How would you prove "without doubt" that you did not cheat? What tools does CCP provide to do so? What tools do you have? None. It's your defaced word against an international corporation.

Who needs Hulkageddon when CCP themselves can cause more tears in one massive wave.

you call those flapjacks boobies?! you are in dire need of a re-customization appointment

You don't need to prove that you did not cheat. The logs prove that you did, which is why you were banned. Any argument is just you trying to convince CCP that what they read in their logs is not true. But you don't know what is in their logs.

All of the bots I've looked at have very specific UI settings that you must have in order for the bots to work. I'm talking book marks, their names, where they point to, window placement, all sorts of crazy things. If a non-bot was using these specific UI settings and their names, it would be one hell of a coincidence.

All it would take for CCP to crack down on bots would be a simple 4 step process:
1.) Find bot software.
2.) Buy it.
3.) Get the UI settings required by the bot in order to work.
4.) Make a DB query.

You could probably get a large number of bot users by simply looking at the bookmarks set by players.

My tools are an email account and a phone. All you have to do is inform the company what you were running at the time you saw the ban message and they can test against those items to see if any trigger. If they can recreate what they were seeing from you with the programs that you describe, then you have done a pretty good job of clearing your name. Common 3rd party programs that I've effect people the most is Fraps and Teamspeak. Gaming keyboards, mice, and nostromo's don't seem to be as much of an issue even though they provide the ability to macro.

By your description it seems bots work within certain fixed UI settings. But the client does not communicate those settings to the server, it's all client stored.

Of course an unnatural naming for bookmarks (and alts) would be a red flag to say the least.

What data do I lose when clearing the cache and settings folders?
Cache

Only cached data, which can be retrieved again from the server, are stored in the cache folder. The only exception is the Jukebox playlists which will be removed located under cache\Jukebox as .m3u files.
Settings

All your client-settings are stored in this folder, like video and audio settings, user defined shortcuts, window and overview settings and much more. This also includes the folder-structure for lists like notes, buddies, agents and bookmarks (but the items themselves are saved on the server).
(Player note. You may export your overview settings to an XML file from ingame by rightclicking on the Overview arrow and selecting Export Settings. It will ask you for a name to export the file to and which overview settings to export.)

And of course they will trust you about what programs you had running when you got banned. Or not?
What botter would tell them "yes I was running bot.exe"?

In fact I dare say that the most defensive approach would be to have an opt in flag to always send CCP the list of processes you have on your computer. I'd enable it ASAP.

My tools are an email account and a phone. All you have to do is inform the company what you were running at the time you saw the ban message and they can test against those items to see if any trigger.

I'm looking forward to the dev blog. I suspect it will own some of the internet security "experts" whose proposals and counters are largely irrelevant.

WTB: a phone # at CCP that links to customer service/support.

Thanks! :)

I'm writing a dev blog in a day or two that will contain some sweet juicy new details.

As regards the timing of this particular wave, let the dudes on FHC know that Fanfest had nothing to do with it. That's a coincidence.

:edit: also the guy above me

As bad and annoying as they are, chat bots don't faucet ISK and / or minerals into the system. I suppose that makes them second priority.

I was aiming for something a little more entertaining for the player base but in seriousness, I kind of think a one-time slap on the wrist is ok.... as long as the characters cant be recycled/sold. Like IP tracking and ban all accounts / remove character sale priveliges etc etc. (I know IP bans arent infallible but it catches all current accounts of that person) etc etc.

Uh... this is a brainfart, don't read into it too much.

Wrong.

Also see:
http://www.eve-search.com/thread/854144


From http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Clearing_the_cache_and_settings

Latest: Translation from Italian Newspaper (has to do with ban !):
Ugly URL

The references to VMware and virtual machines in the fhc thread indicates possibly a "MAC Address tracking" in use. I knew a craigslist scammer who used to circumvent bans by relying on MAC spoofing and cloning in the router. So there must be some mechanic of botting and banning that revolvED around that. It's not a very sophisticated technique and it should be no surprise when it fails.

Thanks! :)

I'm writing a dev blog in a day or two that will contain some sweet juicy new details.

As regards the timing of this particular wave, let the dudes on FHC know that Fanfest had nothing to do with it. That's a coincidence.

:edit: also the guy above me

I don't have any VMware but I do play up to 4 clients at a time. Does it mean I am at risk of being considered a botter because of the "MAC address tracking"?

No but your defense of them is very transparent and I am sorry that your "boss" is going to look at the take and say something like "Hey, it's a little light this week. You holdin' out on me?"

+1 to making banned accounts non-transferablee
(-1 to CCP forums for eating my previous post)

1st offense: 2week ban, characters barred from ever being sold/transferred
2nd offense: perma-ban

Permanent banning on first offenses would make everyone in Eve a potential target of perma-greifing by individuals who know how to "work the system" to their advantage. Hulkageddon would be the least of a miners worries at that point.

Permanent banning on first offenses would make everyone in Eve a potential target of perma-greifing by individuals who know how to "work the system" to their advantage. Hulkageddon would be the least of a miners worries at that point.

I had a corp mate who lost a faction fit paladin to high sec gankers last week - the last assets of note (worth 3bil+) I lost were in 2009 - about the same time you lost lots of yours.

He didn't lose anything. He loosed it. No harm in that, I suppose.

+1 for the Dev Blog. I'd be keen to read it and see some of the publishable details.

Thanks! :)

I'm writing a dev blog in a day or two that will contain some sweet juicy new details.

As regards the timing of this particular wave, let the dudes on FHC know that Fanfest had nothing to do with it. That's a coincidence.

:edit: also the guy above me

I am also against the fact that in EvE if you were wrongly accused of cheating you have NOTHING to defend yourself with.
In a game centered on griefing, spying and meta gaming, it should just be natural to be given tools to prove your own innocence.

Permanent banning on first offenses would make everyone in Eve a potential target of perma-greifing by individuals who know how to "work the system" to their advantage. Hulkageddon would be the least of a miners worries at that point.