Prohibitions on Third-party Software

[Thunderson-daggerspine]

The list is called: The law and Common sense.

[Nannexx-argent-dawn]

@Thunderson-daggerspine

Hi Kaivax, i don’t think players should play mind games with the game company with: What is allowed and what isn’t.

Players know how they can alter the code of the game with tools that are now available for them. Before A.I, these tools were only accessed by coders.

Third party softwares

These softwares runs on the background of the WoW client and they are restricted for a reason. The softwares are not working within the game and every software that does run background of the game is prohibited.
Players you need to understand this, as if you somehow benefit from the game code with these programs. You are stealing, and stealing is against the law.

Slow down a bit, AddOns are third party software aswell, just like keyboard and mice software. Those are third party softwares that are allowed. That’s the reason why Blizzard needs to differentiate between allowed and prohibited third party software.

[Thunderson-daggerspine]

@Nannexx-argent-dawn

w down a bit, AddOns are third party software aswell, just like keyboard and mice software. Those are third party softwares that are allowed. That’s the reason why Blizzard needs to differentiate betw

Well the benefiting factor needs to be taken here into the context. If you make money by selling Third party software and you use the game code, it is again stealing. No need to play gymnastics with this issue. It has been already set in stone when the game was released.

[Wardady-tarren-mill]

I would like to know what counted as 3 party programs/softwere back in the end of TBC. My OG account got perm banned out of no where and the reason was use of 3 part programs, I battled with blizz for 6 month about this before I gave up. I never exploited, never cheated, never bought gold and i did not use any 3 party programs, yes I used addons like anyone else but nothing that was a 3 party program.

One day I just coulden’t log in so I wrote a ticket saying I think I’ve been hacked the reply was nah you’re perma banned. =(

[Nazak-silvermoon]

This sounds more like a pr pitch from blizzard instead of actually implementing their rules and regulations .

[Nurzgroth-draenor]

So what then about software like Wingman-AI that simulate key presses in order to produce ingame actions? or paste /Cast functions to the chat in order to cast spells. are those legal or not?

[Nannexx-argent-dawn]

@Nurzgroth-draenor

So what then about software like Wingman-AI that simulate key presses in order to produce ingame actions?

Wingman AI is against ToS.

From their own site:

Commands

Use our pre-configured commands to trigger hotkeys, complex macros or even mouse input. Create your own commands and bindings. Let the AI decide when to use them without having to remember exactly what to say, or set exact phrases to minimize latency and reliable actions.

This alone should give you a big NO! sign.

As I mentioned before: The only third party software allowed for hotkeys are input device driver softwares, for example to program hotkeys to dedicated macro or MMO keys which WoW wouldn’t recognize otherwise through its own keybinding system.

Don’t use their macro functions to automate things WoW wouldn’t allow, though.

[Bloodina-boulderfist]

This will destroy my enjoyment of the game, as a prot warrior i will not be able to look at my buffs of shield block and ignore pain value, and even other addons, Like Details, Plater we have to be able to see next dangerous incomming casts

Norway

[Máz-kazzak]

This will destroy my enjoyment of the game, as a prot warrior i will not be able to look at my buffs of shield block and ignore pain value, and even other addons, Like Details, Plater we have to be able to see next dangerous incomming casts

Norway

[Nyxito-lone-wolf]

@Kaivax

We expect players to remove third-party software that bypasses the security of the game client, to avoid penalties such as suspension or closure of your account.

The thing about this is that this definition:

@Kaivax

Cheating: Create, use, offer, promote, advertise, make available and/or distribute the following or assist therein: any code and/or software, not expressly authorized by Blizzard, that can be used in connection with the Platform and/or any component or feature thereof which changes and/or facilitates the gameplay or other functionality;

… is so broad that it would cover things like a wireless headset, a KVM switch, dual monitors - you name it. They are all “used in connection with the Platform” to “facilitate the gameplay” without being “expressly authorised”. It’s a complete catch-all, so expecting people to use this definition to determine what they can and cannot do is entirely unreasonable.

That being said, I understand that this is the legalese version which allows Blizzard to have gray-areas and act accordingly, and that people should apply some common sense. Yes, using HDMI over DisplayPort is allowed, running a bot is not. Everyone can get on board with that, I think.

But what if you just wanted to run WoW in a virtual machine? I have a spare graphics card and a (local) server that is fully capable of running WoW with GPU passthrough. None of that involves cheating, botting, bypassing security protocols, multiboxing, “cloud computing” (still using a physical monitor connected directly to the graphics card) or anything else. It’s literally just playing the game normally but on a virtual OS. In my mind, that’s perfectly fine, but it’s clearly a bannable offense, legally (just like the wireless headset or your KVM switch is) if we apply the broad definition from the EULA and aren’t provided a very comprehensive list of “expressly authorised” software. Anecdotally, using Windows is also not expressly authorized (at least not in the EULA - might be in some document that ships with the launcher; I don’t know).

[Nannexx-argent-dawn]

@Nyxito-lone-wolf

But what if you just wanted to run WoW in a virtual machine? I have a spare graphics card and a (local) server that is fully capable of running WoW with GPU passthrough. None of that involves cheating, botting, bypassing security protocols, multiboxing, “cloud computing” (still using a physical monitor connected directly to the graphics card) or anything else. It’s literally just playing the game normally but on a virtual OS. In my mind, that’s perfectly fine, but it’s clearly a bannable offense, legally (just like the wireless headset or your KVM switch is) if we apply the broad definition from the EULA and aren’t provided a very comprehensive list of “expressly authorised” software. Anecdotally, using Windows is also not expressly authorized (at least not in the EULA - might be in some document that ships with the launcher; I don’t know).

Negative.
Running WoW through a VM will not lead to a ban and is not a bannable offense.
Nothing a VM does is what is covered by this “Third-party prohibitions”.
Running WoW through a VM is not supported, but it has and will never lead to a ban.

[Krondys-burning-legion]

There is no such thing as “common” sense. It differs geographically and culturally.

For everyone I know it was always obvious you have to watch hot drinks to not harm yourself but not for us guy/gal who sued company for that

The day I have to do PhD to play wow is the day I drop it like it’s hot

[Richardhuntr-silvermoon]

@Nyxito-lone-wolf

… is so broad that it would cover things like a wireless headset, a KVM switch, dual monitors - you name it. They are all “used in connection with the Platform” to “facilitate the gameplay” without being “expressly authorised”. It’s a complete catch-all, so expecting people to use this definition to determine what they can and cannot do is entirely unreasonable.

It’s that way because it’s lawyer speak for “we can ban you for any reason whatsoever, or no reason at all” (They even say that later in the same agreement!), it doesn’t mean they’re going to ban you for using wireless headphones, in the same way you won’t get a speeding ticket for doing 51 in a 50.