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Mike Lewis, security coordinator for ArenaNet, has just posted a new blog article on combating the bot issue in Guild Wars 2. The article states that ArenaNet has banned over 34,000 bot accounts in November alone, but they have noticed a decrease in botting reports - in October over 2,000 were reported every hour and now they receive about 20 reports per hour.
Quote
I’d like to briefly outline the steps that we have taken to shut down botting.
Collecting and analyzing data is very important to us at ArenaNet. Data is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal against bots. We’ve gathered massive amounts of information about the habits of both normal players and automated bot players. We contracted a team of data specialists to help us build comprehensive tools that comb through this data and find effective ways to single out and terminate bot accounts. Automating this process has been a major focus of the ArenaNet security team, and we’re now seeing the considerable fruits of this labor.
Another way we identify and combat bots is through manual observation. Our GM staff is equipped to monitor the game around the clock and detect bots from within the game itself. We have a considerable task force assigned to patrolling the world and eliminating bots, as well as helping us continue to improve and refine our automatic detection tools.
Last but not least, we’re in a good position to monitor and investigate bot reports as they arrive from players. Aided by our analysis tools and strengthened by manual investigation as necessary, GMs are able to react quickly and efficiently to bot reports and terminate offending accounts in short order.
Collecting and analyzing data is very important to us at ArenaNet. Data is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal against bots. We’ve gathered massive amounts of information about the habits of both normal players and automated bot players. We contracted a team of data specialists to help us build comprehensive tools that comb through this data and find effective ways to single out and terminate bot accounts. Automating this process has been a major focus of the ArenaNet security team, and we’re now seeing the considerable fruits of this labor.
Another way we identify and combat bots is through manual observation. Our GM staff is equipped to monitor the game around the clock and detect bots from within the game itself. We have a considerable task force assigned to patrolling the world and eliminating bots, as well as helping us continue to improve and refine our automatic detection tools.
Last but not least, we’re in a good position to monitor and investigate bot reports as they arrive from players. Aided by our analysis tools and strengthened by manual investigation as necessary, GMs are able to react quickly and efficiently to bot reports and terminate offending accounts in short order.
Comments
#1 FoxBat
Vigil Crusader
Posted 12 December 2012 - 07:56 PM
Also funny to trumpet the drop in bot reporting. As if hiding in the water or teleporting faster than anyone can report has nothing to do with that statistic.
#2 Alex Dimitri
Sylvari Specialist
Posted 12 December 2012 - 08:30 PM
Interesting he doesn`t mention who do those 34k accounts belong (or did belong) i can`t imagine gold farmers bought all that accounts.
Also, even if their bot fighting team works, what`s up with that so called "economy" team that should oversee TP and prices in general (they are on paid leave?) !
It`s not so hard to observe that economy "with bots" in GW2 was way better than this new one without them, maybe things could get bit better but since Anet is so cheap on drops, i`m not reporting a single bot ever again !
#3 Lordkrall
Vigil Crusader
Posted 12 December 2012 - 08:39 PM
#4 Strawberry Nubcake
Sylvari Specialist
Posted 12 December 2012 - 09:11 PM
I think the population in general probably dropped a bit as well. Fewer people playing = fewer people sending reports. I'm logging in less than I used to and went on vacation last week. It's kinda hard to report several bots a day when I'm not playing!
There do seem to be fewer bots... for now... but the fact there are a few running around in game right now means the numbers will multiply if Anet doesn't act fast. Hopefully they will do something about the speed hacks and stuff one day. I want to play the game instead of chase down bots all day. (Is chasing bots fun? NOPE!) Occasionally stopping to report a couple of bots is fine. Constantly having to stop and chase down huge packs of teleporting bots is not. One feels like I'm helping out and the other feels more like a job I'm not getting paid for.
#5 Nerel
Vanguard Scout
Posted 12 December 2012 - 09:21 PM
As for the fall in bot reports, that is truly an amazing number... but obviously mitigated by a number of factors.
Player apathy has started to set in, perhaps?
Teleporting node farming bots are becoming so very common across a wide range of areas and they appear and disappear so fast that they are much harder to click on and report, simply put, by the time you know it's a bot it is already gone.
More intelligent bot zergs... mixed groups of professions, real seeming character names, guild tags... farming away in small corners of the map and avoiding the attention of casual passers-by.
The number of obvious bots took a huge a huge blow when Anet did their big bot sweep... but the number of bots is on the rise again, and I'm seeing just as many bots now as I did then, only they aren't all rangers with random character names, wearing the same armor with the same unnamed bears.
Anet really has their work cut out for them if they intend to do more than pay lip service to combating bots in GW2.
I'd imagine the Node teleporting bots would be VERY EASY to detect and combat, indeed I'm wondering why GW2 lets the client dictate the characters location to the server and not the other way round.
Anyhow, keep up the good work Anet, your efforts thus far are appreciated.
#6 Shayne Hawke
Seraph Guardian
Posted 12 December 2012 - 10:15 PM
Jumping puzzles.
#7 Shroomhead Fred
Vanguard Scout
Posted 12 December 2012 - 10:16 PM
My guess is never, because I don't think bots are the reason for DR, just a convenient excuse.
#8 Craywulf
Legion Commander
Posted 12 December 2012 - 10:21 PM
#9 Rumstein
Asuran Acolyte
Posted 12 December 2012 - 11:03 PM
Seems they ban more than just bots.
My friend was banned during his mindless iceflow farming as a suspected bot... He was on mumble talking to me, even telling me whenever something dropped! I guess that's the new "diminishing returns".
Also, the economy is so boned right now that I'm sure 90% of the player base welcomes the return of bots... Just not the 1% or zealous "white knights".
#10 B3aT
Asuran Acolyte
Posted 13 December 2012 - 12:04 AM
I still don't think the GM's exists (ofc they exists but I think they are too few ...or don't do their job:) ..I just gathered some examples from my server
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLamds2eEUo&feature=youtu.be
#11 Majic
Sylvari Specialist
Posted 13 December 2012 - 02:14 AM
When I stop seeing teleporting bots, smaller reporting numbers will mean more to me, because the teleporting bots are actually much, much more efficient than their non-teleporting predecessors.
Here's hoping they fix that problem soon, because a smaller number of more powerful bots teleporting all over the maps gathering resources in the blink of an eye can do a lot more damage than a bunch of old-school 1-spammers standing around on Botter's Bridge in the Kessex Hills.
#12 pumpkin pie
Obnoxious Font Tag Abuser
Posted 13 December 2012 - 03:07 AM
keep up the good works.
#13 Symbiont
Golem Rider
Posted 13 December 2012 - 04:04 AM
i wanted to grief the botter by luring "The Eye of Zhaitan" on top of them, however that elite-mob just disappeared when i was about to do it after i've cleared the path from normal mobs.
i hope to see the bot again, just so i have a chance to grief again.
starting at 1 minute into this video is exactly what i saw at the exact same location.
the eye of zhaitan is spawned next to them. next time the eye will surely wipe them out, mwhahaha.
[quote name='B3aT' timestamp='1355357051' post='2116265']
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLamds2eEUo&feature=youtu.be[/media]
[/quote]
#14 Tenicord
Seraph Guardian
Posted 13 December 2012 - 04:54 AM
#15 Lordkrall
Vigil Crusader
Posted 13 December 2012 - 06:55 AM
What I'd really like to know is when are they going to have the situation under control enough so they can finally remove Diminishing Returns? I'm sick of being punished, because of a few bots.
My guess is never, because I don't think bots are the reason for DR, just a convenient excuse.
[/quote]
They have however never stated that the only reason for DR are the bots.
Nor will they ever state that.
Bots and exploits is a PART of the reason, but not the only reason.
They have no reason to remove it.
#16 Valkaire
Sylvari Specialist
Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:12 AM
#17 Lordkrall
Vigil Crusader
Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:22 AM
Another factor of the reduced reports is that people finally realize what happens to the economy when you remove bots. Nobody likes spending more money when they have to and now that they know that their "QQ too many bots!" led to a drastic rise in materials/dyes I doubt there's many people who are still willing to report...
[/quote]
I would say that is bullshit.
The vast majority of players would most likely rather have a bot-free game than having stupidly cheap items on the TP.
I sure wonder why people can't just accept the fact that ArenaNet has actually done a good job with bots. But then again, it is the same people as those that complains about every single thing ArenaNet ever does so I suppose it is more or less impossible.
#18 Nerel
Vanguard Scout
Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:48 AM
I would say that is bullshit.
The vast majority of players would most likely rather have a bot-free game than having stupidly cheap items on the TP.
[/quote]
I hate to say this, but I agree with you entirely (the first and possibly last time I'll ever say that to one of your posts).
Bots don't just make things cheaper to buy on the TP, they make all the loot or crafting materials we farm worth LESS too... so everything is cheaper to buy, but we're making far less money at the same time. I for one don't want to be competing with bots that can run 24/7.
#19 Illein
Seraph Guardian
Posted 13 December 2012 - 08:51 AM
And I can't believe I'd ever state that, but it's really simple - they do a job that is part of the game that I'd NEVER like to do, they fulfil the ridiculously mind-numbing farming that I'd be required to do in order to get my legendary but can't be arsed to for its sheer stupidity.
So if bots mean, I don't have to waste my time doing repetitive nonsense, I reported my last bot ~October and that's it. Bring them in! MORE BOTS please! I am quite happy with cheap T6 mats and hopefully Lodestones will go down as well - because these articles are the bane of Guild Wars 2's "no grinding" argument and bots tremendously help with that, making MY game better than Arena Net would at that point.
I WELCOME THEE, CHINESE BOTTING OVERLORDS! MY BODY IS READY!
#20 Zhahz
Sylvari Specialist
Posted 13 December 2012 - 09:16 AM
But.
The bots are starting to appear again, more and more all the time.
And as before, you report them. You see them the next day. And the next. And the next week. And it's just like before where it feels like nothing is being done.