NSInvestigator - Reveal the puppets

[IKTeam]

NSInvestigator - Reveal the secrets!

Hello! Today I'd want to present my new program.
It's a simple, yet quite effective utility. It allows anyone to scan a nation for suspicious trade activity. In other words, that allows you to reveal any possible puppets of a suspected country.

How does it work? It's quite simple. A program scans the deck of a suspected nation and figures out the nations that have sent the card, their regions, as well as market value vs. price the suspected nation has paid. It allows to track gifts, unusually priced cards, or just bank transfers.

Keep in mind the program doesn't guarantee success in revealing all the puppets of a nation. If used properly, it might make it a lot easier to track down puppets of a specific nation.

Either way, have fun experimenting!

https://github.com/kolya5544/NSInvestigator/releases/

[Queen Yuno]

This is very interesting lol

Why would this info matter though?

Are people in Cards trying to low-ball their payments? "I'm a random noob that wants your card, I'm not rich", then you use this script, and check and find out they've got 1000 bank on their account and can pay double.

[Minskiev]

1984

[IKTeam]

Why would this info matter though?

This software shows that puppets are not something you can hide. Just an easier way for ones that are looking for such information

1984

[Spode Humbled Minions]

So... we can catch people using puppets as card farms?

Why use?

[Hulldom]

This is very interesting lol

Why would this info matter though?

Are people in Cards trying to low-ball their payments? "I'm a random noob that wants your card, I'm not rich", then you use this script, and check and find out they've got 1000 bank on their account and can pay double.

This, really. I’m not seeing a point to this. Okay could very easily see it being abused by fanatics, but I don’t really see any use for it by us normies.

[South Americanastan]

NSInvestigator - Reveal the secrets!

Hello! Today I'd want to present my new program.
It's a simple, yet quite effective utility. It allows anyone to scan a nation for suspicious trade activity. In other words, that allows you to reveal any possible puppets of a suspected country.

How does it work? It's quite simple. A program scans the deck of a suspected nation and figures out the nations that have sent the card, their regions, as well as market value vs. price the suspected nation has paid. It allows to track gifts, unusually priced cards, or just bank transfers.

Keep in mind the program doesn't guarantee success in revealing all the puppets of a nation. If used properly, it might make it a lot easier to track down puppets of a specific nation.

Either way, have fun experimenting!
(Image)
https://github.com/kolya5544/NSInvestigator/releases/

While this is intended for cards, I could see this help track down both raider and defender puppets, specifically those of Raiders or Defenders who are into trading cards.

[Nova Vandalia]

I think it's a neat concept, and shows that you can develop programs to track certain movements in this case card and things to give you a reliable indication that they maybe be up to no good. So I do think that it's pretty cool, but most people trying to be sneaky don't card farm with the puppets they use to be sneaky, I think for that the most reliable way is more than likely still off site IP scrapes on Regional Forums. I do think this concept shows that there might be other metrics that can be examined via the API and a program to give us some indication though.

[Fatimida]

This is actually 1984
edit: THE JOKE WAS ALREADY MADE I AM A FAILURE

[Durm]

There is already a script that shows the main nation's name next to the puppet's name.

Also, card farmers often trade cards by gifting them to each other.

And why would anyone gift cards from a secret puppet to their main nation?

[Comfed]

If you could make a tool to somehow catch sleepers, it would be interesting, not so sure about card farms.

[Great Algerstonia]

This is very interesting lol

Why would this info matter though?

Are people in Cards trying to low-ball their payments? "I'm a random noob that wants your card, I'm not rich", then you use this script, and check and find out they've got 1000 bank on their account and can pay double.

This, really. I’m not seeing a point to this. Okay could very easily see it being abused by fanatics, but I don’t really see any use for it by us normies.

You are scared because I will find all your puppet accounts and get them all banned from the East Pacific

[Kylia Quilor]

Solution: Don't do cards with puppets you're trying to keep secret. Boom, done.

[Hanovereich]

Sometimes you might want to get more cards, but your main account doesn't give you that much. More puppets = more chance of getting better cards.

[Kylia Quilor]

Yes, but if you want to keep a puppet secret, you're not going to do use cards on it. Or at least not trade them back to your main.

[Parxland]

I can see this being against the rules

[The Blaatschapen]

I can see this being against the rules

What rule is being broken?

If so, report it

[Neo Kervoskia]

Damn. Now everyone will know I'm actually just a Unibot puppet.

[Cormactopia Prime]

Solution: Don't do cards with puppets you're trying to keep secret. Boom, done.

Better solution: Don't do cards.

But actually though, a substantive comment: OP, have you verified that this script is legal?

[The Python]

Damn. Now everyone will know I'm actually just a Unibot puppet.

NK plz

Solution: Don't do cards with puppets you're trying to keep secret. Boom, done.

Better solution: Don't do cards.

Cormac smh. Cards are fun and also a free boost for S3 rarity

[South Americanastan]

Solution: Don't do cards with puppets you're trying to keep secret. Boom, done.

Better solution: Don't do cards.

But actually though, a substantive comment: OP, have you verified that this script is legal?

Remember kids, if someone offers you free cards, just say no.

[IKTeam]

But actually though, a substantive comment: OP, have you verified that this script is legal?

This script uses API, just like any program should, when interacting with NationStates.

All the information the program has access to is open for anyone to see, the program just processes and filters it. There is nothing rulebreaking in using API.

[Parxland]

I can see this being against the rules

What rule is being broken?

If so, report it

That's not a bad idea.

[Syberis]

Damn. Now everyone will know I'm actually just a Unibot puppet.

My entire childhood was a lie.

[Imperium Anglorum]

There seem to be two reactions here: (1) "1984" "Big Brother" and (2) "this doesn't actually do anything". The second reaction is correct. It's as if you said "If you sign your name to this letter, you might be determined to be the author!". Well yea, that would in fact mean your activities are detectable. Just don't sign.