What should a player do when they see AFK farming

[LightofConduct.1693]

Today I saw a big bunch of "players" AFK farming in Timberline Falls in the Rankor Ruins.

I was wondering what I should do? Report them for botting? because it is technically not botting. There is no option to report an exploit in game so I did not know how to report those players. But I have been seeing alot of AFK farmers all over the place so is this allowed? What should I and other players do in the future?

[Loosmaster.8263]

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/351/how-to-report-cheaters-or-exploiters

[LightofConduct.1693]

> @"Loosmaster.8263" said:

> https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/351/how-to-report-cheaters-or-exploiters

 

tnx bro

[Bloodstealer.5978]

Report as many as you can then get used to seeing them across most maps, hour after hour, day after day, month after month and hope one day anet will actually do something about it.. don't hold your breath though.

[Shikigami.4013]

Or you can choose to keep track of those you report in order to find out if you only THINK they do nothing. Maybe you just don't notice them doing something because there are so many cheaters and there is no week without new people deciding to give it a try. That's why I decided to keep track of every single afkfarmer I report by blocking them, then giving them the nickname "afkfarm" so I know who I blocked for that and not for being a kittycat in mapchat, and I kept doing that for 3 months+.

 

The result is a blocklist that is very full with afkfarm entries who are not being shown as online anymore although they were online all the time in the beginning. They are much more than fit on this screenshot. There are still some who for whatever reason are still doing it, but they are only about 5% of those that I reported.

_PS: Yes I know, some people put themselves as offline so that their friends/guildmates don't notice what they are doing. But the majority of those I reported were not invisible and were shown as online with their location when I reported them._

 


[WARIORSCHARGEING.2637]

if this is something that bothers op need to report and move on . just report and move on let anet deal with it. besides

what if the person is not afk and right their . i done that many times while on the phone. and hit or not a hit a key the whole time.

 

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"WARIORSCHARGEING.2637" said:

> op need to report and MOVE ON . and not kitten cry over something that will NOT be changed . pretty sure anet has made that very clear

> these posts are crying over noting at all that anet will do noting about i never will get it . just report and move on let anet deal with it.

> if it bothers you that much maybe you should find another game that is more better for you

 

OP isn't crying. They asked a simple question: how to report it. That question was answered.

[DeWolfe.2174]

Just FYI, there's no way for you to really know if a person is AFK or just farming an area. Even if you try to talk to them, which you should always do before even thinking of reporting, no one is required to reply to another player. As you can see above, there are players who are extreme in telling others how to play and trying to force them to play their way.

 

I just went to that area and see some skelk mobs and risen during the event. It's probably a source of mid level mats. Now, while I type this, my MM Necro is sitting there in the area. Some players could try to report me. Which is obviously ridiculous to report for the couple of minutes it takes to type this but, they will cause it's a Necro.

[OrbitalButt.5708]

Mind your own business

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

_(removed comment, as the OP's question was answered)_

[Shikigami.4013]

> @"DeWolfe.2174" said:

> Just FYI, there's no way for you to really know if a person is AFK or just farming an area.

 

There is no need for you to know it. It is not your obligation for you to know it to report someone. The purpose of a report is not to say "Look here, I have 100% proof that this person broke the rules" it is to say "Look here, I am suspecting that person of breaking the rules". If you want to talk to them first, that is your decision and by no means something that is expected of all users to have done before filing a report (*cough* especially if they are all minionmaster with fixed delay autocasts).

 

The report causes those who DO have ways to know if a person is AFK to check on him with the appropriate tests or observations. We are not game security staff , we are just the persons helping the game security staff by reporting those persons that should be checked.

[Faaris.8013]

> @"DeWolfe.2174" said:

> Just FYI, there's no way for you to really know if a person is AFK or just farming an area. Even if you try to talk to them, which you should always do before even thinking of reporting, no one is required to reply to another player. As you can see above, there are players who are extreme in telling others how to play and trying to force them to play their way.

>

> I just went to that area and see some skelk mobs and risen during the event. It's probably a source of mid level mats. Now, while I type this, my MM Necro is sitting there in the area. Some players could try to report me. Which is obviously ridiculous to report for the couple of minutes it takes to type this but, they will cause it's a Necro.

 

They'll report you because you are not playing the game, not paying attention to it but gaining rewards. If it looks like a bot, acts like a bot, smells like a bot, then it should be treated as a bot. I know it's tempting to just leave your necro there and get karma and loot for free, but you risk getting attention if you do so.

 

I think Anet should not tempt players to afk-farm in the first place and change how necromancers and rangers work in this regard.

[Bloodstealer.5978]

> @"Shikigami.4013" said:

> Or you can choose to keep track of those you report in order to find out if you only THINK they do nothing. Maybe you just don't notice them doing something because there are so many cheaters and there is no week without new people deciding to give it a try. That's why I decided to keep track of every single afkfarmer I report by blocking them, then giving them the nickname "afkfarm" so I know who I blocked for that and not for being a kittycat in mapchat, and I kept doing that for 3 months+.

>

> The result is a blocklist that is very full with afkfarm entries who are not being shown as online anymore although they were online all the time in the beginning. They are much more than fit on this screenshot. There are still some who for whatever reason are still doing it, but they are only about 5% of those that I reported.

> _PS: Yes I know, some people put themselves as offline so that their friends/guildmates don't notice what they are doing. But the majority of those I reported were not invisible and were shown as online with their location when I reported them._

>

> 

 

Exactly.. when you reported them.. since then many of those I have reported have done just that, gone offline.. but go take a look where you reported them.. they are still there 24/7... its just not a reliable source of info to say "yep they are offline, so we got em good"

[Bloodstealer.5978]

> @"Faaris.8013" said:

> > @"DeWolfe.2174" said:

> > Just FYI, there's no way for you to really know if a person is AFK or just farming an area. Even if you try to talk to them, which you should always do before even thinking of reporting, no one is required to reply to another player. As you can see above, there are players who are extreme in telling others how to play and trying to force them to play their way.

> >

> > I just went to that area and see some skelk mobs and risen during the event. It's probably a source of mid level mats. Now, while I type this, my MM Necro is sitting there in the area. Some players could try to report me. Which is obviously ridiculous to report for the couple of minutes it takes to type this but, they will cause it's a Necro.

>

> They'll report you because you are not playing the game, not paying attention to it but gaining rewards. If it looks like a bot, acts like a bot, smells like a bot, then it should be treated as a bot. I know it's tempting to just leave your necro there and get karma and loot for free, but you risk getting attention if you do so.

>

> I think Anet should not tempt players to afk-farm in the first place and change how necromancers and rangers work in this regard.

 

don't forget the engi turrets as well.. go take a look at rankor ruins on timberline if you need some proof they like to afk farm as well.. on mass :)

[Oldirtbeard.9834]

Put down one of those aviator boxes and see if they inadvertently turn them selves into Afk planes diving into the dirt.

[Etterwyn.5263]

Anet needs a new gemstone item:

 

Champ-in-a-box

 

Double click and it summons a random Champion boss that has no loot table and scales in damage/health with the number of nearby players.

 

Ultimate trolling gizmo. I would totally pay 2000 gems for that.

[Shikigami.4013]

> @"Bloodstealer.5978" said:

> > @"Shikigami.4013" said:

> > Or you can choose to keep track of those you report in order to find out if you only THINK they do nothing. Maybe you just don't notice them doing something because there are so many cheaters and there is no week without new people deciding to give it a try. That's why I decided to keep track of every single afkfarmer I report by blocking them, then giving them the nickname "afkfarm" so I know who I blocked for that and not for being a kittycat in mapchat, and I kept doing that for 3 months+.

> >

> > The result is a blocklist that is very full with afkfarm entries who are not being shown as online anymore although they were online all the time in the beginning. They are much more than fit on this screenshot. There are still some who for whatever reason are still doing it, but they are only about 5% of those that I reported.

> > _PS: Yes I know, some people put themselves as offline so that their friends/guildmates don't notice what they are doing. But the majority of those I reported were not invisible and were shown as online with their location when I reported them._

> >

> > 

>

> Exactly.. when you reported them.. since then many of those I have reported have done just that, gone offline.. but go take a look where you reported them.. they are still there 24/7... its just not a reliable source of info to say "yep they are offline, so we got em good"

 

I have many more chars than I play and one of them was permanenty parked at a very well-frequented unbound magic afk-necro farming spot. During the first few weeks there were always around 10 or more chars whenever I logged in, over time they disappeared and when I log in now there is either noone at all, or one or two of the few I mentioned as not being gone yet. It's not as if those people stand scattered all over the world, solo, in some random places so that you can't find them again. The spots I regularly checked were packed full then - they are not now.

 

Also, realistically, why would they go offline now after being online all the time they did it before?

a) They don't know I reported them

b) There is no point in going offline to avoid being reported because they get reported by people seeing them ingame

c) If they got a warning by a GM, do you think they believe "going offline" would help them not being checked by a GM again? As if a GM could be fooled like that ><

[Bloodstealer.5978]

Sorry to burst the bubble.. I would love to think your totally correct but.. with the growing number of afk farmers across maps who hoard certain spots in particular, the map instance gets filled pretty rapidly and so new maps are created.. Timberline or Bitterfrost are good examples of that.

 

So yes it is quite possible that one day your surrounded by a mass of engi turret, necro and their minions and rangers with their pets then poof next they are gone or very much reduced... but try swapping in and out of maps at different times and its amazing how suddenly they reappear.

As for offline.. when the same players are at spots 24/7 day after day, month after month offline.. yeah kinda suggests that they want to avoid the whispers from players checking for a response before reporting. As for GM interaction, your firstly presuming they even try, second a bot doesn't care about interaction. They get banned for a day, the account maybe too if we are lucky but they simply create new accounts and repeat the cycle, moving money and items around in game or via TP sales.. yeah those rather high prices standard items.. hmmmm.

 

Look we all would like to think the game is running sweet and true but something is definitely not.. if actions were properly taken then that would act as a more determined message to players... then perhaps many of us would begin to feel the issues and breaches of ToS are being taken seriously, at the moment I actually don't.. I would like to think otherwise because Guild Wars 1/2 has been a great pastime of mine for many years.

 

Bring back Dhumm in game.. now that was a great in ya face message right there in game.

 

[DeWolfe.2174]

> @"Shikigami.4013" said:

>We are not game security staff , we are just the persons helping the game security staff by reporting those persons that should be checked.

 

The act of reporting IS acting as Security. There are folks running around the game like they're on patrol and not simply playing the content. Folks just don't seem to understand the concept of liberty and realize that, if anyone wishes to farm a mob, they can park themselves anywhere in game and do so. Botting is an actual issue, not farming.

[Drecien.4508]

I know we've all heard it but I've had a couple guildies that got warned and/or temp suspension due to misuse of the reporting for afkers. When you look at the work load they have already sometimes after they look into an issue and see no problem with a perceived afker the problem is with the people just being report happy. I'm not saying don't report, I'm saying look at the other side of system and the extra work we may be creating. One report is enough to get it looked into. Have fun and enjoy the game. ?

[Smiggles.6823]

I don't think I fully understand the issue here so can I ask for an explanation?

 

I remember seeing the Lake Doric leather farm and assumed it was legal and it would just drive the mat prices into the dirt. Then the bombing came and I realized it was a problem.

 

What constitutes "legal" vs "illegal" farming?

 

If I jump on my necro on a minion master spec and run around hitting 1 to aim my little army in a mob dense area I'll be bored but playing legally I think.

 

If alt-tab out for a bit and let my minions defend me while I check an email legal? I assume.

 

Alt tabbing every 5 min to respawn them while watching youtube and hoping mobs spawn not? Same for ranger with pet or engie with turrets I assume.

 

If I'm not actually using third party software this would be a weird way to "play" but is it bannable? Surely the economy would respond to this kind of farming by prices dropping and even with a % bonus infusion the xp or gold from kills must be less than playing pvp matches or doing events.

 

Maybe I'm missing something. I main ele though and unless we get a perma-pet spec it seems like eles won't be able to do this.

[artemis.6781]

Third party software, including your keyboard, is not allowed. Sitting in one spot farming mobs is fine. But you must be at your computer. Anet doesn't approve of you going shopping while you let your pets kill everything.

[Smiggles.6823]

> @"artemis.6781" said:

> Third party software, including your keyboard, is not allowed. Sitting in one spot farming mobs is fine. But you must be at your computer. Anet doesn't approve of you going shopping while you let your pets kill everything.

 

That's basically what I was wondering. It makes it sound like the lake doric farm could have been legal though provided everyone was say a holosmith and slso running around using holomode to attack while the turrets turreted. Minus the long term effects on the economy.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"Smiggles.6823" said:

> > @"artemis.6781" said:

> > Third party software, including your keyboard, is not allowed. Sitting in one spot farming mobs is fine. But you must be at your computer. Anet doesn't approve of you going shopping while you let your pets kill everything.

>

> That's basically what I was wondering. It makes it sound like the lake doric farm could have been legal though provided everyone was say a holosmith and slso running around using holomode to attack while the turrets turreted. Minus the long term effects on the economy.

 

There are two reasons a studio will act to undermine a farm:

* Economic, i.e. that the farm hurts the value of loot for non-farmers

* The appearance of unfairness can lead to crankier players, regardless of any actual impact on the economy or other direct/indirect effects.

 

The nerfing of Auric Basin multi-loot was primarily an economic issue: the huge amount of loot available to farmers lessened the value of loot that dropped for thos who chose to do other content. The LD leather farm change was primarily about appearance. It seemed as if people were earning without playing (even though those who play turret engineer know that you can't actually AFK to farm). It's still attractive for those who need leather, but it's a bit more diverse and less passive than before. (By the way, the nerf predated holosmith.)

[Faaris.8013]

> @"DeWolfe.2174" said:

> > @"Shikigami.4013" said:

> >We are not game security staff , we are just the persons helping the game security staff by reporting those persons that should be checked.

>

> The act of reporting IS acting as Security. There are folks running around the game like they're on patrol and not simply playing the content. Folks just don't seem to understand the concept of liberty and realize that, if anyone wishes to farm a mob, they can park themselves anywhere in game and do so. Botting is an actual issue, not farming.

 

You see it, you own it. If you see vandalism in real life, you are free report it. Vandalism in a way that someone harms the environment you live in. There is no reason to shame the victims of bot farming for reporting the bots, shame on you for doing it. The victims are all other players who participate in the game's economy.