[GI] Calling Out Bidding Bots

I would like to call out bidding bots and how to deal with them.

The number one thing is to notice the pattern that the bidding bot usually uses.

What I have seen is that most bidding bots bid 10,000 credits over what ever is the current bid is, up to the maximum value of the item.

Example is the bidding bot will start with the lowest, 10k, on each item that it is programmed to bid on (usually the Slot CPUs, the Targeting Guidance, Advanced Jump, and Insta-shield).

If you bid over it, it will wait a few seconds and then bid over your bid. And, this will continue up the maximum of the item (375,000 for CPU2, 750,000 for CPU3, 1,250,000 for CPU4, 500,000 for Targeting Guidance, and so on).

What I propose is that anyone who recognizes one, first report it to Support, then bid the bot up to the maximum value.

Example: Bid 365,000 on CPU2 and let the bot bid over that. What this does is make the bot vilify itself, and shows Support its behavior. And, it does not get to make credits (its goal).

Do that for all the items the bot bids on, thus depriving the bot of its goal until Support can ban the player using the bidding program.

Thoughts?

 

Not all bots are the same, illicit programs do have settings that can alter or change its behavior and patterns so that is can be nearly undetectable by standard means, or in this particular case not even a script can detect it because maybe the guy behind the bidding bot just doesn't have a life?

I have seen screenshots of the #1 bot on DO that I won't say here, but let me tell you that backpage is nice, and its very advanced and has probably close to a hundred settings. The only real way to detect a bot now is by "scripts" because its so easy for the bot to look casual, you can even set the thing to fight back if you want.

The only obvious way to see it personally is when the rookies of the bot just have it go to wheel formation and dart straight to a port so they don't waste a single drop of uridium or ammo.

For example of the auction bot, you described how you see the bidding bots work, but in my experience, all bidding bots on my server cleverly bid the very last 2 seconds on everything and its lightning fast, takes no more than 1 second for those bots to process a bid, because whatever program it is, it is optimized for Darkorbit specifically and therefore gets zero lag. While it takes me a whole 4 or 5 seconds to process a bid.

So by the time I'm done getting my bids in at the last 5 seconds, I can refresh the page and everything I have is outbid.

Sorry man, good idea but I'm afraid the auction bots are here to stay.

 

I'm not willing to give up that easily to them, that is unacceptable. I see that there is something that we all can do about it.

 

if DO have let it run for well over a year now, they wont do anything, and think about it, who knows the code well enough to write the bots ?.
( cough cough, dark O ).

 

Hi All,

I thought DO installed the "I'm Not a Robot" program to stop that. It stopped me from coming to the auction house. I not there like I use too be. I had lost many a bid just at the last moment because I had to recheck I'm not a robot for the 3rd, 4th, and more during an hour biding time. Now there is a program that can get pass that too?

You are singing my song Owl. I believe you on that.

Angus

 

yes the bot can be set up to bid on multiple items in the few seconds, mmm owls right, I wonder who could do that.

 

Assuming the bot has it's own interface and its a download program then the captcha won't even show up because its not browser based, basically "bypassing" it. I don't know how to really explain it but yeah.

But even if it is browser based it can probably just go right through it because its probably injected into the website itself and it can go right through it.

You guys have to understand that Darkorbit is not a Grade-A studio and their coding and software is mediocre at best, I mean seriously they own and run a game that was made in 2007, still ran on flash to this day, and they haven't changed the code since that year. You guys really overestimate what the company can do, they can't even run a browser flash game right what makes you think they can work a Captcha check correctly? Someone running a game in their basement is the legit equivalent of Darkorbit's abilities.

Nevertheless, I will tell you that I have never seen a single Captcha check on my time playing Darkorbit even today. I use two adblockers and I have yet to see a single captcha or advertisement on Darkorbit so it could just simply be that user using an adblock.

Like the user on top said, those auction bots are most likely not going anywhere.

 

For programs, they can integrate a "Same origin policy" in their code, and include it in mostly all sections, if the action isn't browser originated then it get blocked and a "Captcha" or other sort of human detection challenge can be used, and at best randomize the challenges.
They can also bind the "action" with the browser's user agent for example, if the action isn't originated from that specific user agent then it get's blocked as well, also mixing the user agent, session time, ip and hash it all to get a unique value added to every request posted to their server.
On the other hand, no human can make 4 or more bids withing a 5 sec frame, they can put simple restrictions time based and 90% of the auction bots will go straight to trash.
Many solutions are there that can be implemented in less than 24h to clean up this game..

 

Closing.

Duplicate thread. There is already a thread dedicated to bots.. If you wish to continue the conversation please do so there.

Here is the thread >>Bots and Cheats<<

Thanks

EHD