Why hardware boxing always also is software boxing

[schmonz]

.. because on the switch, there also runs a software which distributes the key- and mousepushes to all outputs attached. In the end, blizzard could argument like this and still ban you.

I think multiboxing in WoW is over.

[Swaggasauruz]

I think if they were concerned with hardware multiboxing they would have mentioned it specifically.

Also, there are hardware solutions that don't simply rely on a switch distributing outputs to multiple computers via software replicating input. Before another user on these forums posted a link to a cheap switch my solution was going to be creating a makeshift keyboard on a breadboard each key would be wired to an input pin on several different Arduino microcontrollers. The Arduinos act as a keyboard and sends the keypress to the computer. This is how a normal keyboard works - a microcontroller processes the signal from the button(s) you press and send it to a computer. With 1 keypad you can control as many outputs as you want without any software replication - the replication occurs at a physical level where a voltage is sent to multiple chips with 1 keypress.

[MadMilitia]

I think if they were concerned with hardware multiboxing they would have mentioned it specifically.

Don't fall for that.

Once upon a time the /follow removal was for battlegrounds only, seeing multiboxing in BG was the problem.

Then came the /follow removal in ALL PvP content, with some midway adjustment to allow it in rated PvP.

They will leave the door open as wide as possible to trick you into thinking it's fine. This weasel way of saying they're fine with you spending money but not fine with your playstyle and they will likely end it 5-10 years later.

That's not good enough.

[Swaggasauruz]

My point was that at this time hardware multiboxing is not prohibited and it's such an obvious replacement for software broadcasting that if they currently have an issue with it it would have been mentioned.

Sure, this may change over time but none of us can predict the future so it's not helpful to speculate.

[Peri Helion]

@Swaggasauruz - your solution is what I would call a true hardware solution. It is mechanical and electrical. Hell, I would try it not because I want to multi-box still, but because it sounds like an awesome "Frankenstein's Monster" kind of project.

@schmonz - I think you are correct. We may think of a switch as a hardware only solution, but it is really just moving the software off of the PC to the external box. It still contains some programming and instruction sets to multiplex the signals. I have no idea if Blizz can detect it or not, but I think they would consider it a violation.

I am no expert, these are just my thoughts.

[MadMilitia]

Of course they won't be able to detect it from software but they don't need to.

A simple GM observation of your characters all following at once, or interacting at once with an object is all they need to see.

And that will also go for rotations. I guess it's worth seeing to be sure for yourself but yeah.

[Swaggasauruz]

@Swaggasauruz - your solution is what I would call a true hardware solution. It is mechanical and electrical. Hell, I would try it not because I want to multi-box still, but because it sounds like an awesome "Frankenstein's Monster" kind of project.

@schmonz - I think you are correct. We may think of a switch as a hardware only solution, but it is really just moving the software off of the PC to the external box. It still contains some programming and instruction sets to multiplex the signals. I have no idea if Blizz can detect it or not, but I think they would consider it a violation.

I am no expert, these are just my thoughts.

I considered still going with the Arduinos as it would be a fun project but I ended up going with a USB synchronous switch. As far as I understand it's not possible for Blizzard to differentiate between a keyboard sending an input or a switch sending an input from a keyboard - both events just look like a keypress from an HID.

[Swaggasauruz]

Of course they won't be able to detect it from software but they don't need to.

A simple GM observation of your characters all following at once, or interacting at once with an object is all they need to see.

And that will also go for rotations. I guess it's worth seeing to be sure for yourself but yeah.

Simulated keystrokes from software broadcasting are in fact different from HID keystrokes in many cases. Also if they see 5 accounts logged in on your device/ip/5 characters in a party pressing keys at exact same time/etc they have the ability via Warden to scan active processes on the computer. It would not be difficult for them to detect any of the well known multiboxing software running on the PC.

[Kayley]

As far as I understand it's not possible for Blizzard to differentiate between a keyboard sending an input or a switch sending an input from a keyboard - both events just look like a keypress from an HID.

Depends on what you use QT. Some switches just emulate, some switches passthrough a generic 'keyboard' which is meh.. and the bestest passthrough evveerrryyytthhiiinnngggggg (which is what you want).

Also if they see 5 accounts logged in on your device/ip/5 characters in a party pressing keys at exact same time/etc they have the ability via Warden to scan active processes on the computer.

Warden doesn't work like that lol

[nodoze]

Of course they won't be able to detect it from software but they don't need to.

A simple GM observation of your characters all following at once, or interacting at once with an object is all they need to see.

And that will also go for rotations. I guess it's worth seeing to be sure for yourself but yeah.

I considered still going with the Arduinos as it would be a fun project but I ended up going with a USB synchronous switch. As far as I understand it's not possible for Blizzard to differentiate between a keyboard sending an input or a switch sending an input from a keyboard - both events just look like a keypress from an HID.

None of the bans need to be triggered manually via Player Reports nor enforced manually via a in game review by a GM nor do they need to determine/verify the source of the input to make it bannable...

I am pretty sure Blizzard is recording server-side many attributes of your clients connecting and what environment they are connecting from (like what OS name/version, what machine/host name, what internal/external IPs, possibly full netmasks and trace routes, memory/cpu/gpu/vram/etc, things that denote VMs, etc) and also are recording your actions done in game (and likely the inputs and as best they can tell the source of those inputs) with very granular date/time stamps (at least to the millisecond).

It is very doable with the above information to write automated monitoring routines to detect accounts with simultaneous or nearly simultaneous actions and then automatically feed those flagged accounts to automated warn/suspend/ban workflows that require NO human interaction... I know because I do similar things professionally at work for people/clients connecting to our enterprise databases, enterprise applications, and Single Sign On (SSO) infrastructure for compliance & security reasons...

Frankly if I were Blizz I would just stop all the nebulous and halfway statements and just definitively say all interactions that result in 1 human action causing more than 1 action in 1 wow client are prohibited (whether hardware enabled or software enabled) and enable automated scans for that behavior and workflows to stop it and be done with it... Call it the "1-1-1" rule so it is simple/clear and easy to remember. People would then be forced to stagger actions in a reasonable human speed manner per client and that would end all the drama & confusion...

There are ways to try to get around the above but this would stop the vast majority of bots and abuses...