Bots, mmorpg's and muggings!

[Phil]

Well a friend pointed out this article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4 ... artcontent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gist of the article...

 

 

 

Police in Japan have arrested a Chinese student over the use of a network of software "bots" to steal items in an online role playing game (RPG).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Players were attacked in the game, Lineage II, and their items were then sold for cash on auction sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The attacks were carried out using automated bots, which are difficult for human game players to defeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is there hope yet for runescape and other similar mmorpgs plagued by bots?

 

 

 

I'm glad that something is being done about cheats in games, but I'm still not sure what can be done about it here. Perhaps the UK and other gaming countries will follow Japan's lead?

[mad4u689]

Should the government start to have more regulation over the internet? That's the question, and a lot of people like their freedom. But eventually it's probably inevitable...

[Nadril]

Lineage II has a very bad problem with bots on the retail version. The thing is, when you have so many people adictied to a game, cheating in it can very well be the same as stealing. You can sell most MMO cash for real, cold hard cash, which of course, if someone is making all of that by doing nothing all day...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a good step foward I'd say. :)

[adthegreat-]

Yeh a step in the right direction, but i dont think there will ever be a Standard and globally accepted set of 'Internet Laws'. Every country has different laws already, so no country is going to let another country say 'this is how its going to be on the net, because these are the right ideals and values'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then what about countries that don't allow freedom of speech, and places where you don't have to tell the entire truth, whats going to happen there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just think the idea of the world getting along isnt going to happen, however much I'd like it to.

[Bmw]

This is quite a...sticky subject. I personally don't have the answer. It was brought up early in the topic, should the Government have more control over the internet? The Japan police have seemingly taken the plunge. Getting involed in online game scams by government means is something that is just too tough and time consuming/costly to do. Cheating is bad, but you can't arrest someone for it. (or should I say, you shouldn't be able to arrest someone for it)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the government decides to break down on game cheating, it has to be serious. The only thing to do is design software built in the OS which doesnt allow these programs to function or something, I dunno. I know very little when it comes to programming. But yeah, Police time and money dedicated towards fighting crime is better in real life, on the streets, than next to a computer. Let's get a handle on actual dangerous situations, ie solid theft (meaning stealing something that is actually something, not just pixels), and violence etc. Deal with programing cheaters afterwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So to sum my rambling up, which I'm sure made little sense, I'm basically saying that there's not much the Police can honestly do. Their time is better spent on the streets protecting us. To the police of Japan: I really hope you know what you're getting into...

[dusqi]

My opinion is that online items that could be sold for real-life cash should be considered to be so by the law... and thus someone using a bot to get items from another person, in a game where bots are not allowed and in which by playing they have agreed not to use, should be considered by the police to have stolen items to the value of whatever they'd sell at. However, in terms of actually policing people who steal, the police are unlikely to take any action if a laptop gets stolen in real life, so they probably shouldn't go far out of their way to bother about mmorpg items either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In terms of internet freedom, I don't think that it could ever be restricted effectively. Firms still put their money on strange Pacific Islands to avoid paying taxes, and criminals still escape to south american countries to avoid justice, so I don't think that much of a world restriction could be implemented when the whole world is concerned.

[Nadril]

This is quite a...sticky subject. I personally don't have the answer. It was brought up early in the topic, should the Government have more control over the internet? The Japan police have seemingly taken the plunge. Getting involed in online game scams by government means is something that is just too tough and time consuming/costly to do. Cheating is bad, but you can't arrest someone for it. (or should I say, you shouldn't be able to arrest someone for it)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the government decides to break down on game cheating, it has to be serious. The only thing to do is design software built in the OS which doesnt allow these programs to function or something, I dunno. I know very little when it comes to programming. But yeah, Police time and money dedicated towards fighting crime is better in real life, on the streets, than next to a computer. Let's get a handle on actual dangerous situations, ie solid theft (meaning stealing something that is actually something, not just pixels), and violence etc. Deal with programing cheaters afterwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So to sum my rambling up, which I'm sure made little sense, I'm basically saying that there's not much the Police can honestly do. Their time is better spent on the streets protecting us. To the police of Japan: I really hope you know what you're getting into...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think about it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lets say, in runescape, you can get what.. 10$ to the mil?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, an auto miner easily mines and makes a ton of money, maybe over 100mil. That would be a 1000$ in the player's pocket, all for a cheat in a game. Or whatabout these company's that litteraly run warehouses full of bots, paying kids unheard of rates to watch a bot all day farm. They are making tons of money from a simple "cheat"

[insane]

Should the government start to have more regulation over the internet? That's the question, and a lot of people like their freedom. But eventually it's probably inevitable...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom to cheat and steal? I don't like that freedom. :P Unless that's not what you meant...

[indy500fan]

i wrote this in the other mmorpg topic that is going now, but i dont know if anyone read it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You agree that your RuneScape character and account and items are and remain the property of Jagex

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

meaning no one owns their charachters or the items on their charachters. only the companies can report stolen goods, because they are the ones who own them.

[DaN]

If Jagex write "You agree not to use automated systems in conjunction with our game" eg then they can chase people for ToS violation.

[BlueTear]

(meaning stealing something that is actually something, not just pixels),

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So by definition, stealing a loaf of bread, a magazine, 5 USD's worth of makeup, or a 40 USD necklace are all worse thefts than stealing a virtual item that is worth 1500 USD because the objects in question are tangiable enough to be touched?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

40 dollar necklace... 1500 dollar's worth of virtual items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which is the more serious crime, and should thus have police resources investigating it?

[assassin_696]

The problem is, even though the guy was arrested, it's not like he can serve a major jail sentence for things that happen in a game. Sure it upset some people and he probably made some cash, but he'll maybe get a hefty fine, a short prison sentence and a computer ban, but since when has that stopped anybody? They can arrest all the bot users they want, but the criminal courts are busy enough, and the prisons crowded enough so that most of them will just get off with a fine and a limited computer ban (most people could argue that they need a pc for work).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember the case of a paedophile who got let out of jail after 6 months, and if someone like that is getting that kind of sentence then i can't see bot users being punished to the full extent of the law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^^All the above aplies to the UK btw.

[Phil]

Reading the replies made me think of the situation just now with music or software being illaglly downloaded. The US and UK governments are taking action on that fining the people who are doing it lots of money and the software is intangible right?

 

 

 

I know it's not the same but we are talking about the same sort of grey area that exists in the law between intangible software (or pixels) and real life, aren't we?

[willyhenriksen]

the japanese strikes harder against cheating in games sice theyr the producers of tons of games and rpg, they also holds the worls championship in starcraft and other games.

[Bmw]

To the people saying that such items can easily be sold for "real" cash, who cares? It's the smart people's faults who waste their money on pixels anyways, screw them. Yeah, its wrong to use auto's and sell for real money, and if you are caught you should face a penalty. I'm just saying the Police don't need to get involved. Whats the difference between autoing and selling for real money, and actually working, and selling for real money? As far as I know, in Jagex specifically, both aren't allowed either way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for other games, if they are going to allow the sales of pixels for real cash, they accept the fact that "stolen" items will be sold as well. Again, I don't belive in stealing items online, but what can ya do. Regardless, stealing a $10 watch irl, or stealing a $500 item online, I say the $10 watch is more valueable still.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until the day comes where online gaming items are sold mainstream, I stick by my word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AD