EQ2 and 3rd party programs... : EverQuest 2 General Discussions

Way back in the day when I first played EQ2 (1+ years ago) I used a program called macro express openly in trade skill instances. Some times I'd even let it run at night when I was sleeping. I never got caught.

Since I've recently returned, I'm wondering if SOE has gotten any stricter in terms of catching people using 3rd party programs to help them craft afk and what not.

I'm looking for people who have used macro programs in EQ2 recently and if any thing has happened to them

Has the SOE team made any announcements about cracking down on 3rd party program users recently?

Are there any steps I can take to help ensure my chances of not getting caught?

Basically I want to know wheather or not I'm going to get caught if I use something like macro express... is EQ2 like WoW? (in terms of catching people who use 3rd party programs)


Points will go to the person(s) who answers the questions most thoroughly

Any time you use these programs your running a risk of getting caught. If you can't afford to loose everything then you shouldn't be playing.

That being said SOE really hasn't gone after anyone other than dupers and the people that are being so stupid with macro's (i.e. spamming 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3 in ooc or say and getting reported by everyone that enters or runing a Hunter bot in some highly visited areas). Even then SOE doesn't seem to be real interested in going after you.

As long as you don't get stupid with where you bot and make sure everything is working before letting it run you should be ok, I have been doing it for 2 years now and not one issue.

and no SOE doesn't use any 3rd party program to read memory like WoW does, keep an eye on the date of the EULA everytime you log in, if it changes it is time to read it again.

Loraik

Pretty much, dont do any 3rd party botting AFK and you're fine.

I run harvesters, and hunting, and crafting all the time. Just watch TV and keep an eye on the screen.

PS all of those bots I use are here in the premium areas and are used with XU.

So if I recorded like a 10 minute long macro (avoid any short pattern) that clicks the screen in one place every 15 seconds or so and just read a book... I'd have a good chance of not getting caught?

15 points given to each of you

A link to the EQ2 Macro plugin for Xunleashed would be great too

there is a great crafter program out there, i wont disclose the website in public...
you can pm me for it if you would like though, i have used this program for over a year and yes i do craft at night while i sleep and while i am at work.

taul needs to copy some features from this program, with the most important one being "ban protection/tell notification"

this program will either go DING really loud when somewone tells you, or /exit... it is the only thing you need....

the only way you can get caught is:
somewone reporting you, and if somewone does report you... a CSR will send you a tell... if you recieve that tell, or any tell accusing you of anything... you will simply /exit.. (that is what the tell notification/ban protection does)

Also. the best way NEVER to get caught is:
Buy a crafting table... alchemy table, tailor machine, w/e... it cost status points + some platinum...
Put it in your room, close off your room to others, and afk away.


How i deal with AFK crafting:

When i sleep:
I either set the bot to exit on tells or make a sound on tells, i replace the sound file with something that sounds like an alarm, splice the speaker cord to add some more line to it, and put the speaker close by my bed so that when it makes a sound i can wake up and look.

When i am at work:
(i always set it to /exit on tells when i am at work)
I can run any of the bots, harvest bot, crafter, etc... i use GoTo PC on my computer and at work, so at lunch/break i can just connect to my computer from work and see whats going on, make a bank/merchant run, and restart the script.

If you get a tell from a CSR asking you why you have been crafting for the past 28 hours... just make something up, when i first started macroing i got caught because to many people reported me and i was way to obvious about it (i think my guildies reported me after seeing me go to lvl 40 in 3 days...) all i did was tell the CSR that i have ADHD and i am taking a new drug called Aderoll, told him its an amphetamine and since i just started on it i wont sleep for sometimes 3 days...
He believed me =)