EVE General Discussion

Why not, 2 accounts in a lot of activities will still provide considerable benefit. It's more comparable to illegalizing tying 2 guns together so you can pull both triggers with the same finger than any restriction on caliber.

From the op:

"Input Broadcasting and Input Multiplexing refer to the multiplication of inputs, actions and events to multiple instances of the game."

Whether the terms have entirely accurate use isn't so much relevant as the fact that they are defined for their use in this context. It feels like your confusion is manufactured by the expectation that for some reason the definition of an electronic switch is being used when the context and definition suggest multiplexing (or inverse multiplexing?) logically.

WEll I run three machines on my desktop so I can easily issue a single command to three clients probably easily within the server tick. I have extensive experience alt tab controlling multiple accounts in other games like Lineage 2. I mentioned L2 specifically because it's FFA PVP everywhere and I would control a whole party on my own with one computer and two 17 inch monitors. Now I have more larger monitors and more computers setup. When I get going I can issue commands to multiple clients quickly. I don't even need isboxer to control multiple accounts each running level 4s etc.

Basically I mastered my ADHD long ago by channeling it into games.

+1

I hate bots !!!!!!

If were going down this analogical rabbit hole using a separate hand for each gun is comparable to using a separate KB/M for each client. Without addressing advantages of disadvantages of either method, only the single finger method has been banned, not dual wielding.

Except we were only talking about 2 clients then, not multiple.
On the same analogy, all ISBoxer does is take each gun, lock it in a vice / stand, and attach a string to each trigger that is then being held by a person.

The problem then comes when people start coming up to you at the range saying "hurrdurr you must have a small penis".
Alternatively, each person is given 5 guns with empty magazines and they must fill each one and fire them in as short a time period as possible. You take the time before the start to setup your 5 guns as mentioned above, and easily beat their time when it you pull the string, because of all the extra effort you put into it beforehand. They run up to the judges crying about this and that, but the rulebook says nothing that would ban such a setup. The only ban in the rulebook is against full-auto pistols, which you are not using.

A more than 2 client comparison on both the player and shooters parts requires more dexterity outside of ones hands than most could spare, which fundamentally is part of the point it seems.

Though really you have hit the nail on the head with the string thing. The judges can at any time decide that that string is cheating with or without outside input. And that is purely the judges call. Any attempt at calling out whining is just, well, whining. Pointing out that the rules have changed from what they were doesn't make the change any less legitimate or the whining of those who's tools can no longer be used any less whiny.

Edit: And just like is being done here the explanation for the change is simply, "we wanted to measure how fast you can accurately empty 5 pistols, not 'do you know what string is'"

Ok, so Ive read through quite a few comments on various pages. As with many others, I agree on some point but not so much on others. I agree that the broadcasting of 1 input across multiple accounts is in the grey area of the EULA, and action should be taken against such programs. However I would like to throw in my 2 cents:

Using multiple accounts give a player more flexibility and muscle to accomplish things they cant do solo (with 1 account). A good example of this is my solo mining fleet I ran in HS. 1 boosting orca, 1 hauling orca, and 6 mining toons. Without the use of ISboxer I was able to multitask and run the fleet very efficiently (less than 5 seconds to reactivate a mining laser when an asteroid pops). I had a 4 screen setup for this to make it much easier to swap between clients. I eventually switched to ISBoxer to help with the layout, so I could fit all the accounts in various resolutions across all 4 screens. This helped to increase the easy of my operations, but it didn't drastically make me anymore isk. So I strongly disagreed by the comments that "ISBoxer ruins eve". Its a tool to make things easier, but anyone who has the proper computer setup can do the same thing with a bit more effort. The people that say ISboxers have an advantage over other players is true, but again if a person is highly capable of multitasking, its a irrelevant point.

The other common argument is that people with multiple accounts make 30X more than people with 1 account. I'll just point to my first point on this. Yes, multiple accounts open options for players....however, each one of those accounts still need paid for. And I don't know anyone that can comfortably run 30 ACTIVE clients as long as 1 single account (it does become mentally taxing eventually).

However, the single click and broadcasting across all accounts is definitely an advantage that no single player should have. This make activities such as ganking in high sec much easier, and in such coordination that would require a very well organized group of people. Insta alpha with 1 click? Yeah, that I don't agree with. Many other activites are given such unfair advantages. So I agree that using ISBoxer to broadcast across multiple accounts should be ban worthy, but not the use of the program for the advantages for client layouts on multiple monitors.

...just my personal thoughts of course.

I multibox in the Summit all the time.

My thoughts on your last 2 points.

As great as some people would believe this game would be if there was no multiboxing and each ship in space was flown by an individual, the basic mechanics of this game make for certain jobs to be rather dull and more suited for alts.

Such examples are scouting, mining, hauling, off grid boosting, cyno lighting, to list a few. This is the reason for so many alts to be present. Some jobs are just rather dull. When you have multiple characters, there are some individuals who enjoy the challenge of flying multiple ships at the same time to the best of their ability. The introduction of ISBoxer has artificially created a lower barrier of entry to multiboxing where the previous barrier had to do with creative setups with hardware and one's dexterity.

The argument of the legitimacy of ISBoxer is not what I am arguing, rather the legitimacy of multiboxing in Eve.

I believe that ISBoxer has just been a scapegoat that players can rally around and raise their pitchforks at. Once January rolls around and players are still multiboxing with the good old alt tab, I wonder how many will continue to rage about it being an issue. I already see people proposing players are limited to 5 accounts or some random arbitrary number of accounts to be logged in at a single time. I just hope that CCP does not continue down the path of listening to the vocal minority that does not agree with their own play style.

To add to that point, I don't believe CCP to be so foolish as to follow the route of my fears, but I do want to make a point of pointing it out regardless.

As for the removal of squad / fleet warps and such, I'm sure you have your reasons and I have a sneaking suspicion that it may have something to do with your 5th point, but I won't get into the guessing game. Regardless of reason, I think the removal of those features may hurt the individual fleet commanders more than anything. Similar to the proposed changes to the cloacking mechanic to hurt ISBoxers, the chagne would have negative imapct to the game to try and change a specific type of gameplay.



On a totally separate note, I understand that CCP cannot and will not draw the line of what is legal and what is not legal in Eve. This is because the player base, being human, tend to try and skirt as close to the edge as possible if the proverbial line is known.
With that said, I still believe some items need to be clarified before the January 1st date.

According to Falcon in his opening post, he says that any form of multi client input either by software or hardware manipulation will now be a bannable offense.

My question to this is, how will CCP be able to detect if I am using 4 different number pads and pressing 4 keys at the same time via my fingers or with a wooden chopstick model? The more dexterous ones should be able to do much more. Will this user be subject to ban or will they need to jump through hoops to verify their innocence?

As with my previous posts, I am not concerned about CCP's change in stance, but rather on the consistency and accuracy of which they plan to enforce these new policy changes.