Am I allowed to automate playing?

[Stilgar]

Hi Tim!

I didn't found similar topic, please point me to it if there is one.

I'm a programmer and would like to write some help for me to play without wasting a lot of time. Like restarting businesses, battling NPC etc. It isn't fun at all, even once in three days. Making something oneself is never fun. Maybe eventually I'll try to write an AI with ML.

I don't think it will result in my advantage, because our main limits are turns and items. Just an ability to continue playing while having more time for other things.

Of course I won't generate more requests then I do as a human. Most likely much less.

Technically I'll be GETting pages, parsing it, thinking of content, and POSTing action. I'll use my VPS and Python, maybe Twill library.

Regards,
Stilgar
(Dorn, Journ and Jarina Mosaada)

[Tim]

Hey Stilgar,

Automation's been done before in the past. In V2 (before character limits and NPCs to battle), one player scripted the running of 50-75 characters to give people someone to hit (with my permission). Once NPCs came along, Auto-clickers were used by many to run battles quickly.

With the limits on character creation now, I agree with you that these scripts wouldn't offer much in game advantage. As long as you keep them simple (restart businesses, run battles vs NPCs, etc), I have no problem with you automating things for yourself. Just don't try to write scripts that find exploits in the game, do compilicated timing or coordination of your characters, or something that would be difficult/impossible for normal players to do. I also request you don't use scripts to battle Hordes, as I'd see that as unfair to others (a script could find and run battles with a horde faster than players can unaided).

On a related note, I do plan on speeding up business management in V9.5, so hopefully that will make life easier for all. And if you do get some tools working, I'd be interested in seeing what you come up with (if you're willing to share).

Good luck!

[Stilgar]

Thank you for the answer, Tim.

All your requests are pretty reasonable. I actually want to get rid of doing anything except the fun part, not become the strongest player.

Good you've mentioned Hordes, I haven't thought about it. I'll follow that. There are limitations that can void advantage before humans, but I'll leave it to the time I'll get something working. Then I'll ask you if it will be possible with those limitations. At least while hordes has a known time of appearance.

I'll maybe share with everybody, because it's out of the role, for which I will have favors. Not promising instructions for non-it people though.

Thank you once more.

[Stilgar]

My script (or rather GoS playing library as I haven't started script yet) is still suffering from over-engineering, so I decided to spend few hours to write a simple script to restart those bloody mines.

Here is it, version 1.0: github.com/egilewski/gos-business-restarter Watch repository if you want to get bugfixes (there are few).

BTW, curious bug: you can start process in not purchased cell (with forged POST request), then buy it, and see that process was started before purchase.

BTW 2, all curious can see how you shouldn't wright if you want anything done: github.com/egilewski/gos-player/tree/t2_businesses_manager

[Stilgar]

Version 1.2 is out: now supports Skimming to provided city to update businesses there and return to original location.

[Tim]

Note that I plan to fix the 'Skimming' bug in V9.5, so you'll have to make the script travel the old fashion way.

[Stilgar]

When you fix this feature, I'd add possibility to provide a list of relocations. I hope combinations of goto and dir won't be necessary followed?

Will you consider returning this feature for a high level channelers in version 10 (though Traveling is better, maybe for a even higher level?)?

If I'd handle finishing my over engineered library (by the version 11 likely :-) ), I'll try to to write a solution for a traveling salesman problem for ordinary people not able to Travel.

[Tim]

Sorry. For now at least I'm going to put a stop to it. If I add it back in for a future release, I'll make it possible to be done by those who don't know how to fake POST messages.

[Easar Nossredna]

For us stupid people, how do we make this script work properly? A little tutorial would be great ;D

[Stilgar]

Aug 10, 2012 12:39:10 GMT -6 Tim said:

Sorry. For now at least I'm going to put a stop to it. If I add it back in for a future release, I'll make it possible to be done by those who don't know how to fake POST messages.

That's exactly what I mean.

[Stilgar]

Aug 10, 2012 14:11:29 GMT -6 Easar Nossredna said:

For us stupid people, how do we make this script work properly? A little tutorial would be great ;D

Example of invocation:

gos-business-restarter NAME HOUSE PASSWORD 8 12 Rhuidean

(restart all mines to alum)

You say "properly", so I suppose it works somehow. What's exactly wrong?

[Stilgar]

Oops. I've just fixed skimming. Apparently it wasn't working at all. Fix already in master. Easar, if this is what didn't work for you, now it should work. I'm sorry.

[Tim]

I'm guessing most users aren't aware of how to run bash scripts in general. Particularly from Windows...

[Stilgar]

Aug 11, 2012 11:14:52 GMT -6 Tim said:

I'm guessing most users aren't aware of how to run bash scripts in general. Particularly from Windows...

I'm also not aware how to run it on Windows. But I heard that's possible. CygWin can be related. I just guess that's not the Easar's case. Or I misinterpreted the wording?

In case someone doesn't know how to run a Bash script, you can find instructions much better then those I can give on the internet. In case you have problems specific to the script, like missing dependence, feel free to describe them here, I'll try to help you and others will know how to do the same.

My more advanced script will be in Python (if I'd finish it), I suppose it will be easier to run it, even on Windows.

[Tim]

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say no more automating Stilgar. Host didn't like the 300,000 hits a day.