Why botting is what players want

WoW Classic WoW Classic Hardcore
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I’ve been a part of the World of Warcraft community since around 2008, witnessing the game’s evolution and changes over the years, much like many of you.

First and foremost, it’s essential to recognize that Activision, as a corporate entity, can’t really shoulder the blame for the current state of the game. The decision to let go of game masters and happily allow the presence of roughly 20% subscriptions being bots is more a reflection of the player base than a direct fault of Activision.

The reason I’m hesitant to place blame on Activision is because their primary objective, like most corporations, is profit. While we can point fingers at them, we are still at the same time giving them money. If you think of them like a dog, they hear the owner yelling at them, while at the same time that owner feeds them a juicy steak. What are they supposed to make of this situation?

Activision has concluded long ago that players will continue to financially support the game despite the issues related to bots. While we may privately resent an in-game economy manipulated by bots or the rampant inflation that devalues our hard-earned gold, at the end of the day, they are still getting your money.

Think of it from their perspective: They’re generating 20% more revenue by allowing these bots, and they don’t even need to invest resources in combating them because players don’t seem passionate enough about safeguarding their in-game experience.

Yes, we all know that there are many things they can do about botting, in fact there are two low-cost things they can do immediately to eliminate all fly-hacking bots in an instant, and make botting tremendously harder, as outlined here (https://www.reddit.com/r/classicwow/comments/kx6uon/wowheads_founder_on_why_blizzard_wont_ban_bots/)

But… good luck with that happening. If you are wondering why activision won’t introduce anti-cheat measures that even the private servers have implemented… well, why should they? Why would they make it harder for the bots when they make up 20% of their revenue? If they did that, and botting subscriptions dropped, wouldn’t they just be shooting themselves in the foot from their perspective?

Even the simplest anti-botting measures will never be introduced because we the players are fine with the status quo, so the next time you complain about all the bots, or about the economy being in a terrible state, then ask yourself why you are supporting the behaviour with your money. You are the master throwing this well-fed dog a bone, so the problem is on you.

At the end of the day, it is a bit hypocritical to care about bots, or cheaters in general.

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You left out, “thanks for coming to my TED talk.”

Not that I read most of what you wrote, but enough to say you’re entitled to your opinion - even if you’re wrong.

The only people who are complicit with bots are the ones who use them.

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Thank for coming to my ted talk. If you read it all, you would know that you do actually support botting, and cheating. You being subscribed is proof of that. Also, are you having fun lvling on HC? I got a 52 lock now, hopefully I can make it to 60 <3

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My hope for HC was there would be less of those bots, so better economy. Isnt it the case?
As for retail I care less about botting

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Yes, the playerbase is full of garbage people who’s only joy is wrecking the game for everyone else.

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A bit melodramatic no?
Botters are trying to make money, it has nothing to do with ruining the game or anything. The game experience becoming poorer and poorer is just a side effect, and you aren’t really upset about it, or else you wouldn’t be supporting activisions behaviour with your monthly subscription :stuck_out_tongue: .

@Shanaz
In retail, since bots run 24/7, there is usually as many bots as there are players on at any given time.
As for HC, there are less bots at the moment, but I have a feeling this is because the botters are likely worried that HC will not as as profitable, so they are only dipping in their toes. However, a cursory glance at illegal gold selling sites, you can see they are already selling gold on hc, so there is likely more bots than we think, they are just trying to stay low key.

There are still lots of visible ones though. There’s some funny videos on youtube of people trying to get bots killed, like here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk8AjIpyQz4

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No.

When there is no barrier to bad actors, they will flood in.

This is what we have now.

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False logical argument there , OP.

Equivalent of saying green energy advocates should never travel by plane or use devices powered by any non renewable energy sources.

It is possible to enjoy WoW, be subbed, and not be complicit with the bottling.

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A corporations prerogative is to make as much money as possible for the least effort as possible.

You are happy enough to play despite all the in game gm’s being fired, and no anti-botting measures being introduced, so let’s all calm down and both agree that you at least passively support it, or else you wouldn’t be paying a company that is happy to enjoy 20% of their income from bots.

If you pay a landscaper to mow your lawn every month, and they don’t do it, but then you keep paying him for years, can yo ureally wash your hands of responsibility?

The point of a subscription is so that they can hire ingame gms and keep the world healthy, and provide live service updates. They no longer have ingame gms, and they don’t keep the world healthy, but you are still giving your 15$ a month. You are a bit responsible, no?

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That line of reasoning is specious and undeveloped. Purchasing a product from an organisation does not make you complicit with everything that organisation does.

The point of a subscription model is so they can receive money in exchange for a service they are providing.

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I hate to admit it, but I think you hit the nail on the head. ~THOSE~ people seem to be the biggest negative to the genre. They could easily play a single player game and cheat away BUT they NEED to play in a multi-player environment so they can torment REAL people. I just end up feeling sad for them.

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What a bizarre post. Obviously someone just trying to get attention for a ridiculous take. It’s like saying people want crime, so the police shouldn’t do anything about it.

Reddit has messed up people’s brains. Everything is about getting attention for saying stupid things.

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Who has the ridiculous take now lol. You aren’t paying someone to commit crime, so how is your example fair? :stuck_out_tongue:

Nope, I’m simply saying that you are paying for a service you are no longer receiving, yet continue to pay and complain about it. You aren’t getting anti-botting measures because you support a company that doesn’t care about bots. The ownis is on you.

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Anyone want to give us a tl;dr?

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Sure, you complain about bots, yet pay the same company where 20% of their income is derived from bots, therefore you are okay with botting.

You reward bad behaviour, so you take some responsibility.

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Thank you.

Yeah, we’re all going to Hell.

I wish life was less complex, too.

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Sure, you complain about murder, yet you pay taxes and participate in the same society where income inequality exacerbates violent crime, therefore are okay with murder.

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Not the same, you can’t not participate in society.

You paying blizzard to receive a service they aren’t giving you is something you have a choice in. If someone doesn’t do the job you paid them for, but you keep paying for the same job every month, you have some responsibility.

It’s not like you paid for something, then they suddenly pulled the rug out from under you. They have not implemented any anti-bot measures ever, and they fired all their ingame gm’s a long time ago. This isn’t a surprise for you now.

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Sure you can. Just pack up shop and go bush, living off the land.

In all seriousness, the argument you are fundamentally making is whether foreseeability is synonymous with intent. Even if you don’t intend to do so, if the outcome is reasonably foreseeable, does it make a difference? It’s a broader ethical question, and I don’t agree with your position on it.

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Then you are just willfully ignorant. There are no gms in the world, this is something you already know. Part of the 15$ a month you pay goes to paying the salarys of those ingame gm’s that no longer exist, yet you keep paying. You actively support the existence of the behaviour you don’t like, so you are partly responsible.

Without your money, activisions shoddy business practices wouldn’t be able to exist.

Also, no, you can’t just go off into the woods because those woods are owned by someone, either by a person or the government, and sooner or later the police will show up and evict you.