Artisan Archive
Thread: The AFK macroing debate is over.
I just finished playing on Test, and the devs have come up with an interesting solution to the AFK macroing problem.
AFK macroing no longer works, as there are now interactive steps to the sampling process.
Examples:
1. After sampling for a bit (5 minutes or so) a box pops up explaining that there is a pocket of high concentration ore. Would I like to expend 300 action to attempt to extract it. (at which point, my sampling stops until I choose either to attempt, or to continue sampling).
2. A few minutes later, a box pops up that I have found a higher percentage area, and would I like to redirect to it. I choose yes, and a new waypoint with the area is created. (also stopping the sampling process)
Macro away, you have a week until it goes live.
Bianca Minola
Funny that this sort of solution has been mentioned to the devs for the past 6 months ... guess you can't rush into things 
Guess it's off to find a 3rd party macro program
Does these little "go for it?" messages yield a slightly better result when you hit okay? Like the "particularly rich" samples you get now and then. That would be great, if it actually rewarded the player who took the time to do this, and would help out newbies who couldn't afford to buyor build a harvester (me).
This is much better than nerfing sampling, since it's the only form of resource gathering for new players, and nerfing it would make getting to higher crafting levels very difficult.
Nice job DEVs!
-----Fuzzy Animator
I'm not complaining, I'm just reporting what happened.
The 'go for it' message where you use 300 action points gives you a 20ish size sample (and that was with surveying 1 on a 40% area, my test char is very noobish).
Bianca Minola
kasuta wrote:
No, Bianca your post wasn't the confusing one, it was Ghartan's. I already have the feeling that you are strongly anti-afk-macro, no confusion there!
Ghartans message meant that he was going to have to start using a 3rd party macro program that lets you macro mouse clicks so that he can have it automatically press the "No" button for him, so he can continue to AFK Macro.
Bushwa
It should be noted that in beta, the devs talked a couple of times about 3rd party software usage. It is definitely against the EULA (not a grey area like the in game macros) and supposedly,the client 'sniffs' the running processes for this software.
Since it is obvious that the Devs are trying to kill AFKers, I'd be very careful about using this type of software. It seems to me that it is only a matter of time before they will be banning players for this type of activity (if they aren't doing it already).
Bianca Minola
Hmm.., it's a little early to call anything "over" ...
Check out [http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=Development&message.id=211539] and you'll see what I mean.
^^^ Why they would even have to go that far is beyond me... Not anything bad on their part, but why are there people out there that HAVE to get ahead in a game. So much so, that they decide they need an advantage over other players by using full-out exploits/cheats.
Doesn't that take away the aspect of gaming? I game to have FUN! I guess some people just have fun saying they're better or further along than others.
Weird... But let me catch you with my DH17 and you're a goner 
True, however those folks who are using the "it's not been called an exploit, it's allowed" argument are going to have a harder time using it when they are actively attempting to defeat game systems instead of just using macros that are available in the game.
Bianca Minola