Multibox should be forbidden

[Codeeeen]

As the title suggests, this post is about how multiboxing is bad for OctoWoW.

I realize we had a vote on this issue, but I and many other newcomers were not around for that.
OctoWow devs honed in on various problems for the server and fixed them. This includes the recent BG experience nerf, which is wonderful. This isn't to attack but more of a rant:

Thesis:

As it stands now, if a player is not multiboxing they are playing at a disadvantage to all other players that are. It is bad for the culture of the game. Most Octo players cannot conceive of how much better the server and world are without multibox. I propose ignoring the vote system completely and banning it regardless of public outcry.

Reasoning:

The population statistics are unreliable due to the multibox population.

There are currently no limits for characters in a city. In theory I could load up 40 accounts and sit them in towns doing things that are arguably not within the original intention of Classic. It would only take an afternoon to load up 400 accounts. I realize that this is sort of a fallacy, but the potential problem still exists.

We have summon bots all over the world negating the aspect of travel and of coming together with our friends for summons. Does anyone really make friends with those guys? If this is the intended way why not just make a 5g NPC that teleports us? What is the difference?

We have level 60's boosting their own low level characters completely negating the aspect of experience, the world, and actually questing or doing dungeons with other players. This removes that player from the pool of available people to play with while simultaneously subtly and perhaps unknowingly encouraging solo play for all.

We have multibox sending items to their other account completely negating the storage and travel aspects.

A main character with the mailbox toy has infinite bag space and a mobile auctioneer all in one due to multibox. This also reduces the amount of sales in the Octo Shop for auctioneers and bags due to this mailbox trick.

Culture:

I am arguing that Octowow players do not actually know how much better it could be without these things.

I have observed that CapyWoW does all of these things and has a much better open world because of it. I don't want to get into the weeds about Capy/Octo, but I support Octo and enjoy it. The issue I see is that Octowow players online treat Octo as the obvious superior choice and for many reasons, but when it comes to multibox we are not doing better.

Suggestion:

Like CapyWoW, or outright forbidden. Or at the very least some sort of restrictions on it. No playing outside of 5 levels. No more than two characters online ever. No pvp, challenges, etc. No AoE farming.

Conclusion:

This type of anti-social activity takes away from the (arguable) intentions of the world. Surely from the Octo team's intentions as well? It creates an imbalance for all of those that are not also multiboxing. Thus resulting in more and more doing it to stay relevant until it becomes something that is engrained in the culture. People will call for it to not be banned, but as Harry Frankfurt might say, it's a second-order desire. Like eating too much cake. Our first-order desires know that too much cake makes you fat and ruins you.

TLDR; Anticompetitive, anti-social, anti-world, anti-design, bad for culture, potentially bad for server infrastructure. fuck ai.

Thanks for consideration.

[Dinofast]

As a octowow player and multiboxer, I cannot conceive why this would be better, and thus I want to keep multiboxing.

[Arielshrauski]

+1, it should be treated for what it is, blatant cheating, only ones that want it are the cheaters themselves.

It's like a drug dealer trying to argue how them selling drugs is somehow good for the community.

You could also go for the route chromie took, add a rule that a multiboxer is explicitly required to fuck right off if they're getting in the way of a real player's questing progress.

[Wubc]

There are currently no limits for characters in a city. In theory I could load up 40 accounts and sit them in towns doing things that are arguably not within the original intention of Classic. It would only take an afternoon to load up 400 accounts. I realize that this is sort of a fallacy, but the potential problem still exists.

As you state yourself, this is fallacious. Why would anyone load up this many accounts in a city? And continue to do so? To what end? Just to do it? Doubtful... Furthermore the devs are perfectly aware of multiboxing happening and can easily identify these accounts and account for them in any statistics.

We have summon bots all over the world negating the aspect of travel and of coming together with our friends for summons. Does anyone really make friends with those guys? If this is the intended way why not just make a 5g NPC that teleports us? What is the difference?

Why not just add NPCs that sell raid consumables? What is the difference?

And those quite often are friends of someone. That is someone's guild member. That is a real player that you need to contact. As you don't generally contact each individual clicker as the traveler, from your perspective there is little difference in whether is one person or 3 doing the summoning, outside of a higher chance of receiving the summon. I also find it exceedingly unlikely that running a summon squad is the extent to which someone plays the game.

We have level 60's boosting their own low level characters completely negating the aspect of experience, the world, and actually questing or doing dungeons with other players. This removes that player from the pool of available people to play with while simultaneously subtly and perhaps unknowingly encouraging solo play for all.

How would this be different from Larry boosting his friend Steve from the perspective of those third parties? Steve would be still "removed from the pool". Surely this is then an argument against boosting in general?

We have multibox sending items to their other account completely negating the storage and travel aspects.

A main character with the mailbox toy has infinite bag space and a mobile auctioneer all in one due to multibox. This also reduces the amount of sales in the Octo Shop for auctioneers and bags due to this mailbox trick.

How much bag space could one possibly need beyond having one one account with all other character slots filled with low level characters sitting in a city receiving mail? I genuinely doubt there are that many people who move around that amount of items beyond maybe the pseudo-guild bank systems, which are communal in a sense anyways... The toy/pet auctioneers, bank access and mailboxes are what negates the necessity to travel to a town, regardless of whether you have multiple accounts or not.

I have observed that CapyWoW does all of these things and has a much better open world because of it. I don't want to get into the weeds about Capy/Octo, but I support Octo and enjoy it. The issue I see is that Octowow players online treat Octo as the obvious superior choice and for many reasons, but when it comes to multibox we are not doing better.

This is your subjective opinion, not substantiated fact. Some might argue the exact opposite if they if they see the differences as beneficial and be just as right.


Now, I have quite a bit of knowledge and personal experience on this subject, having been a multiboxer on retail for multiple years and I am not in fact in favor of unlimited multiboxing, having been an active member within that community and having taken part in the conversations that took place trying to quell the scourge of excess and abuse that became rife with the introduction of the tokens. However, the OctoWoW system is such that I don't see even enough fun or benefit from it to want to bother with it. The impact of the how most people are utilizing additional accounts (although I have a feeling it is mostly limited to having a secondary account for some convenience, like a separate bank/AH character that allows you stay online and, for example, qued while managing auction simultaneously) is negligible as far as I can tell.

Now, having said that, I also do not see a necessity to allow multiboxing. If the developers can identify an issue with it, I am perfectly fine with rule changes that further restrict it's use or even outright disallow it. However the given arguments here I don't find too convincing as to why such changes would be required.

[Aralyn]

Nothing much to add but i agree.. Multiboxing shouldn't be allowed in any form, it is unfair, it is cheating.

[Uggerbugger]

I like multiboxing and as long you are respectful of others I dont see the problem.

1. The population argument is what? What the problem, that it looks like we are 3000 there is in fact 1500 players? And what happens if thats the case?
2. The 40 characters example is largely exaggerated, even more so 400. You also dont explain what these machines that is controlled by a single person with 400 accounts would do, and note that if they use software to control it thats botting and a banable offense.
3. This one I could agree with, which could be solved by keeping it to two accounts max. Not sure I consider it a problem though.
4. This wrongly assumes I would play with other people instead of just grinding it out. The problem with dungeon play is not multiboxing, its that the reward (especially XP) is just poor. And as a player that prefers level 60, I try to optimize for that.
5 and 6. For this argument to be relevant, you'd need to remove the ingame store. Should that be done as well? Or should only people who pay have that advantage?

You conclusion is that the game would be better the way you like to play. But it would not be better for me.

[Darien]

I'm inclined to agree. I was always neutral on multiboxing, but *far* too many times have I been out in the world just trying to quest, and a set of multibox characters comes steamrolling through the area, AOE grinding everything around. It's incredibly frustrating to play with that sort of nonsense going on.

[Wubc]

I'm inclined to agree. I was always neutral on multiboxing, but *far* too many times have I been out in the world just trying to quest, and a set of multibox characters comes steamrolling through the area, AOE grinding everything around. It's incredibly frustrating to play with that sort of nonsense going on.

Am I missing something? Input broadcasting as well as having more than 2 characters in the same zone is specifically fobidden, so how could there be a group of multiboxed characters "steamrolling" an area?

[Beckett]

XD they went down this road already with the tag boost thing. You had a bunch of GMs (some since disgraced) make complete asses of themselves lying and insulting people, insisting they were the majority, and when polls came out that said otherwise... "Errhm, nvm, we don't do public polls here"

How about you not worry about how other people are enjoying the game? Utility alts are part of the TWOW/OWOW experience.

[Igzee]

If you define yourself as new comer and do not appreciate current rules, there is other places that might fit you best.
Owow rules are set from twow which had 7 years experience.