MB & Current MMOs

[Bigfish]

One other thing. Are we sure the anti-boxing clauses in Warhammer aren't just the standard "you can't play this game on more than one computer cause you only bought one copy"? Granted I know this is ultimately up to their discretion, but when I saw the verbage I thought more about the situation where I install photoshop on my computer and my friends; only one can be used at a time acordign to the EULA. Unless they sell accounts seperate from the game, you would have one copy per account. Just a thought.

It could be. Kind of a silly stance, since the the client itself isn't really what generates revenue. I mean, the start up price of an MMO is the shelf price minus the first month's worth of subscription, which then generates revenue on a subscription basis. They really ought to just hand the client out like Warcraft does if they want to generate massive subscriptions and revenue.

Of course, I guess that's the revenue model of a successful MMO. I suppose it is entirely feasable to try and market the thing like an ordinary PC game where you generate revenue based on units sold, but that seems short sighted and outdated to me.

That said, it strikes me that if the GM department follows that business model, they would probably be more than content to just ban your accounts since you've already generated the revenue of a sold game. Can't really say for certain one way or the other though...

I actually think I'm going to call that "The Diablo Principle". For those of you too young to remember, when games like Diablo and Warcraft 2 first came out, they were copy friendly, and allowed a "spawned" versions to be installed, which allowed limited gameplay even if you didn't have the disk. Not that the disk had any copy protection anyway. All you really needed was a cd writer, which wasn't too common at the time.

Anywho, the point is, at the time, anyone who wanted to try the game could with a minimum of effort. While that situation has waned over the years, you see a moderate resurgance with the free-trials of WoW. Install WoW on every computer you come across, Blizz doesn't care, because it means more chances to get people to try the trial and ultimately the chance to hook them in to a subscription.

[Prepared]

Given the questions sent to each company, the responses are exactly what I would expect.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the questions to the companies were:
"Do you allow Hardware multi-boxing?"
"Do you allow Software multi-boxing?"

Why would there be so many different responses? Because there is no description in the question as to what multi-boxing is. Sure, just about everyone here reading these forums understands what is meant, but the average person playing and even support personnel of the games aren't always going to know what is meant by those terms. To the average person playing an MMORPG, multi-boxing means botting. Just about everyone I see unless they know what it is about and know it's legal, will first say "oh, a bot!"

I'm willing to bet that if a description went along with the question as to what multi-boxing is, you would have received different responses. Most of them indicating it was OK to do. If they understand that a person is at the keyboard controlling the characters by pressing a key that is sent to all instances of the game and is not automated game play, they would have said it would be allowed. If you just ask, do you allow multi-boxing, how do you know the person that is answering understands what it is you're asking?

[Noxxy]

Have doubled posted the following to ensure it is available in both the EQ2 forum and this thread:

This post will have some serious repercussions for the entire EQ2 multi-boxing community if it can be further validated - if you do send any questions to SOE, make sure you query the legality of the 'simultaneous sending of keystrokes'

NB: Before you rush of and post 'but but but my GM said keyclone/HKN/vetra was ok' - please ensure your GM knows that they are simultaneous keystroke casters

Your 'constructive' input into this thread would be appreciated


Simply:
- The use of either hardware or software for the simulatenous sending of keystrokes to the same or across multiple pcs is considered character automation. As such, it is against SOE EULA and is illegal.

Had an interesting night last night. Introduced myself to a new server (went to try pvp) and, in summary, was told by several GMs that the simultaneous broadcasting of keystrokes is considered character automation and as such is illegal.

This simply means that plug-n-play hardware solutions such as the vetra megacaster and software applications such as keyclone, hkn and any other 'simultaneous keystroke broadcaster' are illegal in EQ2

After reading the GM replies, I checked their understanding against previous GM responses posted in Khatovar's MB & Current MMOs.

In Khat's post I found the reference to Ticket 090210-001499 where CSR Xavier "Spadaccino" M. replied:
'Every action taken by a character has to be the result of a unique keystroke. Usually this is accomplished by multiple computers with multiple keyboards, though 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 (EQ2) program and as long as you are at the controls and capable or responding from each character.'

If we analyse this further - Every action taken by a character has to be the result of a unique keystroke. - the simultaneous sending of keystrokes is not as such 'unique' - it is cloned. Whilst Xavier does go on to mention 'You are allowed to use 3rd party software' - I believe this is in relation to a software selector and defineately not a 'key cloner'

For your information, I have included an edited version of the incident report I submitted last night:

Incident: 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

[Gorthu]

[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"

That statement always amazes me. Because even when I multiboxed with 5 computers, I could do this pretty fast. Just had to have the keypads all close together. But, the logic is wrong, because 5 people playing together with voice comm can do this easily. The logic of that statement says, that when I go to a concert, I'm only imagining the orchestra is all playing in sync. (I know this is an old post, but I've never seen anyone ask a GM how a band stays in rythm if syncing is so hard to do.