PSA: Stop using this Microsoft Windows default setting (to avoid getting a suspension/ban)

WoW Classic Season of Discovery
1

Microsoft Windows 10 has a default mouse setting “Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them”. This allows the mouse wheel to affect windows (in this case World of Warcraft clients) even if they do not have focus.

Players (myself include) started using this default setting to control multiple characters that’s fairly simple:

  1. Play World of Warcraft in windowed mode
  2. Bind World of Warcraft in-game macros to mouse wheel
  3. Mouse over the intended World of Warcraft client you want to execute the macro on
  4. Scroll mouse wheel

Thinking this type of adventuring was within the Terms of Service because the actions of each character are being executed individually and streamers had done it for weeks, I decided to give it a try too. However, after playing like this for a few days I received 6month suspensions for “unauthorized cheat program (hacks).” A bit confused because I hadn’t used any cheat programs, I opened an appeal ticket. After my appeal got denied, I decided to try to understand what part of this type of adventuring violated the Terms of Service.

Here’s what I learned:

First, I opened a ticket and asked if it was okay to write a multi-line in-game macro and bind it to mouse wheel. To which I was told:

“Generally speaking for macros, as long as the in-game systems are used it would be allowed. This means those multi line macros are possible and commonly used by many players. As for using the mouse wheel, that typically would also be allowed. There are two main things to share in this regard. The first is 3rd party software. It’s not related to what you ask, but I have to cover that: https://support.blizzard.com/article/000013078 The other is a general idea of ‘if it feels like it’s against the rules, it’s best to just not do it’. I know answers about the subject is a frustrating and this phrase can be a good way to play it safe to avoid problems if something isn’t directly answered.”

Curious if Microsoft Windows was considered a 3rd party program I opened another ticket. In the reply the GM told me:

“Microsoft Windows 10 is an operating system; hence, it’s not considered a third-party program. Third-party software is a computer program created or developed by a different company than the one that developed the computer’s operating system. For example, any software running on a Microsoft computer that was not created by Microsoft is third-party software.”

Confused once again, I submitted another ticket where I outlined how I had been playing and asked if playing with this Microsoft Windows 10 default setting and World of Warcraft in-game macros bound to mouse wheel was against the Terms of Service. To my surprise, I actually got a fairly direct answer:

“Ultimately this decision is not something Support can make, it’s entirely in the hands of the WoW Team what they consider to be against the spirit of the game.”

There it was. Despite there being no 3rd party software used, all actions being executed individually, streamers playing like this for weeks, and YouTube videos advertising this as legal gameplay, it appears the WoW Team now considers this type of adventuring to be “against the spirit of the game.”

This post is strictly informational so other players do not receive suspensions for what they may also perceive as legal gameplay.

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If this is well intentioned and a legit issue, then kudos for spreading the word. However, I will point out that most people are going to look at this through the lens of you using some automated botting function and you got banned >_>;;

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Why not just play 1 character?

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I’m guessing the mouse wheel inputs are still being sent to the active client in addition to the inactive client that is being mouse wheeled on. Thus, violating the key broadcasting rule in the ToS.

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6

It’s a shame multiboxing wasn’t banned over a decade ago.

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Multi-boxing is way more fun than playing one character IMO. It’s more challenging, and allows you to do content “solo” that would normally require you to find other people.

I dual box a Resto Druid and a Rogue. It’s really fun to sneak through dungeons and kill bosses that I wouldn’t be able to solo with one character. I can also heal and tank / DPS dungeons in a full 5 man group simultaneously, which brings a ton of value to the group.

As for the OP’s post, I always tell people to just alt-tab between windows and play each character individually like you normally would. Any sort of perceived advantage is going to get you reported, and Blizzard is too lazy to look into how you’re actually playing the characters. They’ll just ban you without question, and the appeal process is apparently a sham.

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Because some turds thought that sending mails taking 1 hr was a good idea

9

Yeah it sounds like you were playing within the rules they set, and that support response is absolutely braindead. Support isn’t allowed to interpret the rules as written? If something is against the spirit of the game, it’s the devs’ responsibility to codify it into the game rules, not to interpret on the fly.

If they wanna ban boxing they should just do it outright.

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Ah, yeah, that would do it.

11

Gonna pay $15 a month to send instant mail? :worried:

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12

Have fun playing retail.