EVE General Discussion

I'm sure this answered 1000 times but there's so much information that contradicts one another based on varied time stamps and the official CCP documentation on this subject I've found is quite vague.

Specific Context Example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tiBRu9Q40Y&t=70s

Shows a user using ISBoxer to visualize the various clients he has. It appears he's still manually actioning keystrokes in the game, and the title infers its post EULA change (accepted?). However, my spidey senses are tingling this still maybe a 30day timeout if used.

Question: If a pilot was to directly mirror this exact setup right now, would that result in actionable response to the EULA.

My cause for concern:

The EULA doesn't actually provide clarity around this - as someone who's studied law (weak appeal to authority), there's a very big opening here in terms of the wording and moreover the interpretation of reasonable is open to subjective ruling(s).

Example, one could infer Accessibility Client(s) aren't allowed to be used with Eve (given they directly will modify the user <-> client relationship outside the original intent of the client design. This would immediately place CCP in breach of Constitutional / Sovereign law in some countries where discrimination isn't able to be overruled via contract / civil agreement(s).

Side point aside, one has to ask the question what defines a "keystroke" "mouse click" inside the Eve ecosystem. As once you invoke a ban in the EULA you're also abiding to a contract you've established with said user(s) and its an obligation to both parties that clarification be presented in a reasonable fashion (ergo why Legalese in some countries is no longer allowed in contract law).

Point is - Yes or No? If a pilot uses that exact same setup would it result in a 30 day warning.

That was essentially my intiial intepretation. However, in the above video the user has on-screen UI which then when clicked invokes keystroke (individually) to the client(s).

The EULA states - "macros or other stored rapid keystrokes or other patterns of play that facilitate acquisition of items, currency, objects, character attributes, rank or status at an accelerated rate when compared with ordinary Game play"

Now one could infer the moment you re-map a key bind outside the game it in term falls under the definition of Macro and moreover mouse->keyboard is the same - regardless of whether or not you're still manually activating events 1x at a time as opposed to the old way of 1x event triggers X number of events individually on clients concurrently.

Valid points.

I sent an email to GM and I got an email template back on "how to report" a security breach... Its kind of a bad way to help a proactive pilot into avoiding a mistake sadly.

Be brave, be bold... it's only 30 days.

I think there is some more clarity here:

https://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/overlays-isk-buyer-amnesty-and-account-security/

and in the comments for that devblog. Posts like this one CCP Grimli:

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=6362936#post6362936

say all is kosher with overlays. Of course, CCP always has the out of declaring what you do an 'unfair advantage', but they have been quite clear that at least as of now, mirroring multiple instances of the client as overlays is perfectly fine with them. However, I would think that invoking unique key strokes as you click on each one is edging close to the line of "unfair advantage".

I think the test they will use is such a set up allows you provides you with an "accelerated" advantage over players not using such a mapping system. If it appears to the server that you are activating the mining lasers on a fleet of barges all within the same one-second server tick, they are going to bust you whether your keystroke-on-clicking-overlay setup is within the letter of their guidelines or not.

It was an unusual decision, and is indeed loosely worded.

Usually these kinds of rules target macro sequences, whereby behavior ingame can be automated, especially for purposes of running that sequence whilst away from your computer. Some even allow automation, as long as the player demonstrates they are present at their computer at all times when the sequence is being run (such as being required to reply to a game representative contacting you).

Key broadcasting is not technically a macro, or automation.
Its just one command applying to several clients.
It still requires a manual action from the user, and performs only that single function.

If that command started an automated sequence that applies multiple commands without the user manually inputting each of them, that is a macro and automation.