So, in some unfound wisdom, Activision Blizzard Inc. has decided that key broadcasting i.e. multi-boxing using software to run multiple accounts is now going to be against the TOS.
Yes, I am a multi-boxer. I received the 5 emails that I am now violating the TOS because of unfair play. I run 5 accounts for PVE and instance running only. I do not multi-box PVP. I pay for 5 subscriptions, I just paid for 5 epic editions of the software which I paid $79.99 each. I also pay monthly for the 5 accounts. I have been paying monthly for the past 15 years.
I don’t fight you in-game, I have to collect 5 times the items you have to collect for quests and often many more kills for stupid drops that require a number of mobs before the quest item drops, I have to kill many many more items than you did. I chose to play this way because the game is more fun trying to solve the problems with a team.
Do I bot? No. Do I sell gold? No. Do I flood the auction house with items? No. I play the game and try to solve the problems of the game with a team of 5. I try to run instances as the healer tank and DPS. I have to deal with the phasing of many areas of the game, I have to deal with people calling me a botter all the time. I have to deal with comments that I can’t just pick a toon and play the game. It’s my money, the monthly fee x 5 is more than you will ever pay Activision Blizzard per month. I spent almost $400 on this upgrade, to play the game the way I choose to play. Now, after payment, I can’t play the way I have played for many years.
I am not winning. Haters gonna hate as TS says. So, the shift is now going to be hardware. Here is how I do it now, and how it will be done in the future:
- Now
Software that only broadcasts the keys I press. I do not use Isboxer as that also broadcasts the mouse, which I feel is too close to botting. I use older software that is very basic, one key at a time.
I spend many hours writing and modifying macros, in-game, so when I press “9” it does different things per toon. Follow, mount, shoot etc. That is how it is done here.
When I die, I quickly have to reassign a leader to have them be the one that is targeting (again) fully within the guidelines of 1 press per window per key.
I do not use macro keyboards like the G5. I do not use bots of any kind to automate anything. I press a button (usually 1-0) and then with macros, play the game.
- The future:
As I read in the forums, I will also develop a HARDWARE solution.
Option 1:
I will run 5 VMs (virtual machines) that send 1 keypress per VM. As this is a windows level entry, there is no broadcast software. No software that warden will detect as it is at the OS level. Keypresses will be outside of searchable memory for Activision Blizzard inc.
Option 2:
I will use a USB device that has 1 input and 5 outputs (identical outputs) and run WOW on 5 separate computers and monitors, thus not violating the TOS. The toons would still be teamed together, they would still have in-game macros and I will still do the same thing I have done as before. I will still multi-box. I have enough computers and monitors here to accomplish this now. But, why? because hardware, not software, is ok?
Option 3:
There is an addon that will allow accounts to do tasks based on what is entered in chat. That does not include any broadcast software and is doing everything according to the TOS. But, still, people will complain that a team is working together in Azeroth.
Is the real problem that I pay 5 times more than a single user and it makes people upset that I spend my hard-earned money on this game? Ban the token and game time system for multi-boxers… That would increase revenue.
If the broadcast software is the issue, Hardware or in-game addons will solve that issue. Which IMHO is STUPID. If what I do is so bad, ban me completely and refund my money for this expansion.
Blizzard - $~15 a month x 5 = $~75.00 - I think I pay for the privilege to use the 5 accounts. How does it make financial sense to say I can only play 1 and you get $15 instead of $75? And when the expansion upgrade happens, I pay $ ~400 instead of ~$80??
Flame on,
