Are autoclickers allowed in WoW?

By autoclicker, I mean a program like autohokey that simulates mouse clicks, but does not make intelligent choices like a bot. The user would still be active at the keyboard, but wouldn’t have as much carpal tunnel problems :slight_smile:

Thanks

No, as that would fall under automation. Autoclick programs, macros, and anything that automates keystrokes/mouse movement (regardless of whether they are actually making choices or not), is strictly prohibited.

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Interesting … I did a search on reddit and the consensus is that as long as the player is at the keyboard and is not using a bot type program, it is allowed …

Do you know of any blue posts that address this specifically?

Is not a reliable source. For actual sources, have a look at the support site and the ToS. I’ll highlight the relevant parts!

As for blue posts, all you’ll most likely get is a “use at your own risk”. The blues will say the same thing as any other regular in the CS forum. Blizzard cannot give a yes or no answer because someone, somewhere, will try to find some kind of loophole.

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Dude, I know reddit is not reliable, that’s why I am here … though in retrospect, I should have asked blizz in a ticket instead of using the forum

I am aware of the ToS, but I had heard that things had been somewhat relaxed in recent years to accommodate people with disabilities and other health issues.

Unfortunately, asking in a ticket won’t provide you with a yes or no answer either.

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/is-it-against-the-rules-to-run-an-automated-auction-house-scanner-on-two-dozen-realms/1185697/15

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/offense-use-of-bots-or-third-party-automation-software/1160045/5

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Automation of any type is not allowed.

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Well that’s a bummer, as I get older my arthritis gets worse and worse. I guess I will just have to stop playing eventually

There are still options. You could email the Accessibility Team at Blizzard and/or AbleGamers.

https://www.ablegamers.org

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I am not disabled, just middle aged

The bad thing about programs like those are that while they absolutely can make it easier on someone who is suffering health issues, those programs too are absolutely used illegally by the less than scrupulous crowd.

I will offer a bit of a warning too, in addition to what has been posted here. If you even have any sort of program like AHK even on your system, Blizzard’s Warden system can and will detect it and they have, in the past, suspended folks for it because they don’t generally see in ‘context’ of why it’s there (for legitimate or illegitimate purposes). Only that it’s there and it can be used to break the rules. So that’s something to be wary of too.

And accessibility doesn’t necessarily mean disabled. It’s making the game playable for anyone who may have something that would be an issue with play. Whether it’s carpal tunnel or someone who has vision issues ranging from colorblindness to no vision at all. That covers everyone.

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There are lots of different things that organization does, not just help the disabled. If gamers are having issues accessing any game, it is their goal to help them anyway they can. There are alternative devices they might be able to suggest as well.

Edit to add: There are options within the keybind area of the game options that allow you to bind the action key to something else on your keyboard. You can do that, as well as click normally. That should take some of the strain away!

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Honestly, if I was suspended for wow detecting some program on my computer I would just quit wow for good. They have no business looking at anything that is not occurring outside of gameplay. That would be way way out of line from a privacy standpoint

It’s not really a matter that is up for debate. If their system can detect it while you’ve also got their game installed, that’s all they need. I was only trying to offer that advice because we absolutely have seen many cases over the years of this. AHK in particular has been one of the more prominent programs people have gotten dinged on historically.

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I can’t control their behavior … AHK is a valid, useful tool for productivity and games and it only becomes their business when it is used in WoW. If they want to lose a customer, that would be their decision

Blizzard is never going to approve any third party program that doesn’t originate with them.

It could be the most benign program in the world today, and be totally changed to something unscrupulous tomorrow.

If a post approving it was put out today, and it later turned into malware, 20 years from now, folks would point back at the approval post.

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Yes, and also predominately used by cheaters.

If you are not aware of what Warden is, it’s Blizzard’s service that scans your computer for these types of programs running.

Not necessarily. It doesn’t garnish private information. What is running on your computer is not considered private information. It only looks for programs running and reports that back to Blizzard.

As Warden can not be disabled, if you don’t like this all you can do uninstall WoW, the launcher and everything else related to Blizzard.

Point to note - many game companies do very similar things to help combat cheating.

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I don’t think any of that changes anything I said. It is truly messed up that you believe that a large corporation examining what programs you are running is not a privacy concern. I would reexamine that position.

I have never used AHK in game. I do use it in other games and software and that is not a concern for Blizz.

If you have some type of automation program on your pc even if not active it can get you banned from wow. By agreeing to the TOS you agree to let warden scan your system when your logged in.

Any type of program like that your best not have installed period. Unless you want to get your account banned.

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Hello Tinylock,

This seems to have gone off the rails a bit. You have your answer, directly from a Blue in fact. Insulting the people trying to help you on the most heavily regulated subforum in WoW is not going make any points.

I’d suggest a break. Good luck and have fun.

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