Multi-Boxing. Finally. The facts.

The question was "is multiboxing allowed?" and he answered:

"

"our current stance on multiboxing is that you're welcome to run multiple clients on the same machine, but you should be playing each one. And if you're using tools to proxy your input between then and stuff like that, then that's an unfair advantage.

So if it's exactly the same as walking between 6 computers and you move the mouse on each one to control the characters that's no problem at all, but as soon as you're running cheesy programs to make it so that you're effectively running one guy with a pair of six [ed: I think he meant six guys running as one?] then that's a problem"

So reasonably clear... but a clarification in the TOS would be beneficial imho.

Edit: put it inside a quote for readability

"

cryptc wrote:

The question was "is multiboxing allowed?" and he answered:

"

"our current stance on multiboxing is that you're welcome to run multiple clients on the same machine, but you should be playing each one. And if you're using tools to proxy your input between then and stuff like that, then that's an unfair advantage.

So if it's exactly the same as walking between 6 computers and you move the mouse on each one to control the characters that's no problem at all, but as soon as you're running cheesy programs to make it so that you're effectively running one guy with a pair of six [ed: I think he meant six guys running as one?] then that's a problem"

So reasonably clear... but a clarification in the TOS would be beneficial imho.

Edit: put it inside a quote for readability

if this is the case, he did not actually say it was a bannable offense, but he did allude to it becoming one day...or at least taking away that advantage.

It seems all he stated was that it was unfair to use replication programs and it was a problem, but not illegal or against the ToU/ToS.

I hope it is, but we will have to wait and see when and if they decide to comment on it more in depth.

I agree, it's their stance, but not really clear on policy or enforcing... but it's the only official response I've seen so far (despite the fact that every time there is a thread about multiboxing 90% of the replies are "this has been answered before noob lrn 2 play" basicly)

We can only hope that a legitimate and formal answer comes soon then. One that fully clarifies whether multiboxing is bannable offense or not. I hope it is, and they find a way to find it without causing non multies to get banned. But until then, we have to consider it allowed, as much as you dont want to. Its not cheating until its against the ToS/ToU.

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AintCare wrote:

yeah, because its those multiboxers saying that, same reason they made this pathetic thread, if they were truly smart they would keep doing what they are doing without making it public

Though I somehow doubt a multiboxer made this thread...they may have posted in here a few times, but I doubt they originated it. They prefer not to stay in the limelight for risk of being banned when the decision is made against them.

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AintCare wrote:

If the quoted earlier response from one of the devs is in fact legit, then obviously it is not allowed... this is beta and they are figuring stuff out, so i dont mind.. and I know multiboxing will still be happening even if its against the policy, just like botting for many other games... i would just like to see it on the 'cheating' side of things

If that is actually what the Dev said, he at no point in time during that quote said that multiboxing isnt allowed. Putting words into their mouths helps no one.

What I did see him say about it was it was 'un fair advantage' and 'a problem' but he did not say it was against the ToS/ToU. With the way every other company dances around with terms, they need to be more concise with wording. Otherwise we get things like Charans post.

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Charan wrote:

When people ask, I say multiboxing is not disallowed.

This isn't the same as encouraged or enthusiastically supported. It just means GGG knows it happens. They made accounts free. They'd have to be ridiculously naive to not realise that multiboxing would be a direct result of free accounts.

GGG designed this game with certain drop rates, difficulty and promoting group play to make PoE as fun to play as possible. But, if you have good enough computer to run few accounts at once, you can completely bypass that balance.
Low drop rate on rare orbs and items? No problem, I'll just log few more accounts for extra 300%+ drop chance for free.
Difficulty? What difficulty, my ridiculously rich from multiaccounting hero has no problems with content.
Group play? Lol who needs that, me and my alts are completely self-sufficient.

I don't know, how can anyone think, this won't have any negative consequences in PoE?
It's like you would found some exploit in single player game, which allows you to fonish some quest over and over and take extra rewards. Hey, it's not cheating, cause game allows me to do it!

Problem is really misconceptions... people think "multiboxing" is botting, or running around with a full party of your own and rocking like you were a full party of human controlled chars.

I am by the definition of the word, a multiboxer, since I use a laptop in addition to my desktop, one account on each and play a second char at same time (witch summoner, so low maintenance secondary character). Controlling both manually the same way it would been done if I had a friend sitting beside me playing it. This has been confirmed to be ok (and also obviously not really detectable, unless they ban multiple players on from same IP)

Then there is isboxer software that lets you run several clients at same time, which as far as I can gather, is also legal, as long as you don't activate key/mouse repeating between the clients (which makes it pretty pointless to use).

Then finally botting, where a program is playing the game for you without you doing anything, which is the real problem that actually can affect the economy meaningfully.

No, I didn't mean boting. I meant multiboxing, exactly what you and this:

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cryptc wrote:

Then there is isboxer software that lets you run several clients at same time, which as far as I can gather, is also legal, as long as you don't activate key/mouse repeating between the clients (which makes it pretty pointless to use).

are doing. It will ruin the game, but at least you will make yourself rich in PoE. Have fun.

Level the playing field. That's all we non-multiboxxers ask.

I'm done with this thread till it get's a dev response, just like i am taking a hiatus to see how important issues like this turn out, if GGG moves in a direction parallel to games I dislike, I won't be back, if however it moves diagonally (which it has done thus far) I'll look forward to many years of this game.

The drivers you use for your mouse require a script too. Doesnt mean the mouse script is automated.

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valarias wrote:

Level the playing field. That's all we non-multiboxxers ask.

I'm done with this thread till it get's a dev response, just like i am taking a hiatus to see how important issues like this turn out, if GGG moves in a direction parallel to games I dislike, I won't be back, if however it moves diagonally (which it has done thus far) I'll look forward to many years of this game.

If it moves in the direction of saying multiboxing is allowed, where will you go? Will you stay or will you move on to a different game? Just curious.