What makes Gatherbuddy and Grindbuddy dangerous to use?

[BubbaDad]

What makes Gatherbuddy and Grindbuddy dangerous to use? I use Gatherbuddy a lot to gather mats for use and sale. People on this forum seem to believe that these programs are unsafe. What makes them so?

 

[wanzukk]

I think the main reason for people saying it's unsave to use, is that player reports are one of the biggest ban factor when useing bots.

And if some people seeing you grind the same spot for hours and hours. They would start to wonder. same with gatherbuddy.

 

[Angelus]

I think the main reason for people saying it's unsave to use, is that player reports are one of the biggest ban factor when useing bots.

And if some people seeing you grind the same spot for hours and hours. They would start to wonder. same with gatherbuddy.

Imho, it used to be player reports. Now they use more sophisticated methods to track us down.

 

[chinajade]

Hi, BubbaDad,

Smuht is right on?player reports are deadly...
To keep from drawing player reports, Honorbuddy has built 'non-compete' logic into many of the quest behaviors, and the target selection logic. This may cause an occasional delay during questing while we wait for the competing player to clear the area. But, "stealing" another player's mob or quest objective is a great way to get reported quickly.

In GB2, you want to keep the "ninja nodes" feature turned off for the same reason.

There is also very strong evidence that you reporting other players for anything, sends a snapshot of critical information to Bliz along with the report. In short, if Honorbuddy is or has been attached to the WoWclient when you report another player, you have just reported yourself also.

So, think twice before reporting the 12yo at Crossroads for foul language, or an inappropriate name. Anything.


The second way is...
Bliz is stepping up their WoWserver-side detection game. Since the 1970's, very good pattern recognition algorithms have been available to recognize common characteristics in groups. Examples include:

• LCP analysis
• Bayesian algorithms
• etc.

Obviously, we do not know what specific algorithms Bliz employs, but we do know they have them available (and obviously use them). Some of the algorithms can be done in (semi-) 'real time', but the vast majority require post-processing. This means there will be a lag of 2-4 weeks or longer, as they run the algorithms on the WoWserver-side logs they've accumulated.

Thus, when you are banned, there may be a significant time gap between when you are detected and when the ban is effected.

Honorbuddy steps up its game each time we figure out what's going on. Examples include:

• "Randomization factor" in Gatherbuddy2 to defeat LCP and other path detection algorithms
• Variant pathing in the Honorbuddy ground navigation system to defeat LCP and other path detection algorithms

There are many many other techniques that we won't discuss, but these two are largely known by the Community?so, we're not really giving anything away.


Another way is Community members actually report themselves...
by taking a screenshot with the WoWclient and uploading it to a public forum (including thebuddyforum.com). The WoWclient inserts watermarks that contain steganographic information about your WoWaccount and lots of other stuff a botter would not want Bliz to know. This is easy to defeat → use a third-party screen capturing tool like Lightscreen or Greenshot. The trick is to know that you need to use such a tool instead of the WoWclient's builtin facilities.

Or, you install a plugin that uses the WoWclient's chat facility to communicate with other bots. This is how other bots have gotten caught on at least two different occasions. Honorbuddy is not immune to this, since we allow third-party plugins to be written and deployed. It is up to the Community member to evaluate the safeness of each plugin they choose to install.

Or, they respond to a soliciting post to form that botting guild, or arena 2s/3s team. The soliciter can easily be a Bliz employee lurking in our forums using social engineering to get botters to report themselves.

Or, botting for 10 hours without taking a single (simulated) bio-break.


Despite the tools Honorbuddy employs and makes available, it is still up to the Community member to 'bot smart'. This means actually configuring GB2 to use a meaningful value for GB2's "Randomization Factor". Or, combat routine writers not doing inhuman things like 'instant interrupts' 100% of the time. Or, plugin writers not using the WoWclient's builtin LUA screenshot functions, or transmit information using the WOWclient's builtin chat channels.


Botting is a dangerous (but wildly fun) sport. But, it boils down to each Community member to 'bot smart'. Botting is not a click-n-go activity, unless you want to be banned immediately. Think twice before each plugin, combat routine, etc. you add to Honorbuddy.

cheers,
chinajade

 

[BubbaDad]

OK, most of the posts confirmed my estimations of why these bots may be problematic. China you have given me some more items to consider and watch out for. I guess look as human like as possible and be random. The pathing bugs me a bit in that all bots seem to use the same path on a circle run for mats, this is really telling. Perhaps there could be some deviation that could be set by the user. I will be more judicious in my third party plugins and bots.

I never report anyone, I just ignore them. The screenshot tip concerns me and will watch out in the future.

 

[chinajade]

The pathing bugs me a bit in that all bots seem to use the same path on a circle run for mats, this is really telling. Perhaps there could be some deviation that could be set by the user.

Hi again, BubbaDad,

You should find this post helpful regarding information about GB's "Randomization Factor"?how to use it, and what it does. Unfortunately, the HB manual is not up-to-date on this, and this is bug report HB-486 ("[Documentation] Honorbuddy manual needs to document "Randomization Factor").

Independent of the GB2 "randomization factor", Honorbuddy's builtin ground navigation system alters the path as you travel from place to place. You are taking the same 'route', but the pathing nodes vary by a significant amount. Since this feature is built into the navigation system itself, all bots benefit from it automatically. Most players do not even notice this is occurring, and you would need 'path recording' capabilities to actually see this in action.

cheers,
chinajade

 

[thatwouldbestealing]

LCP Detection.

That and due to mesh issues you are likely to become stuck and reported -the bane of bot users, the dreaded Player Report.

 

[Aetheric]

You should find this post helpful regarding information about GB's "Randomization Factor"?how to use it, and what it does. Unfortunately, the HB manual is not up-to-date on this, and this is bug report HB-486 ("[Documentation] Honorbuddy manual needs to document "Randomization Factor").

Hi CJ,

Question : does the randomization calculation changes when I change the factor while HB is running? Or do I have to restart HB every time? Would be nice to have it done dynamically.

Cheers m8.. brilliant work there

 

[Aetheric]

LCP Detection.

That and due to mesh issues you are likely to become stuck and reported -the bane of bot users, the dreaded Player Report.

Especially the BOTTERS reporting their fellow botters
They will be able to recognize a bot within seconds.
Happens too often.

 

[BubbaDad]

Yeah, I monitor my bots and have seen a few bots running around. Some gathering. I always try to talk to the other players in the area.

 

[amputations]

People say they are unsafe because they got banned after botting for ridiculous amounts of time, read my signature for reference.

 

[sk1n]

Hmm, Makes me wonder why I haven't been banned yet, I've reported players cussing me out for soloing Warbringers when they have 3-4 ppl with them trying to kill a Warbringer... however I rarely report but these guys were ridicules..

I've had HB attached while reporting them lol.

Or maybe not banned because I bot sometimes using CR's and other times I don't use a bot period and PVP/PVE, I dunno.

Edit:
Or I could log on today an be banned.. I dunno.

 

[myrgy]

Do you guys think Blizz is performing LCP detection on every player in the game? I don't see them using a tool like that until something else raises their suspicion.