Are afk farmers legal?

[Mike JezZ.4261]

Just asking because I see them in different zones, and was wondering if Anet accepts it or if I should report them?

[Trebuidoi.4701]

Yup! As long as you respond to a gm whispering you, aka semi-afk farming or hide reallllly good, it is perfectly okay! And people wonder why everyone hates necros! 😄

Edited July 29, 2021 by BishiDe.6925
punctuation

[Mike JezZ.4261]

What if they are afk farming, and a GM whisper to them without answering, will they then be banned?

[Trebuidoi.4701]

I am not sure. I have not tried. But I have semi-retired my necromancer out of sheer disgust! 😄

[Mike JezZ.4261]

Hehe understandable.

I can see its a hot topic thats been up in the past but really, I never hear about anyone actually getting banned

[DeanBB.4268]

Search the forums. It's been discussed to death.

[Mike JezZ.4261]

1 minute ago, DeanBB.4268 said:

Search the forums. It's been discussed to death.

Yeah, I know. And that is why new threads keeps popping up. Because its a grey area and no one really knows.

[DeanBB.4268]

AFK farming is bannable. If you aren't around to respond when a GM checks on you, then good luck.

[Nick Malone.5641]

Is genuine AFK farming legal?  No. You are expected to be at your computer most of the time that you are in game.  However, semi-afk activity is tolerated.  For example, reading a book while you sit at your computer letting your pet kill stuff. 

 

Should you report them?  There is no harm in reporting anyone you suspect of being an afk farmer or bot.  ANet GMs will investigate and take appropriate actions. 

 

Will afkers get banned?  Probably not, at least for the first offense.   ANet rarely hands out permanent bans.  They have found that warnings and suspensions are more effective at stopping bad behavior.  There are certainly exceptions that can result in bans on the first offense (real money trading is the really big one). 

 

ANet almost never releases names of anyone who has been punished (suspended or banned).  They don't see any real benefit in "naming and shaming".  Nor do they discuss the ways they catch cheaters.  This is to deny would-be cheaters any insight into how to avoid being caught.

 

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by CaelestiaEmpyrea.2617

[MarkoGold.7126]

I know a guild who afk farms baubles and none of them have ever gotten pmed by a gm, personally i think getting pmed by a gm is a fairy tail as in if it happens at all its like 0.00001% of players.

Edited July 29, 2021 by MarkoGold.7126

[Ayrilana.1396]

42 minutes ago, Mike JezZ.4261 said:

Just asking because I see them in different zones, and was wondering if Anet accepts it or if I should report them?

Report and move on but don’t expect anything to happen. 
 

You haven’t done this yet but don’t list locations that they farm as that’s considered naming and shaming to the mods. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Ayrilana.1396

[Mike JezZ.4261]

5 minutes ago, Ayrilana.1396 said:

but don’t list locations that they farm as that’s considered naming and shaming to the mods. 

How is that naming and shaming to the mods?

[Ayrilana.1396]

5 minutes ago, Mike JezZ.4261 said:

How is that naming and shaming to the mods?

I dunno. 

[Linken.6345]

1 hour ago, Ayrilana.1396 said:

Report and move on but don’t expect anything to happen. 
 

You haven’t done this yet but don’t list locations that they farm as that’s considered naming and shaming to the mods. 

 

Showing pictures with name is naming and shaming just saying look at that area please dont single anyone out so kinda odd.

[Xanadrine.4352]

2 hours ago, MarkoGold.7126 said:

I know a guild who afk farms baubles and none of them have ever gotten pmed by a gm, personally i think getting pmed by a gm is a fairy tail as in if it happens at all its like 0.00001% of players.

How? do you do AFK farm you have to kill the vet stonehead. So you are telling me they dont input any commands? 

[Xanadrine.4352]

2 hours ago, CaelestiaEmpyrea.2617 said:

Is genuine AFK farming legal?  No. You are expected to be at your computer most of the time that you are in game.  However, semi-afk activity is tolerated.  For example, reading a book while you sit at your computer letting your pet kill stuff. 

 

Should you report them?  There is no harm in reporting anyone you suspect of being an afk farmer or bot.  ANet GMs will investigate and take appropriate actions. 

 

Will afkers get banned?  Probably not, at least for the first offense.   ANet rarely hands out permanent bans.  They have found that warnings and suspensions are more effective at stopping bad behavior.  There are certainly exceptions that can result in bans on the first offense (real money trading is the really big one). 

 

ANet almost never releases names of anyone who has been punished (suspended or banned).  They don't see any real benefit in "naming and shaming".  Nor do they discuss the ways they catch cheaters.  This is to deny would-be cheaters any insight into how to avoid being caught.

 

 

You can go AFK in any game it just means you are away from the keyboard, there is nothing bannable about that. There is quite a difference between going afk and going afk and having a program run your script or w/e. Banning people that dont sit at the keyboard constantly lol so thats how the poopsock meme started, for gods sake people whatever you do dont leave the keyboard!!! I dont care if you have to bio, I dont care if you get a blood clot, stay at that keyboard! If you are that worried about it then instead of punishing people who are not glued to the chair petition anet to do what other games did, no loot or xp from pet only kills. if the player character has not did at least 50% damage to the target no loot, its a simple concept really.

[Endilbiach.4132]

3 hours ago, Mike JezZ.4261 said:

Just asking because I see them in different zones, and was wondering if Anet accepts it or if I should report them?

 

They are, to an extent.  What you CANNOT do is use any program or macro that uses abilities or moves for you.  If you want to report afk farmers, what Anet usually does is port them a short distance away and send them a message.  If they automatically return to the same spot and continue what they were doing they're usually assumed to be using a third party program and get a temporary to permanent ban depending (usually) on the number of offenses.  If they respond to the message and prove it's really a player behind the keyboard it's usually fine.

[Xanadrine.4352]

2 minutes ago, Endilbiach.4132 said:

 

They are, to an extent.  What you CANNOT do is use any program or macro that uses abilities or moves for you.  If you want to report afk farmers, what Anet usually does is port them a short distance away and send them a message.  If they automatically return to the same spot and continue what they were doing they're usually assumed to be using a third party program and get a temporary to permanent ban depending (usually) on the number of offenses.  If they respond to the message and prove it's really a player behind the keyboard it's usually fine.

Its a little deeper than that, game companies have software that reads your files, they dont read everyones no, but if you get a flag they will look at your files and time stamps and the software will find most bot script and hack programs. when you download a game you give the company permission to install that kind of software

[Endilbiach.4132]

2 minutes ago, Zuldari.3940 said:

Its a little deeper than that, game companies have software that reads your files, they dont read everyones no, but if you get a flag they will look at your files and time stamps and the software will find most bot script and hack programs. when you download a game you give the company permission to install that kind of software

 

Depends on the nature of the software.  They can read anything that messes directly with the game's files, however if it's a macro program frequently they can't detect it, hence the old school method of "port and message".

[Xanadrine.4352]

Just now, Endilbiach.4132 said:

 

Depends on the nature of the software.  They can read anything that messes directly with the game's files, however if it's a macro program frequently they can't detect it, hence the old school method of "port and message".

Oh every stroke you make in this game is logged. Even if you use a macro program outside of the game it still logs ingame what you do, it may require some digging but its there. I always get a kick out of cheaters that think because they have not been caught that the game company dont have a clue and cant catch them. Nooo you just got lucky that no one reported deep enough with specifics to bust your bubble. I would be more concerned about the lag switchers in wvw right now.

[Endilbiach.4132]

1 minute ago, Zuldari.3940 said:

Oh every stroke you make in this game is logged. Even if you use a macro program outside of the game it still logs ingame what you do, it may require some digging but its there. I always get a kick out of cheaters that think because they have not been caught that the game company dont have a clue and cant catch them. Nooo you just got lucky that no one reported deep enough with specifics to bust your bubble. I would be more concerned about the lag switchers in wvw right now.

 

Yeah the trouble is telling the difference between a macro keystroke and an actual keystroke.  It depends on the macro program they use and sometimes it's extremely difficult to tell from their side.

 

Also, tell me more about these lag switchers, are they the reason there are some roamers that by all rights I should be able to catch, but just CAN'T?

[Xanadrine.4352]

1 minute ago, Endilbiach.4132 said:

 

Yeah the trouble is telling the difference between a macro keystroke and an actual keystroke.  It depends on the macro program they use and sometimes it's extremely difficult to tell from their side.

 

Also, tell me more about these lag switchers, are they the reason there are some roamers that by all rights I should be able to catch, but just CAN'T?

Something like that. If they can do it in wow which has some top security software they can do it anywhere

[Ayrilana.1396]

1 hour ago, Linken.6345 said:

 

Showing pictures with name is naming and shaming just saying look at that area please dont single anyone out so kinda odd.

 

Yep.  It's kind of odd which is why I brought up for the OP to be careful.

[Swagger.1459]

3 hours ago, Mike JezZ.4261 said:

Yeah, I know. And that is why new threads keeps popping up. Because its a grey area and no one really knows.

There are a thousand of these threads on the subject. And it’s not a grey area, we do know already. Clear statement from Anet on the matter. 

 

https://help.guildwars2.com/hc/en-us/articles/360014185033
 

 

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

As a general policy, ANY form of unattended gameplay is prohibited in Guild Wars 2. This includes:

• The use of auto-casting abilities to farm while not at your computer or not actively playing the game.

 

Typically no. But for some reason so many people who park and use Enable AutoAttack still aren't banned.