Grismar's EVE Wiki : DetectingMacroUse

Detecting Macro Use

This article describes how to determine whether a pilot is using macros. All of the methods described are an indication of macro use, not actual proof. It's what's referred to as 'circumstantial evidence' in law. Getting direct and definitive proof of macro use is virtually impossible for players, apart from a confession.

On this page:

• Idle chitchat
• Theft for the cause
• Bumping
• Observing illogical and mechanical behaviour

Idle chitchat

If a pilot is completely automated, they won't respond to messages in local or other channels they may be in. Automated pilots usually auto-refuse or auto-accept conversations, but won't say anything in there either. In the rare cases that the bot is clever enough to enter text into the chat, it will be some standard response, which you can easily check by starting another conversation.

If a pilot is only partly automated, or macro assisted, they will probably respond after a short delay. In these cases, if you suspect one person to be controlling a large number of clients, you can try to initiate multiple conversations and turn on timestamps in chat. These will give you an indication whether it's likely that more than one person is at work.

Finally, if a pilot is actually sloppy enough to mention their use of macros in a channel, save a copy of the chatlog and attach it to your petition, with the exact date and time. You will find a copy of the chatlog in the EVE\capture\Chatlogs folder.

Theft for the cause

If you steal ore from miners and none of the miners react (in the local channel or otherwise), that's suspect. A common tactic is to create a jetison container of your own next to the one that is present and give it the exact same name. Drag everything from their container to yours. This works exceptionally well if you're in the same npc corporation as the miners.

Note: you will get flagged for this theft. Be careful, guards may be on their way.

If you're lucky, the miners will continue, not noticing the color change of the container, which is otherwise similar. If a hauler arrives to pick up the load and they ignore the color of the container too, that's suspect. Not only that, but you'll be able to shoot them from stealing 'your' ore.

In many cases, the automated miners will spawn a new container and ignore the container you have put up.

Don't steal a macro miner's ore without filing a petition. If you do, you're making use of the unfair advantage a macro offers and as a result, you stand a chance of serious warnings or bans from a GM.

Bumping

Flying your ship into another ship will displace the target ship. The heavier your ship and the higher your speed, the greater the effect. Fit your ship with modules to increase its speed like overdrives and microwarp drives for maximum. Battleships work very well, Bumpageddon anyone?

If you bump a miner far enough from its rock to stop the mining laser, their reaction (or lack thereof) will be a good indication of whether or not there's a person at the helm.

Observing illogical and mechanical behaviour

Ships (partially) controlled by macros will often display 'stupid' behaviour if you change the normal circumstances. Examples of this:

• Get between a miner or a hauler and the can he is trying to reach. A flesh and blood player will get tired of bumping into you very fast, a macro has nearly limitless patience (or will warp off with no cargo and return after a few minutes);
• Steal a miner's ore. Keep stealing it every time he puts up a new container or puts more into the same container. Only macro controlled miners won't mind your continued stealing.
• After getting bumped, a barge flies 100km from their new position, back to the container they were at. A flesh and blood player would warp off an back in.

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Current EVE version: 2.09.3913 (Bloodlines)