Tax on possible bots

[fossil grotto]

I was observing bots, going to and fro, what they seemed to do etc, and they seem to use the mail system very often, probably other NPCs also, to sell loot in, I don't know. But my mind also went back to Flyff PC and the tax system there, and I wondered, can we use the bots to some benefit for the game?

Instead of banning whole networks of Bots, have GMs flag them for tax, maybe 20% tax on mail and NPC sales, see who complains, if nobody complains about being taxed, keep the tax in place, if somebody complains, then investigate their logs for evidence of botting.

This tax could be used, to create a "money pot" server wide, and when the pot reaches a certain amount, it triggers an EXP event server wide. Perhaps this can be implemented at the same time as getting rid of captcha, because that anti-bot mechanism has failed.

[hardy bronze]

So bots level faster because of bots?

[native magnet]

They have not and will most likely not implement the simplest suggestions players have written here, do you really think they’re going to implement a “tax system” as a solution for the bots? You’re either trolling or you’re on bath salts

[fossil grotto]

@native magnet lets hear your innovative solution then.

[past smelt]

Turn it from f2p to a monthly subscription, then start banning those bots.

[gilded osprey]

A sub to a 2000s Korean cash grab mmo

[sonic yarrow]

And what about materials bots?
Game is broken only way is to put some servers together to have a better focus and send some devs to fly around check the spots and ban continously

[floral sapphire]

I don't think most of the solutions will work, including this one. If this suggestion was implemented today, tomorrow bots would no longer use the mail and regular players using the mail have to eat the tax.

Bots immediately change their behavior when you take measures against them.

[visual comet]

I think @full imp won't like this suggestion, because of #1187939631245840414 message

I also think @floral sapphire is right. Something needs to be done, but almost any measure will affect the normal player base.

EDIT: @fossil grotto Right, normal player wouldn't have the flag, but then there is a huge work load in flagging those bots and they will soon realize and just stop using the mail system. Afaik common practice is not to ban, but wait, and develop systems that flag bots automatically without letting them know at all. So instead of letting them know that you got them (i.e. with your mail tax or by simply banning them), you wait until they have worked hard to reach high level and then you release a ban wave banning them all. Reason why it should be done this way is to not give bot running the opportunity to counter-measure the detection techniques by admins. It's also then hard to tell for them what behavior exactly led to the detection. However, I doubt that Gala is actively working on that, giving the fact that the game is in its state that it currently is.