LOL... enjoy your temp ban... What you just admitted to is a TOS violation.
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Technically it's against the ToS (using 3rd pt softwares/tools), but it's impossible for SE to detect. And as long as you're still sitting in front of the screen, you'll be fine. This thing is pretty normal for MMOs these days, I would be more concern about this if it were nProtect, that thing scans your PC for running programs before launching the game.
But looking at how peaceful all the RMT bots & teleport hacks are around, there's really nothing to be afraid of... Although I don't think you should discuss this on the forum, lol.
As others have said you can use the numberpad. 0 works for clicks, 8 moves your cursor up and 2 moves it down. thats how I do my farming anyway
Keyboard macros aren't really disallowed directly, but absentee play is, so you can't use these macros to automate gameplay. If someone tries to engage you and you're unresponsive (because you've left an endless macro running and you're not controlling the game) you can get in trouble for that.
I use a naga macro, it's unbelievably simple.
here's the macro:
mouseclick
wait .5 seconds
Bind it to a key on your mouse, and set it to toggle on/off.
Get to a node, right click it to open the window.
Hover your cursor over the item you want to collect.
Click your macro toggle.
It spams click so you'll mine/gather again every time its available until the node is exhausted.
Click your macro toggle to turn it off.
Move to next node.
Repeat.
I did this just to save myself some clicking, as my wrist was getting sore while gathering.
Okay, some folks are clearly taking the, "automation" aspect of the TOS way too seriously. This person cannot just set their Nostromo to do something over and over and over and over again, by itself, and walk away from the computer for hours and hours while it does it. THAT is what is "banned modes of automation". This person (OP) presses a button on their Nostromo to combine several actions into one...but it still requires the person to be attentive at the keyboard, doing all the thinking, and coordinating their pad to do the things they need it to do at the right time/place on the screen. THAT is not banned automation.
Again, to recap: If you are using a program/hardware/hack/etc that allows you to step away from your computer for unknown amount of time and EVERYTHING required to perform complex actions is automatically performed repeatedly by a program/hardware, then you are violating the TOS.
If what you are doing requires you to be at the keyboard for basically "do what needs to be done, and the hardware/software makes that task easier", you are fine.
Thank you everyone for your response. Glad to see people being helpful. Just in case Ive also sent SE a ticket to respond on the matter. :)