#Macro detection (mobile) and appeal system unfit for purpose

24 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

crisp nexus
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Got banned for macroing last week which came as a big surprise when I went to log in later that day, as I have never used any kind of macro for osrs and there was no email contact to alert me to this (there really should be, as I was a member and thus paying for a service which has been taken away from me without notice).

I play nearly exclusively on mobile (since the account creation a few months ago, I've logged in maybe.. 3 or 4 times on my desktop but only to do quests because mobile questing is.. painful)

Naturally I appealed, saying what I was doing on the day I was banned (afk cutting some magics in varlamore whilst doing some irl dish washing) and I'd love some feedback on what exactly got me banned because this made no sense.. my appeal was promptly denied without any feedback.
My guess is someone messaged me, I didn't respond because I wasn't looking at the screen for several minutes at a time, I was then reported for botting and Jagex has upheld it.

(though the original ban said it had been confirmed I was using "illegal 3rd party software" and it was "confirmed you were using illegal botting software" when in fact I just had the official android osrs app open and maybe Tidal running in the background (audio streaming service akin to spotify))

Several months worth of progress on a hcgim wiped out in an instant with no warning, no recourse.
I'm salty, sure! But I can move on with my life - I'd love to get back on the character but at this point it looks unlikely.

I'm mostly putting this out there as a cautionary tale to Jagex that if this system isn't addressed, and it was someone's main who had had several years put into it that got dealt with in this way, they'd be justifiably livid and might do something disproportionately drastic. Not everyone can deal with such a blow.

Absolutely unfit for purpose, please address it for your own sakes!

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I'll probably not interact with a Jagex product again unless I get it back as it's really marred my experience, which is a shame as I've been playing Runescape on and off since it was a browser based game and nearly the entirety of the wiki lives rent free in my head.

near walrus
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Dont think the jmods interact a whole lot in these forums. Probably best to put your username in here somewhere so if one wants to look at it in the off chance they check here then they can

crisp nexus
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My username on here is my hcgim character's name 😉
Yeah I would assume they don't have time, they might have a community support person though that logs tickets from forum posts 🤷

crisp nexus
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Also for what it's worth @weary hound I disagree with your closing of my issue in mobile bugs. This is a bug with the macro detection on mobile, whether you choose to recognise it as such or not. As a software engineer, I understand the reluctance to accept something you made is wrong, but I can tell you this is categorically a false positive in Jagex's detection system.

next stirrup
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Hello! Just coming across this, so I'll be seeing what outcomes could possibly be happening.

On the first point- Jagex doesn't email players if they've been macroing, but only send a message to your Player inbox about your ban or in your account status. They do have plans about getting players being emailed in a possible hijack or unauthorized login without player consent. Jagex has all rights to 'take away' service under their ToS rules may it be with or without notice.

On feedback, Jagex doesn't yet provide evidence as to why you were banned exactly as it can get cheating players some sort of advantage on how to avoid detection next time. On your guess, Jagex double checks reports on Bot Reports as they've stated previously.

On your phone, I'm not entirely sure what could have caused it. Jagex has a detection system in place where things perhaps as remote usage or apps that can be used as a macro may trip the system, so we may not know exactly what could have happened.
There will be a better Support system in place soon, perhaps in the coming week or so, with also better approaches on bans such as the Second chances and with Live Chat with Support if you wish to wait until then.

On Toad's closure with your post, he would be correct as your issue would pertain with the Support Forums, rather than Mobile Bugs, and Mobile Bugs is more in line with in-game bugs rather than Jagex's detection system, whether it be incorrect or not.

If nothing else is available for you, you may wait until said Support Update is live, but currently there's nothing that may be done.

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I will mark said Post as No Further Action in guidance to our guidelines as there are no other options that may be done and how we may be able to assist you further currently but it will remain open for future discussions.

crisp nexus
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Thanks for the response @next stirrup

I appreciate you're part of the community, so please don't take the following as any sort of personal attack, I'm just rebuffing some points.

The promise of improved support doth butter no bread, though I will try it out when it's here and I'm glad it's closer to this ban than if this had happened 3 years ago or something like that.

I have reported a few bugs in the mobile section and recommended some other changes, I'm generally a positive player trying to improve the game, introducing new people to it, helping noobs out.

I would still argue (as I'm a pedant and have a reasonable idea of how game code is architectured) anything a character has done in game to deserve being banned in the first instance; would be covered by a section relating to in-game content. Moreover, when done on a platform other than the default (mobile, rather than desktop) it belongs in a section belonging to said platform.

If there isn't a separate mobile implementation of the macro detection for "illegal 3rd party software" I'd be amazed/horrified as the hardware and software is totally different from one platform to another. Though I appreciate there will be some crossover relating to in game behaviour.

next stirrup
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None taken! Whenever the update drops and you happen to be away, I'll be sure to ping you so you may give it a try with Support so they may review your account once again.

I really do hope for the best.

bronze edge
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How do you know your offense was on mobile?

next stirrup
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User stated they only go on PC for a small amount of times for questing, perhaps using RuneLite. If there was any third party client that was used, then yes it could have set it off.

There's also a chance for the user to be hijacked without notice and the hijacker would have used third party apps.

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They don't know exactly if it happened on Mobile but mobile does have applications that can manipulate services for users.

crisp nexus
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I use a Jagex acc with 2fa so hijacking seems too unlikely that I hadn't mentioned it

next stirrup
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Was there any third party account linked to it by chance that may have occured?

crisp nexus
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No, no third party accounts linked to that or any character, it must be a flaw within the macro detection methods.

next stirrup
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We have until September 15th for your second chance.

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So another week if you wish to wait mate.

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Hopefully with a look into your account to get it corrected when reviewed.

crisp nexus
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I am just taking special umbrage with it, as in my hcgim group I've been essentially playing in hard mode the whole time compared to the others (who have been able to play on RuneLite with plugins galore -all sanctioned and acceptable).

Then there's me, trudging on with the official client on mobile (which let's face it, is a sub-par experience by comparison).

I'll update if this gets looked at post-new-appeal-system, though I'm not holding out much hope.
If they can maybe investigate it as a potential example case for false positives that'd at least be something 🤷

spring cliff
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@crisp nexus same shit happened to my main bro. But I got hit with a 24h ban and not perm

crisp nexus
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Update for anyone interested, I put in my plea, took a week to be rejected with what is either a boilerplate or ai response.

No human element to the response at all -despite the promise of it being 'properly looked into'.

For anyone hoping the second chance system will work for them. It won't.

undone vigil