A "Perfect" Bot; Ideas of Achievement

Last Updated: February 20, 2010.

0.0 Introduction
Before getting into a more serious discussion here's a ftw picture:


Ever since my discover of the autoing community I've been at quite a fascination of the operations of itself, for one, it's basically delving into matters of how the human mind operates as it's what we are mocking to avoid being detected. I've used many bots, but none of them, to my dismay, ever were up to the realism I'd imaged. Also interested in problem solving, computers, and programming, this was a real subject for me. So now, I feel I should share my thoughts on making a more "perfect" bot.

Thanks to Sadyda from RobotzInDisguise, for explaining how Jagex actually detects an autoer, my view of how to make a bot "undetectable", e.i. "perfect" has drastically changed to focus on more features based on statistical measures and data that Jagex logs (records). Other than that though, the focus becomes more of how to make the bot more efficient. (More on what was discussed below; Section 4, "Behind Enemy Lines".)


1.0 Basic Functions
1.1 Memory:
Simple idea of saving integers and strings through java and/or .dat files, permanently or temporarily, could serve useful for scripts like remember the status of an object (trees, rocks; cut down, mined), knowing your surroundings, plotting plans of approach to certain methods, etc.

1.2 Anticipation:**
In certain skills where time of success I tend to anticipate my next action, presumably moving my mouse on top or right clicking on the next item/object. Since RuneScape is run by ticks (0.6 seconds; 100 ticks per minute. More information here.) you can accurately predict when the succession occurs, especially when you're high level in the particular skill and most of the successions are constant (one scrap to mine rock, one chop to cut down a tree, etc).

**Extremely important and a necessary feature in a bot, practical in many ways.


2.0 Movement
2.1 Speeding up reaction realisticly and efficiently (continuation of Anticipation; explained in technical terms):
More technically, subtracting the mouse location coordinates a certain amount depending on the speed of your players movement will allow you for the mouse to click before the actual object successfully clicking the actual object (like the bank) when it does click. Basically clicking before the object if moving, or clicking before completing the "walk path" given.

2.2 Smart camera movement (benefit of making bot more efficient):
Instead of just randomly moving the camera, move the camera so that objects you are interacting with is to the right side of your player. It makes objects in between your player and your inventory making distance closer meaning faster actions.

Additionally, it should also move the camera to get ready to click on the next object that is perhaps currently off the screen (so it turns it into view; another form of anticipation).


3.0 Human Habits
3.1 Realistic Breaking:
Tell the bot your time zone, and it schedules a break system for you (like breakfast, lunch, dinner, sleep, bathroom, showers, etc). So, rather than random breaks sometimes longer and sometimes short, it's realistic and matches what a real person would do from their different time zones.

So obviously everyone will have a large break at a certain everyday representing them sleeping, then small breaks normally, like 3-4 times a day (bathroom, shower), then a closely set time of eating. Then occasionally other activities like going out (who does that anyways).

With that, you'd basically be able to run the bot 24/7 and not worry about having to turn it off and take breaks. All the breaks would be realistic.


4.0 Behind Enemy Lines
4.1 Prologue:
Before I was exposed to how Jagex actually detected bots, I was basically blind of tactics. I had to try everything, and I had to assume. So, I assumed, in which now I feel dumb for doing, that Jagex detected bots with real humans. Watching the player in-game like a video.

With that perception, I was forced to think in more human and visual terms. I focused my thoughts on how to make the bot more realistic in terms of movements to mock a human being. Stuff, now recognized as completely unnecessary, like mocking human habits like boredom, things we do often, and pretty much things that Jagex's detection system doesn't even look for. So my thought process changed when I was taught of the methods that Jagex scans for autoers. We should know their tactics before we develop ours to counter it. And fortunately in this case, it's pretty simple.

4.2 Logs and checks; methods of detection:
That's basically (as far as I know) all they rely on to catch autoers. As there's not many choices due to the large population Jagex has to deal with. Everything is automated just like our bots, and with their resources, they can only do so much.

Mouse movement
The simple mechanic of logging click locations in data files from listeners built into the client, they must use the data and try and guess of any inhuman or robotic movements, and that by itself is hard as it would take hundreds and thousands of data samples to have an accurate result. With that in mind, it makes our job relatively simple (though proven difficult). Make a mouse algorithm that cannot be detected of "robotic" procedures. It's all about being random like a human, due to the fact that human minds do work off calculated numbers, it is extremely difficult to predict it's method of making decisions. So, in the end, as long as no abnormally "direct" movements are made, there's virtually no way of proving that a person is botting.

Time
So, that brings to the point that time is an important factor. Due to humans having physical limitations, it is a key that Jagex most likely makes decisions to banning you off how much you play. Unlike humans, robots can sustain itself much longer than a human, so Jagex will use that fact to determine human players from robot players.

Human interactions
Then, there's of course one advantage Jagex has. "Human-detectors" we can call them. Other "genuine" players in the game is an advantage to Jagex, the only other way of getting banned is from the sophistication of human interactions. A robot, trying to mock how the human operates with another human, is extremely difficult. Players that find out you're not a human, and essentially that you're cheating (by autoing), will most likely report you, so that's what gives Jagex sufficient proof, plus attention to your account to give that ban. So, another focus that has yet to be conquered is talking to other real players. Failure to respond humanly is a key for Jagex to catching you.

4.3 Jagex's rights:
It's been a huge question for me, but I think I've found the logical answer. Jagex owns RuneScape for starters, that means they can do whatever they want with you since you've agreed to their Terms & Conditions upon signing up for the game. So, essentially, they can ban you if you looked at them wrong. But of course, being a commercial business, they can't abuse that power, nor do they have real reason to.

But we must still watch out for this. Most of the time Jagex probably bans autoers without "valid" proof, like a log of inhuman actions to prove you autoed since it is in reality not possible for you to act like a bot (ironically the other way around). Most of the time, they ban you with enough support evidence to convince themselves that you're an autoer (most of the time they are right as well, but of course most). That's a pretty large advantage on their part, so basically, suspicion that you're autoing is a really big problem, just from giving them the attention and suspicion to your account is pretty much half way from being banned (exaggerations may apply).

But the good news is, that Jagex's employees are still humans. And since they don't have a personal relationship with all the thousands of botters around RuneScape, they have no reason to ban you, only if they see it matches their guidelines to ban you will they do so, after all, it's just a job (don't take my word, once again).

So altogether, just know that they don't need real evidence to ban you, keeping a low-profile is most important (in my opinion).


5.0 Conclusion
5.1 How to improve the system (studying the human mind):
I think the best way to improve anti-ban and improve the bot efficiency is obviously breaking down how the human mind operates, and mocking it's methods of approach and applying it into Java.

Information on The Mind:
- Mind (overview)
- Memory
- Brain functions

5.2 Our focus:
So ultimately, I believe our focus on the production of an undetectable bot at this point should be on mainly the not-yet-mastered aspect of player to player interactions. This will of course be a challenge, due to the complication of language, misspelling, "internet speak", and such. But we can always keep in mind, that we just need to achieve a state that's believable. On the other hand, production of a more efficient bot is also crucial, though faster reaction is mainly based on the resources we have (computer CPU, memory, etc; the higher it is, the faster it can react), we can still focus on things that can cut down time like anticipating the next movement, memory and planning (presetting the plan/approach, so the bot doesn't have to make decisions on the spot).

 

This was actually pretty interesting, since I don't know much about how Jagex detects botters, but either way it seems pretty easy to counter. Time is obviously fixed with breaks, mouse movement can't be that hard to make realistic, and with human interactions you can just turn public/private chat off. If you get banned, appeal and say you had them both off so you couldn't see anyone saying anything. If anything the click logs will show that you clicked those off, and hopefully they'll unban you? I dunno.

 

Intresting read I disagree with alot of it. Randoms, not one bot at this time can
do all randoms flawlessly.

 

Most of these features are already implemented into RiD and that bot is undetectable.

 

Interesting that I began writing this before I had any connection with RiD, but I must agree that he has achieved most of these things, thus I am using his bot.

I just thought it'd still be nice for people to read it in words, the depth and complexity of artificial intelligence applied to real-world conditions.

Edit: Nowhere in my post had I stated perfection wasn't already achieved, at least what is so far defined.