Jagex - Bot Busting

[Bows]

It seems as though Jagex is finally giving out some numbers on accounts they've banned as well as a bit of information on what they do. Granted we already know most of it.

 

[qfc]129-130-241-62642440[/qfc]

 

Not only that, they're holding bot busting sessions with maxed players. Bot busting is essentially going to bot hot-spots (Pure Essence in Varrock, TzHaar, etc.) and banning countless accounts. They say anyone can tag along. Meet in world 99 Lumb. Cellar. I don't know the exact times, so you may be late; but if you'd like to tag along I'm sure you know the common bot areas to check. ;)

 

It's going on right now I guess, and in the days to come as well.

 

Comments, opinions? Discuss.

 

EDIT: Accounts gathered as of April 30th, 2011: 31,267.

[Ambler]

I feel sorry for those who just bot once because their friends are doing it. But I spose it is their choice.

[Trey]

So jagex is gonna do a few mini bannings for show and ignore the actual problem?

 

cool.

[Carl]

This isn't just a new thing they're doing; simply the first time it has been publised.

[Youmu]

Thank god they're banning all those rapists and moral nihilists.

Oh god, you're putting pictures in my head xD

 

But anyways yeah. It's good to see Jagex is actually starting to take action against botters now. Hope their supposed system can catch bots as efficiently as the top players play 'Scape.

[Avatar200]

Good for Jagex on really upping the crackdown on botting.

 

Tho its a bit sad that they have to resort to such a Flintstone way of catching em, especially after announcing they have some almighty bot-nuker..

[Big_Stingman]

Thank god they're banning all those rapists and moral nihilists.

 

Lmao....

 

OT: At least they are doing something I guess.

[Noobzy]

I noticed that while I was not playing, but refreshed my highscore (comparing to someone else, to see his progress), that I was going UP in rank. And I am not talking about a few places, but I went up 300 places during ONE day. I.e. minimum 300 people above my total lvl were banned during one day.

 

I call that quite succesful. I hate botters, annoys me to death to see all botters fming and smithing in edge while I smelt my gold ores....

[Jaffy1]

Looks like another PR kind of thing to me -> basically saying two things: (1) Yes guys, we're doing something about it so don't complain and (2) don't bot, because you are so going to get caught.

 

Reading it through it's obvious nothing changed, and they're just doing this to give people the idea that there's lots of "live" action going about. Having 5 Jmods hop about the game every now and then is rather ineffective against the botting issue, and hell, I know of plenty of Pmods that bot, so I'm not going to put any faith in that either.

 

These "sessions" could damage legit players that may not be paying too much attention while training next to (or among) bots, and the only added value is that lots of players get the idea that Jagex suddenly is doing a lot more to fight botting. The fact remains their primary(?) method still uses the system that we've established is rather ineffective too. There are plenty of bot clients that they cannot detect (I have the unfortunate pleasure of knowing a certain individual who uses several such clients for real world trading purposes).

[Dragonlordjl]

So jagex is gonna do a few mini bannings for show and ignore the actual problem?

 

cool.

This.

[Ezee]

omg, Jagex are actually doing something against the mass bot problem? :shock:

[Noobzy]

So jagex is gonna do a few mini bannings for show and ignore the actual problem?

 

cool.

This.

 

Being cynical is the easy way. I agree the number of bans (5600+ at time of writing) is way too low to actually make a difference, but what if this is going up to a steady 5k bans a day? I mean, say there are 2M botters in the game, than 5k daily could actually make a difference (provided not an equal 5k bots are 'formed' daily).

 

I agree botting is a real big problem, but what would you think are the best solutions to combat this? Complaining is one, coming up with helpful ideas actually contributes something.

 

 

I'll admit I had to laugh when one guy gained fm 99 right in front of the furnace in edge and just straight continued to light fires... :rolleyes:

[Stev]

But there are lots of bots, does the above number even have an effect?

 

In short - Yes.

 

[bluff] Not only do we catch hundreds of thousands people through our current systems [/bluff], but people who think they can get away with it just once or twice by popping in-game to bot now have the added risk of bumping into a group of 200 players, 5+ JMods and a load of PMods. Where we go is random, we cover all worlds [bluff] and people cheating should be worried [/bluff].

 

There is no such thing as a 'safe' place to cheat. If you cheat, you're going to get caught. If it's not instant, it will catch up with you.

Um... Lol? I'll be the first to call bull-[cabbage]. For catching hundreds of thousands each year, they can't even manage to find the ones I report a Soul Wars who have been there for 3 months.

 

Nice scare tactic Jagex. Let's see how many people you manage to fool. Your bot detection system is garbage. End of story.

[gaaaaap]

"There is no such thing as a 'safe' place to cheat. If you cheat, you're going to get caught. If it's not instant, it will catch up with you."

 

This could mean this is PART of their new advanced bot detection system. I mean, you are all complaining (most) like usually.

But is it not more advanced to have big groups of people busting bots? Nothing is perfect, no system, no code, no bot, no human eye/brain and that's why I think, if I see the word advanced, a combination of new anti bot scripts/tool and this.

 

I like!

[Noobzy]

I mean, you are all complaining (most) like usually.

 

This is TIF. Less idiots than RSOF, but a few very consistent and persistent trolls.

 

No worry, after some time you know the typical ones by name and learn to ignore them. I know I did.

[Polodevil]

But there are lots of bots, does the above number even have an effect?

 

In short - Yes.

 

[bluff] Not only do we catch hundreds of thousands people through our current systems [/bluff], but people who think they can get away with it just once or twice by popping in-game to bot now have the added risk of bumping into a group of 200 players, 5+ JMods and a load of PMods. Where we go is random, we cover all worlds [bluff] and people cheating should be worried [/bluff].

 

There is no such thing as a 'safe' place to cheat. If you cheat, you're going to get caught. If it's not instant, it will catch up with you.

Um... Lol? I'll be the first to call bull-[cabbage]. For catching hundreds of thousands each year, they can't even manage to find the ones I report a Soul Wars who have been there for 3 months.

 

Nice scare tactic Jagex. Let's see how many people you manage to fool. Your bot detection system is garbage. End of story.

 

What should they have said instead? We're sorry that we suck so hard at bot control? That's not very good PR.

 

OT: The start of the bot banning has been made. But please, continue it. And put more Jmods on it, come on. 5 of them is not enough. Just make all Jmods stop developing (useless..) content for 1 day and go on a banning spree.

[Will H]

I agree botting is a real big problem, but what would you think are the best solutions to combat this? Complaining is one, coming up with helpful ideas actually contributes something.

 

This in a nutshell. I hate it when people complain about something when they don't tell us a better way to go about it. Telling Jagex that their bot detection systems are worthless without elaborating is a wasted post. As far as I'm concerned, the Turing Test is the last line of defence, you may as well use it.

[Maximusa]

Jagex: FREE CANDY IF YOU BOT! Lots and lots of reasons to bot!

 

PR Jagex: Lets go banned these bots!

 

Jagex: MORE FREE CANDY IF YOU BOT!! Tell your friends!

 

-

 

Im sure there are a few employees that love to go ban them but its pointless while their boss continues releases new policies that help them. Or I mean, doesnt reverse the previous ones he did. As im not actually aware of new ones as fact.

 

Probably do this all the time anyway. Its hardly a effective method.. more just legit fun PR stuff for some employees and players.

[pulli23]

I agree botting is a real big problem, but what would you think are the best solutions to combat this? Complaining is one, coming up with helpful ideas actually contributes something.

 

This in a nutshell. I hate it when people complain about something when they don't tell us a better way to go about it. Telling Jagex that their bot detection systems are worthless without elaborating is a wasted post. As far as I'm concerned, the Turing Test is the last line of defence, you may as well use it.

Easy: make runescape less monotonous & grinding...

 

Make every skill require some kind of people working together (as bots have a very hard time working together with humans, or random other bots). Make it so training methods change with each (couple of) levels, not that the method you unlock at lv 35 is the very best untill 99)..

[Frede173]

Though it won't solve the problem, it's a step in the right direction. :thumbup:

[ReapMe]

K so don't bot for a few days then when jagex gets tired of camping hot spots they'll be back

[Kata_Phfract__the_slayer]

many people would probably say its just a PR stunt.

sometimes the people SEEING something being done can have more of an effect then actually doing something.

 

for every player who stops botting seeing this and thinking "I will be caught" is one less bot. even if you could never measure how much of an effect it has.

 

no matter what, it is a step in the right direction, even if a small step. i for will be joining this horde of bot-homicide very often :twisted:

[ghjkl]

So they take 200 people and some j mods and go around patrolling rs and ban anyone that LOOKS like a bot?

What a waste of a j mod's time.

[Stev]

But there are lots of bots, does the above number even have an effect?

 

In short - Yes.

 

[bluff] Not only do we catch hundreds of thousands people through our current systems [/bluff], but people who think they can get away with it just once or twice by popping in-game to bot now have the added risk of bumping into a group of 200 players, 5+ JMods and a load of PMods. Where we go is random, we cover all worlds [bluff] and people cheating should be worried [/bluff].

 

There is no such thing as a 'safe' place to cheat. If you cheat, you're going to get caught. If it's not instant, it will catch up with you.

Um... Lol? I'll be the first to call bull-[cabbage]. For catching hundreds of thousands each year, they can't even manage to find the ones I report a Soul Wars who have been there for 3 months.

 

Nice scare tactic Jagex. Let's see how many people you manage to fool. Your bot detection system is garbage. End of story.

 

What should they have said instead? We're sorry that we suck so hard at bot control? That's not very good PR.

I would rather them use their time and effort in improving their detection systems that will actually catch what they say (Hundreds of thousands)... Rather then walking around banning some here and there. There's hundreds of bots in each world. This won't even put a dent in their numbers.

[Carl]

And when these sessions take place (As they have been - behind the scenes of the public eye) every world is searched, not just the one or two. Every world. Like cycling through every world at the Green Dragons, etc. It is working, what you choose to believe and what truly is happening thankfully aren't the same.

 

And banning bots "here and there" is better than not banning them while trying to improve a system that those J-Mods probably can't. Not everyone would be capable of working on Bot Detection, while all are capable of attending bot-busting sessions.