The Run-Aways (Collecting Data)

[The IT Monkey]

Hey all,
I think we have all had this happen at one time or another (and usually at the least convenient time). Your alt toon (or toons), the one (or ones) you have follow on your main, gets it into their tiny little heads to just run for the hills (or the water, or the lava, or that big fuck-off dragon) and there your main stands (usually a squishy priest) looking at Mr. Mob. (who happens to like the taste of priest).

What truelly makes me wonder about this is that it's not like they just get a regular auto run command sent to them. My toons get a persistant auto run command, even when I hit the back button (a command that cancels autorun) they just stop while I hold that button and then start forward again when I release it.

So what is causing this? If you came here looking for an answer I have none for you, but if you have experienced it I think it might be good compare notes.

MB Configuration: 5 toons on 5 computers
Programs: Synergy and Keyclone
Hardware Extras: X-Keys, G15

If you have experienced this problem please post your set up like I did above... maybe we can track down the perp.

[Rhod]

Very good idea.

3 Toons/3 computers
Programs: Synergy
Hardware: 2 G15's, 1 reg keyboard. 3x wireless mice (2 Logitech, 1 Microsoft)

Autorun is mapped as follows: Main - Space bar
Clones - Shift/Space bar

[Gallo]

I've def had this happen.

My Setup:
5 computers, 5 accounts
Keyclone

Autorun is set to the usual button (numlock)

[Ughmahedhurtz]

I use Multiplicity 1.x for special mouse cases but everything else is hardware. I've seen it happen maybe 3 times, but that was usually because I had the run key held down when I moused off one PC and onto another one.

[The IT Monkey]

I use Multiplicity 1.x for special mouse cases but everything else is hardware. I've seen it happen maybe 3 times, but that was usually because I had the run key held down when I moused off one PC and onto another one.

I would not be surprised to learn that this was in fact the reason this happens. I thought it was a software issue at first (like Keyclone or Synergy) but now that we have had a few responses from people that don't use software I think it may be something along these lines.

[Xzin]

This has never happened for me except when I was on one screen (pressing the *run* command and then synergied over to another (the first one then never gets the keypress up stop running command). It happened one other time when I was programming my Xkeys to hit multiple keys at once, which is most likely similar to the not getting keypress up button.

I would start there.

[Stealthy]

This has never happened for me except when I was on one screen (pressing the *run* command and then synergied over to another (the first one then never gets the keypress up stop running command). It happened one other time when I was programming my Xkeys to hit multiple keys at once, which is most likely similar to the not getting keypress up button.

I would start there.

Actually I use this to autorun when I've got a long distance to cover and want to do a few things on my alts in the mean time... :)

Cheers,
Stealthy

[Blokus]

This problem has made me look like a noob a few times in front of guild members, all of whom are real life friends which makes it even worse sometimes as they rag me pretty bad, though its all in fun.

I think their impression is that I can't control my locks and this happens all the time. In fact it rarely happens to me when I'm running my 3 toons (priest/lock/lock) alone but often happens when I group with one of the guildies. I think this is because I let them lead and find myself reacting with button spamming instead of controlling the situation myself at my preferred pace.

I had one guildie state that based on what he's seen from me, he's convinced he doesn't want to multibox. <sigh> Of course this is the same person that LOVES grouping with me because we get things done! LOL!

So the problem most often occurs when I'm grouped and the situation is more chaotic than usual and I'm button spamming and sometimes moving between screens. So I think the problem is probably not in macros and such but some combination of a lot of key spamming and mouse movements between screens.

[kermitforney]

Mine seems to happen ALL of the time, well not ALL of the time as in frequency, but under many different circumstances. It happens when there is heavy network traffic or lack of (lag), it also happens when I am alone with great network performance (<70ms). I first thought this was a software issue w/Keyclone in which the program would send them (toons) an autorun command, but when I would try to control my toon i could not shut it off. Sometimes I would physically have to log off in order for them to stop autorunning. I also have a similar autorun issue, but instead of them running they stay in place and revole (360) over an over again. The revolving process usually stops if I hit the /follow macro though, but the autorun doesn't.

I do have one VERY interesting finding to share with you guys. Two days ago I had the autofollow bug bite me in the ass while in Loch Modan. I clicked over to one of my alt toons and for brief moment I could see my main running in front of the alt. There were two images of my main on the alt's screen, one standing motionless which was my REAL main and another ghosted (dead) running in front of my alt?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? It dissapeared about 2 seconds after I initially saw it.

So for some reason the alts think they are still following the main. For what reason they don't stop when I try to control them individually is beyond me??? :(

I have also realized that the bug doesn't begin until I hit the macro button I have setup:

/follow ......
/assist ......
/target ......

So maybe this has something to do with it. I will setup two seperate macros and see wht my findings are and post here.

Macro #1 /follow
Macro #2 /assist . . /target . . (combined)

[kermitforney]

DING DING!!! Another tip that helps!!

I box with 2 pc's, my main which has my main toon ONLY and my alt PC that has the 4 alt toons.

If I turn off Keyclone on the Alt PC then sometimes the toons will stop running.

Wierd I know, but try it. :o

[Zseth]

Um, I guess I'm an oddity with this, never had a problem with it.

[The IT Monkey]

Um, I guess I'm an oddity with this, never had a problem with it.

Seth,
You are a lucky man... could you post your info anyway so we can see what might NOT be causing the problem?

[kermitforney]

Another tidbit of info:

The problem greatly reduced when I began changing the settting for Processor Affinity for my Pentium D Dual Core (Alt Machine). Which leads me to believe this problem is client side. If so that would be GREAT and hopefully some solutions can come about to remedy this situation. :P

[Zseth]

Um, I have an FX-60 processor with dual 7800's and 2 gig's of ram as my main machine, and a 6000+ 8500 GT and 2 gig's of ram in the dps machine. I am using keyclone, but I have my machines hooked into a switch, which is in turn plugged into my router. other than that, idk, what is really special about my rig. I have Vista 64bit edition on both machines.

[Zaelar]

It could be that your move forward button is stuck down on whatever character is running. If your character stops when you press move back but keeps going when you release this is likely the problem. Simply pressing whatever button is stuck is enough to get out of this.

Desync with following can also cause it, but pressing any direction to stop follow should stop your character if this happens.

[kermitforney]

It could be that your move forward button is stuck down on whatever character is running. If your character stops when you press move back but keeps going when you release this is likely the problem. Simply pressing whatever button is stuck is enough to get out of this.

Desync with following can also cause it, but pressing any direction to stop follow should stop your character if this happens.

I can't speak for all, but the issue I have cannot be stopped with the usual way you stop autorun. When you try to control your other toons they will NOT stop running and I usually have to wait it out log out or sometimes if I close KeyClone they will stop. :oops:

[The IT Monkey]

I usually end up moving the main mouse over to one of the clones and holding down all the direction buttons at once... this stops them from moving but once you let go of the buttons they start up again. So what I do is hold down the direction buttons and move the mouse back to my main screen before releasing. This usually works but it sometimes gets me into a spin mode.

[Zaelar]

It could be a problem with keyclone passing the press down but not the press up. I don't use keyclone so I'm just guessing.

[The IT Monkey]

No, we get reports of people who are all hardware having the same issue. If it were just keyclone they wouldn't be getting the problem as well.

[deathmax]

First of all, i am not multiboxing at the moment, but i am going to do so in future.

But this problem also occurs on my system...

I have the following system:

AMD Opteron 185 ( 2 * 2,4 GHz )
2 GB RAM
500 GB Western Digital HDD
IP: DSL 16 MBit
Avg. Latency: 100 ms

Greetings.

[Zseth]

Just thought of something, those of who are using autorun, are you pressing numlock? If so, try not pressing numlock and use the side button on your mouse, which if you have a good gaming mouse it should have, and that should take care of it. I duplicated the runners using keyclone and numlock to try and solve this, and that is the only way I have seen runners. Hope this helps people.

[Steph]

I am pretty sure that WoW handles its own keyboard input in a slightly shaky way. Guildmates are reporting 'stuck' keys, such as modifier keys or just normal keys - and they are not boxing, just one account, one pc, no frills.

Usually the trick is to push the offending button again while having the WoW window focussed, thereby creating a key pressed and a key released event, which hopefully gets rid of the key down state for WoW.

This may happen more often with alt-tabbing, switching one keyboard between systems with software or hardware solutions, but it does happen even without any multiboxing.

[kermitforney]

I am pretty sure that WoW handles its own keyboard input in a slightly shaky way. Guildmates are reporting 'stuck' keys, such as modifier keys or just normal keys - and they are not boxing, just one account, one pc, no frills.

Usually the trick is to push the offending button again while having the WoW window focussed, thereby creating a key pressed and a key released event, which hopefully gets rid of the key down state for WoW.

This may happen more often with alt-tabbing, switching one keyboard between systems with software or hardware solutions, but it does happen even without any multiboxing.

I can only speak for myself, but I have completely unbound AutoRun and am still having issues. :oops: If u read my posts above, refer to the ghosting incident that I had, which leads me to believe that it's not an auto run issue, but an incorrect follow issue. The toons are still following a "fake" main in combination with the problem that we can't get them to "stop" running.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

I can only speak for myself, but I have completely unbound AutoRun and am still having issues. :oops: If u read my posts above, refer to the ghosting incident that I had, which leads me to believe that it's not an auto run issue, but an incorrect follow issue. The toons are still following a "fake" main in combination with that we also can't get them to "stop" running.Now that's interesting. Sounds almost like the "ghosting" that would happen in DAoC at times.

[kadaan]

I can only speak for myself, but I have completely unbound AutoRun and am still having issues. :oops: If u read my posts above, refer to the ghosting incident that I had, which leads me to believe that it's not an auto run issue, but an incorrect follow issue. The toons are still following a "fake" main in combination with that we also can't get them to "stop" running.

That actually makes a lot of sense. I've had problems 2-boxing where they would get "out of sync" and show up in different places. For example on my main it would show both main/alt right next to each other, but on the alt's screen the main was far away (it would get "stuck" in on spot and never move again.) Everyone else saw both in the correct spot, just the alt couldn't see the main. Relogging always fixed it, and it only happened maybe once a week.

[kermitforney]

That actually makes a lot of sense. I've had problems 2-boxing where they would get "out of sync" and show up in different places. For example on my main it would show both main/alt right next to each other, but on the alt's screen the main was far away (it would get "stuck" in on spot and never move again.) Everyone else saw both in the correct spot, just the alt couldn't see the main. Relogging always fixed it, and it only happened maybe once a week.

I have also had this problem, but it happens so infrequently that I wouldn't think twice about it. This DAMN autorun thing is driving insane!! :evil:

[Team_Supa]

I have been getting the same, also running g15 keyboard, are you using any of the num+number keys as binds or as G keys ?, i have a sneaking suspicion that theres a thing tied in with the num+number combinations.

Other than that the only ways i have found to keep tabs on it is just by going into every window and move the char around untill they stop running.

I also have had an issue where they will just stand in one spot and spin, but thats easily fixed you just hit ur follow macro while jumping.

[Bena]

Getting it as well.. mostly when using modifier keys like ctrl/shift. Regular keyboard, 2 copies windowed and 3 minimized

fx60 dual core/4gb/xp/gf8800gtx

[skarlot]

I also have this problem.

And the problem where toons get out of sync, one will see the other but not the otherway around. This occurs after hearthing or after a wipe for the most case.

[zanthor]

One thing I've done to combat this is I have an autofollow loop I run... It basically causes them to look like protons of an atom when they go nuts. It doesn't happen often but it has happened.

3boxing on 1 pc with Keyclone
HOWEVER I have Multiplicty and can be sure that the problem occurs when I mouse over with a key pressed.

[The IT Monkey]

for the first time last night I had just ONE of my toons run off on her own. Always before it would be all the alt-toons. Interesting.

[kermitforney]

for the first time last night I had just ONE of my toons run off on her own. Always before it would be all the alt-toons. Interesting.

Most of the time I have all 4 of them run, but every once in awhile I will have just one run off.

[Doubleo7]

I am really relieved to know that I am not the only one experiencing this. When it happens to me I am usually pushing too many buttons (like when I am typing a chat message) to identify what sets it off. My Numlock is my autorun and it is usually well away from where I am typing when my boxed toons scatter to the winds. I am using Keyclone and playing all 5 toons on one box atm. Also, my numlock key is "do-not-pass" so there shouldn't be any way for me to make them autorun... and yet it is still happening on accident.

I have found that hitting a key that triggers /camp on all my toons stops them from running... but then of course they are camping and usually at least one of the runners has gotten argo already.

My computer is a 4200+ Dual core AMD with 2 gigs of ram. Just yesterday I upgraded to a new video card and havent had time to test to see if it makes a difference. Old video card was 7300 GS from Nividia.

Anyway, knowing that others are experiencing this makes me feel a bit better about a solution arising :) Good luck everyone!

[The IT Monkey]

I've had this happen several times. They run at my main, pass my main, I hit /follow again, they turn and run at my main, run past my main, I hit /follow agian.... repeat until I miss a /follow and they are out of range and just run for the sunset (or sunrise or BFO MOB).

[kermitforney]

I've had this happen several times. They run at my main, pass my main, I hit /follow again, they turn and run at my main, run past my main, I hit /follow agian.... repeat until I miss a /follow and they are out of range and just run for the sunset (or sunrise or BFO MOB).

HAHAHAHA, I am soooo used to this scenario!! :D

After a few hits of my follow macro they stop responding and just keep runnin. F@@@@@@CK!! :twisted:

[crazycat]

heapens to me to, but i even removed the bind from keybindings, toons start to run off to the right/above or left/above

[kermitforney]

**This maybe a temporary solution or just an adjustment in the 2.3 patch.**

I have officially separated my assist/target/follow macro's. Now I have one assist/target and another simple /follow macro. I haven't had the run bug since I have changed it and I have logged a good 3-4 hours of gaming time. I usually get the run bug once or twice every hour. I also found that in splitting the macro I hit follow 95% less then I used too. Which led me to think that, maybe it's the frequency at which we are pressing or using the /follow macro in game(/follow)??

Hopefully this works for the rest of us, but post here whether if it does or does not.

[Zaelar]

I've always had my follow macro on a different key, and I only rarely had this problem. I haven't noticed it since 2.3, although I haven't been playing as much lately.

[hxc]

i've had this happen to me a few times now and appears to be a "stuck" key (not physically stuck ofc). The only way I've managed to stop them is individually by pressing the offending stuck-key.

For me it usually happens when i'm straifing (using the E or Q key) whilst pressing W to run diagonally - resulting in my 2nd and 3rd chars running off sideways, sometimes in different directions (E stuck on one char and Q stuck on the other), it has also happened once with the W key getting stuck and once with my turn key getting stuck (resulting in my second and third chars spinning on the spot).

I use Num Lock for autorun but always make sure broadcasting is off before doing so, it has happened when i have and haven't pressed autorun , as well as in and out of combat.
I can also be sure it's not a problem with using numlock as it's happened with wow set up to use mouse button 4 to autorun.

my setup is :

Core2Duo 2.0
2GB ram
6800GTm 256mb (i use a laptop)
a second 17" screen
usb mouse
Vista Ultimate
has happened with a wireless and wired network

cpu usage peaks at about 80-90%, memory usage at about 1.4gb
fpsmax is set to 75
fpsmaxbk is set to 20

I use the latest version of keyclone and 3-box, with my main on the laptops screen and my two other toons on the external monitor (using maximizer)

It has happened on both a 2mb Down/256k Up and a 8mb Down/512 Up connection. lowest ping it's happened with is 90-100, with the highest being 180-200.

the strangest thing though, is that whilst sometimes when i re-press my follow macro the toons run towards me, straight through me and carry on, other times they wil simply run towards me then start running round me in circles whilst im stood still, at the same distance from me as though they were both following and running forwards/sideways.

my follow macro (if it matters and if i remember correctly) for the 3rd char looks like :
/target [target=secondchar,nodead]
/target [target=firstchar,nodead]
/follow
macro for my second char is the same without the first line.

I don't really find it much of a problem, but when it happens in a main city it can make it harder to explain to people that your followers aren't in fact bots when occassionally they do seem to have a mind of their own :lol:

[cepheus]

I might have found one reason for this runaway problem. I was doing some questing on some ogres in nagrand. This guys have an aoe stun. I then realized that each time all my chars got stunned while following, they started running away. Maybe others could confirm this.

Edit:

They have knockbacks, not stuns. Maybe that could be the reason.

[Robash]

I'll let you know when I get to nagrand, which should be in about 60 lvl's :)

On a more serious note, I've always used a separate /follow and I've never had my followers run away, but I've only been boxing for a few weeks

[unit187]

havent played after 2.3 but before that with separetad /follow macro I had run bug pretty often


5box on 1 pc with keyclone

[Bravo]

This happens to me once in a blue moon the last time it happened the alts were running in circles around my main...not a straight line. it looked like I was putting on a show but it was really annoying. I have to go to each window and right click an area for them to move to and that resolves the problem, any keyboard input just holds them until the key is released.

[unit187]

I've got an idea. iirc Xzin was using mouse to move his toons, not keyboard. And he says that he wasnt getting the run bug. See my point? 8)

[Robash]

You could be on to something here, I never use the keyboard to move, always the mouse (except for some occasional turning/strafing of my clones)

[Slats]

I run a hardware setup, Vetra KM Vetra Broadcaster, I have 4 Clone PCs and a Main PC.

I have had two wierd bugs that happen reguarly enough for me to get pissed off:

If all my Shadowpriests are on follow and I mash my mindflay key before they have 'caught up to me' they will start casting when they get in range, stop casting (as if they are still trying to move to the stop position) then just start RUNNING for the hills.

I have also had this problem with my spread out macro (press num0, one goes left, right, forward, backward) and they just dont stop moving they keep on running and drown, die, aggro mobs, get me killed.

Also ANOTHER odd bug I get is sometimes my characters just stop being able to 'see' another character. I am sitting there staring at 5 LCD's and on ONE clone he can only see 3 people not 5. I find I can fix this by either zoning or running the 'invisible' characters to a new location (ie moving from Aldor Rise to Terrace Of Light where you get the text appear in the middle of your screen) and running back causes the cloens to refind the missing people.

I bind my WASD to move on my main and totally unbound on my clones. I have arrow keys for movement on the clones and numpad0 as my spredout boring + sign formation.

Its really frustrating in PvP and makes me feel very much not in control of my characters. :/

[Parsous]

I've only had this happen once, and only after 2.3. It was my third attempt on Nazan at level 60 (Suicidal, I know :P). Hit my star formation button and 3/4 characters got into formation, but the 4th ran straight towards Vaz. Managed to stop him by re-triggering the move forward button or reissuing the follow command (Don't remember which).

[kega]

If you cant get you toon to stop, hit ESC and choose logout, wait 5-6 sec and then cancel.

Really annoyiong bug, happend to me several times when I pushed "move forward" and mouse out of the window. Not only when multi boxing but with 1 WoW window too.
If I jump on my flying mount, and press space to get up and mouse out from the window, he will continue to go up up up whatever I do.

[Ishar]

@stats mostly
Well, theres an issue I have where sometimes a key gets stuck 'on.' and I have to figure out what key it is thats stuck on. Its pretty rare, and usually only happens to one comp at a time. Vetra /KM and Vetra Multiplier is what I'm using. It seems to happen more when I'm switching the KM while pressing a key. The ususal fix is to hit whichever movement key is stuck. Which can get pretty frantic heh. For attacking a mob while moving, i tap my 'formation' key or the 'back' key for my alts to break follow manually, then start casting. For this reason 'Q" is my formation button, while WSAD is my mains movement buttons. so its really quick to break follow.

I also had lots and lots of weirdness with keys when my multiplier was plugged into USB to PS2 y-splitters. Most of those went away by plugging the multiplier directly into the ps2 port and plugging the KM into the splitter...but the issues didn't go away, just moved to the KM. hehe. I'm probably gonna replace the USB y's with Y-keys eventually.

Our issues might be completely different. hehe. I really dont get the 'autorun into the distance' bug very often. except with my main when i switch while holding down W or something.

I also get the 'clones cant see main, but main can see clones' bug once a day or so. I ususally just /camp wherever I am, then log back in. it fixes it. Seems to be associated with lag in my case.

[The_Whack]

I select a target w/main and hit my hotkey to assist/focus.... thats when i sometimes get a runner.

I played 3 accounts windowed/no maximizer and just clicked the instance i wanted to view via the toolbar. I never had a runner. I played this way for a few months before upgrading to 5 accounts. W/5 accounts i started to use Keyclone Maximizer and now get the occasional runner....... related? dunno, just my experience.

5 accounts one Comp
Keyclone
Usually happens in instances.

My team actually wiped today in SFK cause of this bug... had a runner run through the kitchen and dining area aggro'ing approx 10 mobs.

[Havelcek]

When I ran Keyclone across two computers I got runaways. When I moved to all 5 clients on one computer I stopped getting runaways and haven't had one since.

[wrs]

I find it happens when I am in combat (or entering combat) and I hit my:
/target party1
/follow
/assist

And I only noticed it happenening after I selected [x]Attack on Assist. I have not tried to undo that selection to see if it is relevant. Also, I play on two machines and see it happen to followers on both.

[Simulacra]

Ok
get this
Slave Pens
All Im doing is standing there, noone is on follow, I'm just buffing and one of my mages runs away into a pat, checked my keybindings and no conflicts

Also in the bone wastes: just finished killing something and pressed follow and all four clones take off in different directions....
so I press follow and they come back and past me so I press follow and they come back past me - etc etc ect - I wished I'd frapsed it, it was like sunchronised swimming, a couple of ally came over to watch the show :)

[OzPhoenix]

Setup:

Using KeyClone.

5 boxing on a single PC.

No movement keys whatsoever (not even autorun) are passed from the main to the followers (when specifically using a follower I have to mouse move him). Using KeyClones block-list to prevent the movement key passing.

Runner Problem:

It has happened only half a dozen times to me. One follower - always only one, and not necessarily the same one - will, with no warning take off in the direction it happened to be facing. Usually not a problem, double-clicking in the window (once it has focus) is enough (for me) to stop it. It has however caused one wipe when follower number three took off to say hello to about 6 or 8 Scarlet Crusader friends he saw in the Cathedral wing of SM.

I've been able to see absolutely no pattern to it at all, as it happens so infrequently. I have also noticed that every now and then, one follower will stop following, again so infrequently that establishing any pattern to it is too hard.

Overall, while it did cause one wipe, that's one wipe in 61 levels of playing, so it's not (for me anyway) much of a problem.

[Ken]

Setup: Keyclone.
Movement keys(ESDF) are not replicated (even with modifiers), so they can't be causing the problem. When it occurs, I'm not using the autorun button on any clients (it's not mapped through the keybinds).

I have the autorunning problem strictly in combat situations when things get heavy. Moving the running character manually(having keyclone paused) doesn't fix it directly. When I start jumping and running around for a while(just randomly mashing buttons) it goes away.
It happens very rarely though, only every X hours of playing.

I think Fursphere reasoning is probably correct.

[edit] Smart topic btw!

[jettmartinez]

If I play long enough during one sitting, this is bound to happen to me.

My RUN key is "\" on main, unbound on others. I rarely use it. It always happens in combat, when I'm hitting "F" (my /follow /assist key) to re-position my shammies for melee combat.

Like, I'll strafe to the side/behind the mob with my main, then hit the key to get the alts to move back into melee range, when one of them will just take off. Its almost like its a bug with the /follow command in combat or something.

I think I'm going to try and seperate my /assit and /follow keys (maybe use "T" for /assit) to see if that cures the problems.This is similar to my experience. To me it feels like a /follow bug. It happens in combat when I hit my /folllow /assist macro. Especially frequent with my Pally/Rogue combo since I'm always hitting follow trying to reposition the rogue(clone) to get in melee range with the mob.

If I hit the macro again quick enough, /follow seems to kick in properly and the rogue returns to the pally.

Setup:
2chars, 1 PC, both windows full screen, keyclone, multiboxer2 (also happened when I used twoboxtoolkit before MB2 came along and kicked it's butt :D ). Auto-run mapped to "," but not passed by keyclone. Only movement keys passed are left/right arrow (for rotating caster clones) and they're unbound on the main.

[Orshok]

To understand multiboxing, I tried many teams, about 6 or 7 differents, levelling them between 20 or 30 levels. I had this specific team of 5 belfs and this mage name Elanie who would always and randomly start running, wiping my team in instances.

My wife was used hearing me screaming : "Elanie, no, no, not again".

I tried everything, copyed shortcuts from another alt, removed everything dubious, checked the keyclone, changed the wow windows. Tried everything possible but every two hours maybe, she would wipe my team with her typically devilish belfish selfish feminish smile.

Never understood why. Stopped playing her and this team. Never happened with any of the other alts (around 20 in total).

[succulent]

I've finally seen this happen, and I figured out what it is -- this may not apply to everyone else as I'm on a Mac, but just in case it's a general WoW bug:

My set up is 5 accounts on one Mac Pro, using Spaces to hide the clones (this improves framerate on my main dramatically). I use clonekeys to multiplex key input. If you're not familiar with it, Spaces lets you conveniently hide and show different apps or document windows -- it's perfect for multiboxing and keeping your clone instances out of the way and offscreen.

However there appears to a bug either in clonekeys or WoW itself where it gets confused by the way keyboard focus changes when changing Spaces (note I do not mean WoW character /focus, I mean keyboard focus in the app). Sometimes it gets convinced the control key (every once in a while, shift) is still down after I've released it, probably because control-arrow keys is how I change which Space I'm looking at and key up events may get missed as the Space changes. So I press my auto-run key, which is bound to a /follow macro on all the clones -- but some of the clones see it as ctrl-run, which isn't bound to anything, and thus gets interpreted as the usual run key. Hilarity ensues.

I haven't tried to reproduce this without using Spaces, so I'm not sure where exactly the bug lies. So far I've never seen it in any app other than WoW, so it's either WoW or Clonekeys. Collection quests require a lot of changes to which instance is in front for looting, so grinding Darn rep this weekend I saw it a lot.

Alt-tabbing twice (to focus off/on the main instance of WoW) fixes the "stuck" control key.

[Frosty]

I haven't had any runners in quite a while since I set my do-not-pass keys up in Keyclone.

I have it set to not pass:

w, Shift+w, Alt+w and Ctrl+w
(replace w with a, s, d and add those too)

[Simulacra]

I would get runaways quite regularly (every session). On the weekend I started using the mouse to move and haven't had any runaways at all. It takes a bit of getting used to but I'm almost there.

[mickske]

Had a new one last night.

My spread-out macro makes one toon strafe left, one strafe right, and one step back. I normally just hit it for a second just to "unstack" the followers.

The one that strafe's right? She moved to her spot, then took off running forward.

I didn't touch my /follow /assist macro. Nothing... she just took off.

This tells me the "bug" is more related to the /follow command (when you break it) than anything else.I have this problem aswell, quite alot of the time. It's EXTREMELY frustrating in instances. :(

It also happends when my slaves are following my main and i start casting a spell.

[valtrex]

It only seems to happen to me when I hit my formation key while im moving. If I stop and then hit the formation key they dont seem to run away.

[wowphreak]

kinda an old thread?

well since I've made a change on ahk switch to alts using a key I can consistently get a run away when I'm switching while holding a movement button down or hitting a movement button before the switch happens.

[wetstreet]

I've seen it a few times.
Macbook Pro OS X 10.5.4
ClonedKeys
ControllerMate
G15 and Logitech 610 mouse
I would not be surprised to learn that this was in fact the reason this happens. I thought it was a software issue at first (like Keyclone or Synergy) but now that we have had a few responses from people that don't use software I think it may be something along these lines.I have to agree to this 100%. I have thing setup so it is a key
click to switch characters so I have all of the windows overlap (I get
better FPS at the same time). Since I started overlapping the windows,
I have NEVER had a character just run off.

[Thulos]

Thread necromancey for the win. Seriously though, I do know one reason why this happens and it most likely isn't the only reason it happens but as a programmer I can validate why and how this happens when using keyclone/octopus on two computers with kvm enabled.

In this example I'm running my main main paladin on one computer and my 4 shamans on a second computer. The keyboard and mouse are cross linked to the two computers and wasd only go to the client that has focus. If I hold down for example the w key and move my mouse over to the second computer the w key basically gets locked in a pressed down state on the paladin client and will not release without first going back to the paladin client and hitting the w key again.

Now as to why this happens it is very simple. What is happening is Octopus is sending the WM_Keydown windows message directly to the paladin client. Keys stay pressed until the corresponding WM_KeyUp message has been sent to the window. Because the W key is pressed down while the paladin screen has focus and not released until another client has focus the WM_Keyup message is never receieved and the Paladin continues happily running off into the sunset. Going back to the client and pressing the back button does no good because to this client the W key is still being held down. Pressing the W Key again works simply because it causes the WM_KeyUp message to be sent after you release the W key with the proper client having focus. I hope I explained this so people can understand it.

[Zub]

my post from [Keyclone] 4 box shamans running off, more common in instance runs help ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&postID=113801#post113801') :

i've been having this problem as well, and it seems it's always when i use my formation (which i often use just to break /follow)

Basically with my 3 toons, the formation key is '\' (backslash)
This is bound to DOWN on my main, STRAFELEFT on clone1 and STRAFERIGHT on clone2.

Seems sometimes clone2 decides to run forward instead. looks like it receives AUTORUN instead of STRAFERIGHT basically.

From memory it's always the same clone that runs like a fool.
Pressing the follow key (backspace in my case) usually bring him back if i'm quick enough.

i had the one time when he would turn and run back, but continue to run past my other toons until i pressed follow again, then turn again and run past us again etc.

From what i read it seems that a couple people (at least, me included) had this problem with the clone that needs to STRAFE RIGHT.
Can anyone confirm? could it be that this keystroke is passing badly or something?