Blizzard Investigating Kick Bot Macros and Automation in Rated PvP

[Lumy]

Blizzard Investigating Kick Bot Macros and Automation in Rated PvP
Following up on feedback posted on the official forums and a YouTube video from Bicmex showing how gamebreaking kick bot macros can be, Blizzard has announced that they are investigating the issue and will take appropriate steps to address it as soon as possible.

Hello everyone.

We all know blizzard try to fight scripters, third-party program usage and cheaters in general.

So I want to talk about ClearTarget() function.
First of all I’m not a developer and some of the code below can be terrible (but working).
Secondly, we all know that CastSpellByName() function is protected to avoid unintended usage.

But what about this?

/run if not (UnitCastingInfo(“target”) or UnitChannelInfo(“target”)) then ClearTarget() end;
/cast [@target, exists, nodead] Spell Lock
/stopmacro [exists]
/targetlasttarget

or, perhaps, this?

/run if(AuraUtil.FindAuraByName(“Banner of the Horde”, “target”, “HELPFUL”)) then ClearTarget() end
/cast [@target, exists, nodead] Death Coil
/stopmacro [exists]
/targetlasttarget

or this (protect HoJ in Grounding)

# showtooltip
/run for i=1,10 do local D = UnitBuff("target",i); if D == "Grounding Totem" then ClearTarget() end end;
/cast [@target, exists, nodead] Hammer of Justice
/stopmacro [exists]
/targetlasttarget

Fade protection

#showtooltip
/run for i=1,10 do local D = UnitBuff("target",i); if D == "Phase Shift" then ClearTarget() end end;
/cast [@target, exists, nodead] Intimidation
/stopmacro [exists]
/targetlasttarget

These simple macros can help users automate their gameplay. For example, such macros can make interrupts always hit other player’s cast or prevent spells usage if there’s any buff (like divine shield or anti-magic shell) that denies their impact.
In my opinion, many people could’ve used such macros to have advantage over other players in arena.
I think it’s a big problem for the whole PvP community and it should be fixed as fast as possible.

Bicmex video:

This is rn working on retail wow, and 8/10 shamans that you will meet and not only shamans use this.

In addition to all this, there is a program that automatically presses the button for you with a macro called AutoHotKey.

And now I turn into a warlock and begin the ritual of summoning wow community council.
Move my topic to the consuls section. So that Blizzard would fix this problem as soon as possible, which has existed for unknown years, and is already occurring in rated pvp. Even people like Jaime x322 R1 gladiator use these macros on AWC.

https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...auto-grounding

Bonus Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV2WBbqO4DA

[jk1895]

This is how the spell should have always worked. Very good macro! They shouldn't remove it.

[ONCHEhap]

This is how the spell should have always worked. Very good macro! They shouldn't remove it.

This is why no one takes WoW players seriously

[Azadina]

Kickbots have been in pvp for as long as I can remember, but nice of them to fix a minor part of it after nearly two decades....I guess?

[-Multani-]

I remember this behaviour being briefly introduced in the game (during BC I think): if there was't anything to interrupt or dispell, the game didn't let you use your spell.
Players started complaning that it was too much handholding and it was quickly patched.

[Julmara]

guess blizz tries to grab low hanging easy fruits that are there for quite a few years ?
easy player positives

[Railander]

there's no reason ClearTarget() should be an unprotected function.
we already have /cleartarget for use in macros, and i don't see the use-case of addons/scripts being able to cleartarget.
make ClearTarget() a protected function and problem solved.
i'd also question the reason for the existence of /stopmacro

[merywow]

the question is why not a single idiot reported ClearTarget() at hacks@blizzard.com before
sweet dreams now average players

[thilicen]

lol people have been reporting this since Cata

[Dommon987]

I'm fucking disappointed, I thought that skill was required in wow pvp and it turns out that just being a sh!ty cheater is enough.
There is NO honor, respect or glory now. Everyone who won a gladiator title with these types of macros is GARBAGE!

As far as I'm concerned, anyone with 2.4k+ rating before and during dragonflight is NOT useful, it doesn't measure your skill. Now for me being a gladiator is equivalent to being trash.

F*** everyone who has used it.

YOUR GLADIATOR TITLE MEANS NOTHING YOU ASSHÖLE, YOU ARE TRASH!

Blizzard needs to delete, remove rewards and titles from ANYONE who used these macros. And ban them!

[Snotset]

It's been around since I played wow in 2003 through the friends and family invites. Except back then there were more interesting stuff back then as for example macroing a whole rotation into a oneclick button without issuing hour long cooldows like you do today. Or at least last I tried it... It's why I stopped arena in season 1/1 (TBC). And I have flashbacks to this day from doing the weekly conquests in BFA. always some SOD around with autotarget-cast crap

[Dastreus]

I begin to understand why PVP was such ASS in WoW. I never knew this existed, and was always frustrated that some people, no matter what, seemed to counter anything you'd throw at them immediately as it comes out. Stopped PVPing. Thought I was shit at it or something.

[Thes]

I begin to understand why PVP was such ASS in WoW. I never knew this existed, and was always frustrated that some people, no matter what, seemed to counter anything you'd throw at them immediately as it comes out. Stopped PVPing. Thought I was shit at it or something.

Eh, you probably were. Although kickbots have existed since the dawn of time (TBC...) the use of them wasn't wide spread enough. When you are bottom of the barrel when it comes to PVP, anything anyone does seems like a hack.

It's not just WoW, play some shooter against competent people and it will feel like they are wallhacking and aim botting while in reality they just read you like an open book and have practiced aim for countless hours.

[Duende]

Eh, you probably were. Although kickbots have existed since the dawn of time (TBC...) the use of them wasn't wide spread enough. When you are bottom of the barrel when it comes to PVP, anything anyone does seems like a hack.

It's not just WoW, play some shooter against competent people and it will feel like they are wallhacking and aim botting while in reality they just read you like an open book and have practiced aim for countless hours.

Nah sorry to say but he has a point. Countless hours of practice is not the same as knowing how to macro something into your keybinds.

[MarvelDK]

Thanks for putting this out for people who didn't know about it, now every game I've been in on my healer has been 100% insta-kicks for every spell I cast that isn't instant.

[Anuibus]

This was hotfixed out a day ago.

[Thes]

Nah sorry to say but he has a point. Countless hours of practice is not the same as knowing how to macro something into your keybinds.

Outside of these unintended macros you are probably garbanzo if you don't macro anything.