I have a script that filters cheap items using the ah api. It’s ineffective as a sniping tool since there’s only one update an hour. It’s useful keeping a log of prices over time and occasionally I’ll see items show up on my servers. I devised a way to send items from the updates to an addon that can search for them while I’m in game after I do a quick ui reload. This was enough for me to be flagged as a cheater, specially a bot, and have my account banned. This is the first time I’ve heard of this being considered botting. How? I’m sure I’ll never get that answer. The undermine journal uses this same tech, minus the addon function. Did I mess up by doing this? Is this ban deserved? My program can only download the data, it’s not buying the items or playing the game for me, just changing the files in my addons folder with the item id, auction id, and the prices of those finds. I’m not the only person doing this, either.
That depends on how you are doing it.
If you are modifying only the savedVariables and manually reloading the UI I think you can appeal as lots of addons are doing this already. I think some even change .lua files without a problem.
If you automated the reload/login/realm selection or interacted with window handles of the game client to send any kind of signal you are in clear violation of the terms of service.
Edit:
Even using keyboard/mouse macros of some widely used hardware brands can get you banned for ToS violations. Basically any automation without human interaction is a bannable offense.
What about modifying the addon folder itself? It’s doing the same thing as the savedvariables route but just in a different folder, right? Because that’s what I’m doing.
It updates the addon file and I have a macro in game for /reload. The macro being /reload bound to a key, nothing external outside of the game. I don’t even use my mouse keys because I know how those can be false positives. I tried my best to explain this to CS but they don’t care.
edit: I do have two bat scripts on my desktop that I use to quickly migrate my addons in and out of two folders. One to move the addons into my addon folder, the other to remove them. I was using this because it’s difficult for me to make precise clicks in game to turn the addons off. My feelings were that if I could have something on my desktop I could double click, it’d be quicker than trying to manually turn them off. Of course, I still have to /reload in game but I used blizzard’s macro system to bind that to a key I never touch unless I need to reload. All of my macros exist inside of the game and nothing outside of the game is touching the client in any way. I’m positive this is because of the python script editing the addon folder.
I even had a bunch of bans 3 months ago that took out all of my accounts. It took 3 weeks for them to look into my case and see that I wasn’t botting. I believe they re-banned me because of the script but this time they aren’t giving me another chance.
I contributed to an open source project for auction sniping using the API a few years ago, it was called GSA (I think) and that basically did the same you are describing. No bans.
We had a python script scanning AH data from the API, building addon files (I think it was a .lua file, not even savedVariables) and I built an in-game addon to quickly scan + place bids/buyouts on auctions matching the file.
We did have some key binds for the addon, some users even used the scroll up/down for faster use and to my knowledge that didn’t result in a ban for anyone.
I don’t know if perhaps using batch files might give a false flag to Battle net, we did not have those. The Python script did update the addon on the fly tho.
Unfortunately there is nothing anyone on this forum can do to help you as the staff here is not the same as the CS. I hope you can get your account back, this really seems like an error to me.
Support told me it was “injecting data into the game”. I don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. They gave me two permanent bans. One in January, which was a macroing ban and was reversed, then another one now, which isn’t reversed. They’re convinced I’m cheating or some sh*t. I’ve never installed multiboxing software before but I do use sniper addons. Maybe they hate people sniping now? Either way, they’ve banned my battle net account for appealing. Guess it’s no longer safe to use the web api program or the addon.