I want to propose to organize a live Multiboxing TOS-streamlining-test

[Baltyre]

First, sorry for my bad english, it's not my main language.
I want to propose to organize a live Multiboxing TOS-streamlining-test :


The streamlining part of the new TOS is really vague.
From my point of view, i believe it's anything that does input broadcasting or allow to mimic it sending multiple time the same key across wow client within a close timeframe (RoundRobbin).
But we can't be sure 100%, CS are not really helpful to clear that.
And finally the thing we all fear is that blizz is just gonna ban no question ask and no appeal, regardless of the solution used to multibox.


So i want to propose to organize a Multiboxing TOS-Test to put this streamlining thing under test and get a clear picture of what's allowed and what is not.

Each of us make a new Battlenet, with one reel account (to be taken seriously) and some free trial one on retail.
For this test, we use setup that does not involve input broadcasting and who can be legit : Multi-keyboard, mousewheel focus, this kind of thing. The goal is to be aligned to the TOS and define what streamlining is or is not.
We document (screen/picture/video) our setup and how we play, so we have proof.


We use character that really expose us as multiboxer (same name, same skin, same class, be as obvious as possible)
And then, we level from 1 to 5-10, go into a capital city, make light-show, follow train and things like that to get attention and gather a maximum of report. (still don't ask publicly for report and answer wisp that you are not broadcasting anything and you think you are still within the TOS)


We do that one hour a day for seven day and check witch of us are ban or not.
And we check also if we can appeal providing photo/video of the hardware we used and witch of us get their ban lifted. After that, we could make an other round to check if those who get ban and unban get banned again.


I think we need to be at least five or more of us to do that to be able to make conclusions, so if some are interested, please register here and if we are enough we will do that.

Edit :
THIS POST IS NOT DEDICATED TO DISCUSS WHAT METHOD ARE ALLOWED OR NOT OR HOW TO GET UNDER THE RADAR.
The goal is to make an experimentation when we will get reported and purposely try to trigger a GM reaction on boxer who use no software or hardware (at least not something different from a regular player, so keyboard/mouse). So no hardware broadcasting (not even usb switch), no Round robin or software like JMB or WOD. Either one keyboard per computer or alt/tab or mouseover multiple windows.
Keep it as basic and simple as possible, without even without any addon if possible.

[Wubsie]

Honestly, I do not think this would yield any kind of definitive answer.

You're expecting that they do not just ban based on player reports (which we've long speculated they do) and there is no variance in the amount of reports. Even if that was not the case, we would then be expecting that a GM comes in and through logs somehow determines exactly what each of us is doing and then acts accordingly to some absolute set of rules, which to our knowledge does not exist, and that all subsequent GMs will also follow and interpret in the exact same way. Then we're expecting that they infact read tickets (which they clearly do not in the case of ban appeals) and that they will go back and verify that each individual ruling was done correctly and that they accept videos or pictures as proof as to how you were controlling your characters.

There's just way too many variables for this to yield any kind of usable information. Honestly the only "data" we could hope to gather is that people keep playing within what they consider the rules to be and we'd collect all the account actions somewhere with the relevant information, assuming people that report on them would be truthful (which we've seen is not always the case). Even then, with a sample size of tens or preferably hundreds of individual cases could you maybe, just maybe start to draw conclusions about what is likely to get you actioned; not what the actual rules are.

[Andreauk]

I think we can be sure. If I use wow open box and set a bigger time gap on round robin I will be fine until I am reported. Then they will see the program was running on my machine and it will be an instant ban.

I am boxing two characters using windows mouseover feature and it works fine for levelling, world quests and old content. This I know is safe.

[Baltyre]

Definitive, no.
But that could give us some interesting data. And the cost and time to invest for that is not much (10 bucks and 7hour)


I do think that (after a while) someone competent actually read appeal ticket, because otherwise R.R and hardware boxer would not have been unban after appeal after the first TOS change.
Even if we are not unban, if we gather enought data (like full video recording) we could prove that they will ban even non-broadcasting boxers and maybe trigger a blue reaction that can help us to define that streamlining.

[Andreauk]

We are such a minority that they really don't care. Best to not use any programs for multiboxing imho.

[Baltyre]

Honestly, I do not think this would yield any kind of definitive answer.

You're expecting that they do not just ban based on player reports (which we've long speculated they do) and there is no variance in the amount of reports. Even if that was not the case, we would then be expecting that a GM comes in and through logs somehow determines exactly what each of us is doing and then acts accordingly to some absolute set of rules, which to our knowledge does not exist, and that all subsequent GMs will also follow and interpret in the exact same way. Then we're expecting that they infact read tickets (which they clearly do not in the case of ban appeals) and that they will go back and verify that each individual ruling was done correctly and that they accept videos or pictures as proof as to how you were controlling your characters.

There's just way too many variables for this to yield any kind of usable information. Honestly the only "data" we could hope to gather is that people keep playing within what they consider the rules to be and we'd collect all the account actions somewhere with the relevant information, assuming people that report on them would be truthful (which we've seen is not always the case). Even then, with a sample size of tens or preferably hundreds of individual cases could you maybe, just maybe start to draw conclusions about what is likely to get you actioned; not what the actual rules are.

Definitive, no.
But that could give us some interesting data. And the cost and time to invest for that is not much (10 bucks and 7 hours)

I do think that (after a while) someone competent actually read appeal ticket, because otherwise R.R and hardware boxer would not have been unban after appeal after the first TOS change.
Even if we are not unban, if we gather enough data (like full video recording) we can prove that they will ban even non-broadcasting boxers and maybe trigger a blue reaction that can help us to define that streamlining.

I think we can be sure. If I use wow open box and set a bigger time gap on round robin I will be fine until I am reported. Then they will see the program was running on my machine and it will be an instant ban.

I am boxing two characters using windows mouseover feature and it works fine for levelling, world quests and old content. This I know is safe.

The goal of this post is not to share way to go under the radar or exchange about what's allowed or not.
On the contrary, this is to make an experimentation when we will get reported and trigger a GM reaction.
And for that we should not use RR, but the more natural way of playing, with either one keyboard per computer or alt/tab or mouseover multiple windows (without wod or any software).

[Andreauk]

I'm already multiboxing 2 characters without anything used. I may get reported, but as it's only 2 and I use a 2 seater mount and they don't cast together I am not worried.

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...ounts/253774/7

I don't think us mass grouping is going to do anything apart from make them dislike us more than they already do.

[bpkdasbaum]

Just open a ticket and ask a GM if they manually investigate multiboxing. Pretty sure they don't and it's all handled automatically.
Big chunk of support has been fired recently. There is no way someone is checking each multiboxer hand by hand.