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do something to deal with spam bots

shintaroshy64shintaroshy64
Mabinogi Rep: 880
Posts: 19
Member
edited March 19, 2017 in Feedback and Suggestions
specifically the ones that are spamming the url of -removed-, my concern is that people, especially new players are going to use their services and overinflate the games economy, which could reek all sorts of havoc.

They also seem to sell keycard generators which would mean nobody paying for things like gachapons, I understand that it might not be possible to get them shut down but they should at least not be able to advertise in the game itself.

My suggestion would be to bring back that rejuvinogi, but maybe make it so that you use the time bomb on somebody with relatively low cumulative level or something.
  1. hey a poll! do you think that affirmative action on this? also what are your thoughts on polls?6 votes
    1. I like polls and I think we should take affirmative action on this.
       67% (4 votes)
    2. I hate polls, they're the scum of the earth, no affirmative action
       0% (0 votes)
    3. I like polls but no affirmatve action
       0% (0 votes)
    4. I hate polls, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotaa do, yes to affirmative action.
       17% (1 vote)
    5. I have other thoughts on this than those listed.
       17% (1 vote)

Comments

  • Darkpixie99Darkpixie99
    Mabinogi Rep: 8,660
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    The most players have done to show their inner rage to these illegal bots is baiting monsters to gank them. However, most of these sites get shut down if Nexon reports it. Of course the legal and work behind it all is unknown to us, so it does eventually make the bot programmers run out of business. There used to be specific bomb with captcha, but the bots figured it out. We might need to ask Nexon to try making something that can only activate on a player that has used the chat multiple times within the last two minutes, and render them incapable of utilizing the chat for 10 minutes. Obviously captcha is out, and quizzes can always be cheated, so maybe it would have to be something said by audio and an action is taken to confirm the player isn't a bot.
    Greta
  • SetsurinSetsurin
    Mabinogi Rep: 630
    Posts: 10
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    The most players have done to show their inner rage to these illegal bots is baiting monsters to gank them. However, most of these sites get shut down if Nexon reports it. Of course the legal and work behind it all is unknown to us, so it does eventually make the bot programmers run out of business. There used to be specific bomb with captcha, but the bots figured it out. We might need to ask Nexon to try making something that can only activate on a player that has used the chat multiple times within the last two minutes, and render them incapable of utilizing the chat for 10 minutes. Obviously captcha is out, and quizzes can always be cheated, so maybe it would have to be something said by audio and an action is taken to confirm the player isn't a bot.

    I do agree with what you're saying, to a degree. I know in some games, you can bring a drop down menu when you right click on a players name that could allow you to ignore, report, etc from the chat window. I think this might be a useful tool to use to help get rid of spam bots. especially if they get IP banned for it. admittedly, my suggestion, like any other, could be a potentially double edged sword. players might report people who haven't actually done anything wrong just because they said something someone didn't like for instance. Which is why there would have to be someone monitoring chat or some way to take in game screen shots quickly to post with the report. not some copy and paste in another program, but a game specific screen shot function, maybe.
  • shintaroshy64shintaroshy64
    Mabinogi Rep: 880
    Posts: 19
    Member
    edited March 20, 2017
    in order for the bots to do their job, they need to spam the website name, continuously, and also in popular areas.

    In the Alexina Server I don't see the bots anywhere except for channel 1 Dunbarton (pretty much, I've seen them around tara recently because of the caravan joe event)
    so it might be that all that needs to be done is to ban spamming the open chat, as well as ban posting urls on the open chat, and possibly like you said to have someone moderating the chat, at least for popular areas like towns.
    Setsurin wrote: »
    The most players have done to show their inner rage to these illegal bots is baiting monsters to gank them. However, most of these sites get shut down if Nexon reports it. Of course the legal and work behind it all is unknown to us, so it does eventually make the bot programmers run out of business. There used to be specific bomb with captcha, but the bots figured it out. We might need to ask Nexon to try making something that can only activate on a player that has used the chat multiple times within the last two minutes, and render them incapable of utilizing the chat for 10 minutes. Obviously captcha is out, and quizzes can always be cheated, so maybe it would have to be something said by audio and an action is taken to confirm the player isn't a bot.

    I do agree with what you're saying, to a degree. I know in some games, you can bring a drop down menu when you right click on a players name that could allow you to ignore, report, etc from the chat window. I think this might be a useful tool to use to help get rid of spam bots. especially if they get IP banned for it. admittedly, my suggestion, like any other, could be a potentially double edged sword. players might report people who haven't actually done anything wrong just because they said something someone didn't like for instance. Which is why there would have to be someone monitoring chat or some way to take in game screen shots quickly to post with the report. not some copy and paste in another program, but a game specific screen shot function, maybe.

    that sounds like a good idea, it probably wouldn't be to difficult implement it into the chat bar.

    Due to the fact that you have to download and install mabinogi, as well as the updates, run it and go through the somewhat lengthy tutorial in order to get an avatar into the game, it makes me wonder just how many of these bots there actually are in the game, and to what capacity and frequency they can actually send them.

    On an unrelated note it seems to me as thosugh prices have been increasing for items recently, maybe it's just my imagination, but when I went to tara for sm saw way more people than usual trying to sell things, anywhere from the 150k-11m mark.
  • Darkpixie99Darkpixie99
    Mabinogi Rep: 8,660
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    edited March 20, 2017
    Setsurin wrote: »
    that sounds like a good idea, it probably wouldn't be to difficult implement it into the chat bar.

    Due to the fact that you have to download and install mabinogi, as well as the updates, run it and go through the somewhat lengthy tutorial in order to get an avatar into the game, it makes me wonder just how many of these bots there actually are in the game, and to what capacity and frequency they can actually send them.

    On an unrelated note it seems to me as thosugh prices have been increasing for items recently, maybe it's just my imagination, but when I went to tara for sm saw way more people than usual trying to sell things, anywhere from the 150k-11m mark.

    The marketplace has been a bit empty when it comes to items selling on Tarlach... I think it has to do with most players demanding a change in the Cash Shop Model due to how much of a gamble Gachapons have always been. As a result, not very many people are actually spending on Mabinogi, but on other MMOGs or even apps on the app store because they know they'll get what items they want on other games without having to encourage going AFK to sell items for profit. (Which brings up KR's addition to Mabinogi, the Auction House, and when we will be getting it is still unknown. Which is a shame, since modern MMOGs all have an auction house.)
  • ShaeliShaeli
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    Member
    The spam bots do get dealt with on a regular basis; the problem is that it only takes about five minutes for the spammers to start up a new account and go right back to it. It's an endless game of whack-a-mole.
    Darkpixie99shintaroshy64BerryswirlSherriHazurahTheNyanCat
  • shintaroshy64shintaroshy64
    Mabinogi Rep: 880
    Posts: 19
    Member
    What about banning posting urls on the all: chat? or at least specific urls and/or variations of it?
  • BerryswirlBerryswirl
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    Shaeli wrote: »
    The spam bots do get dealt with on a regular basis; the problem is that it only takes about five minutes for the spammers to start up a new account and go right back to it. It's an endless game of whack-a-mole.

    Exactly....Nexon constantly gets rid of the bots with maintenance, but they can't really stop people from making more. You can just blacklist them, but it's also not that hard to just talk where the bots ain't there. Or PM. Nexon removes the bots every maint, and they even tried to update the bot bomb item recently to help with them. They had a whole event about it, where players got "The Activist" title.

    Sadly it doesn't take long for botters to counter-act the bot bomb. But Nexon does try to keep the bots population down.
  • BlissfulkillBlissfulkill
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    Track them down and kill them in real life. Tis the only effective measure we can take.
    GretaSylviaWolfeSherriHazurahTheNyanCat
  • SetsurinSetsurin
    Mabinogi Rep: 630
    Posts: 10
    Member
    Track them down and kill them in real life. Tis the only effective measure we can take.

    I have to disagree with such an extreme measure. a simple IP ban should be enough to reduce or even eliminate the bot problem. altho, there are some very difficult ways to get around an IP ban, many of the spam bots aren't likely to go through all the trouble.
  • GretaGreta
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    Setsurin wrote: »
    Track them down and kill them in real life. Tis the only effective measure we can take.

    I have to disagree with such an extreme measure. a simple IP ban should be enough to reduce or even eliminate the bot problem. altho, there are some very difficult ways to get around an IP ban, many of the spam bots aren't likely to go through all the trouble.

    It was clearly a joke, lmao. Why you took it seriously.

  • SetsurinSetsurin
    Mabinogi Rep: 630
    Posts: 10
    Member
    Greta wrote: »
    Setsurin wrote: »
    Track them down and kill them in real life. Tis the only effective measure we can take.

    I have to disagree with such an extreme measure. a simple IP ban should be enough to reduce or even eliminate the bot problem. altho, there are some very difficult ways to get around an IP ban, many of the spam bots aren't likely to go through all the trouble.

    It was clearly a joke, lmao. Why you took it seriously.

    cause I know there are people out there who get irritated enough to actually mean something like that.
  • shintaroshy64shintaroshy64
    Mabinogi Rep: 880
    Posts: 19
    Member
    I just wanted to clarify that although it would be nice to see the bots rid of, the main reason why I started this thread was because of what the purpose of the bots are, not only could they cause the economy to overinflate, meaning personal shops would and kiosks would become less viable means of selling items, to the point where 800k-1mil items sell for 1-2M plus, money bags would become almost useless as you'd need a ridiculous amount for purchases, and players that didn't use their services not only wouldn't be able to get top end gear like armor with high defense and protection, but also wouldn't be able to get average stuff like holy water of lilymark, making the game pretty much pay to win for buying and selling, with gold as a substitue for real money.

    Also the other thing I mentioned in the original post would divert money away from all present and future gachas, which is what mabinogi depends on to survive, this would also of course cause the gachas itself to have less value, as well as virtually all store bought items that are sellable and/or tradeable in game.

    Sorry if this post comes across as angry or anything by the way, I've just been busy moving lately.
  • GretaGreta
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    Setsurin wrote: »
    Greta wrote: »
    Setsurin wrote: »
    Track them down and kill them in real life. Tis the only effective measure we can take.

    I have to disagree with such an extreme measure. a simple IP ban should be enough to reduce or even eliminate the bot problem. altho, there are some very difficult ways to get around an IP ban, many of the spam bots aren't likely to go through all the trouble.

    It was clearly a joke, lmao. Why you took it seriously.

    cause I know there are people out there who get irritated enough to actually mean something like that.

    Rofl, sure, but i wouldn't reveal my intentions to everyone online if i'm really about to do that. Smh.

  • SgiathachSgiathach
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    Berryswirl wrote: »
    Shaeli wrote: »
    The spam bots do get dealt with on a regular basis; the problem is that it only takes about five minutes for the spammers to start up a new account and go right back to it. It's an endless game of whack-a-mole.

    Exactly....Nexon constantly gets rid of the bots with maintenance, but they can't really stop people from making more. You can just blacklist them, but it's also not that hard to just talk where the bots ain't there. Or PM. Nexon removes the bots every maint, and they even tried to update the bot bomb item recently to help with them. They had a whole event about it, where players got "The Activist" title.

    Sadly it doesn't take long for botters to counter-act the bot bomb. But Nexon does try to keep the bots population down.

    thats not really true the reason it was changed were pepole were abusing the new bombs so they had to change it back
  • BerryswirlBerryswirl
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    Well, my point was they tried, and it still stands they get rid of bots every maint.
    Crimsọn
  • Darkpixie99Darkpixie99
    Mabinogi Rep: 8,660
    Posts: 1,704
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    Sgiathach wrote: »
    Berryswirl wrote: »
    Shaeli wrote: »
    The spam bots do get dealt with on a regular basis; the problem is that it only takes about five minutes for the spammers to start up a new account and go right back to it. It's an endless game of whack-a-mole.
    Exactly....Nexon constantly gets rid of the bots with maintenance, but they can't really stop people from making more. You can just blacklist them, but it's also not that hard to just talk where the bots ain't there. Or PM. Nexon removes the bots every maint, and they even tried to update the bot bomb item recently to help with them. They had a whole event about it, where players got "The Activist" title.
    Sadly it doesn't take long for botters to counter-act the bot bomb. But Nexon does try to keep the bots population down.
    thats not really true the reason it was changed were pepole were abusing the new bombs so they had to change it back

    I'm not sure if this is the hilarious or pathetic part of botters, but even with a pay to play or founders model, bots can still pay to spam the chat log. I believe they even mod the game somehow to get past a number of chat per X seconds, and they really are just termites that get past so much. (Which is why GMs are always so busy) The only solution to get rid of them forever is IP ban or the last resort of country ban. Knowing how little effort Nexon puts into making Mabinogi tailored for the NA market, it's obvious that a country ban would likely never happen.
  • BlissfulkillBlissfulkill
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    An IP ban is not as safe as you guys think.