Dang, they removed a 3 letter word for ones backside! Is the bad word filter set to a G rating? I thought you had to be 13 to play EQ.
To verify what you are stating - you are saying that software that plays characters for you is Allowed as long as you are on a "Live Server" and "not AFK" - I believe that is what you are saying. That is what the heart of the question is here - not a specific software or a compiled version of said software.
Don't put words in my post. I said nothing of the sort. YOU are saying DPG freely allows AFK/automated play (they don't). What I am saying (I can't believe I am arguing my point with someone who so clearly wants only to hear affirmation of their own viewpoint) is that DarkPaw Games has stated, repeatedly, that AFK/automated play is not allowed. I'm done. Take your asinine argument elsewhere.
Can you please quote one place that I said that DPG's freely allows AFK gameplay? If you read the OP it specifically states this post is not about AFK gameplay. Your reading skills need a touch up. I asked you to verify that what I had read as your comment, was in fact the intention of your comment. Phrases like "To verify what you are saying" - "I believe that is what you are saying" - these phrases are asking for confirmation from the poster. Did you even look at Beimeith's flowchart? <Scripting Software> YES <TrueBox Server> NO <While AFK> NO = Allowed. <Macro Software> YES <TrueBox Server> NO <While AFK> NO = Allowed. I think it is less that I am "Putting words in your mouth", and potentially more that you have no idea what Scripting | Macro Software is .... it is Software that automates gameplay. Moreover, I don't have a viewpoint on this. I could careless which way they go. If they want to allow automated gameplay (while at your computer) ... that is fine by me ... but if they aren't allowing that, I would like them to enforce the rules and BAN players who are using automation programs. I think you need to spend less time "arguing your point" and more time reading the posts...
Posted this before, going to add it here too in this thread, since it is still relevant in regards to the use of IS Boxer. Daybreak has "Approved" the use of this software on most servers, excluding a few TLP's and Truebox conditions.
That's NOT what he is saying. Look, there are two main s/w packages used for boxing. One has NO WAY to automate anything. You want something to happen, you have to push a button. The other one, is pretty much based on automating stuff. You want to stay in line with DPG/EULA, use package A. You wants to take your chances? Use package B.
Don't ignore that I also said <Intercepts Data> NO and <Modifies Data> NO. There is a world of difference between A) setting up a keyboard macro that presses "1" every 60 seconds to forage for you (while you're sitting at the computer) and B) a program like M*2 which intercepts/modifies client data to fully automate a character. A) Is considered ok (even if I think it probably shouldn't be) but B) is now, and has always been, against the rules and bannable if you get caught. Where people seem to get confused is that M*2 is capable of doing something simple like a a key repeater, which would be an acceptable use, but they then try to say that makes it ok to do B) (fully automate via interception) which is NOT. And it's for reasons like that^ why they don't give a list of programs that are ok/not ok...because they can be used for acceptable things, but also used for nonacceptable things.
Thank you for clarifying. I was considering the "<Intercepts Data> as more of a SEQ scenario than an automation of a character. It sounds like the "macro|scripting" software you are referring to is more like gaming keyboard software. I was not considering that as "Scripting" as scripting usually involves a lot of IF | Then statements. Macarooni2 is literally C++ Scripting. So I had misunderstood your meaning of Scripting in the flowchart.
SEQ intercepts without modifying, but it's not one of the 3 things they look the other way about = cheating. Macaroni intercepts and modifies = cheating. Macaroni not intercepting/modifying AND you're not afk = not cheating. But, I've never met someone who used macaroni without the cheating parts so yeah.
Its pretty easy to not use any third party software. The game is actually designed to be perfectly playable without it. Im a bit of an old-fashioned purist in that regard, and I enjoy the challenge that the developers intended: Challenge accepted!!!
The IF this THEN that is a huge factor if you are deciding if what you are doing is Scripting that is allowed vs not allowed. Logic is the difference between automation and repetition. Your keyboard macro may be able to pres 1 1 1 1 1 for you. Maybe even 1 2 3 1 2 3 etc. but you the human have to decide when its time to press something different. Sitting in a zone afk pressing 11111 to fish will get you a vacation from EQ. Its AFK game play. But there is a night and day difference between this and full automation which will earn you a vacation regardless of you sitting at the keys or not. M^q2 is using the intercepted game data to apply logic. So it can react to "if this" happens in game "then" do this. This is a computer replacing the human playing the game with no penalty. The computer can play as well if not better than a human could. If the program/script/tool/etc you are using has knowledge of the game and or applies logic to its actions in any way. Its something you can get banned for. I really liked one of the posts that said ... If you for any reason do not feel comfortable Live Streaming everything what your doing and sending in a Petition for the GM's to come take a look ... you know the answer to your question. To me this should be the definitive check of "is this ok". Thank you Beimieth for putting the info-graphic together.
autofire.exe was illegal for a bit, then people said, well what about disabilites, gravis Pads, Gaming keyboards with repeat key features? You'd have to ban them also, no? So the rule became ok, use it, but if a GM sends a tell you'd best answer. Now autofire is a QoL feature. Automation isn't really cheating if it's not anything beyond timers and keystrokes. All of which could be done with keyboards, gravis pads, so software shouldn't be different imo. Not my personal cup of tea, I box the old fashioned way(s) and either use 2-3 PCs or just alt escape a lot. There is actually a thread on the forum buried way back that listed all of the software and what was / wasn't out of pocket. A dev posted it years ago. A refresher would be good, but also risks the Barbara Streisand effect of just making it more prevalent. The lack of clarity and potential for loss / fear of loss keeps many players from using them now.
With what many players have said regarding what is/isn't allowed. Why are we not asking DPG to actually enforce the rules? We know they can see when players are using Macarooni2 ... it is injecting into the client. On my server, players are straight up open with their use of macarooni2 ... I even /reported a player who openly said they used it to box... yet that player is still actively playing on my server. Why has the player base come to just accept DPG's indifference to using boxing software that automates gameplay?
We have asked them to enforce their own rules. They are enforcing their own rules. I reported several AFK groups in the last few months and they are all gone. Granted I submitted my petition with video evidence, which I think helps more fully color in the picture. The issue is that you want rules enforced that aren't rules at all. You want rules CREATED and then ENFORCED. Your dystopian eloquence isn't lost on me. I get you want answers. There are no answers to give you. You see someone you suspect of cheating, you /report and /petition. DPG's anti-cheat software is actively looking for cheaters, but doesn't catch everything. There is a balance in automation and if you turn the sensitivity up even slightly too high you can get MANY false positives, which cost the company even more in damaged goodwill, player frustration, customer service investigation - not to mention the opportunity cost of what those people could be doing instead. Retain your sanity and end your crusade. There's nothing to win here.
Have you read the original post? It specifically states that this post is NOT ABOUT AFK BOTTERS. This is about people who are botting characters while they are ACTIVELY AT THEIR KEYBOARD. I am hoping the capital letters will help you understand. Almost all of your post's on this thread have mentioned AFK groups... which literally are 100% excluded from topic in the Original Post.
