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Macroing in your house?

Gilmour

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLESS of course you are not AFK. Then you can use the ****** program to auto loop your UOAssist macro. But as soon as you go AFK you need to turn off your auto loop program, then turn it back on when you return.
Technically even then, you are not allowed to use it.. however that is more of grey area, not least cause they cannot prove it and give you the benefit of the doubt.
 

Tyrath

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Accusing me and my guild of cheating is against Stratics ToS. This thread needs to be deleted and bans need to be awarded.
Seems to me everyone but your guild would be banned from stratics if you get your wish :)
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
Accusing me and my guild of cheating is against Stratics ToS. This thread needs to be deleted and bans need to be awarded.
It's not an accusation if you already admitted you did it...

Blows my mind how many people come here and admit to breaking the ToS get upset about it ...... then you say they unbanned you which if that's the case and everything you said is true... Is what leads me to a statement that the game has gone to **** in a handbasket..... IMO.

But whatever however you want to win even if it's by cheating, scamming and being a total ......... thats how you win...

Personally if you have to cheat your way up to play and use illegal 3rd party programs to do it as well..... makes a person wonder what other programs you use when not afk macroing skills.

And I've always felt that if you have to cheat to win you still lose.
 

GarthGrey

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
This thread makes me sick, people who cheat and then call others out for cheating, make me sick...
 

drcossack

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
It's not an accusation if you already admitted you did it...

Blows my mind how many people come here and admit to breaking the ToS get upset about it ...... then you say they unbanned you which if that's the case and everything you said is true... Is what leads me to a statement that the game has gone to **** in a handbasket..... IMO.

But whatever however you want to win even if it's by cheating, scamming and being a total ......... thats how you win...

Personally if you have to cheat your way up to play and use illegal 3rd party programs to do it as well..... makes a person wonder what other programs you use when not afk macroing skills.

And I've always felt that if you have to cheat to win you still lose.
So, basically, you'll raise your skills by hand instead of getting it over with? How does that make sense...and more importantly, why would anyone do it that way?
 

Zalan

Crazed Zealot
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
When did Stratics start letting the name of illegal third party programs be posted here? Name of third party program should be removed from this thread. :D

Posting or linking to 3rd party game related software and utilities not authorized for use by any title supported on Stratics, or images from such.
 

CovenantX

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
****** is a illegal program which you posted you used in your first post.
Mesanna has openly admitted to using it attended... anyway, It is the "Unattended" part the that warranted the suspension.

If Advisors/GMS/EMS (w/e) are telling people it is legal to do to afk macro inside your home(s), They should be dealt with and any marks dealt to accounts as a result of it should be removed.
 

Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Mesanna has openly admitted to using it attended... anyway, It is the "Unattended" part the that warranted the suspension.
I am not trying to be a smartass or anything like that but could you please provide us with a link to where she said this.
 

Captn Norrington

Stratics Forum Moderator
Moderator
Professional
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
When did Stratics start letting the name of illegal third party programs be posted here? Name of third party program should be removed from this thread. :D

Posting or linking to 3rd party game related software and utilities not authorized for use by any title supported on Stratics, or images from such.
No one reported it, and it's easy to miss a couple of words while casually reading through a thread. I have removed the illegal 3rd party program names from every post. Thank you for pointing it out.
 

CovenantX

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I am not trying to be a smartass or anything like that but could you please provide us with a link to where she said this.
She said it when addressing a governor/EM favoritism suspicion on LS. She said how many people at that particular meeting were "Clean" of illegal programs as well.
I want to say there were about 15 people there, 2 were "clean", I told her I use ******, and she replied "I use it too"

a few people on LS saw it, but it was an unannounced meeting that had to with not this last governor election, but the one before that.
 
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Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
She said it when addressing a governor/EM favoritism suspicion on LS. She said how many people at that particular meeting were "Clean" of illegal programs as well.
I want to say there were about 15 people there, 2 were "clean", I told her I use ******, and she replied "I use it too"

a few people on LS saw it, but it was an unannounced meeting that had to with not this last governor election, but the one before that.
Sad to know that 13 out of 15 players were using illegal programs and Mesanna too. So does this mean everything is legal with the exception of the multi client program as long as we are attended.
 

CovenantX

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Sad to know that 13 out of 15 players were using illegal programs and Mesanna too. So does this mean everything is legal with the exception of the multi client program as long as we are attended.
Based on what Mesanna has said at Meet & Greets as long as it's not unattended... I guess only she could clarify what she actually means by that.
 

petemage

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I'd you didn't know, GIL checks every house, every week for IDOCs. They keep a list on their forums of afk macroers. While it sucks for you, you should be aware that this will be reported by them and you will be on their "naughty" list.
Those moments when you feel good about your unused siege dirt plot. What a pathetic bunch of ...
 

Acid Rain

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I am working on getting an email from an advisor straight from Mesanna saying that they can no longer pull people macroing from their house only people macroing in luna or open places because macroing in your house was okay to do now since how dead we are.
Is this news? Advisors have never been allowed to pull players to my knowledge. They can bring problems to a GMs immediate attention via messages.
You got busted by a GM for AFK macroing.:pie: Its no problem to have one mark on your account. I mean, its not like you have many right? :lol:
We all know what eventually happens when you get to many marks but you shouldn't have to worry right? :D

So your reasoning is: This game is dead so it's ok to cheat?
How can you argue with such sound logic ? A predisposition to accept certain acts as acceptable from a guild leader lets you know what that guild is doing.

If you didn't know, GIL checks every house, every week for IDOCs. They keep a list on their forums of afk macroers. While it sucks for you, you should be aware that this will be reported by them and you will be on their "naughty" list.
Well Done GIL ! Keep up the good work. :)

Please delete thread.
I'd want it gone too if I were you:sad3: but then I don't ever cheat so...... :next:

* Still waiting for those emails ! *
 

Fridgster

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Maybe someone can help me figure something out about me. Personally I don't use 3rd party program, however scripting/scripters don't really bother me nor would I care if they were all banned. With that said I find mild irritation towards those who search for afk'ers and report them. Does that make any sense and on what side am I in the debate lol.
 

Tyrath

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Maybe someone can help me figure something out about me. Personally I don't use 3rd party program, however scripting/scripters don't really bother me nor would I care if they were all banned. With that said I find mild irritation towards those who search for afk'ers and report them. Does that make any sense and on what side am I in the debate lol.
It gives me amusement to kill the script farmers, Although I never report them. They are after all why I don't have mine iron or LJ and of late one has been keeping stocked with salt peter in Ish.

BTW Still waiting for those E-Mails :)
 

MalagAste

Belaern d'Zhaunil
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
It gives me amusement to kill the script farmers, Although I never report them. They are after all why I don't have mine iron or LJ and of late one has been keeping stocked with salt peter in Ish.

BTW Still waiting for those E-Mails :)
Really? See IMO this is the problem with the game... most people don't seem to care...

But you do realize that half the BS we have to jump through to play the game is because the devs put in stupid BS to combat the cheaters.... the more people cheat and afk macro the more it ruins the game for everyone else who chose not to cheat. The more time the DEVs have to waste on combating the cheaters and scripters the less time they have to spend on game developments that we might enjoy... And Yes I do report them... every opportunity I get. Why? Because they are ruining the game for the rest of us.... it's because of them that I now have to spend 300 hours trying to find enough Valorite and Verite stone to build a stinking table... It's because of them that I have to spend 200 hours chopping trees to find enough frostwood for a bench... and there are 100's of other reasons they have ruined my gameplay... and cost me time and energy which I wouldn't have had to waste if I didn't have to deal with the "fix" for the problem of them scripting 24/7...

However the "fix" was just to make it easier for them and harder for me.... same with IDOCs and everything else the DEVs "fix" to stop scripters... all it really does is stop the rest of us from being able to play and enjoy the game... and force us to pay these lowlifes because no sane person would spend the 200 hours looking for enough valorite stone to make a table.
 

Enziet

Journeyman
The guy that started this thread by now has probably gone crazy with the amount of posts after he requested a delete after looking like an idiot.

Well I wouldn't say that nobody seems to care, as this thread is getting pretty beefy. I'd say most people do care about people that afk macro. If you use UOAssist to do exactly as it says assist, great! It's either that or your REALLY old school and just make the macro in game and stick a quarter or wadded up piece of paper into the keyboard keys.

As long as it's NOT afk, and it's with the use of an approved program then I don't see the issue. Using the "unnamed program" to loop just saves your keyboard from having something crammed between the keys is all.
 

Gilmour

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
If you macro unattended, you deserve (and should be prepared) to be punished. That a guild has made it their mission in life to annoy those people to the maximum... Oh well.
 

Dot_Warner

Grand Inquisitor
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
*grumbles and dons flame retardant armor*

Mesanna says she cares for the game. I want to believe her. However, when she (or the other devs and GMs) ignores blatant cheating (obvious script resource gatherers, the 6 multiboxed chars at nearly EVERY EVENT) I find myself doubting her word.

Investigating things such as script miners should be fairly brain dead. No player is going to recall from spot to spot mining once or twice for 23 hours a day. That's a scripter. Ban them.

Investigating multiboxers just requires eyes. See that group of wraiths or obnoxiously flappy gargoyles all stacked on top of each other at an EM event? See them all move as one and perform the same actions? That's a cheater. Perma ban each account. Don't look back.

See the jackass in gen chat dropping the N-word or acting like a Jr. High bully (No, I don't mean the typical pvp smack talk)? Give them a 3 day vacation. Take after Blizzard and make subsequent offenses double additional vacations.

The highly selective ToS/RoC enforcement implies a few options, none of them good. 1) They really don't care 2) They think cleaning up UO would doom the game 3) They are somehow complicit in these activities (if the allegation that Mesanna uses a certain program are to be believed...ugh.)

"Any way you want to win, that’s how you win." is a metaphorical door that should never have been opened.

Time to show us you care and dust off the hammer.
 

S_S

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
*grumbles and dons flame retardant armor*

Mesanna says she cares for the game. I want to believe her. However, when she (or the other devs and GMs) ignores blatant cheating (obvious script resource gatherers, the 6 multiboxed chars at nearly EVERY EVENT) I find myself doubting her word.

Investigating things such as script miners should be fairly brain dead. No player is going to recall from spot to spot mining once or twice for 23 hours a day. That's a scripter. Ban them.

Investigating multiboxers just requires eyes. See that group of wraiths or obnoxiously flappy gargoyles all stacked on top of each other at an EM event? See them all move as one and perform the same actions? That's a cheater. Perma ban each account. Don't look back.

See the jackass in gen chat dropping the N-word or acting like a Jr. High bully (No, I don't mean the typical pvp smack talk)? Give them a 3 day vacation. Take after Blizzard and make subsequent offenses double additional vacations.

The highly selective ToS/RoC enforcement implies a few options, none of them good. 1) They really don't care 2) They think cleaning up UO would doom the game 3) They are somehow complicit in these activities (if the allegation that Mesanna uses a certain program are to be believed...ugh.)

"Any way you want to win, that’s how you win." is a metaphorical door that should never have been opened.

Time to show us you care and dust off the hammer.
I wish I could like this post a million times!
 

drcossack

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The highly selective ToS/RoC enforcement implies a few options, none of them good. 1) They really don't care 2) They think cleaning up UO would doom the game 3) They are somehow complicit in these activities (if the allegation that Mesanna uses a certain program are to be believed...ugh.)
I was in vent with @CovenantX when he said it, so it's definitely believable. I, however missed it, either because I came to the meeting a bit late, or because I went elsewhere to have her take care of another issue & told her to come to my location to do so. I don't remember which it was.
 

CovenantX

Crazed Zealot
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
I was in vent with @CovenantX when he said it, so it's definitely believable. I, however missed it, either because I came to the meeting a bit late, or because I went elsewhere to have her take care of another issue & told her to come to my location to do so. I don't remember which it was.
It was the same day that a certain guild on our shard accused the EM of "favoritism" because the EM allowed you to become governor of a city that had no governor at that time.
The program (since I edited the name out because stratics doesn't like to "mention" them by name), was a program that allows you to press a key with a set timer, similar to putting a coin in your keyboard to play a macro over and over again.

Based on what she said in some of their meet & greets though, the way I see it (this doesn't mean I use programs), is that it's legal, as long as you're not Unattended.
Mesanna or any other Official members of the UO Dev team are the only ones that could clarify what she actually meant by that.

EMs & Advisors apparently don't know everything about these things, based on some posts (true or not) regarding some of these types of situations. so at this point, I'd only trust Devs at this point.
 

Captn Norrington

Stratics Forum Moderator
Moderator
Professional
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
Campaign Supporter
This thread has been pretty productive so far, but it would be appreciated if everyone could refrain from attacking each other. A couple posts had to be removed.

Please make sure to refrain from personally attacking each other, or replying to someone's post just for the sake of insulting it.

Thanks :)
 

Dot_Warner

Grand Inquisitor
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
EMs & Advisors apparently don't know everything about these things, based on some posts (true or not) regarding some of these types of situations. so at this point, I'd only trust Devs at this point.
I agree.

Mesanna needs to post the rules in crystal clear, unambiguous language that addresses all these issues (macroing, 3rd party programs, scripting, multiboxing, unacceptable language, etc). And by "post" I mean on the front page of UO.com, not to Stratics, nor spoken during a meet & greet. Point all Advisors and GMs to the post so they're on the same page, then inform them not to ad lib. Set a date, then ENFORCE THEM.

If UO's continued existence appears to hinge on the continued subscription of cheaters, then you have a difficult choice to make. Turning a blind eye, however, isn't an acceptable option. Uphold the ToS/RoC, or officially take the plunge down the "Any way you want to win, that’s how you win." rabbit hole.
 
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Enziet

Journeyman
I agree.

Mesanna needs to post the rules in crystal clear, unambiguous language that addresses all these issues (macroing, 3rd party programs, scripting, multiboxing, unacceptable language, etc).
When you install Ultima Online the Rules are clearly there, you click accept to install the game. You accept the rules again when making a new account. The list of approved tools is also a VERY short list. UOAssist, UOMapper. The loop program was never an approved tool. However, if your sitting at the keyboard rather then holding the key down you can use this program. You must be able to respond to a GM while in game.

There is no difference between holding the key down with a coin / paper, to using the program to run the macro over and over again for you. But you cannot be AFK.

Read what you are agreeing to when you install the game / setup a new account. Yes the TOS is a long read but it's all there between the account setup and fresh install.

(Edit: Just to clarify, to those who do not know. The loop program does NOT actually have a set timer for the pause in between running your macro. UOAssist actually does this. You Keybind UOAssist to say F1 and hold down the key it will run the macro EXACTLY as if your using the looping program. That is all this program does is mimic you holding down the key.
This is just to clarify)
 

Dot_Warner

Grand Inquisitor
Governor
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
When you install Ultima Online the Rules are clearly there, you click accept to install the game. You accept the rules again when making a new account. The list of approved tools is also a VERY short list. UOAssist, UOMapper. The loop program was never an approved tool. However, if your sitting at the keyboard rather then holding the key down you can use this program. You must be able to respond to a GM while in game.

There is no difference between holding the key down with a coin / paper, to using the program to run the macro over and over again for you. But you cannot be AFK.

Read what you are agreeing to when you install the game / setup a new account. Yes the TOS is a long read but it's all there between the account setup and fresh install.

(Edit: Just to clarify, to those who do not know. The loop program does NOT actually have a set timer for the pause in between running your macro. UOAssist actually does this. You Keybind UOAssist to say F1 and hold down the key it will run the macro EXACTLY as if your using the looping program. That is all this program does is mimic you holding down the key.
This is just to clarify)
Yes, that's there, not that many actually read it (which isn't an excuse), they just click I Agree so they can get on with their gaming.

When we have the ToS/RoC saying one thing and the producer saying things to players that are diametrically opposed to it, we have a problem. She's very nearly said "everything's okay as long as its attended" (paraphrasing) at several M&Gs. This doesn't jive with the established rules, or how most of the community wants to play. Its difficult to point to the ToS/RoC as viable when you have cheating going on in front of staff and they ignore it. Selective enforcement makes them look either unprofessional or incompetent.

I want a simple, 5th grade level written statement of what is and isn't allowed under Mesanna's "Any way you want to win, that’s how you win." ethos. It needs to be something the rank and file player can read over and know exactly what's allowed, what isn't, and what the repercussions are. Then *gasp* I want it pancaking enforced. Every. Pancaking. Day.

I don't honestly expect any kind of response, however. History has shown that the hard questions/issues will be deflected in favor of fluffy distractions 99% of the time.
 

Enziet

Journeyman
I understand. Ignorance for most people by not reading what they are agreeing to is pretty common. True that if there was a posting that says exactly word for word here in the forums what the rules were and repercussions for breaking these rules would probably help. Especially once stickied.

But as you've already stated and we already know. Enforcing these rules takes people / money / time. Which EA doesn't want to pay for. Never mind what the head of Broadsword says. In the end it's whether or not EA wants to pay for extra people to enforce the rules.

Currently your lucky if a GM / Admin even logs into the game once a week to answer in game tickets. It all costs money and time to do these things. Part of the reason UO is still around is the fact that it costs very little to maintain, and thats the way EA likes it.
 

Acid Rain

Lore Master
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Currently your lucky if a GM / Admin even logs into the game once a week to answer in game tickets.
Paged a GM last night and GM River showed in less than 1 hour. They were very nice, tried to fix the problem quickly, and were very patient. They also said they were the most recent addition to the GM family so obviously UO/EA is still hiring and paying folks :)
 
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