A3 Mania Forum

Goldenarrows wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2026 11:53 am banning the use of all 3rd party software or potter...

This is easier said than done, unfortunately.

It isn't just a third-party software problem. I personally use a gaming keyboard and mouse that can store macros directly in their onboard memory, meaning the macros can run without any software running on the PC at all. There is simply no practical way for us to completely prevent or police every possible form of external macro.

The auto-pot system was therefore not introduced to make the game “easier” for the sake of it. One of its primary goals was to make potting predictable and consistent for everyone, regardless of whether they are using third-party tools, gaming peripherals, or nothing at all. It also lowers the barrier for players who want to participate in PvP without having to build and maintain complicated external potting setups. It also allows players to participate more proactively in wars and PvP even when they are playing from a laptop or while on the move. Players no longer need a full-fledged external potting setup or an exceptionally stable network connection just to manage basic potting reliably during combat. This makes active participation more accessible without requiring players to invest in additional hardware, software, or complicated configurations.

There is also a much bigger technical reason behind this change. Potting was responsible for roughly 99% of our inbound game traffic. With the increase in internet speeds and the way our multi-server architecture handles these requests, the amount of potting-related data being sent to the server had simply become excessive resulting in higher latency and packet loss. Continuing with the old system was not a sustainable solution.

So while we understand the argument that just ban third-party potters sounds simpler, that doesn't actually solve the underlying problem. Even if we banned every identifiable software-based tool, hardware-based macros would still exist, and we would still have the same fundamental issue of excessive potting traffic and unfair advantage while playing against players who are manually potting.

Auto-skill and Auto-TP are different, however. Those are experimental systems that we are currently exploring primarily to make the game more approachable for newer players. This poll was posted precisely for that reason.

I do agree that these systems can provide an advantage for certain types of farming, particularly when multiple characters are being managed by a single player. That is something we are aware of and will continue to evaluate based on how the systems are actually used in the live game. At the same time, the leveling and party systems of the original game have changed considerably over the years. Players don't form leveling parties with the same frequency they used to, and a large portion of the player base now approaches progression and farming very differently. So we aren't necessarily trying to preserve every aspect of the old farming environment exactly as it was.

The important distinction is that Auto-Pot was introduced primarily because of a technical and infrastructure problem, while Auto-Skill and Auto-TP are gameplay experiments. They shouldn't necessarily be treated as one single change with one single objective.

We will continue to monitor how these systems affect PvP, farming and the overall gameplay experience. If something creates an unhealthy advantage or doesn't work as intended, it can be adjusted.

We appreciate the feedback, even when we don't necessarily agree with the conclusion. The purpose of these changes isn't to remove the gameplay that makes A3 what it is, but to keep the game sustainable and playable as the environment around it has changed.

[GM]Blade wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2026 12:22 am I only addressed what is relevant to this topic. If you have some other suggestions or thoughts, you can post separately.

All I can say is that only handicapped and physically weak people are happy with this auto shit. People whose hands and eyes are weak and who can't react quickly are the ones who are happy with it.

Whenever I visit the website, there is a CAPTCHA to identify bots and prevent automated activities. The funny part is that the website belongs to a game, while the game itself is promoting bot-like activities by implementing unnecessary auto features.

I don't care what you want to keep or remove, but since I'm also part of the community, I'm simply mentioning my concern. Do the necessary changes if you feel they're needed; otherwise, no issue, it's your server, so do whatever you like.

That's it. Good luck.