Quest NPCs Disappearing Until Reload

[Pr1c3rA]

Has anyone else noticed this? Twice, before level 20, a Dwarf I am leveling had been stuck looking for an NPC to pickup or turn in a quest from/to. When I exit WoW, and log back in, clearing the cache for good measure, the NPC is magically where he is supposed to be and the bot continues until, no doubt, it happens again.

Is it possible this is some sort of intentional mechanic to identify quest leveling bots by Blizzard? Look for accounts that have been leveling non-stop for so many hours, and then remove a vital quest NPC, or all of them, for that matter, and log which players are bottle-necked at that point? Should I be concerned, specifically?

Affected NPCs:

Lieutenant Horatio Laine @ Westfall

Marshal Marris @ Redridge Mountains

Gidwin Goldbraids @ Thondroril River along with Fiona's caravan.

John J. Keeshan @ Flamestar Post

Anchorite Avuul @ The Harborage

Forward Commander Kingston @ Hellfire Peninsula

 

[ThePunisher]

Dunno, maybe.

Maybe CRZ is messed up, or just your inet connection sucks.

Can you be a little more specific?

 

[Pr1c3rA]

My internet connection is irrelevant. I haven't seen it happen leveling by hand, only when I use the bot.

How much more specific can I get? You can the name of the exact NPC? It happened once on the breadcrumb into Westfall and once in Redridge Mountains.

 

[Pr1c3rA]

Update:

I just started a new toon and the exact same thing happened at the same NPC (Lieutenant Horatio Laine) as you enter Westfall. This might need to be looked into.

Added: Marshal Marris is the second NPC. Exact same two NPCs. Restarting WoW and clearing caches caused the both NPCs to reappear. In the meantime, my character is stuck at an obvious guillotine for bot accounts.

I'll keep you posted if there are more.

 

[ThePunisher]

Was focused on WQ botting.

For sure i will try it today, i wanna see it by myself.

If it happens on all starting zones... we're really fucked ( narrowing lvling to grinding is more easy to detect )

And yes, keep us posted!

 

[Soullinker]

Why would they do that though?

You said that if you level by hand that does not happen, only when using the bot.

So if they already know that you use a bot to remove/despawn the NPC why wouldn't they just close the account or put you on the next banwave list.

All i am saying that if they know that you are a bot they don't need to do such things.

 

[ThePunisher]

Oh man, THIS IS HAPPENING

Just entering westfall ( starting quests from horatio ), they disappear in front of me.

I tried just closing bot did not work ( leaving and entering the zone ), CRZ does not work.

Logout / login character screen also does not work.

As Pr1c3rA says, only full close of the game WORKS

I dont know what to think now...

[EDIT] Closing the bot, log in to another character works... mmmmmmmm

 

[Pr1c3rA]

It could be something to do with CRZ, but I don't know. You're a sitting duck if you bot AFK and you're guy is standing there like a goon. The bot keeps your character logged in.

Update: Bot make it to level 42, overnight. Haven't run into another similar issue, yet. As far as I can tell, is merely disconnected last night as a result of my ISP or something, because it was in Western Plaguelands, in the middle of a kill quest. Will continue to keep you posted.

 

[socrates3]

It's happening to me too. Particular with scenario based / conditionally based NPC's. Like an NPC that spawns at the end of a quest.

Fortunately it's probably not an HonorBuddy issue. I experienced it in the 100 boost scenario playing 100% manual.

I would guess the 7.1.5 patch could have introduced some buggy client behavior, but that's just a guess

 

[ThePunisher]

It's happening to me too. Particular with scenario based / conditionally based NPC's. Like an NPC that spawns at the end of a quest.

Fortunately it's probably not an HonorBuddy issue. I experienced it in the 100 boost scenario playing 100% manual.

I would guess the 7.1.5 patch could have introduced some buggy client behavior, but that's just a guess

Hope so, will continue tonight

 

[FreakyBart]

Happening here too, while leveling.
A simple wow disco - reco work to see the NPC appear.

 

[ThePunisher]

I just started a new toon and the exact same thing happened at the same NPC (Lieutenant Horatio Laine) as you enter Westfall. This might need to be looked into.

Added: Marshal Marris is the second NPC. Exact same two NPCs. Restarting WoW and clearing caches caused the both NPCs to reappear. In the meantime, my character is stuck at an obvious guillotine for bot accounts.

I'll keep you posted if there are more.

Ok for now I confirmed that both NPCs disappear...

Maybe is messed because 7.1.5 or bot problem.

Still leveling if other quest cluster happens too.

 

[Pr1c3rA]

Stuck again, NPC #3

Gidwin Goldbraids @ Thondroril River along with Fiona's caravan.

 

[Pr1c3rA]

By Darthias (3,253 – 9·19) 3 days ago (Patch 7.1.5)
This quest at the minute seems to be a bit bugged as after handing in "Done Nothing Wrong" Keeshan yells but he doesn't appear. In order to see if this was just bugged on one character I just did it with a second and confirm that this was not isolated.

QcRoman yesterday at 11:54 AM (Patch 7.1.5)
Same, can't see Keeshan nor get his quest from a level 50 warlock.

jakkalope today at 3:30 AM (Patch 7.1.5)
110 druid, same problem.

Be careful using the leveling bot for the time being. In addition to all the other issues no one seems to be able to explain, this is a current bug that will have your bot sitting in Flamestar Post like a sitting duck.

Update: It took two attempts, but after logging out, clearing the caches via my batch file, and logging back in, the NPC reappeared. However, I will mention that is was AFTER the quest with the four colors of Whelplings was turned in. Originally, the bot was attempting to flag this quest before I had manually completed and turned in this one.

 

[f299]

Just so you all know, this has nothing to do with the bot or anything. It's a bug that's happening to everyone. Even without the bot it was happening to me and my girlfriend (who just started playing wow and has no idea about bots), so relax.

 

[Pr1c3rA]

No one here is jumping to any conclusions. We're simply making information available, in case it becomes a problem.

While it is possible that it has nothing to do with the bot, it has the potential to get quest botters reported and banned. Players sitting for an extended AFK at the same quest hub for hours is a red flag to anyone who knows anything about botting.

Second, if this continues, the developers of the questing botbase might consider eliminating certain quests (if they're not part of critical quest chains) or looking into a mechanism that detects when this has happened, at these specific NPCs, and build in some sort of counter-response. Even if that is simply skipping that particular quest and all associated quests it is a prerequisite to. Simply grinding mobs to get to the next stage of the quest botbase profile would be safer and more productive than standing idle, waiting for reports.

P.S. Another NPC exhibiting this behavior, for those interested, Anchorite Avuul @ The Harborage.

 

[ThePunisher]

Just so you all know, this has nothing to do with the bot or anything. It's a bug that's happening to everyone. Even without the bot it was happening to me and my girlfriend (who just started playing wow and has no idea about bots), so relax.

That is where you are wrong.

It has, but we dont know exactly the causing problem "it"

Some info on official forums?

 

[Pr1c3rA]

Forward Commander Kingston @ Hellfire Peninsula

This one was especially problematic because the item for the quest, which is required at turn-in, has a 1 hour duration. So, after an hour of standing there like a goon, overnight, last night. The item required for turn-in disappeared and I have to abandon the quest and restart Honorbuddy.

 

[f299]

That is where you are wrong.

It has, but we dont know exactly the causing problem "it"

Some info on official forums?

Um, I'm wrong? How..?

I literally saw it happen TWICE in two different regions on a laptop that had only WoW on it and has never had a bot on it...

I know technology is a little difficult to understand for some people, but it's pretty straight forward right here...

Learn facts before you simply tell someone who's wrong, idiot.

 

[Pr1c3rA]

Um, I'm wrong? How..?

I literally saw it happen TWICE in two different regions on a laptop that had only WoW on it and has never had a bot on it...

I know technology is a little difficult to understand for some people, but it's pretty straight forward right here...

Learn facts before you simply tell someone who's wrong, idiot.

Just because it happened on a laptop without a bot doesn't mean it isn't problematic for botters. If you're not concerned, please refrain from posting in my thread. Take your battle of wits to PM.

I'm going out of my way to report issues with the bot, currently, regardless of the origin. The last thing anyone wants is bad exposure that results in botting being made riskier for everyone.