Lineage 2 has a mugging problem.

[Shockeye]

Computer characters mugged in virtual crime spree

11:31 18 August 2005
NewScientist.com news service
Will Knight

A man has been arrested in Japan on suspicion carrying out a virtual mugging spree by using software "bots" to beat up and rob characters in the online computer game Lineage II. The stolen virtual possessions were then exchanged for real cash.

The Chinese exchange student was arrested by police in Kagawa prefecture, southern Japan, the Mainichi Daily News reports.

Several players had their characters beaten and robbed of valuable virtual objects, which could have included the Earring of Wisdom or the Shield of Nightmare. The items were then fenced through a Japanese auction website, according to NCsoft, which makes Lineage II. The assailant was a character controlled by a software bot, rather than a human player, making it unbeatable.

Ren Reynolds, a UK-based computer games consultant and an editor of the gaming research site Terra Nova, says the case highlights the problem of bots in virtual worlds.
Arms race

By performing tasks within a game repetitively or very quickly, bots can easily outplay human-controlled characters, giving unscrupulous players an unfair advantage. Many games firms employ countermeasures to detect this bot activity. For example, they can ask the character questions or present them with an unfamiliar situation and monitor their response.

"There's an ongoing war between people who make bots and games companies," he told New Scientist. "And making real money out of virtual worlds is getting bigger."

Furthermore, the line between virtual and real cash has already disappeared. The game EverQuest, for example, lets players buy and sell virtual items and characters for real money through an authorised online trading site.
Money breeds crime

Reynolds says the growing number of online game players will only increase the incentive for scammers. "There's nothing exceptional about the virtual world," he says. "Wherever there is that sort of money, there's always crime too."

Bruce Schneier, a renowned computer security expert, adds that the distinction between virtual and real crime is rapidly disappearing. He points to recent reports of crooks trying to hack into games or steal players account information to make cash.

"I regularly say that every form of theft and fraud in the real world will eventually be duplicated in cyberspace," Schneier wrote on his weblog. "Perhaps every method of stealing real money will eventually be used to steal imaginary money, too."

There are also reports that some online scammers are using “sweatshops” in countries such as China and Indonesia in which people monitor teams of bots in order to generate money whilst avoiding bot traps.

[Xilren's Twin]

Wait wait wait.

Are they saying it's a crime b/c he used bots?  Or just because he PK'd some people and looted their stuff?  Or b/c he sold Linege2 items out of game?

They don't make it very clear...

Xilren

[Shockeye]

I think the crime was playing the game in the first place.

[stray]

Rofl. What a lousy article.

[edit] And a lousy reason to be arrested.

[Hoax]

What I dont get is how did the bot make him invincible?  Or did he bot to get uber high lvl and uber good items and THEN he was unbeatable because its a level/gear > player skill system (with out even going into how the whole kharma system = newbie griefing and no real pvp).

[Dren]

That is interesting.  Now that companies are making it available to pay money or get money for virtual property, they are indirectly putting a real life value on those virtual properties.  Now, the act of stealing, ninja looting, pk'ing, camp stealing, hacking, etc. will carry actual real life criminal charges?

I'd be happy that this would teach those companies they made the wrong decision to support this crap, but I don't think they'll learn from this.  We'll be the losers of that poor decison.

[Yegolev]

What I dont get is how did the bot make him invincible?  Or did he bot to get uber high lvl and uber good items and THEN he was unbeatable because its a level/gear > player skill system (with out even going into how the whole kharma system = newbie griefing and no real pvp).

I read that as the bot made the toon unbeatable.  Asinine design.  All of you twitch-MOG fans, take a peek into Yegolev's Amazing Crystal Ball and behold your future!

[Trippy]

What I dont get is how did the bot make him invincible?  Or did he bot to get uber high lvl and uber good items and THEN he was unbeatable because its a level/gear > player skill system (with out even going into how the whole kharma system = newbie griefing and no real pvp).

I read that as the bot made the toon unbeatable.  Asinine design.

The question is how, though, since AFAIK Lineage II doesn't have shooter-style combat.

All of you twitch-MOG fans, take a peek into Yegolev's Amazing Crystal Ball and behold your future!

Eh. That's something we already deal with every day in shooters with aimbots, wall hacks, and so on and so forth.

[Llava]

It does have position based combat, though, and the bot would almost certainly be better able to navigate positions than a live player (if programmed exceedingly well).  Whether that means kiting with a bow or what, I can't say.

[HaemishM]

I can't imagine that the bot would make the player that much better, but who knows? I couldn't stand to play enough of Lineage 2 to find out what skill is involved. The fact that a bot is a more unbeatable opponent in PVP than a human with gank-worthy items tells me I made the right choice.

[Mesozoic]

Its a layman's article.   They're playing fast and loose with terms.

[Yegolev]

Eh. That's something we already deal with every day in shooters with aimbots, wall hacks, and so on and so forth.

You are quite correct, but far less funny.  Did you know I hate MFPS players more than MMORPG players?

[stray]

Its a layman's article.   They're playing fast and loose with terms.

They got Terra Nova to comment though...Which is pretty funny.

[lariac]

What is that saying?

There is no such thing as bad publicity?

Hell, this type of stuff was going on since day one in L2. Can't imagine why it would be such a problem now.

Seems to me they banned him for botting, but threw in the mugging thing so that it would make news.

"First mugging in a MMO!"