Exploiting/Botting and the FFXI community

[Celeste]

I've always felt that botting was unacceptable. Soon as I noticed that FFXIclopedia was participating in a joint IRC community with other FFXI-related websites, I plugged the address into Colloquy and idled there, talking here and there when I found something interesting. And behold, various things came up while I was in the channel. One being the use of a fishing bot. Apparently it's acceptable to use such a program if you attend to it, meaning you're around if a GM decides to make sure you're there.

Which I personally think is even more cowardly than simply afking and fish botting. You have the nerve to be deceptive about it? It's not right or healthy for the FFXI community to condone such programs. Now, I'm not self-righteous. I loved Windower back when I still used Windows for computing. This was before Square-Enix let you minimize the client. I didn't use any of the add-ons that you could plug into Windower as they gave me an unfair advantage much different from the advantage of being able to minimize a game's window.

Slapping pretty words such as "attended" before fish botting doesn't make it any better. Believe me when I say this, I can't believe someone had the nerve to even describe it as attended fish botting. You are not fishing yourself, the program is doing it for you. You are cheating the game and gaining an unfair advantage over your fellow players. You can try to make it sound as pleasant as you want, but you're still botting. According to Aikar's rendition of someone who doesn't bot, we're all a bunch of morons for not botting.

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/4...giscoolao5.png

Also, another Aikar moment:

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4...essonrysc9.png

How is it only your business? You may put the fish you get into a contest, and get rewarded for doing none of the work, or selling them on the AH for profit. You are cheating the community. Don't kid yourself.

So, when I saw former FFXIclopedia administrator Mierin acknowledge past use of bots to make the game easier on him, my heart sank a little. I was at a loss for words, because I had so much respect for him as a player and admin of FFXIclopedia. And Aikar, a developer for the unofficial Windower program, was the one to describe his fish botting as being "attended". Good for you, Aikar, you fish bot and are around for when GMs call coming. That makes you more of a sniveling brat than simply botting would. I am so glad you take your place in the FFXI community to heart.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/2...erin3ppdv2.png

FFXI is not World of Warcraft. In World of Warcraft, botting is also banned. So what point are you trying to make? You're full of shit.

What makes matters worse, Aikar, with no shame, posts about getting Rank 7 in a fishing contest on his own blog. Tell me, what's wrong with this picture? Here's a link to his blog. His blog's tagline states he is a developer with a care for the world, which is obviously a blatant lie since he can't even not cheat in FFXI Online.


The point is, botting = UNFAIR, attended botting = UNFAIR, shill your crap to someone else.

Screenshots were taken via Shift + Command + 3 on OS X, cropped using GIMP, and are hosted on imageshack.us. The IRC network/channel from which I took the screenshots is Vanachat

[Aikar]

Zomg i get my own thread!

Wheres the part where I said I don't use it anymore? I'm entitled to my own opinions on a subject.

and mierin didnt say he was using bots -- he said he was now open to 3rd party programs such as windower.

fuck i even said in my blog i BOUGHT the fish. I dont bot anymore, I'm not scared to admit I use to bot. I'm a programmer, we all mess with shit for a while just cause we can.

Do you really think I care what you think?

You're just butthurt you got banned.
Hell you mentioned Allakhazam and accused me from coming from there, you fit right in the crowd with the whole "holier than thou" attitude against 3rd party programs.
Nothing against Allakhazam! <3 Pikko.

[Neosutra]

OP: Were you born this stupid, or are you just so naive that you really feel the need to come post this on a public forum announcing your clear standing on a shady issue.

[Callisto]

SAY IT AIN'T SO AIKAR





SAY IT AIN'T SO

[Murdock]

Hi Aikar /wave

inb4 advanced

[Seraphus]

Advanced?

edit: gdi murdoc beat me. :<

[Callisto]

Ok I actually read this dribble instead of just saying you were an ass without reading it.

What makes matters worse, Aikar, with no shame, posts about getting Rank 7 in a fishing contest on his own blog. Tell me, what's wrong with this picture? Here's a link to his blog. His blog's tagline states he is a developer with a care for the world, which is obviously a blatant lie since he can't even not cheat in FFXI Online.

This is hands down the greatest paragraph ever posted on BG.



That is all.

[Aikar]

oh thanks for increasing visitors to my blog and increasing ad revenue, i appreciate that help!

[Seraph]

Screw the rules, I have money!

[Callisto]

In all seriousness, Aikar why don't you care for the world like you said you did? I mean we wouldn't have thought less of you if you were just honest and said "I'm a developer without a care for the world", there was no need to lie.

[Casey_]

Sweet mother of god, he knows his exp/hr from the massive fish exp, distance from the fish that you can't target, the time in japan, and some other thing that's a bunch of numbers on the bottom right!

World. Ending.

afk, suicide.

[alt]

lol at the OP.

keep doing good work Aikar. the omg3rd party windower is <3.

[Lebzile]

NO BODY BOTS IT IS ALL LIESSSSSSSSSSS

[The Blackrose]

I thought we hit the threshold of stupidity over in the PW thread... Goddamn it, nobody told me we had ludicrous speed installed on this!

Holy shit, we went plaid.

And I have to concur, that paragraph Calli cited was made of hilarious fail.

[Alistaire]

You're just butthurt you got banned.

Needs moar detail on this.

[Mizango]

wat

[Callisto]

Also need more details as to what exactly fishing is.

[Seraphus]

To the OP: Do you realize how naive you actually are, having played Final Fantasy XI this long and not already arriving at the long-time conclusion that using bots and third party programs has just become a social median?

Here's my general rule of thumb:

If their bots/programs/exploits don't affect you at all, shut the fuck up.
If their bots/programs/exploits do affect you, go cry more, if it wasn't them it'd be someone else. There's nothing you can really do about it.

edit: Posting in a semi-epic thread, btw

[Aikar]

Needs moar detail on this.

When he first started talking shut I simply muted him, i told him ill unmute him if he behaves and doesnt try to restart shit since topic had already changed and of course he did and a mod kicked him from chan so i banned him from server for 24 hrs and told him he can come back tomorrow if he behaves...

I'm too fucking nice, well gonna change that to perma now.

also thanks for advertising vanachat too.
anyone else wanna come on, got 90~ people on
http://irc.vanachat.com !

[The Blackrose]

Also need more details as to what exactly fishing is.

Hi, I'm Nigerian royalty and I need you to send me money. Please ignore the fact that I can't spell Nigerian. Or royalty.