GM Quotes - Multiboxing vs Automation

[Ualaa]

Multiboxing is fine, as long as there is no automation.

"Multi-boxing is not a violation of the Terms of Use, Sincast. On the contrary, it's a fairly common practice and extremely fun to watch. "

Syndri, Customer Service Member
Forums - World of Warcraft


"There is no problem with you playing multiple characters, as long as you are the owner of the accounts and are in control of them..."

Eilanai, Blizzard Poster
It's a busy day for Battle.net! - Battle.net


"Multi-boxing is not in violation of our current policies, Varlex." ...

"Unlike the forms of botting you mentioned, multi-boxing requires user input and does not automate any aspect of gameplay. Each time an action is performed it is controlled by a real player sitting at their computer controlling multiple accounts. "

Aradek, Customer Service Member
Forums - World of Warcraft


"It's cool as long as the person's not automating their actions. If paying for five accounts and playin' em simultaneously on one or more your systems capable of running the game or multiple clients thereof is how you roll, then we're not gonna hate on it."

Belfaire, Customer Service Member
Forums - World of Warcraft



Definition of Automation

"Allow me to set your argument to rest.

This:
Add in a 3rd party program. You press ONE button and all 5 screens react. How exactly is that fair/legit? It's not. The ability to control 5 computers at once with 1 single keyboard and 1 single press of a button is automation. The ability to make your characters cast their individual spells and skills at once by pressing 1 button is automation.

Is not automation by our standards. This is why multi-boxing is just fine.

The moment that single keypress initiates a string of actions not normally possible via our base macro system for an individual character, then that is a different matter. It is also a separate offense.

Multi-boxing, currently, is not a violation of our policies.

That is all."

Malkatorix, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft


"As a soloist, you push a key and one thing happens on your account. As a multiboxer, you push a key and 1 thing happens on each of your accounts.

Automation would be timed macros, synced pathing, etc., not having the 1 key bound to Flash of Light on your Paladin and Fireball on your mage.

Clearly our definitions of automation differ greatly."

Belfaire, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft


"Here's the thing - that's not 5 actions. It's one action, per character.

It would not be okay, if, for example, you had those macros set up so that you had one button to cast frost nova, wait out the global cooldown, blink, delay for global cooldown, then cast blizzard all in a single button press. That is, of course, several button presses.

So, to expand your definition: 'safe' multi-boxing commands are one button press = one action per character."

Malkorix, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft


"Think of a single key-press as a lever. You pull the lever, and something happens.

Think of multi-boxing as simply attaching 5 levers to a single handle. You're still only pulling one lever, it just affects more than one something.

Now, think of automation as a lever attached to a set of gears and pulleys. You pull the lever, and a whole slew of bits and bobs start working, gears whirring, pulleys spinning. You might pull a lever, but it sets a process in motion that would be impossible with an ordinary pull of the lever if those gears and pulleys were not in place. Automation can apply to a single character just as much as it could with multiple characters.

The point is that the 'something' that occurs spools out without direct human involvement aside from the initial pull of the lever. That is automation. Even if it's only a single extra step.

In multi-boxing, every action taken by those characters has its source in a human command. Each individual action. Thus, it is not automation."

Malkorix, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft

Am I to understand that making an in-game macro using the macro window that does the following:

/cast Nature's Swiftness (makes next heal spell instant cast)
/cast Oshu'Gun Relic (my healing trinket boosts heals by 200-something for 15 seconds)
/cast Healing Touch (my long 3.5 second heal)

Is illegal?

Please respond.

"Nah, that's fine - Nature's Swiftness is a modifier and does not trigger the global cooldown, your trinket does not trigger the global cooldown, and more importantly, there is macro functionality built in to allow this to kind of command specifically to occur within the bounds of the default command language. Given those factors, this kind of macro is fine.

Basically, since this can be accomplished organically according to our macro rules, it's not a violation - make sense?

As a Rogue, you could
/cast Cold Blood
/use 13
/cast Mutilate

This would trigger the Rogue ability Cold Blood, use the trinket in the top slot on your character sheet, and then use the Mutilate ability, all in a single press."

Malkatorix, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft


"If you are using the allowed base UI functionality and manipulating global cooldowns to make this kind of thing happen, then that's probably fine. After all, many Hunters sequence their shots using macros.

If, on the other hand, you're using a G15, or anything else capable of utilizing macroed 'delays', then that is not okay."

Malkatorix, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft


"This isn't really a different issue from what has already been discussed before in various multiboxing threads; the same principles apply whether we're discussing distribution of keyboard or mouse commands. As long as each action for each character is taken manually, with no automation involved, we don't have an issue with it. I'm not familiar with the particulars of the software you have at your disposal though, and answering your examples in detail would require knowledge of how the software operates and obtains various information. All I can suggest is that you review our policies once more to ensure none of its workings actively break any of them."

Xemafir, Blizzard Poster
It's a busy day for Battle.net! - Battle.net

Semantics issue #1:
Is using one keyboard to send signals to multiple instances of WoW automation?
In other words, what is the definition of automation as it applies to WoW?

"Using a keyboard setup like what you're describing? Not automation.

Setting up a macro with said keyboard that would, for example, automatically press Fireball each time it was available? Automation."

-Belfaire, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft

Semantics issue #2:
Software (such as Keyclone, Octopus, etc) to emulate a keyboard multiboxing solution is, by nature, "3rd party". Is "3rd party software" synonymous with "bot" or "automation"?
Are all types of "3rd party software" bannable?
Likewise, hardware, by nature, is "3rd party". What kinds (or uses) of 3rd party hardware are bannable?

"Is it sending an identical signal to all client windows or switching between them to send commands? Not automation.

Is it playing the game for you, or rather, for one of your client windows? Automation.

All hardware is considered neutral as long as its commands and features are not being used to automate gameplay."

-Belfaire, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft

If the signal is identical but you have a different keybinding for the signal is that automation.
Eg. If I push a button and one character moves left and another moves right.

"Fine. "

-Belfaire, Blizzard Poster
Forums - World of Warcraft

[supamario00]

+1 Rant skill


the aftermath of arguments is awe inspiring.