Rebinding with AutoHotkey considered cheating?

[Quothmar]

Hello,

I'm a returning EverQuest player and I have a question about using the program AutoHotkey to play EverQuest. This program has a wide range of features that allow you to rebind keys on the keyboard, rebind keys to the mouse, and execute strings of keyboard strokes according to predefined patterns.

Because AutoHotkey is so powerful, it has the potential to allow 'cheating' or 'botting' through written scripts that detect what is on the screen before executing a keystroke. However, my intent is not so malicious: I would simply like to rebind mouse movements to the keyboard. I hear that if you don't use the mouse, it is actually healthier for the hand, so I thought it would be something to try for a more positive play experience. I was also considering rebinding some EverQuest functions to keystrokes near the 'home key' region.

In light of this, are we allowed to rebind keys and mouse functions with AutoHotkey at all? Or is the use of AutoHotkey forbidden?

-Quothmar

[Amelinda]

any 3rd party program is forbidden. sorry.

[Uaellaen]

you can already move with your keyboard ... default are the arrow keys ... when you are in EQ go into the ingame options (alt +o) and rebind your movement keys there if you want different ones ... dont really see why you need such a tool that might get you banned ...

[Korisek]

you can already move with your keyboard ... default are the arrow keys ... when you are in EQ go into the ingame options (alt +o) and rebind your movement keys there if you want different ones ... dont really see why you need such a tool that might get you banned ...

The main reason people use stuff like that is to put things like Forage/Sense Heading/Ranged Attack on an autofire.

[Daldaen]

Autofire programs *shouldn't* be banned as they aren't modifying the client at all. For auto foraging all it is doing is spamming a hotkey over and over. Something I could either wedge an object ontop of the hotkey or set up an osscilating fan to press it over and over as well, just in a more ghetto manner.

It's stuff like MQ/ShowEQ that are banned because they access game data that you generally don't have access to and allows you to do things in game that you couldn't do without them (I could spam forage for 100 hours consectively if I WANTED...)

[Pomaikai]

Ergodex DX1 Input Device:

I own one of these, but haven't had a chance to haul it out of the office and connect it to my laptop for use with P1999. You don't have any issues with my using this to play do you? I used to use it when I played on Live.

http://ergodex.com/mainpage.htm

[Autotune]

Hello,

I'm a returning EverQuest player and I have a question about using the program AutoHotkey to play EverQuest. This program has a wide range of features that allow you to rebind keys on the keyboard, rebind keys to the mouse, and execute strings of keyboard strokes according to predefined patterns.

Because AutoHotkey is so powerful, it has the potential to allow 'cheating' or 'botting' through written scripts that detect what is on the screen before executing a keystroke. However, my intent is not so malicious: I would simply like to rebind mouse movements to the keyboard. I hear that if you don't use the mouse, it is actually healthier for the hand, so I thought it would be something to try for a more positive play experience. I was also considering rebinding some EverQuest functions to keystrokes near the 'home key' region.

In light of this, are we allowed to rebind keys and mouse functions with AutoHotkey at all? Or is the use of AutoHotkey forbidden?

-Quothmar

Technically you should be able to use it and they would never know. Unless they used their .dll file to search your computer for non-EQ programs or you were using the program for obvious botting reasons.

[Diggles]

my keyboard is programmable to mash a certain button as many times as I'd like without a 3rd party program (unless rogean bans for using my keyboard drivers :p)

[Quothmar]

Oh, well. It was a good idea while it lasted.

For the record, one of the reasons I wanted to use AutoHotkey instead of EverQuest's own binding feature is that the keyboard only allows you to turn at a certain speed. You need the mouse to flip around 180 degrees and play with optimum skill.

I dream of a MMORPG you can play easily with just the keys around the home row. And a grammar correction feature would be nice, too! It remains to be seen whether they'll invent this stuff.

[Snaggles]

Totally random but I'm hoping GW2 delivers those. In the meanwhile, EQ is a blast.

[Mardur]

any 3rd party program is forbidden. sorry.

This is wrong and you're a guide... wtf?

Edit for clarification:

Your term of "third party program" is the problem here. If I created a program that scanned eqlog.txt for buffs I cast and gave me a notification of buff timers, this isn't against the rules. But I would count this as a "third party program," considering it's a non EverQuest-application that assist me with EverQuest. Can we avoid scare tactics and provide a little more concise information when you're representing this server as a guide? Thx.

[Amelinda]

This is wrong and you're a guide... wtf?

Edit for clarification:

Your term of "third party program" is the problem here. If I created a program that scanned eqlog.txt for buffs I cast and gave me a notification of buff timers, this isn't against the rules. But I would count this as a "third party program," considering it's a non EverQuest-application that assist me with EverQuest. Can we avoid scare tactics and provide a little more concise information when you're representing this server as a guide? Thx.

didn't have time to write a book. probably could have elaborated but i promise, just because i didn't give the answer that you would have given it doesn't mean the world is ending. :P

This particular program can be pretty game breaking and can be used in such a manner that it is obvious a program is being used and can potentially result in a ban. *shrug*

he asked a specific question 'can i use this program.' i responded with 'no.' and elaborated '3rd party programs are forbidden'

but whatever, Reiker. i'm not going to argue with you. obviously you are right and i am stupid.

[minakto]

wineq considered a 3rd party program?

[Softcore PK]

Hm, now I am intrigued. Which programs are allowed?

[Mardur]

This particular program can be pretty game breaking and can be used in such a manner that it is obvious a program is being used and can potentially result in a ban. *shrug*

But it shouldn't, because programs that exact in the exact way I described exist and are promoted by the community.

he asked a specific question 'can i use this program.' i responded with 'no.' and elaborated '3rd party programs are forbidden'

You elaborated with misinformation, hence my post.

but whatever, Reiker. i'm not going to argue with you. obviously you are right and i am stupid.

That's an odd attitude to take... my point is that it's a bit disconcerting when someone is a "senior guide" and they don't seem to understand the server's own rules. There are a number of programs that could be considered "third party" that are completely allowed.

[Pyronost]

Programs allowed
Everquest Titanium

Programs not allowed
Anything else that interacts with above program.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I assure you, the above guide will not get you banned. Anything else, and you take the legitimacy of your account into your own hands if/when you get busted :)

[Mardur]

But you're still wrong, as WinEQ, eqplaynice, and a variety of other programs "that interact with EverQuest" are allowed.

[Amelinda]

WinEQ is totally fine. i use winEQ because it's the only way my laptop works reliably with EQ.

[Humerox]

rule 1: server admins are always right.
rule 2: when server admins are wrong, see rule 1.

[pickled_heretic]

WinEQ is totally fine. i use winEQ because it's the only way my laptop works reliably with EQ.

any 3rd party program is forbidden. sorry.

winEQ = any third party program

winEQ = forbidden

or is my logic flawed somewhere?

[Mardur]

He "didn't have the time to write a book" to explain what he meant, obv.

[pickled_heretic]

anyway who cares, i have autohotkey running all the time i use it for desktop rezising and key capturing for other programs.

you can write fucking macros with excel, is it illegal to use excel with everquest? L O L

[Diggles]

I COULD BE WRONG but I don't think Amelinda is a he.

[Amelinda]

I COULD BE WRONG but I don't think Amelinda is a he.

i am indeed a girl.

Good catch Diggles :)

[Mardur]

Considering the track record of P99 staff being men claiming to be women (cough, Wenai) all have phalluses until proven guilty.

[Softcore PK]

New topic: is there a list of software that is allowed?

[Diggles]

you can write fucking macros with excel, is it illegal to use excel with everquest? L O L

This is the best post ever. I want to print this out and mount it on my wall. Then I want to take a picture of it mounted on my wall, print it out, and mount that on my wall.

[Mardur]

New topic: is there a list of software that is allowed?

No, but use common sense. If you lack that, don't use MacroQuest, ShowEQ, or any application that emulates their functionality.

[Mcbard]

You can also bind your abilities to your movement keys so that everytime you turn you automatically forage as well.

[Savok]

The main reason people use stuff like that is to put things like Forage/Sense Heading/Ranged Attack on an autofire.

New hotbutton:

/doability X
/autoinventory, /pause 5


X = the ability button you want to link to forage. Place hotbutton on unused hotbar slot. Open the options window and assigne an arrow key to the secondary key for that hotbar button. Everytime you press the direction key you will fire the forage and auto inventory key.

Replace the doability # with whatever skill you want to use.

[pickled_heretic]

Any macros/automation of any kind, even just for some keystrokes, beyond what the client does is a violation of the rules. I asked and got an answer from a GM a while back.

it hardly matters, everquest basically comes with an ingame macro editor. there's not much automation that you could do that would be worth the effort beyond what the ingame editor provides. there's too much RNG to make automatic actions useful.

i thought about writing an autohotkey / autoit macro for tradeskilling but decided the amount of time it would take to write it would take more than the amount of time it would have taken to just do the combines manually.

[Flunklesnarkin]

So if you used like a game controller to play instead of keyboard it be against rules?

[Pyronost]

And if I let my cat play by letting him walk across the keyboard, is that illegal?

Seriously, this thread is just getting ignorant now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To simplify (from what I understand):

Programs that give the user an unintended/unfair advantage over other users would be under the "bannable" list. Can you use a controller for this game? Probably. Is it efficient/easy to use? Probably not. Things like WinEQ, EQplaynice, etc that are used to improve game performance/lighten the load on your computer are what Im seeing as allowable.

Programs that interact with your character in-game, the game world, and provide information not normally seen with any normal/legal interface are banhammer-able (Things like MQ2, Showeq,) This would include macro'ing programs that essentially turn your character into a bot I believe.

However, SoE after a while ruled that keystroke recording programs were legal as long as you were at the PC supervising. If they suspected you were not there, and just using the keystroke recorder while AFK, they considered this botting, and immediately hammered your ass permanantly.

Did I miss anything?

Basically, their server, their rules. They shouldnt have to take the time out of their day while development is needed in the 2-3 hours they have to do so when they get home from work to list each and every exception to a rule. I could rename MQ2 "Stinkfinger EQ", and it would still be what it is, functionally. Use your heads guys : /

[Autotune]

Rebinding with AutoHotkey considered cheating?

Are you going to use it to bot?

IF answer is yes, then yes.
IF answer is no, then no.

Will they be able to tell if you are using this program if you aren't using it to bot?

NO (unless they lied about what their .dll file searches)



Use and abuse imo.

[Sponge]

It sounds like since there is not a list of allowed/banned programs beyond the obvious ones like MQ2 / ShowEQ, that if you were to use AutoHotkey or whatever that person was talking about, and a GM found it to be against rules, that you would get off with a warning, since there was no actual rule in place. Correct?

[Hasbinbad]

ITT: Reiker is a dick, Amelinda has a sense of humor, and no fucks were given about the OP.

[Mcbard]

New hotbutton:

/doability X
/autoinventory, /pause 5


X = the ability button you want to link to forage. Place hotbutton on unused hotbar slot. Open the options window and assigne an arrow key to the secondary key for that hotbar button. Everytime you press the direction key you will fire the forage and auto inventory key.

Replace the doability # with whatever skill you want to use.

Pause not needed! :)

[tristantio]

I have a plain US keyboard and when booting to Windows require AutoHotKey to remap CAPSLOCK as ESC.

Luckily I play EQ on Linux where I can remap my keys through X.

[Quothmar]

It seems like there is a lot of good discussion going on here, and I fully agree that it would be nice if we had a list of allowed programs, or at least criteria for what programs are allowed.

Out of respect for the guide, I do want to avoid disallowed programs. However, I am also curious if there are any legal means by which I can just rebind keys and mouse functions. We're not talking about the advanced scripting and 'botting' that AutoHotkey is capable of (and which I do not intend to use) but just something to keep my wrists on the home row.