Official response required: Are Macros allowed or not?

Zargorius · May 2015

Hello,

Recently this topic has been hotly debated on the forums, especially linked to animation cancelling and chaining attacks through use of custom macros.

The official ZOS Terms Of Service state that:

You agree not to use any hardware or software or any other method of support that is not authorized by ZeniMax or that may in any way influence or advantage Your playing abilities, or influence or advantage Your use of the Services. Third party tools, the use of ‘bots’, “speed hacks”, “deep-link”, “page-scrape”, “robot”, “spider”, algorithm or other programs that copy or monitor any part of the Services (including, but not limited to, the Game(s) and/or forums), software that transmits, manipulates, or distributes (including, but are limited to, “mirroring”) the data stream or any aspect of the Services to another computer, server websites or other publication or distribution media, or software that permits You to use Services without human input are examples of methods not authorized by ZeniMax.

It is not clear from this paragraph if the use of Macros through third party software, be it specialised one like AutoHotkey or vendor specific like Razer or Logitech, is allowed or not.

I think many users would be happy to receive an official, clear and inequivocable answer to this question:

Is using Macros through third-party allowed, be it to create emote chains or chain skills/attacks?

Thank you!

@ZOS_GinaBruno

SeñorCinco · May 2015

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/1827438/#Comment_1827438

Edited link to actual post in the thread.

Zargorius · May 2015

SeñorCinco wrote: »

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/comment/1827438/#Comment_1827438

Edited link to actual post in the thread.

Thanks!

Razzak · May 2015

They are not allowed, officially. But considering ZOS supports animation cancelling and has no way of detecting a use of a macro, they just might become necessary.

QuadroTony · May 2015

Go to 44:10
That part in the video actually says that macroing it is ok also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSjxZZTS1Uw

Zargorius · May 2015

QuadroTony wrote: »

Go to 44:10
That part in the video actually says that macroing it is ok also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSjxZZTS1Uw

Sorry but TOS supersede any personal opinion stated by ZOS employees.

Shunravi · May 2015

QuadroTony wrote: »

Go to 44:10
That part in the video actually says that macroing it is ok also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSjxZZTS1Uw

No, it doesn't.

badbeansnub18_ESO · May 2015

The only way to PVP now days is animation canceling and macroing. Unfortunately I'm wearing thin on this game from instant death PVP. ZoS can't or won't fix the problem.

s7732425ub17_ESO · May 2015

badbeansnub18_ESO wrote: »

The only way to PVP now days is animation canceling and macroing. Unfortunately I'm wearing thin on this game from instant death PVP. ZoS can't or won't fix the problem.

You need to remove the word "macroing" and insert "player skill." The top players are not macroing- they are just much, much, much better than you because they have 2000 hours invested into the game. If you PVP a lot, you will actually get better. You will learn how to survive "insta kill" combos and how to do them yourself without cheating.

Amsel_McKay · May 2015

"Macros"...

Well I guess I have macros on my mouse to make my life easy so when I click one of the 12 buttons on it it does something different. Hit 1 and it casts heal 1 then regen a few seconds later... is that cheating? I could do that with mouse buttons...

In EQ I could play 5 toons at once by creating massive macros that would be like if player 1 casts spell 2 then cast spell #3 on toon 2 and 4, and change the location of the healer and necro... - is that cheating?

Setting up macros that run you from one node to another so you can harvest faster and efficiently while away from keyboard is that cheating?

I could go on and on and on about the types of "macros" that are used in gaming you would need to define each one and ask if its cheating.

Armitas · May 2015

Zargorius wrote: »

Is using Macros through third-party allowed, be it to create emote chains or chain skills/attacks?

Zos please answer the ops question in bold in no uncertain terms.

ZeroInspiration · May 2015

Amsel_McKay wrote: »

"Macros"...

Well I guess I have macros on my mouse to make my life easy so when I click one of the 12 buttons on it it does something different. Hit 1 and it casts heal 1 then regen a few seconds later... is that cheating? I could do that with mouse buttons...

In EQ I could play 5 toons at once by creating massive macros that would be like if player 1 casts spell 2 then cast spell #3 on toon 2 and 4, and change the location of the healer and necro... - is that cheating?

Setting up macros that run you from one node to another so you can harvest faster and efficiently while away from keyboard is that cheating?

I could go on and on and on about the types of "macros" that are used in gaming you would need to define each one and ask if its cheating.

All of those sound like cheating, especially the last one since that is pretty much botting.

Zargorius · May 2015

Amsel_McKay wrote: »

"Macros"...

Well I guess I have macros on my mouse to make my life easy so when I click one of the 12 buttons on it it does something different. Hit 1 and it casts heal 1 then regen a few seconds later... is that cheating? I could do that with mouse buttons...

In EQ I could play 5 toons at once by creating massive macros that would be like if player 1 casts spell 2 then cast spell #3 on toon 2 and 4, and change the location of the healer and necro... - is that cheating?

Setting up macros that run you from one node to another so you can harvest faster and efficiently while away from keyboard is that cheating?

I could go on and on and on about the types of "macros" that are used in gaming you would need to define each one and ask if its cheating.

All those are prohibted, simples. Use at your own risk.

Amsel_McKay · May 2015

Zargorius wrote: »

Amsel_McKay wrote: »

"Macros"...

Well I guess I have macros on my mouse to make my life easy so when I click one of the 12 buttons on it it does something different. Hit 1 and it casts heal 1 then regen a few seconds later... is that cheating? I could do that with mouse buttons...

In EQ I could play 5 toons at once by creating massive macros that would be like if player 1 casts spell 2 then cast spell #3 on toon 2 and 4, and change the location of the healer and necro... - is that cheating?

Setting up macros that run you from one node to another so you can harvest faster and efficiently while away from keyboard is that cheating?

I could go on and on and on about the types of "macros" that are used in gaming you would need to define each one and ask if its cheating.

All those are prohibted, simples. Use at your own risk.

The mouse macros are really hard to detect if not impossible because that are started by a human and random times. I have a macro right now that states if I hit button #8 it opens my inventory... #2 button switches my weapon etc etc

uso245 · May 2015

If you require to macro the limited skill set that is available in combat then you aren't a very good player. One Button Wonder! is why I ended up leaving WoW.

QuadroTony · May 2015

its not good or bad
its about saving time and neurves
no1 like to repeat alot of buttons every minute

thats why i prefer to mount+maneuver+autorun in one click, or other cases

AngersRevenge · May 2015

from my experience if it allows you to do actions things with one push of the button it's not allowed.
One button press = one action performed

Kalifas · May 2015

QuadroTony wrote: »

its not good or bad
its about saving time and neurves
no1 like to repeat alot of buttons every minute

thats why i prefer to mount+maneuver+autorun in one click, or other cases

I do that with xpadder. If xpadder supported keyboard as the device one could make macros and no dev could say anything about it.

Kalifas · May 2015

Kalifas wrote: »

QuadroTony wrote: »

its not good or bad
its about saving time and neurves
no1 like to repeat alot of buttons every minute

thats why i prefer to mount+maneuver+autorun in one click, or other cases

I do that with xpadder. If xpadder supported keyboard as the device you could map out, one could make macros and no dev could say anything about it.

Emma_Overload · May 2015

Everybody against macros should come back in 10 years when they have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or some other RSI and tell us if they still feel the same way.

Bouvin · May 2015

Emma_Eunjung wrote: »

Everybody against macros should come back in 10 years when they have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or some other RSI and tell us if they still feel the same way.

I've been gaming since 1998 when I started with Ultima Online.

I don't use macros.

No carpel tunnel. And that's after almost 17 years.

Zargorius · May 2015

Amsel_McKay wrote: »

Zargorius wrote: »

Amsel_McKay wrote: »

"Macros"...

Well I guess I have macros on my mouse to make my life easy so when I click one of the 12 buttons on it it does something different. Hit 1 and it casts heal 1 then regen a few seconds later... is that cheating? I could do that with mouse buttons...

In EQ I could play 5 toons at once by creating massive macros that would be like if player 1 casts spell 2 then cast spell #3 on toon 2 and 4, and change the location of the healer and necro... - is that cheating?

Setting up macros that run you from one node to another so you can harvest faster and efficiently while away from keyboard is that cheating?

I could go on and on and on about the types of "macros" that are used in gaming you would need to define each one and ask if its cheating.

All those are prohibted, simples. Use at your own risk.

The mouse macros are really hard to detect if not impossible because that are started by a human and random times. I have a macro right now that states if I hit button #8 it opens my inventory... #2 button switches my weapon etc etc

That's not a macro, it's a keybind.

QuadroTony · May 2015

Shunravi wrote: »

QuadroTony wrote: »

Go to 44:10
That part in the video actually says that macroing it is ok also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSjxZZTS1Uw

No, it doesn't.

They do it's just really really easy to miss. I missed it as well. The guy asking the question says that customer service said using macros to automate light attack weaving was ok. It's kind of nestled in there deep, after that they just talk about animation canceling. Start at 44:28. Now we don't have the original customer service ticket so it's still kind of up in the air.

Raash · May 2015

You wont hear from them on the matter any time soon, they are all in cyrodiil having fun oneshotting honest players.