Multiboxing and bot-farming? When will SE draw the line?

[Karos]

Ultimately though, others can multibox if they choose to themselves; there's no reason to hate. I still encourage multiboxing despite the setbacks. One of the top of my head, you can play another race and have another class to gear (due to the weekly caps). You can have your own personal healer; not like the overwold and non-instanced matter much though. I kind of doubt multiboxers are going to flock in though, so forgive me when I say I don't know why anyone is fretting. I already feel like a vast minority on one of the more crowded servers. I play on Behemoth, and I haven't ran into a multiboxer on the field yet. I'm sure there's someone, but I haven't ran into them. The bad experiences that people are having with other multiboxers; that's on those individuals and not every multiboxer out there.

(cont.)

[LyndisRay]

Haha geez screwed myself over with daily limit of posts and 1000 character limit on Karos. I have plenty to say, but I guess I'm going to hit the same snag on my alt Lyndis. I'm going to try and wrap it up.

Now for the record, you don't need a 3rd party program to multibox. I don't need to use one. You can open multiple instances normally. And all this talk about doing actions at the same time: it's not rocket science. It's very simple really: the stroke of a button will broadcast to all instances when gamepad is enabled to inactive clients (as long as the same gamepad is designated to the clients you want to use them for). So if you press that button or move the joystick, then every client will perform those actions at the same time. You can designate different controllers too if you want direct control of that alt. I can't understand why people are confused about this mechanic; just try it yourself if you don't believe. I'd make a guide if I wasn't so lazy.

(cont.)

[LyndisRay]

Finally, I'd like to address some of the qualms on multi-boxing because I do get them plenty of times. The two popular arguments are:

1. Automation. You probably heard this all before, but to those that haven't, nothing is automatic unless a bot is involved. Legit multiboxers are not using bots; you have to input each command manually (albeit broadcasted). You might then feel it's "semi-automation", but lets look at what creates semi-automation actions: macros and the auto-follow.

"Semi-automation" actions are already rooted in the game and not considered against ToS, nor what that involves. If you're saying "semi-automation" is not allowed, then anybody who uses macros is breaking ToS. Unless you take out /follow, /assist, and other commands in the game, then the issue will always be there; this is the only way to render a multiboxer useless.

(cont.)

[LyndisRay]

2. Third-party programs. I don't use one to multibox this game, but I'm constantly hounded by other players regardless. Despite common belief, you don't need one to multibox FFXIV.

That aside, somehow multiboxing is synonymous with third-party programs. Already the assumptions and accusations fly here. It's a big argument against multi-boxing. Well for one, it's without merit if you don't need one. And even so, I find it tricky business when it comes to third party programs/tools. Mind you, I admittedly don't hold any resentment towards ppl that use third-party programs. A lot of us technically use 3rd party programs/tools. To name a few, there are things like directx, graphic plugins, Teamspeak, hotkey profilers, parsers, lag fixers, video capture programs, etc. I realize that the application and severity are different from person to person, but it doesn't change the fact that they are 3rd party. I find it disturbing how using anything 3rd party should be banned.

[LyndisRay]

You simply need to enable gamepad to work for inactive state. You don't even have to make macros for most activities (again endgame instanced areas are pretty much impossible); FATEs or farming hardly require a lot of complex manuveurs. I move with the WASD keys and sometimes the mouse for my main. I only use like 4 buttons for the most part: 1 chocobo, 1 auto-follow, 1 normal action, and 1 DPS macro rotation (and yes, they do go off at the same time because it broadcasts). The gamepad is simply for those actions. Want to end auto-follow? Hit up on the joystick. Jump, reset camera, menus, confirm, cancel: it's all already there on your pad. For direct movement controls, switch to that character's window. Just dual-boxing, you can just assign that one pad and control that alt directly. I can keep going on and on...

[LyndisRay]

It's truly not hacking or botting. As I said before, anyone that doesn't believe can try it themselves.

The correct term is "key-broadcasting", and let me just say there's nowhere in the ToS saying it's prohibited, and until it does, it's a matter of opinion. SE would have to take out that "inactive client" feature plain and simple if they want to render it useless. Still, you want to play it like a pro, then really: don't multibox. Multiboxing has no business with the real gameplay, and it's an insult and disservice to your group. Even if you make the greatest macros, you'll never replace an individual.

And as I stated throughout, endgame is not something you multibox. You can do the trivial and menial, but that's about the extent of it. Nobody is talking about doing the more difficult content, and I'm sure most multiboxers can fully chime in on this.

[Nikorayu]

Snip

This is off-topic, but I would like to point out you can edit your first to bypass the 1000 character limit. It's kinda stupid, yes, but we can bypass it that way and avoid having to make up to 5+ posts like you just did - which appears to be annoying for you as well.

On-topic: Nothing to add here. Carry on.

[LyndisRay]

we can bypass it that way and avoid having to make up to 5+ posts like you just did - which appears to be annoying for you as well.

Many thanks for the information. I'll do that in the future.

Get this. Some ppl do it to Plvl Characters and sell the Characters to earn money. Using 3rd party program or use build in macro. I believe is against TOS to sell accounts and it is hard to catch but you can see them doing it in game.

Multi boxing is good or bad?

I don't doubt that in any way, such things exist in this world. It's still speculation in the grand scheme of things (unless you personally know a lot of them and/or unless you have firsthand experience at multi-boxing yourself), and it's discriminatory to automatically assume that any multiboxer is participating in illegal activities. Ultimately if they are, then they put themselves at much risk.

As for whether multiboxing is good or bad: that's a matter of questioning a player's playstyle. I'm not going to talk about participating in illegal activities; I speak of the concept itself. Yes, there is the potential for good or bad; that's everything in life. Questioning why a player plays all day, why an individual (non-multiboxer) monopolizes a camp/market, why a person openly blasts/criticizes others, etc. are all individual choices. Any feelings on such matters would be biased on personal feelings and experiences; it's a matter of opinion. It can be seen going both ways, and really all you can do is respect (not agree nor condone) that person's unique playstyle and go on about your business. I'm sorry that you had much trouble dealing with a certain individual, but that person's action(s) does not reflect the whole.

That said, my perspective and intentions on the matter are biased obviously. We all don't fit some mold that you profile; this statement goes for everybody. I don't even understand why people buy accounts in the first place, let alone sell them. You'd make way more in a minimum wage paying job with the time invested, but hey, that's the way I logically think of it. I kind of feel RMT is given too much credit if they can play the game so well; it is my belief RMT are going to be using the bots and absolute automation (they wouldn't know how to play the game and wouldn't focus on gearing). RMT are going to generally be absent, and to my knowledge, you can't be absent from FATE, Leves, etc. But yeah, I haven't seen these RMT groups running around in the game (that's not just stationed somewhere), so I wouldn't know a damn thing. I've been accused of being one though *pfft*.

I try to be helpful when I can: like actually raising people, throwing cures, killing nearby quest-related mobs, killing non-FATE adds on someone in FATEs, etc. And I don't see the value of gil especially when most of the good stuff come from dungeons. I haven't farmed anything nor camped anything; I try to avoid counter-camping in every way possible (even as just a single individual character). I have 70k to my name, and I feel very comfortable with just repairs and the like. I don't multibox to make gil, and for that matter, I don't do it for RMT purposes *ugh*. I've been multiboxing for years, and certainly some people know me from FFXI.

As I said before, I still haven't ran into a fellow multi-boxer in FFXIV myself, and I don't know what they do and what they choose to do. Even so, I see no problem in any program that is used for key-cloning/broadcasting or opening multiple instances. I realize it does say ALL 3rd party programs/tools in the ToS, but there are far too many 3rd party stuff that is inadvertently used anyways. You can even use a USB sharer (ableit they are not that reliable), and that's not a tool nor a program. Some of us are just more resourceful than others, and I'm sure somebody will think of something that nobody else has already thought of. I literally could just control each instance individually for minor things like FATEs (seriously, you only need to do minimal to get the exp); it's not like I can't use multiple keyboards and mouses anyways. There's even a discussion in the French section of the forums showing one guy's setup. However, I employ a normal & legit method that makes it easy, of course I'm going to utilize it. I'm sure if you could speed through a dungeon using a trick, people would do it. I'm sure if you want to powerlevel your crafts, people would do just that too. So change the nature of the game if it's such a problem because that's where the root of it is.

People's playstyle and choices are going to be different. But as long as they're not doing what's clearly outlined as prohibited (noticed the keyword "clearly", not gray area), then yeah it's only an annoyance to some while "the thing to do" for others.