Goblin Squad Member
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Therein lies the debate.
I understand - and I think you were the one who actually necro'ed this thread and then deleted your post, sorry I didn't remember your name earlier.
I understand the impulse, but I don't share it. For me, it's very easy to completely ignore any meta-knowledge about who the player behind the character is. It just doesn't matter to me. Practically speaking, each "bot" in the group increases my chance of surviving because bots can't adapt to changing circumstances the way humans can. 6 Characters attacking me is 6 Characters attacking me, the number of human beings on the other end is unknowable and irrelevant to me. Learning after the fact wouldn't really change the way I feel about it.
And yes, I realize there's probably some degree of rationalization in there - because I really like the idea of having player-owned scripted characters. I don't see them being any worse for the game than NPCs.
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Goblin Squad Member
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...TOS breaking modifications.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to strategise, as we don't have any Terms of Service yet. Ryan's comments on multi-boxing have already convinced me to read and scrutinise every single word the day they're published...and to discuss them liberally here, of course.
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Goblin Squad Member
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...For me, it's very easy to completely ignore any meta-knowledge about who the player behind the character is. It just doesn't matter to me. Practically speaking, each "bot" in the group increases my chance of surviving because bots can't adapt to changing circumstances the way humans can.
That is wonderful for you to have such character, Nihimon, but it is also known that a scripted character, unrestricted by the in-built delays devs give mobs, can be a perfect combatant. The macros take care of all the messy details and never get flustered managing timing, skill selection, cooldown monitoring, potion use, the whole nine yards. A human without such scripting skills has as little hope of beating one as John Henry versus the steam-driver machine. Put six of those together and it isn't competition, it isn't a game, it isn't a good thing whatsoever unless you happen to be the guy somehow making a profit off it.
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Goblin Squad Member
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...TOS breaking modifications.Unfortunately, it's difficult to strategise, as we don't have any Terms of Service yet. Ryan's comments on multi-boxing have already convinced me to read and scrutinise every single word the day they're published...and to discuss them liberally here, of course.
Well, we have some references. My take-away was that GW will endeavor to ensure we all have the same tools to work with. Which means if one guy takes an advantage we will all have to take that advantage or surrender our competitive status and resign ourselves to being also-rans.
Goblinworks Executive Founder
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And thanks to exploiters of bot-programs, some games render impossible to use tier-program like visual keyboard, Dragon NaturallySpeaking or VAC (http://www.dwvac.com/), screwing people who can't use a classic keyboard in the process.
Not talking about multi-characters, just bot software. I am a little partial about multi-characters, since I had like 5 accounts on EvE. But I didn't use a bot, just multi-tasked ! And not in PvP, too hot. But I knew a guy who did. Crazy helvetic old man with his carrier !
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Goblin Squad Member
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Allowing the use of multiple characters from the same account at the same time would certainly be a different move. That is almost always disallowed to prevent account sharing.
I am okay with the benefits of DT and using a second account besides if I really want to play a second character simultaneously.
Edit:
One quick point about the 6 wizard example. It would take $90/mo until they maxed out wizard. Then they could kill wantonly for free. ;)
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Goblin Squad Member
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Oh, one quick point about the 6 wizard example. It would take $90/mo until they maxed out wizard. Then they could kill wantonly for free. ;)
Touché sir. Still probably take a few months to get the character skilled up enough to be a proper threat. Which is one great thing about PFO, its not like you can just power level your bots. So 6 boxing is a large time and money investment.
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Goblin Squad Member
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... unrestricted by the in-built delays devs give mobs...
I absolutely agree that it would be a problem in a game that relied on fast reactions and "twitch" responses. However, I think a game that deliberately slowed down the action - the way PFO has been described - would not suffer from that particular problem. I also think that people overestimate the effectiveness of a scripted Character. It's not any better than the player that wrote the script, it can't adapt to changing circumstances, and it's predictable.
But, as I said above, there's likely a fair bit of rationalization in my arguments.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'm just either too stupid or naive to understand why someone would want to play that way, even if it is to win.
Anyway, I'm not sure there's much to be done about it. It's why I usually end up going back to non-massively multiplayer games where we can just boot their sorry rears off of the server forever.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Nihimon, most multi-boxers do not use scripts. Bots, sure, but they are a different issue altogether.
One popular bit of software manages the display ports for each instance of the game, even able to divvy up a single screen into multiple game instances. It also handles keyboard input to those instances with options for some keys being pushed to all characters (like movement and attack) others are round-robin (like healing).
It is not nearly as effective as 6 people all paying attention to their characters, but it does make the scenario of having a murder squad very viable. Since characters are at best going to be able to hold their own, if they are lucky, against two similarly trained opponents, it does mean that such a person has a significant advantage against smaller groups. It would probably take 4 good players to take down a 6 way multibox setup.
It primarily works best with ranged characters, since they can be a lot sloppier about positioning and still be effective, but it is still a very big threat as it is capable of reacting intelligently to some degree, and one that Goblinworks can largely do nothing against.
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Goblin Squad Member
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... it is still a very big threat... that Goblinworks can largely do nothing against.That's my main argument for sanctioning it, which would mean it's no longer solely in the hands of the ne'er-do-wells.
I wonder though, will making it "OK" really mean that more people, than already do, will use it?
I seriously doubt that I will. Talk about an immersion killer. :(