Splatacus
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Posted - 2011.08.23 17:49:00 -
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Edited by: Splatacus on 23/08/2011 17:49:50 I think you are all barking up the wrong tree. Making detection of bots faster by adding single features that a human needs to respond to will result in the same way that the bots currently operate - more response routines such as talking in local, warping to different safe spots, randomize undock-intervals and so on. CAPTCHA's excluded, if it can be done within the game, it can presumably be botted.
Some angles
1. Make the environment for bots unprofitable. WoW did this by virtually eliminating the value of "gold". This (thankfully) will not work in EVE which is reliant on gathering activities. 2. Monitor outside programs that run the bots. Not an expert myself of course but I understand that the bots function by simulating mouse clicks / keystrokes across a static UI. Randomizing the UI ever so slightly would break that system requiring re-calibration of the bot by a human and is guaranteed to p**** off every legit player in the game as well. So thats probably not an option. And the more sophisticated way of doing this would be to scour the players harddrive for botting software. I recall WoW doing this with mixed results but I am sure EVE players will choke on the concept that CCP is snooping in their drives, even for a "good" cause. 3. Holistic analysis of players and their activity. For example follow the log-in pattern, track where the mouse is going, track the exact intervals between actions and response times to a challenge. Whilst lag will throw some error into it, bots will -at least initially, see above - be detectable. The more parameters CCP can measure and not publish, the more data they would have to play with.
Since 1. is out, 2. presumably also, the last remaining thing is 3, a more comprehensive analysis of player's actions inside the game. I am pretty sure CCP Pollux does just that right now but the line to intrusion is pretty thin. And EVE does have an unforgiving player base.
Many replies say that bots live deep in null-sec and hence would not be reported but reporting may serve as a first flag from which CCP can start analyzing the other parameters.
One thing CCP may want to publish is the ship type / system, ore mined / system / hour. That is not really secret. Build an API that then allows identification of systems that are occupied with hulks and nothing else in low/null sec and let players search for these system and I am sure the problem is solved pretty quickly....
And for clearly identified bots, rather than banning them, make their life miserable. Outlaw them, slow down their docking, disable their cloak, disrupt their lasers send them a few waves of BS rats with warp scramblers. And yes, add a bounty ;-) Banning them? Pff, they just roll another one.
Btw, just for sake of scale of the problem, what do CCP (and players) think the proportion of bots actually is on the economy? 1%, 10%, 80% ? I have no data, anyone?
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