1 May 2007 - Bots and real-world trading

[jessy87]

seems like a member/non member update.

 

 

 

Over the last couple of weeks we've had a sudden increase in reports of people apparently using 'bots' to play the game automatically (which is in breach of Rule 7). Firstly, we want to let all our honest players (and that's the vast majority of you) know that we are aware of this problem, and that we are taking immediate steps to tackle it. We currently ban about 8000 accounts every week for trying this sort of cheating, and for a long time that kept things under control. Things have clearly moved on, however, and that is no longer enough, so we are in the process of upgrading our detection and prevention systems. We also have logs of historical activity, so will be able to make sure that dishonesty doesn't pay. Please bear with us while we sort it out! There are also ways you can help us, so please read on.

 

 

 

What's happening is more complex than it first seems. What's actually going on is that the VAST majority of the level-3 characters you see playing the game repetitively and not talking to anyone, are actually people from countries such as China and Korea, who are trying to collect RuneScape gold to sell for real world money (obviously against the rules). Some of them aren't even using bots, they are just playing the game very repetitively with a single-minded purpose to collect gold. These people have no interest in playing the game properly, and therefore don't care if they get banned. The final effect is the same, though ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ it spoils the game for everyone else.

 

 

 

We can (and do) ban them - including using IP bans - but they still find ways to make accounts. We seized 6 billion in RuneScape gold by banning real-world traders last week! Unfortunately, these people are obliged to work such long hours and are paid such low wages that if even a tiny fraction of gold makes it to the market, those running the sweatshops will be encouraged to continue. This is why we are now further increasing our efforts.

 

 

 

So how to stop it? The answer is clearly to tackle the black market. As long as there is the potential to make money, they won't stop trying, even though it damages the game for everyone else. Of course, if nobody spent real world money on RuneScape gold these unwelcome groups would just switch to a different game.

 

 

 

Therefore, we are going to be cracking down HARD on people who breach Rule 12 (no real world trading). We can catch people who break this rule, because we have a sophisticated trade monitoring system and we can trace suspicious activity all the way back to the original bot accounts.

 

 

 

If you break Rule 12 and buy RuneScape gold you are directly funding this problem. You are funding underground gangs who run Chinese sweatshops, and creating the black market which causes this botting problem. Therefore, this rule will now be enforced as a priority, with no second chances. If you break Rule 12 and we catch you, then you will not only lose the money you spent, but also your entire account. Obviously, we will always be careful to make sure nobody is banned in error.

 

 

 

Finally, we have noticed some 3rd party sites, which call themselves 'fansites', but then advertise black market trading sites. This will no longer be tolerated. By running such advertising these sites are directly supporting these gangs, and are thus causing the botting problems they then complain about! We don't consider sites that encourage our players to break the rules and endanger their own users to be 'fansites'. (i.e. They're advertising things to their users, which, if the advertising works, will serve to get their users banned!) We consider them cheat sites, and they will be treated accordingly. True fans of the game donÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t encourage cheating!

 

 

 

This brings us to the last point. HOW YOU CAN HELP! You can help us by:

 

 

 

1. Using the in-game 'report abuse' facility to tell us about players you see breaking rule 7. Of course we're not going to ban anyone just on the basis of a player report and will always thoroughly check them ourselves, too - but such reports still help us know who we should be checking up on.

 

 

 

2. Boycott any corrupt 'fansites' which advertise RuneScape gold for sale. There are plenty of genuine fansites out there who don't support cheating in this way, and we fully support those sites. Use those ones instead. Also, don't advertise, link to, or talk about any of these corrupt fansites. Obviously, if they stop supporting cheating, you can start using them again.

 

 

 

3. Under absolutely no circumstances buy RuneScape gold/items for real money! Doing so causes this whole problem, and we'll ban you if we catch you doing it.

 

 

 

The number of honest players still far, far outweighs the tiny minority causing trouble. Now weÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢re on the case you can be sure weÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ll have this sorted out asap.

[Gold_Tiger10]

Chinese sweatshop gangs..... :shock:

[Natasa777]

IP ban is not a solluton, in some countries IP adress changes evry time you connect.

[Kill_Life]

Jagex strikes hard!

 

I'm glad they give us some detailed info about their work about macros.

 

8000 accounts each week isn't just a bit.

 

Over 1100 accounts a day... And then they can't even ban all of them.

 

This is really starting to get a problem.

[Ltje]

Interesting...

[gameboypen]

No offence to Tip.it but don't we have 'rs gold ads' on this site and forums.... :oops:

[runemaster4]

its like a plague :shock:

 

i might go report some autos O:)

[Gold_Tiger10]

No offence to Tip.it but don't we have 'rs gold ads' on this site and forums.... :oops:

 

Zybez do... :-w

[gameboypen]

No offence to Tip.it but don't we have 'rs gold ads' on this site and forums.... :oops:

 

Zybez do... :-w

 

 

 

Don't name names.....

 

 

 

Heehee Zybez :shame:

[Kill_Life]

No offence to Tip.it but don't we have 'rs gold ads' on this site and forums.... :oops:

 

 

 

Unlike some other sites, we are banning them.

 

Although we can't 100% control it since Google puts those adds there, not Tip.It.

 

That's why we have a sticky where you can please those adds for them to be banned.

[gameboypen]

Never knew about that..

 

 

 

To that sticky \

[Gold_Tiger10]

Don't name names.....

 

 

 

Heehee Zybez :shame:

 

Why not? :( Besides its true, and a couple of the mods on that site sell RS Gold, from what I hear... :-w

[StGerolf]

Never noticed it as wel. It can't be so hard to ban those ads. Just open TipIt and look at the ads. If you see rs gold for real gold than you know. Not necesary for looking to the forums.

 

I agree with Jagex that there should be a end to hypocrisie and that we al should act faster.

 

 

 

How hard can it be to protest to Google, they don't want to lose customers as wel as any other salesmen

[Guest]

No offence to Tip.it but don't we have 'rs gold ads' on this site and forums.... :oops:

 

Zybez do... :-w

 

 

 

Don't name names.....

 

 

 

Heehee Zybez :shame:

 

 

 

Naming names refers to players not, websites. And tip.it has bad ads but they strongly state that they can't do anything about these ads and the only thing they can do is report them.

[Sly_Wizard]

Meh... I don't really care, as it they've never negatively affected me.

[jonni]

No offence to Tip.it but don't we have 'rs gold ads' on this site and forums.... :oops:

 

Zybez do... :-w

 

 

 

Don't name names.....

 

 

 

Heehee Zybez :shame:

 

 

 

Naming names refers to players not, websites. And tip.it has bad ads but they strongly state that they can't do anything about these ads and the only thing they can do is report them.

 

 

 

RHQ have big ones about both money and guides, and they aren't the google type either. Although, I'm not sure wether these guides are "illegal" yet..

[Deacon]

We seized 6 billion in RuneScape gold by banning real-world traders last week!

 

 

 

6 billion? is that american, as in 6 thousand million, or european, as in 6 million million? because, you know, while 6 thousand million gp seems like a truckload of money to a single player (it sure does to me), it is absolutely nothing on the overall scale of runescape's hyperinflated economy. and if jagex really ban 8,000 accounts a week, that makes for an average of less than 1 million gp per account, and even i have more in the bank than that.

 

 

 

as for the whole sweatshop issue: does anybody besides me remember "anda's game" by cory doctorow?

[bigmoneyak]

This will affect alot of clans who use invision free or other forums for their clans. The forum browses your topics and automatically puts ads on your pages to include rs gold sites. Nobody can stop that and the clan doesn't make money off of this. Its just what happens when people use free forums.

 

 

 

So what are we to do? close our clans forums down becasue we can't block the ads?

 

 

 

What about the for profit ads that Jagex push at us every time we log in?

 

 

 

Very curious to see what comes of this.

 

 

 

Oh yeah If you want to put an end to GP farmers put this in your sig!

 

 

 

 

Slay On,

 

Axe

[drgnslyer_15]

We seized 6 billion in RuneScape gold by banning real-world traders last week!

 

 

 

6 billion? is that american, as in 6 thousand million, or european, as in 6 million million? because, you know, while 6 thousand million gp seems like a truckload of money to a single player (it sure does to me), it is absolutely nothing on the overall scale of runescape's hyperinflated economy. and if jagex really ban 8,000 accounts a week, that makes for an average of less than 1 million gp per account, and even i have more in the bank than that.

 

 

 

as for the whole sweatshop issue: does anybody besides me remember "anda's game" by cory doctorow?

key word RUNESCAPE gold...

 

 

 

This could be a potential problem for some of the lvl 3 skillers that don't talk much lol.. Oh you're lvl 3 reported.. ya know how people are.. on the brightside atleast they are taking action so people will stop pissin and moaning about Raw materials

[Striker6]

Runescape is becoming a police state :ohnoes:

 

 

 

But seriously I have seen many advertisements for buying runescape gold on tipit, I know the admins say "its not their faults" etc etc, but I think Jagex were glancing in this direction when they said

 

 

 

"we have noticed some 3rd party sites,which call themselves 'fansites' but then advertise black market trading sites".

 

 

 

Tipit should be careful Jagex don't crack out the legal whip or anything like that.

[Norton3000]

I thought the chinese gold farmer thing was a joke until I saw Jagex writing about it.

 

 

 

Must be boring job to click those yews/willows 24/7.

[Deacon]

key word RUNESCAPE gold...

 

 

 

that's what i was referring to. sadly, i don't have a million gold pieces in my real life bank account :D

[spling]

Am I the only one who thinks that this is the most hilarious thing Jagex has ever written? :D

[jemathonical]

Am I the only one who thinks that this is the most hilarious thing Jagex has ever written? :D

 

 

 

I think it is one of the pointless things they've ever written

[hkscaper]

 

Oh yeah If you want to put an end to GP farmers put this in your sig!

 

 

 

 

As an honest player from China, I find your pic quite offensive. :shame:

 

 

 

Back on topic, if the gold farmers are real people who don't use bots, why does Jagex ask us to report them under rule 7? I hope they have enough staff to sort out the innocent skillers, who aren't part of such cheating gangs.