Are new method counter the bot?

[sharp hawk]

If I were a dev or thinking from a legit player's perspective, here are some fairer solutions to fight bots without punishing long-time players:

1. World Lock Purchase Limit Based on Account Age (Not Flat 100 WL)

Solution:

0–1 month: max 10 WL/day
1–3 months: 25 WL/day
3–6 months: 50 WL/day
6–12 months: 100 WL/day
1–2 years: 250 WL/day
2+ years: 500+ WL/day

Verified email + Authenticator: extra bonus
Why is this fair?
Legit players who've been active for years get rewarded.
Bots that mass-create accounts are stuck at low limit.

2. Softban Accounts with "Suspicious Store Behavior"

Solution:
Analyze store behavior:
New accounts instantly buying WL daily = bot suspicious
Many accounts from 1 IP/device = flagged
Action: softban store access only, not a full ban. They can still play, but can’t abuse the store.

3. Increase Store WL Price (Nerf Market Bot Profits)

Solution:
Make store WL cost more than player market (e.g., 3,000 gems per WL).
Why is this effective?
Bots won’t profit from reselling WL.
Legit players can still trade WL cheaper in-game.

4. Add a Reputation / Trust Level System

Solution:
Accounts gain “Trust Level” based on:
Account age, social interaction, manual trades, etc.
Higher trust = higher WL store limits.
Lower trust = stricter limits.

5. Token System for Store Purchases

Solution:
Each account gets 1–5 “Store Tokens” daily.
Tokens are needed to buy WL from store.
Even if bots use 1,000 accounts, they can’t farm more than 1 token per account — not worth it.

[dull mesa]

woww thanks for the hardwork and these ideas - they really are interesting

im thinking about that idea of limiting world lock purchase -

new legit players may feel unfairly punished

[dire cargo]

Here's a breakdown of potential problems with your bot-fighting ideas:

• World Lock Purchase Limit (Account Age):
  • Botters can age accounts (scripted logins).
  • Limits legitimate new player purchases.
  • Email/Authenticator bonuses might be automated.
• Softban (Suspicious Store Behavior):
  • Defining "suspicious" risks false positives (legit new players, shared IPs).
  • Botters can adapt behavior (spaced purchases, VPNs).
• Increase Store WL Price:
  • Harms legitimate players (especially new ones).
  • Shifts bot focus to item farming.
  • Creates a two-tiered economy.
• Reputation / Trust Level System:
  • Defining/measuring trust is complex (age already considered, social interaction can be faked, tracking manual trades difficult).
  • Biased against new players.
  • Trust can be farmed or compromised.
• Token System for Store Purchases:
  • Restrictive for legitimate players needing larger purchases.
  • Bots can accumulate over time across many accounts.
  • Adds complexity.
    Overall Concerns:
• Complexity: High development and maintenance effort.
• False Positives: Risk of punishing legitimate players is significant.
• Bot Adaptability: Botters will evolve to bypass measures.
• Impact on New Players: Solutions shouldn't overly hinder them.
  Combining Solutions:
  A layered approach might be better, but each component needs careful design to minimize individual issues.
  Alternative:
  Continuous behavioral analysis with adaptive algorithms, focusing on learning bot patterns while minimizing impact on legitimate players, might be more sustainable. Fighting bots is an ongoing challenge.

[sharp hawk]

"Thanks for the detailed breakdown. You're right that no solution is perfect, and botters will always adapt. But I still think combining layered limits with adaptive behavior tracking is better than doing nothing or relying solely on detection. Here's why I think some points could still work if tuned carefully:"

1. Account Age WL Limit:

Yes, bots can age accounts, but it takes time and resources — they won’t scale as fast.
The tiered system rewards long-term players and makes mass abuse slower.
Pairing it with behavioral tracking would catch mass-aged accounts anyway.

2. Suspicious Behavior Softban:

Totally agree the definition must be carefully tuned.
But even a basic threshold (e.g., multiple fresh accounts hitting store instantly) is a red flag.
Softban is gentle enough — it doesn’t kill gameplay, just store abuse.

3. Higher Store WL Price:

Yes, it risks hurting new players, but maybe only adjust price after a threshold.
Like: first 10 WL at base price, next WLs get pricier — dynamic scaling.

4. Reputation System:

I agree it's hard to define, but not impossible.
Even simple metrics like consistent daily logins + real chat interaction could work.
Make it opaque enough to avoid gaming.

5. Token System:

This works best with other systems.
It adds a cost layer to mass botting, making it less profitable even if not 100% preventative.