A forward to the Lineage players:

Bot: (From "robot") Any type of autonomous software that operates as an agent for a user or a program or simulates a human activity.

Whether or not you feel you are affected by bots, you are. Botting and third party programs are detrimental to the Lineage game. Farmers, botters, and hackers affect everything from the economy to, in some cases, where you can hunt. New people have trouble starting Lineage, how many years have we been playing now? What is it like trying to start up with bots and farmers taking over low level areas? Areas where we used to make our money, our nzels, our zelgos, our bless of elms, our rapiers. I can remember those days. I remember them without any bots.
This game, a game I have spent years playing now, has changed a lot since the days I hunted dwarves to make my very own plus four set. It has gone through many episodes, many GMs, many players, the only constant being the spark of fun that was still there, the challenge that kept me at it.
But now, people use modified clients and/or bots to play all day long, making in some cases over three percent a day of experience at level forty-nine plus. Not to mention the millions in adena and supplies they manage to horde or sell for real money. How do we handle this? Do we try harder? Do we give up? Or do we fight? I chose to fight back with what I am able to give back to the game, I owe it that.
Taken directly from the user agreement that all lineage users agreed to when creating their account, [You cannot rent (ect.)] or otherwise transfer the Software for profit, modify, adapt, reverse engineer or decompile the Software, or create any derivative works in respect of the Software or the Service, or otherwise use the Software except as expressly provided in this Agreement, bots and client modifications are illegal. Its written clearly, sealed when you press I agree.
So why then does NC Soft not take action against people that modify their lineage clients or run lineage bots? Is botting an acceptable, condoned policy NC Soft has agreed to? Are modified clients alright as long as everyone pays their fifteen dollars a month? Or are they unable to detect said bots? If so, then why havent steps been put into place to detect said bots? It is our responsibility as consumers to be wise consumers, to make sure the people we are giving our hard earned money to have earned it. Regardless of whether or not you feel you are affected, is it not the responcibility of NC Soft to protect its customers?
I believe it is. I chose not to single anyone out, nor to single out any specific server or game for that matter, I simply ask you, as a person paying fifteen dollars a month for your lineage service, to stop and ask whether or not NC Soft owes it to you to protect you. I request impartiality in any decisions NC Soft makes concerning botters and people using modified lineage clients. I request no line in the sand, no safe place, complete impartiality. Level four or level seventy, five accounts or one, anyone who chooses to break their user agreement should be stopped.
I dont ask that you make a decision now, please take some time to think and discuss with your friends whether or not you should support this petition, but above all, I am asking you, as good people of the Lineage world, to please consider the common good. Consider the life long friendships you have made here, consider the good times you have had, consider whether or not you owe it to those that come after you to protect the game that has been so good to you for so many years. I only ask that you consider it.

Petition:

As of Janurary 7th, of the year 2006, the following Lineage players, having reflected upon and discussed the aforementioned subject, have found people whom use a botting program and/or those who posses a modified Lineage client harmful to the Lineage one service.
The following people, having signed said petition, have deemed it in their best interested and in the best interest of the Lineage community to discontinue their Lineage and Play NC service(s) until such time as NC Soft takes action against people whom have previously and/or are currently breaking the Rules of Agreement, of which both parties agreed to, and are responsible to, at the start of said Lineage player(s) account(s) creation.
In the event that no action is taken, the following players agree to boycott any and all NC Soft products and/or services until specific action is taken. While this petition focuses on Lineage one, it includes, but is not specific in the requesting for, all of the games currently offered by NC Soft to adhere to the following requests.

The players whom deem this reasonable to agree with and whom sign this petition request the following from NC Soft:
1. Punishment(s) inflicted upon any and all people whom have previously and/or are currently using a modified lineage client or people whom use the assistance of a bot to play on the Lineage service.
2. Complete impartiality in any and all punishments inflicted upon said people.
3. NC Soft staff, trained specifically to handle any and all players using modified clients and/or players using bots on all NC Soft games, quickly and efficiently.
4. An apology for allowing said behavior to continue unabated for far too long.