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[Update:Un-banned] 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Moderator: MiRai

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Enko

Posts: 27

Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:58 pm

Post Fri Nov 09, 2012 7:25 pm

[Update:Un-banned] 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Finished Friday's daily about 2 hours ago and logged off. When I tried to log back on to do Saturday's daily, my 2nd and 3rd account popped the following message:

"Your Guild Wars 2 account has been terminated due to botting, extended unattended play, using macros, or similar behavior. Attempting to automate gameplay through any means or attempting to circumvent idle-time restrictions in any way is in violation of the User Agreement and Rules of Conduct. The account closure is permanent."

I have filed a ticket on both accounts so we'll see what happens. Oddly, my main account did not get banned.

I have not used any programs besides ISBoxer so no scripts, macros, etc. I'm guessing some people reported me and Arena Net didn't even bother checking the validity of the claims.
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Biggcarl

Posts: 160

Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:18 am

Post Fri Nov 09, 2012 8:06 pm

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

this is what i got



The software you are using allows you to interact with a character without even having to be looking at it. Automation of game play is a violation of the User Agreement. You state that its not a "bot" because it requires the push of a button. At some level, so do the "bots" you are referring to. Your system automates game play and thus is viewed as a violation of the User Agreement. Please do not attempt to use Guild Wars 2 in any way other then exactly what the development team has included and in the manner it was intended to be used. General thought is, if you have to ask, its probably not legal.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.

See you in Tyria!

GM Xionaque
The Guild Wars Support Team


What you have described is against the rules. You are controlling two characters with a single macro. That is not how the game was designed to be played and that is not allowed. You can run two screens on your computer if you want, the accounts belong to you and the computer belongs to you. The second you start playing them at the exact same time that is a violation of the User Agreement and you could have your account terminated if you are caught doing so.

I feel I should also bring it to your attention that I am part of the Game Surveillance Unit here and reports of this caliber are brought strait to my attention, so you can feel confident knowing that what I tell you is true, the software you are using is a violation of the User Agreement because it automates game play you otherwise couldn't do without it.

Hope my explanation was able to help clear up this issue for you. Please refrain from using any 3rd party software with Guild Wars 2.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.

See you in Tyria!

GM Xionaque
The Guild Wars Support Team



Lax may need to do some contacting at Anet.
Multiboxing: (Mul-ti-box-ing)1.physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.
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Enko

Posts: 27

Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:58 pm

Post Sat Nov 10, 2012 12:12 am

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Where in the EULA does it state that you're not allowed to have more than one account at the same time? I could multibox the way I used to with one account on each computer and three keyboards and that would be bannable? Only thing close to this that I could find in the user agreement is that each account can only have one user. It doesn't say that each user can only have one account.

Lax, you mentioned in another thread that you had met Mike O'Brien and Pat Wyatt who didn't see a problem with multiboxing. Any chance you still have any contacts at Anet?
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Biggcarl

Posts: 160

Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:18 am

Post Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:36 am

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

ya i think this gm is just uninformed on how Isboxer works ive asked to have my ticket escalated to a Senior GM.
Multiboxing: (Mul-ti-box-ing)1.physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.
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Enko

Posts: 27

Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:58 pm

Post Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:55 pm

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Looking at the official forums, it looks like a ban wave went through on Friday night. Not really sure what their criteria is for counting an account as a bot. There seems to be a lot of users on the forums saying they don't know why they were banned but we'll never know if they were actually using bots or not.

Anet's stated policy on 3rd party programs is here: https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/s ... y-Programs

The best way for a player to assess whether a specific third-party program could have any impact on another player or a PvP opponent is to ask:
• “Does this program allow someone to play faster, better, longer, or more accurately than someone who doesn’t use it?”
• “Does this program allow someone to ‘play’ when he/she is not at the computer?”
• “Does this program allow the user to gain undeserved rewards?”

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”—or even “maybe”—then we strongly recommend that you do not use the program because to do so may place your Guild Wars or Guild Wars 2 account in jeopardy.


ISBoxer doesn't meet any of those . ..
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Prepared

Posts: 160

Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:34 pm

Post Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:28 pm

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Biggcarl wrote:ya i think this gm is just uninformed on how Isboxer works ive asked to have my ticket escalated to a Senior GM.



The GM is uninformed about what the term "Automation" means. He skimmed over the critical piece of the entire difference between a bot and multiboxing. It's the same as the difference between a bot and a normal person playing the game without multiboxing. That is, every action that happens is the result of a USER (person - player whatever you want to call the person behind the keyboard) doing something such as either a mouse or keyboard action.

When describing multiboxing, macros shouldn't even be brought into the conversation because it doesn't apply. It's a completely separate thing.

On October 3rd, 2012 I opened a support ticket to clarify if multiboxing was allowed. Here is my ticket information along with the response I received:

Support reference number: #121003-001110

Is Multiboxing allowed?

I tried to search the forums but couldn't find anything related to this.

First, let's understand what we're talking about so these terms are defined below.

1. Multiboxing is defined as playing several accounts at the same time by one player. The player is at the keyboard playing the game just like any other player except the player controls several characters on separate accounts. The multiboxer is the player controlling the characters by pressing keys and using the mouse.
2. Multiboxing software - This is defined as software that sends the players keystrokes and/or mouse to all Guild Wars 2 clients for separate accounts. The same key pressed goes to all of the clients at the same time. A mouse button pressed goes to all of the clients at the same time in the same location.

There is no automation. There is only keys and mouse commands being sent to all of the game clients at the same time by the player that pressed or pushed the mouse button. The player makes the decision about what key to press to activate which skill at the time decided by the player. If the player wants to have all characters dodge at the same time, the player presses the key to execute that action.

Because Guild Wars 2 does not have a follow command, the process of controlling the direction for the characters is difficult but not impossible.

So the question is, is this allowed or will there be a ban to any players playing multiple accounts at the same time? The Guild Wars 2 User Agreement appears to state that more than one account can be used. Section 4.a states: "The Game requires at least one Account from NCsoft. You acknowledge that it is Your responsibility to establish any Account needed for the Game and to comply with any NCsoft provisions for establishing and maintaining such Account(s)"


This is the response I received today:
Hello,

Thanks for contacting us! Owning and using more than one Guild Wars 2 account is not against the user agreement, as long as there is no automation. If you have any other questions or concerns about this or any other issues, please let us know.

Best Regards,
GM Mourdyth
Guild Wars Support Team
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Prepared

Posts: 160

Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:34 pm

Post Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:39 pm

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Enko wrote:
Anet's stated policy on 3rd party programs is here: https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/s ... y-Programs



As far as a gaming company approving the use of any third party programs, there is NONE of them that do that. Name any gaming company, Blizzard, GoPotato, whoever, none of them approve the use of any programs because it would take too much time to confirm their use.

What the gaming companies will do is state whether or not the use of their game is allowed given a description of what is happening. In other words, if you describe the use of their game (Guild Wars 2 in this case) to farm gold by automated game play without a player at the keyboard but a program doing the actions for the character, they will tell you that is against their User Agreement.

If you state that there is a player at the keyboard controlling multiple accounts owned by the same person and each action that each character does is the result of the player pressing a key or using a mouse, they will tell you that is allowed. -- NOTE --- There is no mention of macros, no mention of bots, no description comparing to macros or bots. This entire issue is around the necessity of involving a user behind the keyboard just as any normal player playing the game including testers, developers, anyone. That's what you have to make your case to ArenaNet about.

I haven't been playing lately as I've been on World of Warcraft for the last month or so but I've been watching this game by viewing forums, etc. There was a ban wave that went out on last Friday that apparently hit a lot of players that weren't botting. The problem, based on the posts shown in GW2 forums is the GM (or GMs) involved in the ban wave don't understand the key difference between a bot and non-bot. They're just throwing things out in their description and skipping over critical pieces because they don't understand what automation means.
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Prepared

Posts: 160

Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:34 pm

Post Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:55 pm

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Prepared wrote:
He skimmed over the critical piece of the entire difference between a bot and multiboxing.


Clarification of what I mean by this is the GM states:

"You state that its not a "bot" because it requires the push of a button. At some level, so do the "bots" you are referring to."

This is the key piece that this GM is skimming over the critical difference between multiboxing and bots. Based on his description, every single person (including developers, testers, the CEO, Beta Testers, customers that bought the game) that ever played Guild Wars 2 is a bot because the player pressed a button.
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Enko

Posts: 27

Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:58 pm

Post Mon Nov 12, 2012 9:00 pm

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

If they respond to my ticket at all, hopefully I can get it elevated. If they don't want people using multiple accounts at the same time, I wish they would just say that.

From this ban wave, I suspect that a lot of people were just banned if someone had reported them for botting at one time or another. Seems like there's way too many posters that said they got the bot ban message. There's even speculation that people are just griefing each other with it. It doesn't look like Anet really did much investigating on any of these.
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Prepared

Posts: 160

Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:34 pm

Post Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:59 pm

Re: 2nd and 3rd Account Just Banned

Enko wrote:If they respond to my ticket at all, hopefully I can get it elevated. If they don't want people using multiple accounts at the same time, I wish they would just say that.

From this ban wave, I suspect that a lot of people were just banned if someone had reported them for botting at one time or another. Seems like there's way too many posters that said they got the bot ban message. There's even speculation that people are just griefing each other with it. It doesn't look like Anet really did much investigating on any of these.


I played straight every day multiboxing at least 4 characters from level 1 to level 48 the first month of release of the game. At various times I would go to multiboxing 8 or 12. I have 12 accounts in total and none of them have been banned. However, I stopped playing when WoW Mists of Pandaria was released. Many times during multiboxing GW2, I was told that I was reported even when players chatted with me. I told them I was here playing the game just like they were, but some didn't like that I had more accounts. Does it hurt anyone in the game when you're multiboxing? No, no one at all. If you're playing PvP, you're at a severe detriment to yourself because there is no auto follow so other players have a definite advantage over you.

To ban a player that doesn't affect anyone else in the game is of the utmost nonsense by a gaming company ever. I could see maybe if a multiboxer were farming an area over and over to collect items to sell and make gold from and then sell that gold. Anyone in the game can do that though even those not botted. But short of that, there isn't anything a multiboxer is doing in the game that would affect anyone else. During PvE, the multiboxer helps the dynamic events as long as there isn't a lot of movement involved because he can't auto follow.

EDIT: By the way, when I was playing, I was completing entire maps before moving on. I had 4 rangers with bear pets doing hearts, dynamic events, vistas, waypoints throughout the starting Norn area, then moved on after the first map was completed 100%. I did that all the way to level 48 for the first 4 or 5 maps. So I would have found it ironic that a GM would have banned me when I was playing the game and had absolutely no involvement with farming of any kind. I bought some bows off the market in the game at a few level points so I could kill easier.
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