How to deal with people who create bot clients?

[Crush]

How should TMW deal with people who create, distribute and/or advertise modified clients which include an automatic play mode (bots)?

discuss.

[enchilado]

I certainly don't think they should be encouraged, and nor should they be ignored - yet for an at-keyboard bot, a permanent ban seems too harsh.

I would propose a 72-hour, or thereabouts, ban, but how can this kind of bot be detected unless they admit that they're botting - and who's going to do that if they know they can get banned for it?

[swimmy]

Personally, I really hate them. I would like to ban those people (users too) even if they are not afk.

[Leela]

There is no way to fight someone who makes a bot program. What do you want to do? Take away the persons computer? Also banning someone like that doesn't really fit as there is no rule against bots in general, just against afk bots.
So change the rule to bots in general so you have a base to get rid of people who publish bots, or just leave it like it is and that's it.
I would not encourage or ignore them either. But I would make an intern list with published bot programmes and who made them because that would show you what features it has and it would be easier to detect bots.

But at the moment there is really nothing you can do against/for/with people who create bot clients...

cu ingame
Leela

[Big Crunch]

i was under the impression that modified clients arent against the rules. I also understood that automated actions arent against the rules, just automated afk actions. I think if you change the rules you are going to have to eliminate all modified clients including 4144's. I think the only way to deal with botting is to stay the course. We have surprisingly few incidents of botters, and most are pennies on the keyboard type botters. We all know who the resident botter is, and as far as i can tell, he isnt afk when he does it. I think banning the use of a modified client is akin to using a grenade launcher on a mouse.

[iceslice]

works like a charm. i put it on my flash drive because i hate the portable version of the official client almost as much as i hate the official client. but a portable 4144 client? you kick ass, iceslice!

Thanks, but sometimes official client is useful when you need to get rid of some lag or frequent crashes.. (safe mode has been implemented tho)

Btw, ManaPortable & ManaPlusPortable has been included. I could also include ManaBotPortable which would popularize it but I never dare to do so since it may hamper the community.

that's what I wrote even before this topic started. Well, i would say that admin can force them not to advertise ?
Well, i wont lie at all. Initially I tried to understand how a bot works, that way I learnt how the system works. But at the end I came up with a positive output that's ManaPortable.

[IvanMorve]

http://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/laws.shtml

Macroing, botting, and automation

No matter what you do, someone is going to automate the process of playing your world.

Corollary:

Looking at what parts of your game players tend to automate is a good way to determine which parts of the game are tedious and/or not fun.

I will not vote for "encouraging bot clients" but taking a look on what they do and how they doing this could help to develop/change the gameplay.

[iceslice]

I dont see any value in destructive programming (like hack, crack, bot etc.) . You cant show any achievement thru that. That's what I firmly believe to not waste time in.

[lien]

Permanent IP ban!!!!!!

make ≠ use
they was creat a client for bot but not necessarily use it .

you talk about which client ? manaB** or 4144 (*joke*)
no really in the 4144 there is commands like /imitate or /follow can be use for ...... botting ...
about my vote :"ignore them" because if some player take the client they know one thing before this's illegal from T M W
and if they play with it ..... they can be denounce for botting .....
this is my opinion .

Lien ....

[iceslice]

I think first we should define what a bot client is and what botting is.

[DarkWater]

I think first we should define what a bot client is and what botting is.

What I was just about to write. Crush what is a botting client? You can not even start to understand what to do with them, if you do not know what they are.

This is like nazi's,
"round up all the jews!!!"
" What is a jew?"
"Just round up everyone that looks like him!!!!"

Kind of silly. So what is a bot client crush, and please be specific.

[Crush]

I think first we should define what a bot client is and what botting is.

What I was just about to write. Crush what is a botting client? You can not even start to understand what to do with them, if you do not know what they are.

This is like nazi's,
"round up all the jews!!!"
" What is a jew?"
"Just round up everyone that looks like him!!!!"

Kind of silly. So what is a bot client crush, and please be specific.

No answer for you - Goodwins law.

[Tiana]

I'll put my $0.02 into this topic too.

Automated AFK botting is against the current existing rules, and should and will be punished it caught. AFK botting is punished whether automated or not. I certainly don't think anything should change with this rule.

As to an automated bot where the player is not AFK... my stance has always been this. I consider it somewhat unethical and against the spirit of the game - but not against the existing rules. I just don't see the fun/reason to play if you just set your computer to doing the task while you sit there and watch (and probably browse the internet, watch TV, play another character, etc on the side too).

At least to me - the difference is noticeable, usually. Of course the automated non-afk botters know they need to talk to me They don't have to talk to other players though - hence the use of the @wgm command sometimes.

I tend to agree with Ivan on this one - why are players using these automated bots for? Leveling? Money? Items? Figure out what it is and consider making changes in how such things are obtained. Grinding can be very boring, I personally was lucky enough to fall into a great group of other players who were also grinding - and guess what? We chatted quite a bit - and some of us have become very good friends based on those days

There ya go - my opinion!

[Matt]

Just let them be. *ados style*

Don't know what I am talking about? N00b!

[yourmistakes]

How should TMW deal with people who create, distribute and/or advertise modified clients which include an automatic play mode (bots)?

discuss.

i could be wrong, but this almost seems like a direct attack on amun/haunted. the rules are no afk activity. if one so chooses to run a bot while afk, then they deserve the ban. this is like closing mcdonald's because everyone got fat.

i also am inclined to agree with ivan. maybe if people are automating the game, then, you should look at what aspects they are automating, perhaps open a poll for that.