GM Conversations

"Totally legit." in response to a post about multiboxing software

Aradek, Customer Service Member

"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

"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. "

"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."

"Most, if not the absolutely vast majority, of multi-boxing is done with a fairly simple wireless keyboard setup or a number of simultaneous client windows.

As long as the actions aren't automated, then this sort of practice is perfectly within our policy, as the account holder is playing each and every account his or herself. "

Issuntril, Blizzard Poster

"...you can consider this to be our official stance on the matter. If a player has paid for 5 accounts, then they are allowed to play with them within our own rules, which also includes the allowance of multi-boxing. A player multi-boxing still needs to maintain and gear up five characters, and it does not matter if they do this all at once or separately. Any gold earned while multi-boxing also would also need to be split between these five characters."

"Multi-boxing = fine (assuming that none of your critters is running in an automated fashion. Each key-press should result only in a single action for each character)."

Vrakthris, Blizzard Poster

"Don't accuse people of wrong doing here, and it's Multi-boxing, not botting. It's fine."

Reythur, Blizzard Poster

Yup, needs to get done away with and you know it.

"If cheating constitutes activities that fall out of line with our Terms of Use and in-game policies you're wrong."

Zarhym, Blizzard Poster

"That's perfectly fine, Killerofevil, what you describe is called multiboxing. As long as the person wasn't automating the other character he/she may control as many characters (that he/she is registered to) as they can."

"I apologize for any confusion, but playing multiple accounts simultaneously is not currently in violation of our policies, friend."

Aredek, Blizzard Poster

"Multiboxing isn't something that we have an issue with. ^_^"

Reythur, Blizzard Poster

"This is absolutely, positively fine so long as both accounts are in your name. :)"

Spirit of the Game vs Multiboxing

Karazhan is the beginning of endgame. Today it is soloing 5mans and duoing 10 mans. Tomorrow it is something different. 
Are you actually admitting that if multiboxers were further progressed that the issue would be solved?

"I have absolutely no idea how you got that from my post. You are a true master of post alchemy.

Your argument, though, is like saying that because you say a PVP video where a mage was able to solo 4 other players after the rest of their 5v5 team had been killed, then it follows that of course they'd be able to kill ten players. Twenty players!"

Considering the raid dungeon was designed for 10. I would say it violates the spirit of the game.

Too bad that's not your call.

http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?articleId=20309

Regarding Delays & Timers in out-of-game Macros

Another example is a custom command I have called Buff Group. I say “buff group” and Dragon sends the following key presses: 

Ctrl+Shift+Q ‘Priest Group Fort 
Ctrl+Shift+W ‘Mage Group Int 
Wait 1.3 seconds 
Ctrl+Shift+E ‘Priest Group Spirit 
Wait 1.3 seconds 
Ctrl+Shift+E ‘Priest Group Shadow Protection. 
Wait 1.3 seconds 
Ctrl+= ‘Priest drinks 
Alt+= ‘Mage drinks

"I believe that there may have been some confusion during your conversation with the Game Master in question.

The custom command you cited, for example, is completely unacceptable, and for a couple of reasons. I am still gathering information on the legality of the voice command software at the moment (by itself, I fully expect that it's just fine), but you may not, via any method, circumvent our automation or macro rules.

Multiple key presses/uses of abilities from a single command, spoken or typed? Not okay.

Inserting pauses? Not okay.

A single key press or command that issues a command to several different characters? Okay.

For example, you could use that same verbal command 'Buff Group' to trigger a single key-press macro (say, keybind c) which for your Mage is Arcane Brilliance, and for your Priest is Prayer of Fortitude. You could not include a step to have them rest. You could not make them drink. You cannot include more than a single step in that command.

If you were hoping to accomplish more than that with this program, then it is a very good idea to revert to more traditional multi-boxing methods immediately.

You can always refer to our policies here:

And this post regarding the G15 keyboard may include some information that is useful to you:

G15 Keyboard Legality

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=1371550895&pageNo=1&sid=1#4 "

"I use a G11 myself. Just don't use the macro keys to do anything a normal wow macro could not do in a single press. Think of them as extra storage for normal macros, and you're fine. "

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."

"If you are using the allowed base UI macro 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."

Malkorix, Blizzard Poster

Keyclone

Basically, im wondering if using Keyclone to send the same signal to multiple clients with one keypress is acceptable. 
Im looking for a solid yes or no answer here :P

Yup, keyclone is fine.

Just make absolutely certain that you're not making more than one keypress (for the purposes of the word 'keypress' this includes a single key press AND release with no delays), or including delays between key-presses with each action.

Essentially, if you could legally create the command as a functional macro within the default user interface, then it should be okay.

Defining 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."

"We have drawn a line. You're talking about automated behavior. Multiboxing is not automated. There is no automation. There is no great advantage, there is no illicit behavior, there is no overwhelming benefit, there is no automation."

"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."

Multiboxing and $$$

Verdict from Blizzard: Keep the cash coming in and you can multi-box with up up to 200 characters! 

Just don't buy any gold from any 3rd party vendors because well... we didn't get our cut. Just like 
like everything else in life that is illegal when the Govt. doesn't get their cut. 

We don't care about fairness. I'm so disappointed... What did Saddam Hussein do to his people that 
Blizzard hasn't done to their own? Hint: That would be us the customer.

"This is really tired rhetoric. One person with five account is the same as five people with one account. There's no difference in our eyes and it has no effect on the game economy. Buying gold does."

Yeah, because you ( Blizzard) are getting rich off it.

"I can't hear you over the sound of my Mercedes.

Feel free to suggest changes to policy on our Suggestions Forum. Go with the blessing of the Antepope."