Bots and Macros in Games

Saranth

 

I am Saranth.
AKA Brokenlizard.

Brokenlizard is the ao.warcry.com forum moderator.

You have been served!

Serien

Oh My Gosh! i HATE bots!

it gets so annoying, first off you can't even find a mob

second, when you are fighting 2, and you kill one, and you don't have time to pick up the loot, they STEAL it!

i hate bots..but i'm glad in retail asian ip's are banned

jay1563

The use of macros for benifit whilst sat away watching a movie is a big no no. I think its ok to use them as an aid but not to fight.

If a macro is used to self buff or buff another then go for it. These so called gamers who set a macro on fighting then leave are just cheats of the highest order. Whats the point in that????

50/50 split on the poll.

eulogy333

Macros and bots are cheats, period.

Shagsbeard

In most games there are rules.  People who disobey the rules should not be allowed to continue play.  If players are allowed by the ruleset to run bots then more power to them.  If there is a rule prohibiting this, and it goes uninforced by the game company, I'll never patronize that company again.  I would bet that this issue is central to the decline of the entire genre.  People who come to these games to try out what they're like, only to find rampant cheating are turn off and go back to single player games.  Most games have real problems with cheaters.  Games that come out in the future need to adress this concern to get my bucks.

-Sig-
Don't try to teach a pig to sing,
It rarely works and only serves to annoy the pig.

ianubisi

I see no fault in their use. A game should not require countless hours of mindless repitition to achieve something. A game that favors programmatic, automated behavior over human tactics and strategy is fundamentally flawed.

eulogy333

Then play another game if its too boring and repetitive... otherwise you're cheating.

Shagsbeard

The problem is that the advice for him to quit, and the punishment for cheating are the same result.  There is no punishment these companies can pursue except making you quit.  They even use that sparingly.  Every society in the past has had to rely on governments to regulate the behaivor of their members.  If the only punishment available is banishment, then crimes are going to run rampent.  Until the companies can find a way to keep cheaters from cheating, then we're going to either have to learn to live with it, or quit playing.

How about this... to play my kooky game, you have to deposit $250.  If you are found to be cheating, you will be banned and your deposit will not be refunded.  If you decide to quit, with good graces, your money will be cheerfully refunded with interest.

-Sig-
Don't try to teach a pig to sing,
It rarely works and only serves to annoy the pig.

Deien

i have to say using bots is cheatin

Lotarious

I'd like a definition of 'Bot' and 'Macro' otherwise this discussion is pointless.

So like using the macro commands INCLUDED with SWG, CoH, and many, many other games is cheating???

wtf why did the devs put it in there then?

And if I 2-box actually PLAYING both characters fighting mobs with both at the same time, that's cheating???

I don't get it.

---------------------------------
Killer 80%|Achiever 53%|Socializer 46%|Explorer 20%

Nasas

You obviously don't know what we are talking about... Macros in games that have that feature are alright....

What we are talking about macros or bots that do things for you, these are used from outside the game... Usually macros and bots are 3rd person programs fighitng for you.  It means you can go to sleep while you character levels up in game.

I think they are wrong

UnKn0wN

I also think their wrong, having an advantage over majority of players, by leveling up with your bot and macro while you sleep is cheating no matter how you look at it. Someone said that it's a flaw to be able to actually do it, and to those that do it, will congrats to them? I think not, programming a macro or a bot, in order to level fasther, heal yourself 24/7 has to be the cheapest and most annoying thing to see while playing any MMORPG. While majority is playing fair, earning their levels and weapons and kills the way it was meant to be by the devs, theres always going to be people out there, with a sad life, so sad the only satisfaction they can get, is through cheating their way up to be a powerful character, in order to find any joy in their life. Such a shame, all for an online game.

But hey more power to you, if an online game can keep you from committing suicide, keep on bot-ing and maro-ing!

Obiyer

I think Bots are okay. They don't really hurt anyone and most of them nowadays are advanced enough to not kill steal. If I had bots available to me I'd used them because it's just stupid not to.

Jiraiya

I feel if the bots/macros are integrated into the game for ur use....its not wrong. But if its a third-party bot programs where u leave the bot on while u go fly kite, drink coffee, catch a movie is a NO. This type of bots is the reason y i hate RO.

Galoot

Bots throw the game out of balance, period.

Obiyer

It's the same as people sharing accounts and one person plays while the other is asleep. Is this wrong too? I mean all everything is when put into data is just code which includes keyboard strokes and mouse movement. Why waste valuable time for a thing which is very tedious if a person can program a script to do it for you? Would normal people get angry at someone not setting up a fire and cooking his toast with a stick but rather used a toaster? If bots where like steriods which harmed the human body then they should not be done.

I like being progresive! Then again I am a very weak person who will take every loop hole he can see or make. Kudos to those who have the wilpower not to. However people should not complain of it as being unfair because they have the ability to do it too, and if they don't then they start reveling in their misfortune forgetting the fact they can improve. X.X Hmm, I think I am ranting.

Galoot

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Originally posted by Obiyer

It's the same as people sharing accounts and one person plays while the other is asleep. Is this wrong too? I mean all everything is when put into data is just code which includes keyboard strokes and mouse movement. Why waste valuable time for a thing which is very tedious if you can program a script to do it for you? Would you get angry at someone not setting up a fire and cooking his toast with a stick but rather used a toaster? If bots where like steriods which harmed the human body then they should not be done. I like being progresive! Then again I am a very weak person who will take every loop hole he can see or make. Kudos to those who have the wilpower not to. However don't complain of it as being unfair because you have the ability to do it too.

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I must respectfully disagree. In fact you just made the distinction. There is a difference between a living breathing human being playing on the same account and a bot.

Obiyer

What is the difference though? Things are getting done. It does not really matter who or what does it.

Galoot

The difference is a living breathing human being that is capable of communication, thought and reason vs putting it on auto pilot thereby simply running a few lines of code.

Galoot

Let me clarify my position. When I say bot, I'm really talking about buff bots. Also, to me when you're talking about PvE bots are ok. However when talking about PvP or RvR then it throws the game out of balance.

Obiyer

Well, if you have to have a bot to have fun in a game then I think the game developers fault more than the player. The player for playing it and abusing their power or the developers for making a very unsatisfying game.

When it is PvP and there is some measure of adeptness involved then it is very wrong.

Though it's okay if the player could do it without the bots help and only time would be the constraining factor. Isn't a bot a casual players dream? I mean the hardcore players will still play and the casual and whoever else will just bot. I don't think it's unfair, but I would not play a game in which I will have to bot to have fun so I can't really say from a botters perspective. However, most people who played DII botted so they could get their pvp things. However ITH's started to appear and ruined everything. THOSE are very wrong because they where not meant to be in the game.

Botting is very okay if it is used to save time getting the .01% item to drop.

Galoot

"Well, if you have to have a bot to have fun in a game then I think the game developers fault more than the player"

If you are playing at an odd hour with low server populations I fail to see how this is a flaw in the game.

"I mean the hardcore players will still play and the casual and whoever else will just bot. I don't think it's unfair"

Well then I must say you have a strange sense of 'fairness'.

This casual vs 'power gamer' war is getting rather old. Casual players complain that the 'power gamers' obsess over getting that 'uber item' while they obsess that they don't have it either. Hello? Or they obsess over other's obsession.

Time + effort = progress

How many here actually think that they should get paid the same amount of money for doing half of the same kind of work? That is the false argument that they are trying to make.

wystan

hmm depends on the game most mmos now have macro so i believe they are perfectly fine

bots specialy in L2 affect everyone and the game economy

 

eulogy333

Macros that were intended by the programmers should be used. Macros created by those who wish to exploit the system and gain an upperhand and others unfairly should not be used and should be banned.

Two-boxing is not illegal, that's not even an issue, not sure where you came up with that...

Bots are the scum of the scum. Using a character to repeatedly do an action while you are not present causes problems within the immediate surroundings of that character and can cause grief for PCs.

It's really quite simple.. if you're too bored to play a game even in the early levels, then find another game to play...

If oyu already have done the early levels, then give some uber gear to your new char, it's infinitely more satisfying and respectable than cheating.

- Neil

Maximane

Using a MMO's built-in macro system is just fine. However, the use of a third-party program outside of the game to influence inside the game is not permissable unless the company says otherwise.

There is a very thin line between bots/macros and cheating/exploiting.

--------------------
Alex "Maximane" De Line
- MMORPG.COM Staff -

Magpie

If you can progress in a game using macros of any kind then the game is not worth playing.  Think about it, if the game is that simple to play what’s the point.  It’s just a glorified chat room.  I think games that allow macros do so because that approach is much easier than policing them.  Also these so called games are so repetitive that the macros allow players to advance quickly so they don’t have to get bored playing the game.

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I’m sorry but I don’t want playing a game to be so repetitive and simple that I could be replaced with a macro.  Macros are a symptom of the current illness spreading through the MMORPG industry.  The cause is dull, simplistic and un-evolving game-play.  With all these new titles coming out you would think things would get better not worse.

 

Until a MMORPG which demands you have an IQ of over 10 to be able to succeed in rather than endless free time I will not start playing these games again.  If I wanted to do mindless, repetitive tasks I would go and work on a production line.  At least it pays.

 

Magpie