MB & Current MMOs

[Khatovar]

• Warhammer Online

Ok, here's your greenlight for Warhammer :
Updated 4/28/09 - EA Ticket 090325-009319

I am sorry for the delay in writing, our tier three support department is receiving a higher then normal email volume so we are a bit back logged but are working to correct this.

As long as you own legal copies of the game multi boxing should not be an issue. It will become an issue however if you are using multi boxing to exploit the game in some way.

Please keep in mind the stuff below, esp. Sec 4 - A. You may end up with a GM waving that at you when they get ahold of their brandy-new banhammer. I'd suggest that before trying to multibox, you contact them yourselves so you have your own greenlight ticket to refer to.


EA Ticket 090306-003423

Probably the least helpful response I've received outside of being blown off totally :

I apologize but we currently do not have a stance as it has not become an issue. I would suggest reviewing the following pages;

Player Code of Conduct
User Access and License Agreement:
EA Terms of Use and Service:

After reading the End User Access and License Agreement, the following stuck out :


Limits to number of accounts one person may own :

Sec 1 - C. Limit on Number of Accounts Per Credit Card(s)

Without the prior written consent of Mythic, which may be withheld in Mythic's sole discretion, no person may use, or authorize or permit another to use, a credit card, or any combination of multiple credit cards, issued to such person, to establish and/or maintain more than five (5) Accounts on the System at a time.

You may not access the game servers from multiple computers :

Sec 2 - D Para 2 -

You may access the System and use it to play the Game from any single computer or game platform. You shall not access the System or play the Game concurrently on different computers and/or game platforms.

Sec 3 - Para 1 -

You shall not install or operate the Software concurrently on different computers and/or game platforms. ... The Software may not be shared or used concurrently on different computers.

Both hardware and software boxing is probably covered under the following :

Sec 4 - A - You may not use any of your own or third-party software to modify the Game Content to change Game play.

Iffy, but if they are outright prohibiting hardware boxing by stating you cannot run concurrent copies on multiple computers, they will probably point to this section to say you are using 3rd party software to change how data is sent and received and using it to change gameplay, blah blah blah. I have resent my ticket and am awaiting clarification, since I know people will go back and forth on it since it is pretty ambiguous.

• Vanguard, EQ, EQ2... ALL SOE Games

12-19-09 The previous information is no longer valid. See post from Noxxy here and Inactive here. See discussion here As of this point, I can no longer say multiboxing, as we know it here, is allowed in EQ2. This likely goes for ALL SOE games.

EQ2 specific Ticket 091217-000026

Hello,

I have sent you several tickets previously asking about your stance on multiboxing. Those tickets are 090210-001499 and 090306-000046. In both tickets, I was informed that multiboxing, via a means of sending single keypresses to multiple copies of the game was perfectly acceptable.

Quote - Multi-boxing is definitely allowed. What we do not allow is automated botting.

Quote - it is permissible to use one keyboard to control several computers through a selector switch. You are allowed to use 3rd party software, as long as you do not in any way manipulate or change the client

Quote - If you are at your computer while the character is being played, then multi-boxing is fine. Generally speaking we will only take action against people who automate their characters to play unattended.

In these tickets, I specifically stated what multiboxing is.

Quote - What is Sony's stance on SOFTWARE multiboxing? IE the use of the Programs Keyclone http://www.solidice.com/keyclone/ and Innerspace http://www.lavishsoft.com/joomla/ in particular?

Quote - If you are unfamiliar with multi-boxing, it is a play style in which a single person will play multiple accounts in a game simultaneously.

Quote - Software multi-boxing is using one computer to run several accounts via hardware emulators or scripts that send a single key press to all open instances of a game window.

Quote - Many games have a 1 press = 1 action rule in that 1 input action from a key press can only equate to 1 single action taking place in game on each account.

Quote - I press 1, my mage casts fireball, my hunter shoots a flame arrow, my tank taunts, my healer casts a buff, as that is the single action on each account located in the "1" hotbar location. 1 press, 1 action.

I believe I was very clear in defining multiboxing, in as far as my inquiry, was the simultanious reciept of a single key by EACH open client. I also believe that the reps who responded were clear on that fact as well, telling me repeatedly that the ACTIONABLE offense was automated and/or unattended botting, NOT attended simultanious keybroadcasting.

Now I have people being told that simultanious keybroadcasting is automation, and actionable :

091215-002136 - Response (GM Yxyran)
12/16/2009 12:49 AM

[shortened]…The problem occurs when you…send commands…at the same time…it is important that you understand why you cannot use any device or program to allow you to control more than one character with one key stroke.

It offers you an unfair advantage over players using the game and interface as designed. It essentially accomplishes an action that…could not be done in the course of play. There is no way to link the actions of two separate characters in game. No way to make them work in sync where you take action with one character and it triggers an automatic action from another. You have to use separate keystrokes for each character's actions. Each character must be under the direct control of the player at all times. Anything that circumvents that direct control constitutes automation. Automation makes them a bot.

Thank you for your time,
Game Master Yxyran
"The Moon Moth"


Response (GM Kaerytha)
12/15/2009 08:58 PM

[Shortened – message relayed from the Lead GM on Nagafen]…In addition, simultaneous key broadcasting is not permitted. So if you are pressing one key on your keyboard, and it's causing all 6 of your characters to cast, or attack or perform any action simultaneously then that is something we would consider character automation, which is prohibited….

Safe Travels,

GM Kaerytha
EverQuest II
Sony Online Entertainment


However, TSR DanielH was recently given tips on how to use one of these programs to send simultanious keystrokes to multiple clients at the same time, where he thanks the poster and says he'll try it out -

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/p...457105#5100073


So, what's the deal? Is the act of sending a keypress to all open instances of EQ2 suddenly considered automation? And does this apply to all SOE games now? Please clarify.

Thank you.

Greetings,

Thank you for contacting Sony Online Entertainment.

There has been a lot of questions surrounding the issue of multi-boxing lately. I recognize a lot of those quotes you mentioned in your ticket in an e-mail I have received recently. Essentially what it boils down to is this... Multiboxing is allowed so long as each character performing an action requires a unique and separate keystroke.

If you have any other questions or issues please don't hesitate to contact us again and we'll be happy to assist you.

The reference number for this ticket is (091217-000026). Please use this number if you need to refer back to this contact for any reason.

Update your ticket by accessing http://station.com/kb and viewing the "Questions" section under "Service History". Simply click the name of the incident to update it.

Thank you again,

Chad A.

Technical Support Representative

Sony Online Entertainment