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What's with all the bots?
By fonewear 2018-05-27 13:53:38
If I want to go full conspiracy...all the botters/gil sellers work for SE and all the money gets funneled back to SE.
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サーバ: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
Posts: 6052
By Leviathan.Comeatmebro 2018-05-27 13:57:58
So....what I really want to know is, are you being taxed on this form of income? do you have a VAT number?
Just thinking of all the taxes I have to pay (afterwards) as a selfemployed... Those figures dont really say much if you dont calculate taxes etc. since this is a form of official income through electronic payment hence traceable. I do have to pay taxes on it, and they are substantial because self employment tax requires you pay both ends of social security. My 'take home' was ~132k out of that 191k, and after subtracting subscription fees and electricity + computer maintenance it's more like 120k. I probably could save a couple thousand deducting subscription fees and home office expenses, but I don't, because it'd be a real pain in the *** to get an auditor to believe my online gaming expenses are business related.
By fonewear 2018-05-27 14:03:03
It's capitalism at it's finest though. People are supplying those with little time or patience to endless farm the means to obtain what they want. If SE had "official gil" no one would think twice about participating in it.
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1544
By Asura.Vienner 2018-05-27 14:05:12
Leviathan.Comeatmebro said: »So....what I really want to know is, are you being taxed on this form of income? do you have a VAT number?
Just thinking of all the taxes I have to pay (afterwards) as a selfemployed... Those figures dont really say much if you dont calculate taxes etc. since this is a form of official income through electronic payment hence traceable. I do have to pay taxes on it, and they are substantial because self employment tax requires you pay both ends of social security. My 'take home' was ~132k out of that 191k, and after subtracting subscription fees and electricity + computer maintenance it's more like 120k. I probably could save a couple thousand deducting subscription fees and home office expenses, but I don't, because it'd be a real pain in the *** to get an auditor to believe my online gaming expenses are business related. you should reconcider the auditor if this is your own house and depending on your business form you could rent your "office" to yourself for a monthly amount which then is 100% deductable through taxes (in Belgium, dunno bout the states). Normally your accountant should be suited for making such estimate and there would only be a check up when you get a tax control (atleast thats how it works here, but different country, possibly different rules). Making your workspace and "equipment" official is a short term hastle and investment but would pay of in the long run.
By fonewear 2018-05-27 14:05:30
It is no different than all the mercs people complain about. But still use them to get aeonic clears anyways.
サーバ: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
Posts: 6052
By Leviathan.Comeatmebro 2018-05-27 14:10:58
I've thought about it, but if I'm being honest I never planned to do this long term. I'm a very capable C#/C++ developer with a good amount of experience in a dozen other languages. It just kind of snowballed to the point that it'd be foolish to do anything else until the income leveled off.
My (admittedly brief) research indicated that making large home office deductions is a quick way to get audited in the USA, and audits aren't cheap either. You also are not technically allowed to deduct the rooms if you use them for things not related to business, likewise for equipment.
Currently keeping my wall of PCs that host bots in the same room as my dogs' crates and other things, and my primary PC is in an office my girlfriend's PC and desk are also in. Would need to rearrange quite a bit to be following it by the strict definition of the law, and even then auditors here have a reputation for being very unpleasant. Maybe a bit of a waste, but if I was intending to do this as a career I'd probably be more interested in maximizing my deductions.
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1544
By Asura.Vienner 2018-05-27 14:12:13
It is no different than all the mercs people complain about. But still use them to get aeonic clears anyways. The problem is the people who are ok with buying gil. They create a market for it, its just kind of silly that this is possible for such an old game, specially now SE has dumbed down so many things in game.
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 196
By Asura.Inuyushi 2018-05-27 14:13:26
And here I just play this game for fun...
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By fonewear 2018-05-27 14:15:27
It is no different than all the mercs people complain about. But still use them to get aeonic clears anyways. The problem is the people who are ok with buying gil. They create a market for it, its just kind of silly that this is possible for such an old game, specially now SE has dumbed down so many things in game.
Just wait till they dumb it down till REMA weapons are in logon campaign . Then they make those weapons obsolete the cycle continues !
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1544
By Asura.Vienner 2018-05-27 14:29:11
Cant say I'm really blown away by 120k a year though, unless you really dont have to do anything for it cept turn your bot army on in the morning (figure of speech).
I guess it greatly depends on your lifestyle and the income of your other half/partner.
サーバ: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
Posts: 6052
By Leviathan.Comeatmebro 2018-05-27 14:30:26
I didn't intend for anyone to be blown away by it, especially not anyone professional. I was just answering the immediate response of people calling ***.
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1544
By Asura.Vienner 2018-05-27 14:32:42
Leviathan.Comeatmebro said: »I didn't intend for anyone to be blown away by it, especially not anyone professional. I was just answering the immediate response of people calling ***. No you miss understood what I meant.
I meant its not such a huge amount of money in the end, but its good if you dont have to do much for said money.
Course Many people make more money, but they probably have to work a lot more for it, being in hours or being it physically or mentally.
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 487
By Asura.Beatsbytaru 2018-05-27 14:47:31
Hello, I want to make 200k to play this dumb game too
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By fonewear 2018-05-27 14:58:45
What is interesting to me is that bots are far more easy to get along with than most of the people on Asura...when you see a bot tell him 10010001001 for me !
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By fonewear 2018-05-27 16:26:31
I believe everything written on FFXIAH. I mean some guy on the internet would never lie right...
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 422
By Asura.Ivykyori 2018-05-27 16:36:08
Right?! For most of us, $130k isn't anything to scoff at. I know that all my debts would be cleared, and I'd be able to go back to school (part-time anyway) and put some away for my daughter.
All for selling gil? shiiit.
By Justuas 2018-05-27 16:41:59
Leviathan.Comeatmebro said: »If XIAH banned me for selling gil, they'd also have to ban *stuff* I knew it. I assume the whole Gillionaire ls is full of rmt. I even spotted one of them botting the crafting shield a long time ago.
サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 422
By Asura.Ivykyori 2018-05-27 16:44:55
I believe everything written on FFXIAH. I mean some guy on the internet would never lie right...
Normally, I wouldn't, but falsifying/forging tax documents is a felony, so I'll make an exception.
By Staleyx 2018-05-27 16:49:01
Quote: What is interesting to me is that bots are far more easy to get along with than most of the people on Asura...when you see a bot tell him 10010001001 for me !
They never complain about playing whm either.
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By fonewear 2018-05-27 17:01:04
I believe everything written on FFXIAH. I mean some guy on the internet would never lie right...
Normally, I wouldn't, but falsifying/forging tax documents is a felony, so I'll make an exception.
Need a picture of a character named asfasdfa to confirm it !
Bonus points if your char name is Imabot.
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Asura.Eiryl
By Asura.Eiryl 2018-05-27 17:11:42
Leviathan.Comeatmebro said: »If XIAH banned me for selling gil, they'd also have to ban *stuff* I knew it. I assume the whole Gillionaire ls is full of rmt. I even spotted one of them botting the crafting shield a long time ago.
Obviously? Apparently Toralin RUNS an RMT site.
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サーバ: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
Posts: 6052
By Leviathan.Comeatmebro 2018-05-27 17:13:31
account
swappers
dot
com
He only sells extremely overpriced things to people who don't have the good sense to look elsewhere, though. He built his business on advertising and making sure he ended up near the top of google's algorithms.
サーバ: Sylph
Game: FFXI
Posts: 465
By Sylph.Dravidian 2018-05-27 17:56:17
Comeatmebro pays my disability check. Keep up the good work!
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サーバ: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 56
By Asura.Luckyseven 2018-05-27 19:34:34
It is no different than all the mercs people complain about. But still use them to get aeonic clears anyways. The problem is the people who are ok with buying gil. They create a market for it, its just kind of silly that this is possible for such an old game, specially now SE has dumbed down so many things in game.
Used to buy gil a few years ago. Work took most of my time as most of my days I would have 4 hours in travel time a day back and forth, then 8 hours of work. Then there was that needy wife that always craved attention... (Glad I got rid of her)
So with the little time I had to play this game, I really didn't want to spend it grinding boring stuff to make gil.
I don't really mind it, but I would like to SE take the same approach to RMT as EVE did.
Quetzalcoatl.Commencal
サーバ: Quetzalcoatl
Game: FFXI
Posts: 339
By Quetzalcoatl.Commencal 2018-05-27 19:49:05
Always wondered why SE didn't sell gil themselves.
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サーバ: Fenrir
Game: FFXI
Posts: 1270
By Fenrir.Richybear 2018-05-27 20:08:40
No way, gotta conspiracy it up even more like:
Come At Me Bro is a term for when you're going to.... Square Off.(Squaresoft)
Brosale was the big gil selling site. It's all coming full circle..... or square.
dun dun dunnnnn
But for real, good on ya for IRL capitalism off a vidya game
By SkyFrog 2018-05-27 20:45:45
Leviathan.Comeatmebro said: »with gil prices so low, how much real money do you make a month? genuinely curious, vague ballpark is fine if you don't mind. around $14k, lowest month of 2018 has been $11,200 and highest $17,100
Whoa! Are you preying on the gullible here? I'm being sincere here. I don't know how much gil sells for nowadays, but if its price were $2 per million then $17,100 in a month equates to 8.55B gil sold. That's redonkulous!
サーバ: Shiva
Game: FFXI
Posts: 291
By Shiva.Kasaioni 2018-05-27 20:49:32
How long before they become sentient?
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On Sylph, in Ceizak right now there are 20 players with hidden stats. Half of them have keyboard smash names. In Yahse there are only 6, but I've seen a lot more. Right now I've had one (not one of the keyboard smash names) looking at a mob I've claimed for half an hour. It's a MNK.
What is their behavior? They wander around a small area of mostly safe mobs (no aggro, and preferably no link) looking for something to attack, never wandering too far lest they get aggro. They're like Mr. Magoo, they seem to only be able to see what is right in front of them, as though they were in first-person view with some kind of screen-srcaper AI. If they want the mob you have claimed, they will stand there staring at it for as long as it stays alive, not caring that it has a purple name. I can turn my back to the mob and the bot will stare at it for at least half an hour. I did try pulling one away once, but it rubber-banded back to its area.
The keyboard smash names all seem to be DRG, probably /WAR for voke. In Yahse they're usually hanging around bees and flies. They also seem to be multi-boxed by whoever is running them, and sometimes I've seen them in Adoulin in a /follow line, selling things to an NPC or using a waypoint. That must have been manual, because the waypointers went one at a time. I suspect the goal is simply to kill a lot of stuff to generate sparks, then buy stuff with the sparks and sell it for gil. This of course is all completely automated, start 'em up and let them farm all day.
This one is near Ceizak #1, with the Mantis nearby. What happens if it's stuck looking at my mob while that thing aggros to it? Will it defend itself, or will it just stand there? And the answer is... it stands there! Too bad the mantis can barely scratch the bot... but it can! It took half an hour to die. Now will it stay there for the full hour? Probably, but I'm not going to stay around to see. Oh you BSTs back in the old days, what fun you must have had with RMT.
The main problem I have is they seem to have taken over both zones completely, and it's hard when you want to do a RoE on stuff in those zones. They were even fighting the Ceizak mandies this morning.
I guess SE really must need the money these days. Yes, I did make a help desk report on one and got the usual non-answer. I can't be bothered to use the web form, as I don't expect any response there either, since FFXI staffing is on maintenance mode anyhow. Also, the gil sellers are doing a /yell every hour or so to advertise their web site. They're not even trying to hide it.
Good going, STF. That's a great way to show us why we should Return to Vanadiel.
So, is this happening on other servers too?
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