Possible 30k bots on at one time

[glasscube]

Here we have a graph of online users that is updated every 5 minutes.

 

An assumption is made that any account that did not log back in after 30 minutes is a bot. Obviously this doesn't mean there are 30k, but it sure paints the picture that Runescape has a rampant bot problem.

 

 

Any F2P player can attest to that, it doesn't take longer than a minute at Karamja, Mining Guild, Chickens and the Stronghold of Security to tell you there are a ton of bots.

[SanNo1]

I knew that there were a lot of them, but I never expected there to be this much. Based on this graph I can agree with your number of 30k, obviously not all of those 30k accounts were botting, but that can be 'compensated' with bots that weren't online at the time.

 

I hope Jagex goes on a banning spree within the week.

[Dracae]

I am, sadly, not surprised.

This is why I voted no, although I knew I would enjoy wild and free trade again.

[LitterBug]

How does that make any sense at all?

 

While I agree that the botting rate is extremely high - your logic is a total fail.

When I see a server update check I never get back on in the next 5 minutes. I'm not so crazed that I sit at my computer just waiting for the moments I can play RS again ...

[glasscube]

How does that make any sense at all?

 

While I agree that the botting rate is extremely high - your logic is a total fail.

When I see a server update check I never get back on in the next 5 minutes. I'm not so crazed that I sit at my computer just waiting for the moments I can play RS again ...

 

Alright, but where did 30k players go in an hour?

 

Perhaps you're right, maybe 30k players decided to goto work at the same time right when RS updated.

 

And it doesn't have anything to do with being "so crazed". If something interrupts you and it only takes 30 seconds to get back to what you are doing, why wouldn't you go back to what you were doing?

 

Maybe you can come up with a better reason why it took 30,000 players 3 HOURS to log back in.

 

By the way, if you go further up the graph you notice 10k~ players log in every hour. So it is quite possible that the amount lost to bots was only recouped over "normal" population growth. (Normal would obviously include the bots being restarted) Somewhere, you have to ask yourself why after the update the population number experience normal linear growth, except for a 5-10 minute spike immediately after.

[SanNo1]

How does that make any sense at all?

 

While I agree that the botting rate is extremely high - your logic is a total fail.

When I see a server update check I never get back on in the next 5 minutes. I'm not so crazed that I sit at my computer just waiting for the moments I can play RS again ...

First of all, he didn't measure from the point exactly after the system update, but left some room for error. Also he did measure from the exact moment of the system update, while a lot of the legit players log off before the system update forces them off the servers.

 

The numbers are obviously not 100% perfect, but they do make sense.

[LitterBug]

How does that make any sense at all?

 

While I agree that the botting rate is extremely high - your logic is a total fail.

When I see a server update check I never get back on in the next 5 minutes. I'm not so crazed that I sit at my computer just waiting for the moments I can play RS again ...

 

Alright, but where did 30k players go in an hour?

 

Perhaps you're right, maybe 30k players decided to goto work at the same time right when RS updated.

 

And it doesn't have anything to do with being "so crazed". If something interrupts you and it only takes 30 seconds to get back to what you are doing, why wouldn't you go back to what you were doing?

 

Maybe you can come up with a better reason why it took 30,000 players 3 HOURS to log back in.

 

By the way, if you go further up the graph you notice 10k~ players log in every hour. So it is quite possible that the amount lost to bots was only recouped over "normal" population growth. (Normal would obviously include the bots being restarted) Somewhere, you have to ask yourself why after the update the population number experience normal linear growth, except for a 5-10 minute spike immediately after.

 

I'm not saying none of them are bots, I wouldn't be surprised if a third of them are, but this isn't conclusive enough as a proof. In fact, I'm sure even if there were no bots whatsoever - a graph of online activity would look roughly the same for any game that involves a sever check or something to that effect.

There can be hundreds of reason for this, people aren't going to "work" but they could be doing other things.

 

I know that when there's an update for RS, I'll more likely go play another game - league of legends (which games usually take 45min - 1hour) or something of that sort. Or after that server check, some people may feel like "hmm, let's go eat' or something. If a break is provided - some people are going to take that chance to do something else, and in 5 minute's time - they'll still be doing that thing not waiting for runescape to get back on.

 

You wanted me to give you a reason why people didn't get on asap - and here's a few

1.) Deciding to play a different game in the time waiting for it to get back on

2.) Not knowing that it's a 5 minute check so actually waiting before checking to see if it's on

3.) Sleep - judging from the graph itself, it looks like most of the RS demographic does not play at that listed time.

-I know that many times, I get carried away with games and I'll stay up extremely late to play. If there's a server check or any reason that the game went down - I'll take that as my reason to go to sleep.

[dyze]

30k bots is a crazy amount, but in all honesty it wouldn't suprise me if there were that many. I expect many of those who didn't log back in were not bots though.

[Othelbark]

I hope Jagex goes on a banning spree within the week.

 

+1

[BiJay]

It only provides a maximum of bots online during that time. It says nothing about the minimum. And 0-30k bots is no valuable information.

 

And you can still argue about bots being able to join the game in a few minutes after the update.

[Den]

It only provides a maximum of bots online during that time. It says nothing about the minimum. And 0-30k bots is no valuable information.

 

And you can still argue about bots being able to join the game in a few minutes after the update.

 

However, some get an error saying the client is outdated.

 

Kinda interesting it took 3 about 3 hours after the update until the same amount of people were online again.

[Will H]

Not that I'm trying to deny that there were and are a significant amount of bots in the game, there are, but that graph doesn't prove anything. You're assuming that Runescape is the #1 priority source of entertainment by its players at all times, in that whenever Runescape is online, all other forms of entertainment are ended prematurely so that they can get back to playing the game. Runescape is quite casual amongst MMO's, its players are generally more likely to be interested in a wide variety of entertainment. When Runescape goes offline, a lot of players will move on to, say, watching a TV programme or playing a different game. When that happens, they won't return to Runescape straight away.

[langer]

Yeah RS players are casual indeed! About 10-15% of its playerbase likes to watch TV while playing, go to school, go out for a walk and can you believe some of them are not even in front of their computers when they are mining pure essences, training hunter or runecrafting? Casual indeed!

[Maximusa]

Tbh half the people probably havnt looked up close to the graph properly to understand it. Its a little zoomed out by the clock but you can clearly see how huge a loss of players there is over both a short and longer period of time. The short time between is quite astonishing to see on a graph like that. :thumbup:

 

Maybe jagex super duper new improved bot catcher is late for work today.

[Will H]

Yeah RS players are casual indeed! About 10-15% of its playerbase likes to watch TV while playing, go to school, go out for a walk and can you believe some of them are not even in front of their computers when they are mining pure essences, training hunter or runecrafting? Casual indeed!

 

My sarcasm detector is making noises. The worst thing we can do is misunderstand the scale of the problem, because it will only mean solutions that harm more than heal.

 

Here's another argument: Pretty much everyone remembers when the Wilderness ditch turned into the Wilderness wall right? There were all of those bots trapped at the wall because they were programmed to click a different object. The bots were sent out as soon as the update happened without any adjustments, and only changed later on. They wouldn't show up in any unusual patterns in the graph, so this graph can't be used to measure the maximum number of bots either.

 

I really don't like showing the fact that the graph is useless because it gives people the impression that I'm denying that there are loads of bots. There are, but we're measuring them badly.

[Soulthresher]

I'm more interested in the specific time the graph is at it's lowest, EST.

[n64jive]

30k bots means that at that point, rough 1 out of every 9 people you see is a bot. Since that graph incldues both f2p and p2p, I would agree with that statistic, as f2p training spots are always FULL of bots. Ever been to draynor willows? it's like 30:1 bots:non-bots.

[Pluckey]

30k bots means that at that point, rough 1 out of every 9 people you see is a bot. Since that graph incldues both f2p and p2p, I would agree with that statistic, as f2p training spots are always FULL of bots. Ever been to draynor willows? it's like 30:1 bots:non-bots.

 

 

It's probably that for pure essence mines and LRC for p2p as well.

[Mr_Recci]

Just go to aubury and watch the bots mine lots of essence. Ive reported like 15 bots around 2 weeks ago. None of them are banned or got their stats reset -.-

[langer]

Yeah RS players are casual indeed! About 10-15% of its playerbase likes to watch TV while playing, go to school, go out for a walk and can you believe some of them are not even in front of their computers when they are mining pure essences, training hunter or runecrafting? Casual indeed!

 

My sarcasm detector is making noises. The worst thing we can do is misunderstand the scale of the problem, because it will only mean solutions that harm more than heal.

 

Here's another argument: Pretty much everyone remembers when the Wilderness ditch turned into the Wilderness wall right? There were all of those bots trapped at the wall because they were programmed to click a different object. The bots were sent out as soon as the update happened without any adjustments, and only changed later on. They wouldn't show up in any unusual patterns in the graph, so this graph can't be used to measure the maximum number of bots either.

 

I really don't like showing the fact that the graph is useless because it gives people the impression that I'm denying that there are loads of bots. There are, but we're measuring them badly.

 

Your sarcasm detector is 100% operational. I agree that the graph does not constitute a proof that 30K bots are active at any given time, but a while ago I estimated that roughly 10-15% of players of any given members world that was not PVP-Bounty hunter was botting. I was not trying to make fun of you in any way. I just saw "casual players" and an image of a botter playing "casually" popped into my head.

[Oathkeeper]

I'm more interested in the specific time the graph is at it's lowest, EST.

Step One: Read Graph Axes

Step Two: Discover UTC ±XX of said axes (in this case UTC+0)

Step Three: Discover UTC ±XX of EST

Step Four: Subtract or add the difference to the times provided by the axes

Step Five: PROFIT.

[la la la]

I take rs updates and map changes in black ops as hints to go to bed/quit playing for a little while. You can't assume they were all bots.

[ajdimfv82459askdfjvkm]

"We at Jagex are saddened to tell you all that because of the massive, unexpected increase in botters and Rwters, that we will be taking away the wilderness and free trade on March 1st. This is because of the unexpected, never before seen amount this is costing to both our pockets and the community. We will be having a competition of top 10 non-wilderness tips next week, and allowing players (and psychologists) to write guides over how to cope without the wilderness. Again, we are sorry.

 

But we did earn a cool spot in the Guiness Book of Records :thumbsup: "

[glasscube]

I take rs updates and map changes in black ops as hints to go to bed/quit playing for a little while. You can't assume they were all bots.

Nobody is.

 

Last I checked I never said this graph indicated 30k bots, in fact the thread title even has POSSIBLE in it. Nowhere do I claim the graph represents a solid number of botters.

[Will H]

Yeah RS players are casual indeed! About 10-15% of its playerbase likes to watch TV while playing, go to school, go out for a walk and can you believe some of them are not even in front of their computers when they are mining pure essences, training hunter or runecrafting? Casual indeed!

 

My sarcasm detector is making noises. The worst thing we can do is misunderstand the scale of the problem, because it will only mean solutions that harm more than heal.

 

Here's another argument: Pretty much everyone remembers when the Wilderness ditch turned into the Wilderness wall right? There were all of those bots trapped at the wall because they were programmed to click a different object. The bots were sent out as soon as the update happened without any adjustments, and only changed later on. They wouldn't show up in any unusual patterns in the graph, so this graph can't be used to measure the maximum number of bots either.

 

I really don't like showing the fact that the graph is useless because it gives people the impression that I'm denying that there are loads of bots. There are, but we're measuring them badly.

 

Your sarcasm detector is 100% operational. I agree that the graph does not constitute a proof that 30K bots are active at any given time, but a while ago I estimated that roughly 10-15% of players of any given members world that was not PVP-Bounty hunter was botting. I was not trying to make fun of you in any way. I just saw "casual players" and an image of a botter playing "casually" popped into my head.

 

Heh, sorry, the fault's mine for giving that impression. Sarcasm turns into something weird when it's written out and not said.

 

As far as I know, your estimate for the proportion of bots may well be spot on. I just didn't like the justification of the graph. Let's use other ways like in-game sampling.