Is this against the ToS?

[Deleted]

There's a grey zone of help tools that are used for other purposes as well... Those are kind of in a blurred zone of being acceptable.
I am using such tool to avoid getting disconnected from falling afk while camping certain rares. But that tool can literally just do simple stuff like executing a key command at a defined time, and not much more. It's not a bot that could do complex actions.

That's not blurred, that's just botting and illegal tbh.

[Wildtree]

That's not blurred, that's just botting and illegal tbh.

you are not using a bot if you do in no way shape or form interfere with the data/files of the game. The use of a system command is not botting...

I use the exact same tool I use for editing repeat steps in text programs. Step 5. Paste text file X into this field...
And that is not botting.... That's legal use of a legal program that has absolutely nothing at all to do with WOW.. it never ever had WOW or video games for that matter as purpose. It's a tool that has QOL purpose in book keeping etc.

The tool would execute the key stroke with or without WOW being up. It doesn't know what's there. It just executes a key stroke, for which I define the time when.

[Deleted]

You are using an external program to do keypresses in WoW .. how is that not botting?

(This however is OT from the original question)

[Deleted]

i recall pretty surely there is a legal addon to automatically accept BG queues. i simply cannot understand the whole reasoning why it can't on pve instances. I mean, i swear to god, i sit in queue for 40+ minutes, i decide i need glass of water, come back "you have been removed...."

part of the reason i unsubbed aswel

[Toosdey]

Y'all rall on bots, but in Cata pre 5man nerf, on of the best tanks I ever healed was a bot through Stonecore. Tankbot was amazing, he went through the first two bosses and all the trash perfectly. Sadly he couldn't figure out third boss mechanics. That being said most tanks coming our of wrath could barely handle the first trash pack in there so hey, I was impressed.

[Wildtree]

You are using an external program to do keypresses in WoW .. how is that not botting?

(This however is OT from the original question)

because the defining factor is the interaction with wow data files.
A bot uses those. it reads them.. it "sees" herbs/ore/fishing bopper. Some can even fight to some degree...
My editing tool doesn't, it can't. And it couldn't do what the OP is asking either. Whereas a bot can.

[Deleted]

According to Blizzard:
Suppose i create a physical "wheel' that turns very slowly. I attach a pen to it, and every 20 mins the pen will touch my keyboard and press space and my character jumps. My char will never afk-logout.
That is called botting, and illegal, although there will be no way to detect this in game, since i actually press a physical key. Yet it is still an automated system.

Interaction with datafiles is in no way relevant.

- - - Updated - - -

If you logout, and log back in within a few minutes, your queue position is still there.

So if you really need to be afk for just 2 mins. Log out.
That doesnt work for going away for 20 mins though, and rightfully so. Not sure how long you can stay offline. I guess it's 5 mins?

I did check up on this. It is indeed a 5 mins "grace time" to allow for relogs with addons or random dc's.

So if you really just go to grab a drink, it's a good solution. If you want to go afk and play tennis for a while it's good that you will be removed from the queue.

[Raiju]

And that is why it is unethical or incorrect if they would ban you for it. Same reason if people script their Razer or Logitech hardware to do such a thing.

If they can not detect it then they can not enforce the rule.

Except they've banned in the past for actions being on a pattern with no known software present (no botting software at all), so it most certainly is enforcable and enforced.

[Tharkkun]

That's kind of silly that it's legal for addons to do it, yet you're able to do it with macros?

I don't know that's what Im getting from your statement.

I'm pretty sure he's referring to macros outside the game and not from our wow interface. You can record your keystrokes and have it playback as a macro.

[Rocks]

Having an addon that will automatically accept any queue pop of LFR and LFD??

So for instance you are afk, in the bathroom, making a sandwich, picking up your daughter from soccer practice, doing laundry, or any other number of things, you will always accept and get in to any LFR / LFD you queue up for.

I couldn't find anything in the TOS that would indicate that an addon like this would be illegal.

There were addons a couple years ago that did exactly this for you. There was also others that would auto-res you if you recieved a battle res, but Blizzard blocked their functionality making their use against the ToS.

Just remember the old addage, "If you have to ask it is probably wrong."

[Tharkkun]

because the defining factor is the interaction with wow data files.
A bot uses those. it reads them.. it "sees" herbs/ore/fishing bopper. Some can even fight to some degree...
My editing tool doesn't, it can't. And it couldn't do what the OP is asking either. Whereas a bot can.

A fishing bot didn't modify wow's files either and it's against the TOS. It would scan your display for the bobber and click it. Blizzard then changed water so the textures conflicted/blurred the bobber which helped confuse the bot. I laughed at all the cries from non legit fisherman.

[endersblade]

Use Razer or Logitech scripts for this. Apparently gaming companies don't care you macro stuff as long as it's done by Razer and Logitech hardware.

I don't know where you came up with this idea, but they very much DO care. There was a big fiasco when macro keyed keyboards started becoming popular, and Blizzard was banning people left and right for some of the things they were doing with them. I think they even updated the TOS to mention you couldn't use those macro functions if your keyboard supported it. Some of them would automate things, like a macro to break down ore into gems with one press. That's against the rules.

There were addons a couple years ago that did exactly this for you. There was also others that would auto-res you if you recieved a battle res, but Blizzard blocked their functionality making their use against the ToS.

Just remember the old addage, "If you have to ask it is probably wrong."

Huh, and when did they block them? Not more than 6 months ago, I was using dual boxing addons that did this and they worked perfectly fine. I keep my addons up to date still, and haven't seen anything about them having to remove that functionality.

[Buildapanda]

A fishing bot didn't modify wow's files either and it's against the TOS. It would scan your display for the bobber and click it. Blizzard then changed water so the textures conflicted/blurred the bobber which helped confuse the bot. I laughed at all the cries from non legit fisherman.

Yeah and it made visually impaired people like me, unable to partake in fishing.