Should multiboxing be allowed?

[jazen]

More power to them, if they want to pay for multiple subscriptions fine.

[Fayenoor]

If you are paying for multiple accounts, why shouldnt you be allowed to log in simultaneously and play on them together? I think legally Blizzard cant ban multiboxing

[hyphnos]

Multi boxing, as in owning and operating multiple accounts at once? Sure.


Software that allows you to replicate commands from one character and automatically transfer them to another character? No.

If you want to multibox herbing, then you’re going to right-click that node. With every single character you have.

If you’re going to roll around in a deathball of 40 nooonkin moonfiring things down, then you’re gonna need to hit that moonfire hotkey 40 times.

Seems like a logical compromise. Using a computer program to automate sending input to characters really isn’t too far removed from botting.

You mean a program like windows, that sends keypresses to running software?

Splitting keypresses is hairsplitting that flies in the face of what blizzard wants. which is a person pressing a key to initiate a character to do one (macroable inside the game) action per press.

software can do this. hardware can do this.

key repeating is nowhere close to botting. botting is when a person gets up from the fucking pc and the characters continue doing things on their fucking own. like a robot.

if a multi-boxer with key repeat software walks away from their pc absolutely nothing happens.

it's not a hard concept. get it straight.

[LordVargK]

Also, I see people complain about gathering nodes here, yes, multiboxers can farm way more materials per node but they also pay way more $$$ for that. I still don't understand why would multiboxers farm nodes to sell on the auction house when they can buy wow tokens instead and sell on the auction house for gold with no effort at all.

Would not be a problem if they would not make the nodes unusable for others. Either take the old system (only 1 can loot the node), which makes multiboxing obsolete. Or let nodes be looted for 30 seconds after first looted, giving non multiboxers a chance at looting.
With the current system (10 people can loot a node) one person with multiple accounts spoils the system for everybody.

[WowIsDead64]

I don't care, but recent changes towards making outdoor content more hardcore and less solo-friendly make me think, that Blizzard not only allow it, but also try to promote it. Because only way to have pocket tank/healer to make outdoor life easier without involving friend - is multiboxing.

[Sansnom]

The replies that are stating "Yes it should be allowed because blizzard allows it" are missing the question. The question isn't does Blizzard allow it, but in your opinion should they?

Erm. Is that what this poll is asking? Their answer is Blizzard allows it. It is legal. People may not like the answer but that is the answer they give.

My opinion is that the entire controversy around multi-boxing is it allows players to monopolize areas of the market (harvest-able resources) via outside of the game resources (money+hardware controlling multiple accounts). Those against multiboxing think this is unfair, and I agree with them. Personally I would just change the mechanics of harvesting so that it cannot be automated within the ToS, basically stop multi-boxing harvesting unless they "alt tab" to each toon.

I've got no problem with people multiboxing, but if I can't compete with someone due to their investment in accounts/hardware then there is an issue.

I fail to see how this differs if it is group of 5 people doing the same thing. The problem as I see it is one of perception. When people see a multi-boxer, they see one player. Not five. If the same number of people in a group is doing the same thing, would that be a problem as well?

I think people are used to see solo player questing and farming. Not a party. I have seen party levelling. Sure it is not a party of 40 but it is party of 3 to 5. Rare but I have seen it. Just as rare seeing a multi-boxer in my experience.

[Trollokdamus]

I still don't understand why would multiboxers farm nodes to sell on the auction house when they can buy wow tokens instead and sell on the auction house for gold with no effort at all.

Because the point of multiboxing (in most cases) is to farm vast quantities of gold so you can avoid paying for the game with real money. Buying tokens would defeat the purpose of that.

Their answer is Blizzard allows it. It is legal. People may not like the answer but that is the answer they give.

They still answer the wrong question though so their answer is irrelevant.

[Kaleredar]

You mean a program like windows, that sends keypresses to running software?

Splitting keypresses is hairsplitting that flies in the face of what blizzard wants. which is a person pressing a key to initiate a character to do one (macroable inside the game) action per press.

software can do this. hardware can do this.

key repeating is nowhere close to botting. botting is when a person gets up from the fucking pc and the characters continue doing things on their fucking own. like a robot.

if a multi-boxer with key repeat software walks away from their pc absolutely nothing happens.

it's not a hard concept. get it straight.

Yeah one action. Per character.

You’re not doing one action per character. You’re doing one action per multiple characters.


If the game intended for you to be able to take actions across multiple characters... why can’t you just do that?

This isn’t some addon that’s parsing data readily available to a player like a DPS meter, or something that’s storing already cached information like some AH addon suggesting you flip a stack of iron ore. It’s doing something that you as a singular person cannot do and that the game cannot do without having a completely separate program entirely do the task for you. You Aren’t splitting those commands. The WoW client isn’t splitting those commands. Third party software is processing it and interacting with the game for you.


The reason blizzard doesn’t care, I dare say, is not that they believe “multiboxing is within the spirit of the game,” it’s because that person is paying for all of those accounts and will absolutely likely continue doing so.

So if you’re on the side of “it’s tacitly allowed... because it turns blizzard an easy profit” then... good for you, I guess.

[Sansnom]

Yeah one action. Per character.

You’re not doing one action per character. You’re doing one action per multiple characters.

That is the key thing. The person is still in control. The player is controlling multiple characters. Bots are banned because there is no people input. In multiboxing, there is a person providing the input.

We can agree, disagree, argue about the definition etc. But the one import rule is, is there a person in control? Keys do not press themselves, so to speak..

[schwank05]

I think if you figure out any way around anything or how to cheese anything it should be allowed. I don't see there a such thing as exploits, I just see creative people or lucky people that find solutions to problems.

[arkanon]

Does it suck when i am running around and 5x multiboxer globals me? Yeah, fucking annoying. Is it funny when you find them running from A to B with 4 on follow, and you mind control the leader off a cliff? Yeah, absolutely.

Is it annoying when you are trying to do a quest and there is 4 boomkins and one BM monk multiboxing and aoeing everything down? yeah. Is it funny dragging every mob you can find over them and watching them get overwhelmed and die? Yeah, very amusing (although harder as the expansion goes on and their gear improves, early on its super funny)

If they are the other faction, i find just killing the BM and therefore his statue to be equally enjoyable, watching those silly crit chickens panick and bounce around as they get swamped by mobs is great fun.

They seem devastating in a random battleground, until you remember that everywhere the leader goes, the other team has essentially committed 5 players to that location. Easily exploited and is usually a VERY easy win, with just a tiny bit of communication from your team.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

I think it's pretty lame. I won't lie that over the years I have from time to time had a second account that I would use to run an alts through a leveling instance or used it to mule resources around / create portals for my main to cities and other such things.. but.. I never used it to be able to hit someone with 6 pyroblasts at once in world pvp. Or to multiply my herb income as I gather resources.

[RickEU]

As long as no rules are broken

- - - Updated - - -

How lolll?

[MrFawlty]

Whether it 'should' be is pretty irrelevant, regardless of if we like it or not Blizzard allows it.

And Blizzard would never put profit before gameplay would they.....?

[Djaye]

Its like with mass botters, multiboxers = more $$$ for Blizzard.

botters arent inputing actions, the program does it for them. a multiboxer has to do every action and key press in the game. every movement and ability has to be pressed by the user.
why is it so hard to see the difference?

do i like it, no. is it against any type of ToS or rules of the game, no.

yes, multiboxxers provide alot of revenue for blizz, but it has nothing to do with why multiboxers are allowed in game.

[Swnem]

It gives an advantage, therefore it is cheating. It's allowed cheating currently, but it should not be.
It has the added disavantage of helping to hide bots, which are against the ToS and destructive to the game economy.

[Sithalos]

As far as I'm concerned it's botting. It also fucks the economy.

Blizzard will never outlaw it though. Bobby needs his 12th yacht, paid for by degenerate whales.

[Swnem]

botters arent inputing actions, the program does it for them. a multiboxer has to do every action and key press in the game. every movement and ability has to be pressed by the user.
why is it so hard to see the difference?

do i like it, no. is it against any type of ToS or rules of the game, no.

yes, multiboxxers provide alot of revenue for blizz, but it has nothing to do with why multiboxers are allowed in game.

Have you seen how to multi-box? You need a program that inputs the same command to the other accounts. This isn't people playing with 5 keyboards or tabbing comands between each instance of the client. This is 1 command gets copied and sent to the other clients. It's really not that different from what a bot does. The bot is simply scripted in advance while the multiboxer does it in real time.
It is not an individual controling each client. It's a program that replicates inputs. In practice it's one player and X bots of that player.

[Relapses]

As far as I'm concerned it's botting. It also fucks the economy.

Blizzard will never outlaw it though. Bobby needs his 12th yacht.

Multiboxers make up less than 1% of 1% of WoW's total subscribers. If you think that minute fraction of subscribers are somehow helping Bobby Kotick finance a fucking yacht, I have some ocean front property in Colorado I'm sure you'd be interested in.

[MrFawlty]

Haven't read the whole thread (just the first 12 pages), but Mulitboxers can go DIAF. The mental gymnastics of "Waa waa it's not automation I'm pressing ONE button!" (that is then being copied & broadcast AUTOMATICALLY BY 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE on FOUR OTHER INSTANCES OF THE GAME) has to be Olympic level, at the very very least.

Just to show Blizzard inconsistencies, I will leave this little gem here. Around MOP-WOD, there was an addon that Randomized your Titles. Makes sense, right? By MOP, anyone who did a decent amount of achievement hunting had over 30 titles. I had around 40-50 at the time. So, what this addon did, was that it simply changed your title, randomly, every time you zoned anywhere and got through the loading screen. A fun, inconsequential addon that just added a tiny bit of fun flavour. Much like the addon that randomized your mount.

Well guess what Mummy Blizzard did. They BANNED that inconsequential addon, that did NOTHING ELSE but change your goddamn TITLE, due to it being considered "automation". The idea was that, since the action was done AUTOMATICALLY BY THE ADDON, and not by the player opening his Char screen > titles > scroll down to find your title > click to equip, the action was considered automation. I will not dig up the blue post, anyone that wants to fact-check me is more than welcome, but I remember it vividly.

And just to add insult to injury, in Legion, they added the "Summon random favourite mount" button, in the default blizz UI, basicly absorbing the Random Mount addon. The levels of hypocricy are disgusting some times. Random mount summoning is all fine and dandy, but random title switching when zoning was not.

It's very simple, if they can’t profit from it they probably will ban it. If they can profit from it, then game rules, game integrity other player in game experience don’t matter. It’s the only reason multi boxing is allowed.