Is multiboxing cheating?

[Sevyvia]

Technically, no. But I still think people who do it are scummy. Certainly have taken the opportunity to distance myself from players when it became obvious that they multiboxed. Or botted. I consider it basically on the same level.

[LuminaL]

The complete answer is that technically, no, it is not cheating by multi-boxing. In reality, yes.

Blizz prefers to deal with the technical answer. You are good to do multi-boxing (and thus giving them more money) provided that you aren't using supplemental software to control the multiple characters. This means, theoretically, that you are either manually jumping between multiple computers, or actively alt-tabbing between each individual instance.

In reality, the vast, overwhelming majority of multi-boxers use supplemental software that lets them control the multiple characters simultaneously or via macro'd commands. If you are caught by Blizz, then you will get banned. However, it is pretty uncommon to see them get banned. Blizz will not take the word of reports at face value (no matter how much proof and detail you provide), so they will have to have a GM see the obvious first-hand or Blizz software has to detect the supplemental software.

actually blizzard cares only if there is someone behind the PC controlling the character for it to not be considered a bot.

[alturic]

It ain't cheating but it sure as heck is the "game" equivalent of purchasing a Hummer. You've got the money to flex but you clearly are flexing for a reason.

Is spending $65/m considered a lot for entertainment and even then, that's if you go full-group sizing which few people actually do.

That's like saying I'm flexing because it costs me $50 to fill my gas tank, while a little 4-cylinder only costs $20.

[RoKPaNda]

The complete answer is that technically, no, it is not cheating by multi-boxing. In reality, yes.

Blizz prefers to deal with the technical answer. You are good to do multi-boxing (and thus giving them more money) provided that you aren't using supplemental software to control the multiple characters. This means, theoretically, that you are either manually jumping between multiple computers, or actively alt-tabbing between each individual instance.

In reality, the vast, overwhelming majority of multi-boxers use supplemental software that lets them control the multiple characters simultaneously or via macro'd commands. If you are caught by Blizz, then you will get banned. However, it is pretty uncommon to see them get banned. Blizz will not take the word of reports at face value (no matter how much proof and detail you provide), so they will have to have a GM see the obvious first-hand or Blizz software has to detect the supplemental software.

That's not cheating though, Blizzard is well aware that people do that and it's very easy for Blizzard to detect and they don't ban them for it. Multiboxing isn't cheating.

[alturic]

That's not cheating though, Blizzard is well aware that people do that and it's very easy for Blizzard to detect and they don't ban them for it. Multiboxing isn't cheating.

I have no dog on the fight, I've done it before for leveling, outside of that never found any sort of reason to do it though.

Multiboxing, at least the traditional way (using software to send the keystroke) is teetering on the edge, and dare I say over the edge. On one hand, you are breaking the ToS using software to control the keystroke (I believe that's the no-no, using any sort of software?), on the other hand you are technically still hitting the keystroke, it's just not you->game. It's you->software->game.

There's no real advantage to having the software in between you and game, and I guess Blizzard is ok with it in this regard. I am pretty sure it's technically against the ToS though, at least in the wording they have. Of course, a ToS is there so Blizzard can use it as a reason if they enforced it.

[LuminaL]

Cheating? No

2 students have a test on friday. They will be given the book they have to study on wednesday. Student A decides not to wait until wednesday to recieve the book, so instead decides to buy the book on their own on Monday.

Student A has a 2 day advantage over student B. They both sit down for the test and answer without cheating.

Student A had an Economic advantage. He used it to properly study for the test. He didn't cheat on the test and held to all the rules and regulations

your example is wrong because its like student A hired 3 other people to read the book and then go into the exam and help him for every question.

[Lushious]

I run 3 accounts atm (Without any software). Started with 2 accounts in BFA and I've not regretted it on bit - its a major convenience improvement. 3 accounts may be a bit too much - but as I've graduated and landed a nice job - 3x sub isn't really a problem at all.

Anyways. Follow is disabled when you're in PvP combat introduced with Legion or BFA afaik - so I don't see a problem with it

[Cobman]

Since u pay for all different accounts its fine, 1 shoot me in world pvp all u want, i pay 1/5 what you are paying so im the winner here lol DD

[Thetruth1400]

There's many programs that send same keystrokes to all clients, but I don't think that's considered a 3rd party program.

I've never understood that logic by Blizzard. Use a third party program to change your appearance? OMG BAN!!!!! Use a third party program to repeat your input across 5 characters? Perfectly acceptable!

I bet if I owned 5 accounts, remotely logged them in from several different points around the world and ran that same program they'd ban them as bots even though they'd all be owned by me, controlled by me, etc. just logged in in different places.


That aside, it's a grey area of cheating. Blizzard doesn't ban them as cheating, but they are using a third party program to mimic keystrokes so by Blizzard's policy, they should be banned. Gotta get that extra sub money though so it won't happen.

[Paperfox]

No it isn't cheating.

I've done it in the past I was just leveling toons. It was an interesting challenge to set up two toons so that you can control them with inputs on one keyboard. I think I got them up to lvl 60 or so.

[bloodrunner]

Several year back, i came across a 5 boxer in Eye of the Storm. He could capture a tower by him self with 5, but the rest of his team suffered because of that. I was playing my Druid and blew him off the ledge when he was hiding. Definitely a PITA, but legal where Bliz stands.

[Sim]

Yes and No.

Multiboxing itself isn't illegal due to their terms of service, you can have as many characters as you want.

But they "say" using 3rd party programs to bot is illegal. But the only way to control more than 1 character is to bot the other characters.

So Blizzard turns a blind eye to the obvious breaking of their ToS through the use of 3rd party programs because it gets them more $$$.

[rrayy]

Yes and No.

Multiboxing itself isn't illegal due to their terms of service, you can have as many characters as you want.

But they "say" using 3rd party programs to bot is illegal. But the only way to control more than 1 character is to bot the other characters.

So Blizzard turns a blind eye to the obvious breaking of their ToS through the use of 3rd party programs because it gets them more $$$.

But the other characters are not botted. They still respond to what the player pushes. As long as the player is at the controls of all the toons, it is not botting. Botting means the toon runs without any human interaction.

[Lochton]

Hi guys,

I've come across some videos on multiboxing and I was wondering if this is considerated cheating by Blizzard. I've found information on this but it was from some time ago, so if you have some I'm curious to know.

I know that playing on an account of one of your friend isn't allowed by Blizzard so I want to know what is allowed when you have multiple account under your own name?

I'm also curious about having two account played at once but without addon (swithing widows manualy)?

This is not a thread to say how grate this is or to encourage this type of behavor, I just want to know Blizzard point of view on this.

Thx!

No, it isn't.

It is permitted by Blizzard as long as you don't have any automated abilities.

[Sim]

But the other characters are not botted. They still respond to what the player pushes. As long as the player is at the controls of all the toons, it is not botting. Botting means the toon runs without any human interaction.

This is where people start using semantics.

No you have no human interaction beyond the original character you are using. You have a computer program mimicking your keystrokes. You're not pressing "w" for all 5 characters at the same time. You're pressing it for 1 and the program doing it for the other 4.

Windows is a 3rd party program. Your mouse driver is a 3rd party program. Your keyboard driver is a 3rd party program. Your storage drivers are 3rd party programs.

Please stop talking about computers as though you have any idea how they work.

Please stop talking as if you actually had a point to make because at no point did I ever state any of those things were not 3rd party but you're waving your arms around like I even came close to classifying anything as such.

Just like your lousy bombastic post you miss the point entirely which isn't surprising. Blizzard is on record stating that operating characters using a 3rd party program is illegal to their terms of service. Now what does that even have to do with your storage drivers? Nothing. Because they don't play the game for you, your analogy was devoid of any semblance of coherence.

The point was specifically toward using a 3rd party program to bot your character. Not my toaster. Not my shoe. Not my Car. In case you get lost along the way.

[Dellis0991]

It's not cheating but it is frowned upon.

[Qeldin]

Not cheating but should be banned nonetheless. Unless you are using all the accounts by yourself at the same time, you will need the use of a 3rd party software to control the characters, which is basically boting (and against tos).

[Tumile]

If it was up to me, I would not consider it cheating. You can not do anything more with multi-boxing than you can with getting a group of players together and acting for a common goal.

its an unfair advantage, gold grinding u will gain 100% more income per account u are multiboxing. it is not against the ToS, and I do it myself for that reason, but i do consider it pretty fucking unfair, for a multitude of reasons.

[Gorgodeus]

The complete answer is that technically, no, it is not cheating by multi-boxing. In reality, yes.

Blizz prefers to deal with the technical answer. You are good to do multi-boxing (and thus giving them more money) provided that you aren't using supplemental software to control the multiple characters. This means, theoretically, that you are either manually jumping between multiple computers, or actively alt-tabbing between each individual instance.

In reality, the vast, overwhelming majority of multi-boxers use supplemental software that lets them control the multiple characters simultaneously or via macro'd commands. If you are caught by Blizz, then you will get banned. However, it is pretty uncommon to see them get banned. Blizz will not take the word of reports at face value (no matter how much proof and detail you provide), so they will have to have a GM see the obvious first-hand or Blizz software has to detect the supplemental software.

Your entire post is 100% false. Blizzard explicitly allows the use of multi-boxing software, and has stated as such several times. MB software does not control the secondary toons, and Blizzard would not allow software to do so. It simply relays keystrokes. There are even addons for multi-boxers, that work in conjunction the the MB software. They have been around for years on curse/twitch, and Blizzard has had no issue with people using them.

I have been multi-boxing WoW for the past 14 years, know tons of other MB'ers, and none have ever been banned for using MB software.

[chaoticcrono]

multiboxing isnt cheating nor is it an unfair advantage since anyone and everyone can multibox if they so choose...