Is it possible to run several player characters at the same time using multiple computers?

CombatPrayer

why would you get banned if you have more than one account in your name and both are in use. I know parents who set up accounts for their kids in their name. If they paid for two accounts, and they are on different computers, you should be able to use them both. They don't know who is actually on those accounts and if it was two kids that their parents set up in their name? That seems really wrong. I have two friends who don't put anything online in their kids names. They are paranoid about that. Everything is under their name and they feel they control things better that way especially with regards to not knowing if companies are going to sell their information and don't want kids information being sold.

Runs

Enslaved wrote: »

I guess this is necro, but just wanted to ask, out of curiosity.

I am thinking of making a single player guild, just for me and my alt account, that I use as a mule. I asked ppl in my main guild but no one could answer me. Do I have to be online with both my main and alt account at once to invite alt into my guild?
If the answer is yes, is it possible to launch multiple accounts at once on the same PC? I am not interested in multiboxing or anything, just to be able to somewhat connect my main and alt account. Also, I never used invite to guild command, since I do not have that ability in my guild, as I ain't officer or something lol.

Boo on the necro

If you can't send the invite while second account is offline... It is possible to run the program twice and log the second account on the second instance, you used to be able to just press the play button twice on Launcher to open a second instance of the game.

If that no longer works, you can go the folder it's installed

C:\Program Files (x86)\Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\game\client

Then open eso.exe or eso64.exe for a the second account, just make sure to turn off heavy addons like m.m. on one or both before doing this or they both may shut down because of RAM usage.

Now as far as being allowed to have both open at once, it seems that depends on how the multiboxing policy is interpreted. Like @Danikat mentioned many people believe it is ok to have both on as long as one stays afk, since you aren't technically "playing" them at the same time.

Danikat

autumnsongbird wrote: »

why would you get banned if you have more than one account in your name and both are in use. I know parents who set up accounts for their kids in their name. If they paid for two accounts, and they are on different computers, you should be able to use them both. They don't know who is actually on those accounts and if it was two kids that their parents set up in their name? That seems really wrong. I have two friends who don't put anything online in their kids names. They are paranoid about that. Everything is under their name and they feel they control things better that way especially with regards to not knowing if companies are going to sell their information and don't want kids information being sold.

That's fine. Specially what's not allowed is a process known as multi-boxing:

"Multiboxing is NOT allowed in The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited in any of its forms, whether software- or hardware-based. Any accounts found to be multiboxing will be considered in violation of our Terms of Service and actioned swiftly and decisively, up to the permanent deactivation of the account along with any other associated accounts. To be clear, players are welcome to have multiple accounts. However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service.

Multiboxing is the practice of playing multiple accounts simultaneously, including, but not limited to using either hardware or software to facilitate the coordination between the accounts. This violates the intended nature of the gameplay mechanics we've created for ESO."
https://help.elderscrollsonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/23701

This works very differently to having two people playing two accounts at the same IP address, because multiboxing means you have to send the same commands to each account. So for example you hold W on one keyboard and two characters run forwards at the same time. You press the left mouse button and 2 characters attack exactly simultaneously. It basically means you can play something like a farming rotation once but get double rewards because you've actually got two characters doing it.

I suppose in theory it'd also be ok to have two accounts logged into two computers next to each other with one person controlling both separately. But I'm not sure how practical that would be. Maybe if you were ambidextrous and had two MMO mice (so you can do everything with one hand) you could pull it off, but I think you'd have to stick to simple stuff because you'd still be splitting your attention between two screens.

Tomg999

What's ambiguous about this?

"Multiboxing is the practice of playing multiple accounts simultaneously, including, but not limited to using either hardware or software to facilitate the coordination between the accounts. This violates the intended nature of the gameplay mechanics we've created for ESO."

Clearly it is a violation for one person to use two accounts at the same time.

baratron

Enslaved wrote: »

I guess this is necro, but just wanted to ask, out of curiosity.

I am thinking of making a single player guild, just for me and my alt account, that I use as a mule. I asked ppl in my main guild but no one could answer me. Do I have to be online with both my main and alt account at once to invite alt into my guild?

No. You can invite someone to a Guild without them being online.

However, there isn't much point in your having a Guild with only you in it, since you don't get a Guild Bank until you have at least 10 members. You'd have to find another 8 people who want to join you - either friends, or people who have stopped playing ESO and are happy to sit in your Guild to make up the numbers.

Note: If you have strangers with dead accounts making up the numbers, make sure that their rank permissions are set to prevent them from taking anything out of the Guild Bank. Otherwise, if they get their accounts hacked due to crappy passwords, your Guild Bank could get pillaged.

Rune_Relic

Bromburak wrote: »

It's possible and legit by playing 3 different accounts at the same time as long you are the owner (no sharing accounts) and play active and not using automation (multiboxing).

Heal/Buff accounts are working in every MMO for several grinding objectives, but you cannot just stick like in DAOC for support and heals without moving. Some Boss mechanics will teach you real quick why this is a bad idea playing 3 accounts the same time in ESO.

You don't need several accounts in ESO since solo = godmode already.

I think your definition of multiboxing is being used rather loosely.

I have two accounts.
One is my punchbag...one is my leveller.
One goes to cyrodiill and picks up a scroll.
The other collects the scroll and brings it to my alliance.

These scenarios are why 'playing multiple accounts at exactly the same time' is in the terms of service.
They allow rampant exploitation and bypass the games intended design limitations.

To be clear, players are welcome to have multiple accounts. However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service.
There is no mention of automation in that sentence.

MornaBaine

Roleplayer chiming in. I have 2 accounts (well 3 really) and have used them at the same time in order to have one of my characters play music for an RP event while I participated in the event with another character. I've done the same thing when creating "red shirts" for story lines in order to have both my "villain" present AND my actual character at the same time. I don't use my second account to do actual game content so I don't believe I'm in violation of any rules.

nordsavage

Yes you can many people play as couples, families and friends under one roof.

Rune_Relic

MornaBaine wrote: »

Roleplayer chiming in. I have 2 accounts (well 3 really) and have used them at the same time in order to have one of my characters play music for an RP event while I participated in the event with another character. I've done the same thing when creating "red shirts" for story lines in order to have both my "villain" present AND my actual character at the same time. I don't use my second account to do actual game content so I don't believe I'm in violation of any rules.

I dont think its a question of if you 'feel' you didnt exploit the game while breaking the TOS or not.
You may have been good as gold while breaking the TOS.
Using two accounts in tandem enables you to break the game at leisure.
Many people wont be good as gold when doing so.

kevlarto_ESO

I know multi boxing does happen here in ESO, but it must be a pain, since there is no follow command, you have to rely on third party software, and that is something that could get you banned I would think.

I have seen a couple of multi boxers easy to spot 3 toons standing almost on top of each other and moving in unison, seen them camping bosses, I believe since it is such a pita not many players do it thank the maker, it would require extra hardware and accounts if done properly, that's not to say there are ways to get around things depends on how resourceful you are.

I tried some multi boxing in a game that had a follow command it was still a pita, found it more of a hassle than fun.

MornaBaine

Rune_Relic wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

Roleplayer chiming in. I have 2 accounts (well 3 really) and have used them at the same time in order to have one of my characters play music for an RP event while I participated in the event with another character. I've done the same thing when creating "red shirts" for story lines in order to have both my "villain" present AND my actual character at the same time. I don't use my second account to do actual game content so I don't believe I'm in violation of any rules.

I dont think its a question of if you 'feel' you didnt exploit the game while breaking the TOS or not.
You may have been good as gold while breaking the TOS.
Using two accounts in tandem enables you to break the game at leisure.
Many people wont be good as gold when doing so.

But I am not using any third party software to do so. I think that's the deal breaker. The rule is clearly stated here:

To be clear, players are welcome to have multiple accounts. However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service.

I'm not using any software to do so... so if this is indeed a violation of TOS I'd appreciate ZOS chiming in to say so. @ZOS_GinaBruno , @ZOS_JessicaFolsom ?

Sa0n

Why not play the game like a normal person?

Rune_Relic

autumnsongbird wrote: »

why would you get banned if you have more than one account in your name and both are in use. I know parents who set up accounts for their kids in their name. If they paid for two accounts, and they are on different computers, you should be able to use them both. They don't know who is actually on those accounts and if it was two kids that their parents set up in their name? That seems really wrong. I have two friends who don't put anything online in their kids names. They are paranoid about that. Everything is under their name and they feel they control things better that way especially with regards to not knowing if companies are going to sell their information and don't want kids information being sold.

Thats why the TOS is there for you to read....and disagree with.
They fact one person is 'controlling' multiple accounts in parallel is exactly the problem.

Rune_Relic

MornaBaine wrote: »

Rune_Relic wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

Roleplayer chiming in. I have 2 accounts (well 3 really) and have used them at the same time in order to have one of my characters play music for an RP event while I participated in the event with another character. I've done the same thing when creating "red shirts" for story lines in order to have both my "villain" present AND my actual character at the same time. I don't use my second account to do actual game content so I don't believe I'm in violation of any rules.

I dont think its a question of if you 'feel' you didnt exploit the game while breaking the TOS or not.
You may have been good as gold while breaking the TOS.
Using two accounts in tandem enables you to break the game at leisure.
Many people wont be good as gold when doing so.

But I am not using any third party software to do so. I think that's the deal breaker. The rule is clearly stated here:

To be clear, players are welcome to have multiple accounts. However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service.

I'm not using any software to do so... so if this is indeed a violation of TOS I'd appreciate ZOS chiming in to say so. @ZOS_GinaBruno , @ZOS_JessicaFolsom ?

However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service
vs
However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service

It would be impossible to not use hardware and software to play the game.
The game is still subject to concurrency exploit issues whether its manual or automated.

Enslaved

Sa0n wrote: »

Why not play the game like a normal person?

Define "normal".
Define "person".

Elsonso

.

baratron wrote: »

Enslaved wrote: »

I guess this is necro, but just wanted to ask, out of curiosity.

I am thinking of making a single player guild, just for me and my alt account, that I use as a mule. I asked ppl in my main guild but no one could answer me. Do I have to be online with both my main and alt account at once to invite alt into my guild?

No. You can invite someone to a Guild without them being online.

However, there isn't much point in your having a Guild with only you in it, since you don't get a Guild Bank until you have at least 10 members. You'd have to find another 8 people who want to join you - either friends, or people who have stopped playing ESO and are happy to sit in your Guild to make up the numbers.

Makes me wonder whether the free weekend would allow someone to create 9 free weekend trial accounts, with no intention of ever buying the game, solely for the purpose of creating a private guild. Certainly, you can buy 9 additional copies of the game, for 9 additional accounts, using the current game sale, too. Base game, not Gold, of course.

The latter option is always open as a possibility, although cost will vary with time. The free weekend option is not as clear as to whether this will work, be frowned upon, or blocked.

MornaBaine wrote: »

Roleplayer chiming in. I have 2 accounts (well 3 really) and have used them at the same time in order to have one of my characters play music for an RP event while I participated in the event with another character. I've done the same thing when creating "red shirts" for story lines in order to have both my "villain" present AND my actual character at the same time. I don't use my second account to do actual game content so I don't believe I'm in violation of any rules.

I believe that the bar by which actions are measured depend on what ZOS considers "playing the game". Clearly, they have not extended "multiboxing" to simply being logged in simultaneously on multiple accounts. If they intended that, it would have been a whole lot easier to just say that, rather than the complicated prose they are saying. That puts the whole meaning of what they are saying on the word "play" and what that means.

I suspect that the definition has a margin of grey area in it, which is why they are not saying. Certain actions are definitely "playing", while others are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

ZOS does not consider "role playing" to be an excuse to violate other parts of the "no automation" and "macro" rules, so I would be very careful using another account to facilitate "role playing". For example, they have stated (clearly) that we cannot use a keyboard macro to emote pre-determined things in a role playing environment, or say pre-canned things in chat as part of role playing. This makes it difficult to determine what ZOS might think "playing" is, and I don't expect them to define it. Unless we ask, and they answer, as in the case of non-combat (chat/emote) keyboard macros and voice controlled actions, the only way to find out what they are thinking is if someone gets tagged and comes in here to violate the forum rules to tell us.

danno8

Rune_Relic wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

Rune_Relic wrote: »

MornaBaine wrote: »

Roleplayer chiming in. I have 2 accounts (well 3 really) and have used them at the same time in order to have one of my characters play music for an RP event while I participated in the event with another character. I've done the same thing when creating "red shirts" for story lines in order to have both my "villain" present AND my actual character at the same time. I don't use my second account to do actual game content so I don't believe I'm in violation of any rules.

I dont think its a question of if you 'feel' you didnt exploit the game while breaking the TOS or not.
You may have been good as gold while breaking the TOS.
Using two accounts in tandem enables you to break the game at leisure.
Many people wont be good as gold when doing so.

But I am not using any third party software to do so. I think that's the deal breaker. The rule is clearly stated here:

To be clear, players are welcome to have multiple accounts. However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service.

I'm not using any software to do so... so if this is indeed a violation of TOS I'd appreciate ZOS chiming in to say so. @ZOS_GinaBruno , @ZOS_JessicaFolsom ?

However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service
vs
However, using hardware or software to play them all at the same time is not allowed on any ESO service

It would be impossible to not use hardware and software to play the game.
The game is still subject to concurrency exploit issues whether its manual or automated.

We asked for extra clarification in this thread a month ago:

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/3488076/#Comment_3488076

Because the ToS is a little bit fuzzy on the statement you quoted I put this out there:

So the question is "Can two accounts be logged in at the same time with characters existing in the game world simultaneously but not being controlled simultaneously by the same person (or third party program) and not being controlled by a non-account holder?"

Maybe we get a response this time.

Elsonso

danno8 wrote: »

We asked for extra clarification in this thread a month ago:

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/3488076/#Comment_3488076

Because the ToS is a little bit fuzzy on the statement you quoted I put this out there:

So the question is "Can two accounts be logged in at the same time with characters existing in the game world simultaneously but not being controlled simultaneously by the same person (or third party program) and not being controlled by a non-account holder?"

Maybe we get a response this time.

Don't hold your breath. If this were 2014, I would suggest opening a support ticket. However, I did this in 2015 for non-combat keyboard macros, in an attempt to get an authoritative answer, and things got a little surreal.