Using this software for work-related stuff and recognized the value of being able to keep additional windows ‘always on top’ when using multiple accounts. Got hit with 4 account closures at the same time; classified as cheating or hacking. The only account that was not terminated was the main window (the one not using the AOT feature). If it were anything else active on my computer - all 5 of my accounts would be banned (5 of them were logged in at once). Is there any chance that this is a false positive and has anyone had a similar experience?
(P.S - Software is owned / developed by Microsoft - I’d include links but it wont let me.)
It kinda does seem like it would be considered streamlining, which is not allowed.
Multiboxing, or playing multiple World of Warcraft accounts at once, is not a violation of our End User License Agreement. Please note, however, that use of all software or hardware mechanisms used to mirror commands to multiple World of Warcraft accounts at the same time, or to automate or streamline multiboxing in any way may result in account penalties.
For more information on our stance about input broadcasting software, see our official forum post.
The software even has a setting to NOT allow it during game mode.
Unlikely-- what you’ve described sounds like streamlining. They’ve expressly prohibited the use of any software to make multiboxing more efficient in any way beyond clicking or alt-tabbing.
The chance of a false positive is quite low. So, whether this is a false positive or not, we here can’t tell you. How ever, Microsoft does have some applications that would not be allowed to be running alongside for World of Warcraft. We can’t exactly tell you what they are.
If you have had your accounts suspended, submit an appeal and request for the logs to be double checked incase this was an error. But whether a program is considered as a use to cheat, we can’t tell you. Blizzard is extremely vague on this, apart from if it is used to streamline or automate gameplay, then it can put the account at risk.
Not if you’re using that feature. It’s not allowed with WoW. If you want to bring a window into focus, you must click on it. Otherwise as others have also mentioned, it’s considered streamlining by Blizzard.
Appreciate the quick response - I thought I should clarify my original post. There is no broadcasting of keyboard input or keystrokes to any of the windows. It is a simple feature that stops the window that you ‘pin’ to the screen from minimizing when another window is active (e.g - clicking another window). TLDR: its a visual alternative to pressing ALT + TAB. You still need to manually press into each window to send any input - after reading the links you sent, is this not what is specifically outlined as allowed?
Weve seen in the past where work and wow computers dont mix well what seems totaly non cheating and streamlining for work are viewed differently for wow.
Which does sound like it is making the process easier (i.e., streamlining). It is not just about sending inputs. We cannot make the process any easier to multibox.
It is even advised to NOT use the accessibility features built into Windows that allow you to hover over a program’s window instead of clicking on it.
You really need to separate your gaming system from your work. All too many times people have come here saying they use the same system for work and gaming. It’s always the work software that gets people suspended or banned nothing else.
Understood. I was under the impression that the stance was ‘zero mirroring = all good’. I didn’t know that resolution / windowed clients classified under the same punishment. I’ve never had any penalties before so I wasn’t expecting the sudden termination of 4 of my accounts. I use this software pretty regularly for organizing my workspace and the only benefit is visual (no gameplay enhancements such as the hover clicking, broadcasting or mirror input) so I didn’t think it would classify as assistance.
Missed this - the same standard rule applies to that software too. You need to click on the window to make it active (or bring it into focus as you said) to send any keystrokes to it. The ‘disable while in game mode’ feature is quality of life to stop you from hitting the shortcut that pins the window, which would ruin your resolution while you are in-game. I’ve worked with this software for a while and I would not be surprised at the ban if it enabled any extra functionality / gameplay enhancements like that - it is only used for visually organizing your screen.
We will never know which program is the culprit. There can be educated guesses? But Blizzard does not specify whether something gets a pass or not.
All I’m seeing is you trying to validate this program.
generally reads as streamlining. So don’t do it. Anything that is not an add-on built to interact with their playground, you shouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.
Do you multibox with it? If so, just be aware that we’ve absolutely seen several threads here in CS from multiboxers who seemingly got hit with account actions for violating the most recent multiboxing rules.
If you don’t multibox, then this would not apply to you.
As for any software being “illegal”, Blizzard will not and does not tell us what sorts of software can be running in the background ever. They don’t provide “approval” or otherwise. It’s up to us to follow the rules they set forth.
Lastly, this isn’t a feedback forum. Any sort of feedback or discussion on it would be better suited for the General Discussion forum.
Where the program is or isn’t illegal is not up for debate. The fact that any action software that can be used to streamline gameplay is indeed against Blizzard’s policies if running with the game.
I was replying to the comments in the thread about the assumed functionality of what the software does, I thought it was better to be clear about what it does and doesn’t do. I’m not sure how that came across as ‘streamlining’ when I was explaining a setting in the application that is intended to disable the shortcut within the software itself, unrelated to World of Warcraft. I’m not trying to validate or make any excuses - I don’t understand how software that has zero benefit other than customization of where you want windowed applications to be on your screen is ‘cheating / hacking’. I encourage you to check out the official documentation. It has no direct impact on the application as I’ve stated above and requires full manual control (and input) to use, including clicking on / focusing the window intended for keystrokes. It doesn’t have the functionality to assist the user in controlling multiple characters.
At the end of the day, you’re making an assumption that this particular software may have resulted in account actions. Blizzard will not tell you what software etc. lead to your account action.
All you can do is appeal the account action and that’s it. Speculating here will only lead to further speculation…not results.
I’ve tried to send an appeal and I received an automated response sadly. As for the state of speculation - my system is a fresh install and accounts that were closed (4 out of 5) were terminated at the exact same time and every single one of them was resized using the in-game interface and simply pinned to the screen. The only account that survived the purge was the account that that wasn’t pinned (fullscreen). If there was something else on my system that triggered the punishment, all of the accounts would have been banned. I appreciate the feedback though and hopefully I will have an update on how this happened soon.