Bots, Botting and the thin grey line.

I need to be 100% clear on bots. In no way shape or form do we endorse, recommend or encourage any activity that is in any way related to botting or unattended play of WoW. Those actions are against WOW’s terms of service and we will not promote any activity that is contravenes these limitations.

GSE is a mod to WoW. It only uses WoW’s API (Application Programming Interface - the functions Blizzard says Mods can programatically) and has no out of game elements. It requires a hardware action for each action it takes and can only perform one GCD (Global Cool Down) action per hardware event. It can look at events like procs and buffs but it cannot directly act on those. People ask us from time to time for “perfect rotation” macros GSE cant do that. GSE excels in taking some of the kludge work out but to get a perfect rotation you, the player, the human behind the keyboard and mouse, will still need to make some decisions on when to use a special ability to perfectly min/max the situation. You can be lazy and script these abilities into your macro and still be useful but you may miss special phases in a fight (eg Evocation time for Curator). These key differences are what makes GSE different to a bot: it uses no third party elements, it cant make decisions and it can only perform one action per hardware event.

What happens next is the grey line. Hardware manufacturers like Razer and Logitech include tools with their keyboards to be able to program the keyboard to a certain extent. These can be configured that when you hold down a key it will send multiple hardware events to WoW. Software applications like AutoHotKey, PunchKey, Keyboard Maestro and some home grown Java code available on these forums can also perform the same behaviours. What we know is that when these tools are used to remove the RSI (Repetative Strain Injury) inducing behaviours of spamming the same keyboard button over and over. No one has been banned for using these tools in this behaviour.

Some of these tools however have the ability to do more than cause a button to repeat over and over. Some of them can detect pixels at locations and then perform decisions. You as an individual may choose to use these functions but know that by doing so you are in violation of WoW’s ToS and do so at your own risk. We as a community will not tolerate any posts or discussions on macros written in third party tools like those mentioned above “to give the perfect rotation” as it moves us from the grey line over it onto the wrong side of WoW ToS. If tools like the ones above are abused and then enforced it makes the game less enjoyable for a lot of people for a minimal advantage.

Speaking now solely for myself as the author of GSE, I have spent a lot of time trying to find where the boundaries are. I have probed to see if there were ways around then within the confines of what is available to be used in game. If you use another mod and it has a way around those constraints I will endeavor to incorporate those abilities into GSE. However I can only do this if that mod is also playing by the rules. It would be awesome to be able to write proc based macros and have the perfect rotation. In my case I could spend more time worrying about fight mechanics.

3 Likes

Well said, and exactly where I saw the line drawn.

Was this prompted by some other incident that’s happened (related to BfA development or otherwise)?

1 Like

It was not caused by any incident but more needed to clear things up.

A lot of questions that pop up is: Can i use a skill when i have x amount of resources. Can i do this when a buff pops up. Can i use Pryroblast on proc.

They may then look for alternatives to be used for these and this is what we don’t condone on either forums or in discord.

Many will then have the misconception that AHK will play the game for them… it can be made this way if scripted but we only look at it’s simplest form of being another way to press the button by pushing the key.
As mentioned above, while no one has been banned for this, Blizzard have the right to change their stance and take action. More so is any of the above is abused.

Well said, if we stand on the right side of the grey line we can enjoy our favorite game for longer than crossing it and be banned. Btw good job Timothylukes for your addon and cymiryc for your macros, I appreciate them a lot !!!

Well said TL. The other problem with people crossing that line is that Blizzard will retaliate and make that grey area not so grey if they continue to see a pattern of folks abusing the system.

When we used to put the “0” in the marcos. (Back in Mists I think it was?) That could had given us the perfect rotation.

People want that “1 button that does it all” type of macro. That just does not happen anymore. Yeah sure, You can put CTRL or ALT or whatever you want in the macro so you can sorta hit your procs and such that way. Which does work and it is totally fine. But you just can’t make a macro that way anymore. (1 Button mash it until your your fingers bleed.)

I play AFF on my Lock right now on live, Which does have a sorta 1 button mash rotation. But I also have SOC- (Seed Of Corruption) on button 2. And I have Drain Life for a “Oh crap, I am gonna die” reaction on button 3.

On BFA-beta right now, On Demo I have Demonbolt on button 2 so when it procs off, I can mash it. :stuck_out_tongue:

I also have Implosion on button 3 (For AOE when all my imps are out.)

People always get crap for using macros. The argument is always over, You are just only cheating yourself of not learning your class and just do your rotation as you are supposed to do and you lose DPS also. Yeah, There is some merit to that argument. But I am 48 years old. Some fights are quite difficult these days when it comes to raiding. (I am a Heroic Raider.) But if I focused so much on my rotation? Then I start messing up with mechanics to a given fight. For me as I am a BC baby(Burning Crusade) it’s better to do the mechanics correctly rather than worrying too much over your DPS. lol

My point is, Is I am usually within our raids either 1, 2 or sometimes 3 (We usually have 12-15 people in our raids.) in overall DPS anyway? So using a macro has always been just fine in my case.

I been using this site since Cata I believe. I can’t even imagine now playing without a macro. It just makes you a better player IMHO. Keep up the good work Cym! You make some awesome macro’s brah! :slight_smile:

1 Like

Well stated, my sole purpose to use this has been to avoid RSI altogether, I am grateful I am able to play competitively (although never to the level of true masters) without cramping up my hands.

So I really hope no one starts crossing the line that renders this obsolete, it would definitely force me to abandon WoW due to RSI issues.

Well said, as someone who is not getting younger and starting to suffer from Arthritis I find GSE invaluable in helping me to continue playing and appreciate how much some people put into making macro’s etc, something I am not good at.

Auto rotation was all I ever needed anyway, thanks

I have helped a lot of players with bad hand condition and some who only have one hand to play with. macros have helped them enjoy the game again without struggling across there keys. they may not be top but a least there enjoying them self’s thanks to macros again. Its never been about automated game play and quite frankly having your computer do everything is boring and pointless playing.

Respect to everyone who put time in to the macros and the addon

  • BigShan
1 Like

tbh, it doesnt matter how you think or even are able
to explain wjat this does or what u stand for

if blizz doesnt like it, you are done.

some macros are on pair with botting

you use a repeater on your keyb or mouse like naga
software and u move and point

same as a bot does, fe honor buddy

the only thing that it also did, was use logic

aka, burst used, stun, cc etc.

its cool that u xplain what u stand for, but in all fairness

blizz wont care. If this can be used to get a upper hand, and it
does, you can be stopped

good thing is, they dont care

took the communtity 5 years + to moan to make em stop HB for good

lets hope they dont find a new target to moan about.

Cause it is easy to see who uses a lazymacro with trufigcd

you interupt someone instand new spell

no human can react that fast

you see someone acting spot on the gcd for a 20 min bg…

sure

lal :slight_smile:

[quote quote=59865]tbh, it doesnt matter how you think or even are able to explain wjat this does or what u stand for
if blizz doesnt like it, you are done.
some macros are on pair with botting
you use a repeater on your keyb or mouse like naga software and u move and point
same as a bot does, fe honor buddy
the only thing that it also did, was use logic
aka, burst used, stun, cc etc.
its cool that u xplain what u stand for, but in all fairness
blizz wont care. If this can be used to get a upper hand, and it does, you can be stopped
good thing is, they dont care
took the communtity 5 years + to moan to make em stop HB for good
lets hope they dont find a new target to moan about.
Cause it is easy to see who uses a lazymacro with trufigcd
you interupt someone instand new spell
no human can react that fast
you see someone acting spot on the gcd for a 20 min bg…
sure
lal ???[/quote]

You clearly have 0 clue what you are talking about, how GSE works or how Blizz “feels” about it. Pretty much everything that you said is wrong, but the one that really jumps out at me is: “Cause it is easy to see who uses a lazymacro with trufigcd you interupt someone instand new spell…”, You cannot autointerrupt using GSE in the sense that you outline it. You can include an interrupt in a rotation but it will just spam it without regard for wether the target is actually casting or for what they are casting which 99% of the time is going to result in you wasting your interrupt CD.

you missread me about the interupt, but ok.

Im wrong, you are right…

People who call and lump in Multiboxers with Bots are just Ignorant and need to be ignored. They threaten all sorts of reporting, but once vindicated you’ll be fine. I’ve been MBing for years in different games and GM’s always send emails or tells before doing anything, so as long as you’re not breaking the EULA, tell the complainant to jump.

m2c

I am just going to stop using Autokey, and spam the buttons manually myself again

[quote quote=59848]I have helped a lot of players with bad hand condition and some who only have one hand to play with. macros have helped them enjoy the game again without struggling across there keys. they may not be top but a least there enjoying them self’s thanks to macros again. Its never been about automated game play and quite frankly having your computer do everything is boring and pointless playing.
Respect to everyone who put time in to the macros and the addon
– BigShan[/quote]

As a disabled gamer of WoW for 13+ yrs, this is exactly why I use/need rotational assist macros / GSE etc. Thx BigShan for pointing it out, /hug!

1 Like

Hi, sorry dont type that well in english but, this addon GSE has really helped me out cause i only have one hand. my question is i can still use GSE right? just the addon nothing else (been doing that pretty much the whole time) or is it like not ok any more?

I do hope no one crosses the line and gets this add-on tossed out. I enjoyed wow for a few years and then hit a wall until i found gse. I have limitations with 2 fingers missing from the first knuckle on my right hand and my thumb messed up on my left. GSE has made so I can be competitive and enjoy parts of the game I could not do well in before. Thank You for all that you have done.

Blizzard does NOT have a problem with GSE.

But they have made it CLEAR to me that using it in combination with other programs like AHK or even the Razer Naga “Turbo” feature is not worth losing your account for.

So bottom line is that using GSE + AHK or any other program that spams the key = Automation and that breaks the TOS.

Heres a copy/paste of the response.

Greetings friend! Specialist Game Master Illiahlyn here, and I hope the day finds you well!!

Certainly not cool to risk losing your account!!! Any third party program that automates gameplay in any way is not allowed… and if something lets you push one button and then do multiple things… I like the saying: when in doubt, throw it out!!! but doesn’t sound like something I’d risk my vanilla account for =S

Please be sure to read over our Code of Conduct
https://battle.net/support/article/Blizzards-Code-of-Conduct

Have a wonderful evening!!! Let us know if you ever need anything else!!!

if i remember correctly, somewhere here at the forum TL was writing something like “GSE does one action per click” And you need to hold this button your self, so in my understanding its save to use.

1 Like