Page 1 of 1

Ban Review Requested

PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:25 pm
by nitsujcm2
Character Name: Ephesians
Banned on 8/11/15 21:26:34pm
Reason: "bOT"

I have read the TOS post by Viper.
I have read the "Banned? Read this before posting" post by Abathur.

I have only recently started playing on Nostalrius and my max level character was only 23. I enjoy playing the AH and while working during the day or while watching a movie I will let Auctioneer scan to collect a good data pool of AH information. As time would allow with work, I would buyout some of the better deals it had found, but my primary goal was to gather info.

Yesterday my account was locked and the explanation on the main site says:

"bOT"

Abathur's post says "The GM team investigates each situation individually and thoroughly to prevent mistakes from occurring", but I'm not sure how much attention was actually given to this matter when the explanation is 3 letters hastily typed, apparently, with the caps lock on by mistake.

Per the TOS, "using any botting program" is a category E- Permanent ban. Please let me know if there was something else that caused a GM to think I was botting, but I assume this is due to an AHK script running on my computer and/or I didn't respond to a GM. However, this AHK script is not a bot program. It is a simple script that allows me to control my "wow computer" from my "work computer". They are in the same room and only a few feet from each other. It is similar to a multi-box script. (I was a multi-boxer in retail vanilla through wrath.) I don't multi-box here because it is against the TOS. I assumed I wouldn't get banned for 'multi-boxing' with a multi-boxing script since I was obviously not playing or controlling two accounts. At worst - I figured if it did get picked up as a 'multi-box' script, I would get a category D-Last Warning and have an opportunity to explain.

I did not expect for this to be flagged as a 'bOT' since:

  • It is still me pressing a 1 key and getting 1 action
  • it is ME pressing a key
  • There is no logic in the computer telling it to do anything for me.
  • Thus: I don't believe this is considered being a "bOT".

I do keep the game muted during the day and give it very little attention; so if a GM attempted to contact me, I may have missed it.

As I said - my highest level character was only 23, so it is not like I am losing months of work and it would be easy enough to start over. But I don't believe the ban is accurate. I did not use an anti-afk bot... I was anti-afking as a human being, moving a physical muscle to interact with the game. I wasn't glitching or exploiting. I was playing the game - albeit - using the minimal effort needed for the task at hand.

My request is:
  • Please lift this ban since I was not using AHK to bot. If you would prefer that I stop using AHK at all, I will do so.
My questions are:
  1. Can a player using AHK, but still pressing 1 button for 1 action and using no automation or programing logic - be considered a bot?
    • Or - are my actions described above a violation of the TOS in some other way that I am missing?
  2. I understand you have strict rules around banning; and honestly, I am happy that you do, but I don't believe I have broken anything in the TOS; yet I am banned. How can I modify what I have described above to prevent this from happening in the future?
    • Do I just need to keep my volume up so I can respond to in-game whispers?
    • Or is using AHK going to give me trouble regardless of how it is used?

I thank you in advance for your time and attention on this matter.

*edit for typo correction

Re: Ban Review Requested

PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:53 pm
by Tyrael
Greetings nitsujcm2,

I do not see the character named "Ephesians". Please reconfirm it or PM to me your account name.

Regards,
GM Tyrael

Re: Ban Review Requested

PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:55 pm
by nitsujcm2
I apologize, the character name is Ephesus.

Re: Ban Review Requested

PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:27 pm
by Viper
Greetings,

sadly, case reviewed and sanction confirmed.

Best regards,
Viper.

Re: Ban Review Requested

PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:32 pm
by nitsujcm2
My questions are:
  1. Can a player using AHK, but still pressing 1 button for 1 action and using no automation or programing logic - be considered a bot?
    • Or - are my actions described above a violation of the TOS in some other way that I am missing?
  2. I understand you have strict rules around banning; and honestly, I am happy that you do, but I don't believe I have broken anything in the TOS; yet I am banned. How can I modify what I have described above to prevent this from happening in the future?
    • Do I just need to keep my volume up so I can respond to in-game whispers?
    • Or is using AHK going to give me trouble regardless of how it is used?