxing aren't the same thing. They can be done together, but they're two separate activities. Botting requires software for scripting, etc.. Multiboxing can be done without any third party software whatsoever.

 

[iFred]

To be honest, stop dreaming. I ll give you an example : we have given proof to FD that a group of players were cheating and multiboxing. Guess what ? They are still in the game.

Looks like the "proof" was more specualtion than a real "proof".

 

[raeat]

I guess it doesn't matter at this point. From our perspective, the worst has happened - while fdev sat with thumbs shoved firmly up.
The script kiddies decimate yet another game.
I am really learning to despise fdev.

 

[CMDR Tom D]

Has anyone figured out technicalities of automation? Like a piece of software they use, what's it called?

I'm asking for purely academic reasons, of course.

I've detailed some videos of software developed in the OP

 

[Night Parrot]

I guess it doesn't matter at this point. From our perspective, the worst has happened.

It is truly sad that nothing was done to make access to station services impossible for script writers – at least much harder to force a rewrite.

[mad]

 

[Darth Ender]

All you need to really stop script writers :

Get rid of the docking computer. I'd love to see scripts try and dock a ship automatically without any game engine help. However humans can do it extremely easily.

When a hostile NPC shows up and the script tries to bail to avoid having to defend itself, ensure the server always causes the client to spawn the NPC (or a different one of same makeup) the next time they log in inside their instance (regardless of if this happened in SC or regular space).

This ensurers that disconnecting to avoid the hostilities can't be dealt with automatically.

Bonus:

If a player is making the same jump between systems within a certain amount of time, the chance of a pirate interdicting them should increase exponentially - limiting this repetitive behavior to levels that make grinding a single route unattractive to the non-human (or lame grindy human).

 

[Gully Foyle]

There is no voice commands in game. It's all done via 3rd party apps.

thanks. was wondering if its a hybrid.