Hello CSM duders,
This is following dialogue with one of CCPs GMs who recommended bringing this to your attention and hopefully your support.
Currently within our home system of Aeschee we have an issue with a player who uses macros other known as botting. Initially the player used botting methods daily with visibly no consequence. Now the owner of the character at times will make manual inputs making it a lot harder to prove botting is occurring at all times. The owner of the character is using it for the sole purpose of streaming the footage for others to view. This use of the character causes baddies to be able to simply watch this stream to know if we are going to be doing anything fun. While the use of scouts or eyes occurs all over Eve Online, in this instance due to using macros and with the current mechanics allows owner of the character when killed to just re-spawn in the Aeschee station with an infinite loop.
Please see KB link to understand how this account is abusing the existing clone home station mechanic.
Please see attached URL for an unlisted YT video of the character using macros to further illustrate.
In my active support ticket with CCP I have an additional unlisted video that explains how the following mechanic could be implemented using existing lore within the eve universe, however at this time don’t want to share this to gen pop. If the following is considered, either the GM team or I can provide a link directly to the CSM.
With the context of using the [insert lore idea/video] the goal would be to implement changes to how home station clone bays work.
This "[ insert lore idea/video]” to clone bays for NPC stations due to confirmation of the [insert lore idea] will allow a fair change to existing game mechanics. If a player is botting or using macros after (recommend after 3 losses) X number of pod and or rookie ship (Noob ship) losses occur from the same station the clone consciousness would be reset to the original starting location when that charter was created. This would then require the person owning the charter to fly several jumps to the previous station and cause the owner a period of time were they would not be able to simply just un-dock and continue to stream the un-dock of a station. It is fair to say the owner of that charter could just set a macro to fly back to a system to continue to stream, but that would be a much more complex level of scripts to program, and ultimately be streaming useless content.
If we think of an actual player attempting to leave a station, it is possible that they could continuously be killed. Typically they would be in something other than a Noob ship or a pod. In the instance of attempting to un-dock and get destroyed this rule should only apply to Noob ships or pods. If a player is legitimately attempting to leave a system by the use of a Noobship or pod, and continues to be destroyed by resetting the clone home station to the original starter system station could allow the player to safely navigate their way back to their desired destination. This change would be the fairest approach to mitigate the issue with botting/ macros that are currently being used as simply reporting or hoping an account gets banned doesn’t help with the overall issue.”
Additionally a cool down timer could also be applied that causes no jump cloning to occur for a set period of time, further slowing down the misuse of clone bay un-docking loops.
In summary the game change would cause an if statement, If Noobship or pod is destroyed X number of times from same station undock, change home clone station to starting station and plausible apply a jump clone timer for the typical formula based on existing skills.
Jan