Keycloning software clarification

Community General Discussion
1

Just to be clear:

  • "We will soon begin issuing warnings to all players who are detected using input broadcasting software to mirror commands to multiple accounts at the same time (often used for multi-boxing). "

This means you have no issue with multi boxing through KVM switches, using VMs or playing multiple toons across different computers and sync’d with macros and various inputs, correct?

So basically the only change is no ISBOXER or the like? The big multboxers will still exist and keep doing what they are doing…

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2

Hold on, I read this as Bliz doing what CCP did: multibox software is legal; using key broadcast/multicast like 99.999% previously were is not. So you can continue to have your MB software arrange your windows and such like, but no longer can you send your keystrokes to multiple WoW instances.

3

KVM switches can still do that. My understanding is you need multiple cpus or VMs to make that work.

I do know most secondary CPUs don’t need any real specs since you really will not even be looking at them.

Based on verbiage you can clone key commands with hardware, just NOT software

Edit - you may be right on the window placement. Its kinda why I asked for clarification

4

Blizz will just adjust strategy. Because if this turns out to be the case then the core issue remains unresolved.

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5

I imagine the conversation would go something like this:

Blizz: Hello, we have detected the use of keycloning software on your account and are warning you that your account will be actioned if you continue.

MBer: ACHTULLY, I’m using a KVM switch to duplicate inputs, not software, therefore you can’t ban me.

Blizz: Oh shoot, since we have no way to tell the difference on our end I guess we have no choice but to believe you and let you go, sorry for wasting your time.

MBer: No problem! I have to go and bang my 10/10 supermodel gf now!

Blizz: wow, nice!

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6

It depends on if their intent was to stop bots as many have said here or if their intent was to stop multi boxing.

Their verbiage indicates they only care about software which directly relates to bots.

Nowhere have they said they want to outlaw multi boxing

Edit - they only said they would issue warning for software. Not that they will check logs or any other ways to check multi boxing.

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7

Using Virtual Machines makes software like the Warden pretty useless because it will only scan the local virtual machine for a key-stroking program.

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8

I was thinking in terms of bots only.

9

Multiboxing, or playing multiple World of Warcraft accounts at once, is not a violation of our Terms of Use. Please note, however, that use of input broadcasting software may result in account penalties.

For more information on our stance about input broadcasting software, see our official news post.

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10

Actually they can tell on their end. ISBOXER had an add on. I am also sure Warden can detect it.

EQ tried several similar things with their true box servers (1 account allowed to play per time) and even those were worked around

11

If blizz would just disable multi tapping resource nodes the whole reason for multibox farming would be dead immediately.

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12

THANK YOU!

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13

Expect that have made it clear that multiboxing is fine, provided you do not use software to repeat key commands to different clients. This was never about multiboxing, it was about a software that was being used to automate game play to a level they didn’t like.

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14

Or if they just made nodes a personal resource that only you could see and interact with, no one would give a fly damn about it.

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15

Blizzard is not against multiboxing, you’re misunderstanding what Blizzard considers the core issue. They even after this announcement went out of their way to specifically state they are ok with multiboxers so long as they don’t use software to broadcast/mirror their inputs.
The core issue for Blizzard is to combat bots who utilize this type of software to “multi-bot”.
Hardcore multiboxers (of which very few will remain) will still exist unless Blizzard says otherwise. And the gross ones like that weirdo Prepared (40+ boxer) is crazy enough to try.

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16

No? because farm spots exist. I think they would rather ban the problem itself rather than destroying their vision for their own game because of some people using a illegal 3rd party program.

17

I would say its more these methods are not easily detectable/enforceable, particularly in the case of separate VM instances, sending the keystrokes to duplicated VM clients in sync acts outside the OS the game client is running on, there is nothing blizzard can do in this instance.

What they can do is disrupt how easy it is to setup via simpler install program X methods which will cut down on it a bit.

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18

The op is saying they can still use hardware to broadcast/mirror their inputs. Its a loophole which achieves the exact same result… it just cant be detected by blizzards anti-cheat systems.

Edit: As a community we should probably come up with terms to differentiate legitimately playing multiple game instances via separate keybinds, swapping windows, using in game macros /follow etc and using exploitative software or hardware configurations where inputs are duplicated across all instances of game clients to keep the different accounts in sync (i.e play one character but act on many). The former is fine the later is not both fall under the “multibox” term.

19

This sounds like a unintended work around. But maybe blizzard thinks the effort to invest in some hardware isn’t the same deal as people downloading a program because they watched a YouTube video about making gold. People will still do it, but probably a lot more rarely now because of the new barrier of entry.

20

I’d assume what might be happening is the programs and boxers use might be interfering with the bot detection, or people that are running bots are using the same software to get insane results

So blizzard had to knee cap it

I’m sure some tech wizard can work it out for us and give us more details

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