"Click" replication - Blue Tracker

#0 - Oct. 23, 2008, 6:50 p.m.

Hey All,

Velath, your friendly multiboxing clarifier of rules is back again! :)

A certain software program has popped up a couple of times in my multiboxing community, and we're a bit fuzzy on the legality of certain features. While the developer seems to think that they are safe, I feel they are more "gray area". I'd rather not see any of my fellows get banned due to a misunderstanding, so I am here to clear the air.

The current software in question is developed by Lax of Lavishsoft (if you recognize the name, you will likely understand my concern). ClickBoxer is a script, written for the InnerSpace platform. My concern with ClickBoxer is actually 2-part:
1) ClickBoxer utilizes InnerSpace's knowledge of WoW's RAM memory
2) ClickBoxer makes decisions, based on the state of WoW's memory, to position a click on a UI button

Software that makes decisions is generally frowned upon. Mouse multiplexing is relatively unreliable, because mice work on relative locations so it's often hard to keep them sync'ed up on your screen (and pretty much impossible if you have differing resolutions). Most software used by multiboxers is a simple keyboard multiplexer emulator -- it sends keys to all windows regardless. Neither mouse (unreliable as it is) nor keyboard multiplexers have any knowledge of what's going on within the individual wow windows nor make dynamic decisions about the inner content of those wow windows.

Never before have I seen a "click" replicator -- probably because nothing exists in hardware to emulate, and messing (even if it's just peeking) at WoW memory is something we generally stay away from. Hardware input is always 1-way (from user to computer) and doesn't make decisions based on the state of the windows, therefore all of our current software follows that trend for safety.

This is what Lax, developer/owner of LavishSoft, had to say when presented with section 14, paragraph A of the Terms of Use (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html):

Q u o t e:
...the portion you highlighted has nothing to do with the claims you are making about Inner Space. Inner Space does not intercept, mine, or otherwise collect information from World of Warcraft. The section you are highlighting has to do with packet sniffing (which Inner Space does not do), or reading WoW memory for purposes of collecting data about the game (which Inner Space does not do). For example, they do not want you running a program that collects information on all of the nearby mobs for you to determine if there is a rare mob for you to go kill (which people did in EverQuest all the time). If the claim you were making about Inner Space being illegal for residing in-process were true, then WinEQ, WinEQ 2, and a multitude of other software including software promoted on dual-boxing.com would be illegal.

So, given these facts, my questions are as follows:
1) Is reading WoW's memory bannable? According to Lax, it is only bannable when it has to do with packet sniffing and/or datamining. (I'll keep my personal opinion to myself)
2) Is making dynamic decisions (based on memory) about the location of a UI action button (in order to click it) bannable?
3) Is InnerSpace, as a platform (and by association to some known-naughty scripts) bannable? That is, will users who do NOT use the naughty scripts but DO use the InnerSpace platform be banned thanks to nefarious folks?

In final, I'm a hardware boxer so this particular program doesn't directly impact me. However, the precedent for reading memory, and making decisions about where a button resides in the UI so you can click on it, is a new one -- and I'd rather not see my fellows in the multiboxing community get banned thanks to misinformation or lack of information.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-Velath / Vyndree / Jennifer

Reythur

#39 - Oct. 24, 2008, 6:41 a.m.

Hey Vel,

While I'm not entirely sure about the significant majority of the workings on this program, some of it does indeed sound very questionable.

Q u o t e:
2) Is making dynamic decisions (based on memory) about the location of a UI action button (in order to click it) bannable?

This really does sound like automation of some form; as always, if it appears to be questionable it's best to just avoid it to prevent any possible issues that may arise with the use of something.

You may be better off inquiring on this issue on our UI/Macro forum where someone with a more technological background may be able to look into the issue for you. While I realize that that forum is generally specifically related to in-game User Interfaces, from other various comments within this thread it appears as if there is something that is related to an outside adjustment (i.e overlay) to the general World of Warcraft User Interface.

I'd personally avoid this as it does appear to be very questionable.

Reythur

#41 - Oct. 24, 2008, 6:47 a.m.

Q u o t e:
Seconded. In fact, I'd further recommend that you e-mail [email protected] about it.

I could agree with that; as they can take a look into the issue.

While you're not likely to receive a response, it's at least brought to their attention.

Thanks, Cog. =)

Reythur

#55 - Oct. 24, 2008, 11:02 p.m.

Q u o t e:
The question was: is making decisions about where to click in a UI bannable?

The wording of this question unfortunately leads to a large number of possible misunderstandings of what I would like to respond with. =/

Are you making the decision? Or is the software?

We're honestly touching upon very questionable grounds here, and I'm wary to provide either a positive or a negative at this point in time.

Due to the nature of Multi-Boxing (and as you're well aware of, we've deemed Multi-Boxing more than fine) there are always going to be questionable methods of approaching the practice. Replication of a keyboard press is a little less of an issue due to the way it works; however, software making adjustments of mouse placement depending on a number of variables determined by the user leans more towards automation.

While the use of the mouse to click on point A on screen 1 and point A on screen 2 is a little less questionable than the preceding example, it can still lead to some interesting and questionable uses of it.

I'd personally avoid it until the technology is 1) more well defined and it's limitations established and 2) a better understanding of it's specific intended uses are understood fully.

I understand that this isn't exactly the definitive answer you were looking for, and for that I apologize. However, I'd prefer to abstain from providing a definitive yes or no until more information is available regarding the technology.