Guild Wars 2

Why are instrument macros allowed but not macros which can “auto-click” to save your mouse button from wear and tear (of opening boxes, luck, etc.)?

And by mouse macro, I mean one that’s timed to click slower than a human does so that there is no time-saved advantage in using one.

If, for example, the worry is that someone can set it and leave the computer… that can be done with instrument macros as well.

You can quote the official “no-macros allowed” rules, but it seems to me that the reasons for allowing instrument macros to break those rules apply to mouse-saving-clicks as well.

Since when are instrument macros allowed?

Given their explanation for macros, I’d say an autoclicker falls well within the realm of something acceptable. The way that they make it sound anyway, is that macros are only illegal if there is more than one output for input. Most autoclickers I’ve used, anyway, tend to just repatedly activate a certain key without my finger on it – rather than activate several commands on a single keystroke In a state of logic, this basically means:

1 -> A = Legal

1 -> A+B = Illegal

If anything, their macro policy seems to be okay with autoclickers and against instrument macros although, as always, there is room for exceptions to the general rule since some things (like instrument macros) are beautiful and are unnecessarily spoiled when the rules apply.

I am not a programmer or IT specialist but i wouldnt be surprised, if autoclick macros put too much stress on the servers.
They once mentioned that one reason why conditions and aoe are capped to prevent lag.

So if alot of people are clustered together and use auto click macros, especially if rng rolls (lootbags, salvaging) are involved, it might put too much stress on the servers.

Just a wild guess though….

I could give a cynical answer, but I’ll give you a more practical one instead.

When you’re playing a musical instrument, that’s pretty much ALL you can be doing with it. There’s no actual difference (from the dev PoV) between someone silently crafting, and someone crafting while their character plays a harp. And aside from crafting and opening bags, there’s little else you CAN do while playing an instrument.

Basically, playing an instrument is an easy indicator that the character is being (more or less) non-productive at that point in time.

Allowing macros at any other time runs the risk that they’re being used to some game play advantage. There’s no easy to track flag to show that it’s not.

Just want to point out that Arenanet does not condone or explicitly allow -any- macros whatsoever, so if at any point they decide to start banning music players or whatnot, there’s nothing that the players can do.

Before trying to balance “why is x allowed when y isn’t”, take note that X is not explicitly allowed to begin with.

Cuddy.6247:

Given their explanation for macros, I’d say an autoclicker falls well within the realm of something acceptable.

Incorrect. From multiple threads, Anet’s policy is that the use of auto-clickers is a bannable offense.

I understand why they have that policy: so that if someone figured out a way to abuse something using one, they couldn’t hide behind the excuse that they were “only using an auto-clicker that had been permitted.”

Frankly, we all know why so many people want to argue with this policy. It’s the thousands of things that Anet has made deliberate design decisions to send our way that requires stupidly clicking thousands of times – luck, trick-or-treat bags, wintersday presents, etc.

So, if Anet is listening to player feedback, we need to make it absolutely crystal clear to stop doing the root cause of the dissatisfaction, or if that is not an option, that a Quality-of-Life change is a high-priority item.

Wanze.8410:

I am not a programmer or IT specialist but i wouldnt be surprised, if autoclick macros put too much stress on the servers.
They once mentioned that one reason why conditions and aoe are capped to prevent lag.

If you send too many commands to the server in too short a time period (such as with an auto-clicker with too short of a delay), the server will boot you immediately.

:cough: I can’t independently verify this, because I would never have done something like that. :cough:

Tamasan.6457:

Wanze.8410:

I am not a programmer or IT specialist but i wouldnt be surprised, if autoclick macros put too much stress on the servers.
They once mentioned that one reason why conditions and aoe are capped to prevent lag.

If you send too many commands to the server in too short a time period (such as with an auto-clicker with too short of a delay), the server will boot you immediately.

:cough: I can’t independently verify this, because I would never have done something like that. :cough:

Well GW1 definitely did that but I’ve never ran into it in GW2. The time between clicks on GW2 would have to be much lower than in 1. The really annoying thing about that was when you have lag so that even though you weren’t clicking all that fast all your clicks can still end up arriving at the server as if you were clicking quickly.

Kal Spiro.9745:

Since when are instrument macros allowed?

A dev post a few months ago explicitly said it was ok.

Lord Kuru.3685:

Kal Spiro.9745:

Since when are instrument macros allowed?

A dev post a few months ago explicitly said it was ok.

they said macros are ok so long as it’s “1 click = 1 action”. what’s an instrument macro and why does “1 click = 1 action” mean that?
They also gave a couple examples of big no-no’s: nothing where 1 click = weapon skill 1 & 2. also can’t have a macro that opens bags while you’re battling. that last one… I can’t really see anything calling that a ‘macro’; more of a ‘bot’, but w/e.
they said nothing about having a macro that just opens bags.

I just went into my Ease of Access center in the control panel and turned on Mouse keys. That way i can just spam + key on the num pad instead of wearing out my mouse.

Lord Kuru.3685:

A dev post a few months ago explicitly said it was ok.

I’m not sure which post you mean, but Gaile Gray said “no” to basically the same question today:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/AutoClicker-Macro-Legal-Still/first#post4666463

Tamasan.6457:

Cuddy.6247:

Given their explanation for macros, I’d say an autoclicker falls well within the realm of something acceptable.

Incorrect. From multiple threads, Anet’s policy is that the use of auto-clickers is a bannable offense.

I’m aware. The logic is just irredeemably bad – especially when their very definition of acceptable vs. unacceptable tools conflicts with the usage (most of the time). What they call a macro in some instances, such as autoclicking, sounds more like a bot than autoclicking. Of course, autoclickers themselves are fairly vague but I fail to see how 1 keystroke = 1 action is not being upheld when an autoclicker is just clicking multiple items and automatically performing a keystroke without human intervention.

These are not single keystrokes for multiple actions, just automated keystrokes.

To clear up the instrument macro bit: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/audio/Sad-truth-of-playing-the-ingame-instruments/first#post4546267

And the one right under it: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/audio/Sad-truth-of-playing-the-ingame-instruments/first#post4546357

As for auto clicking for opening bags? I have NO idea. But the above is just to clear up the deal with instrument macros for those who may not know.

Silalus.8760:

Lord Kuru.3685:

A dev post a few months ago explicitly said it was ok.

I’m not sure which post you mean, but Gaile Gray said “no” to basically the same question today:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/AutoClicker-Macro-Legal-Still/first#post4666463

Here’s the specific post that Gaile made. It was due to her talking to Customer Support people about whether they would ban someone for using macros to play instruments.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/audio/Sad-truth-of-playing-the-ingame-instruments/first#post4546267

ArenaNet employees have only said that action will not be taken against those who use music macros.

Whether they would view an auto-clicker that made you have to remain in game holding the mouse over the item you wanted to click on would be deemed giving an advantage or not, I do not know. I personally would not want to risk my account over magic find.

Since the discussion in this thread was answered by several links, it is now closed.
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/AutoClicker-Macro-Legal-Still/first#post4666463
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/archive/audio/Sad-truth-of-playing-the-ingame-instruments/first#post4546267