Well today for the first time I have seen “macro software” and “Auto clickers” mentioned in reference to boundless players.
I’ve been surprised here already but is this considered acceptable behavior here? By the devs OR the community?
I’m not including any quotes. I’m just asking because with over 10 years of employment in software automation, black box automation of increasingly complex tasks might be an interesting side hobby for me as the game play becomes more repetitive. And it seems people are willing to post here about it.
I’ve been wondering the same thing. Judging by the amount of posts there are about it and no dev responses I’d assume they’re ok and not an exploit, but when they came out and said the rock->stone is an exploit after leaving it in the game for months and never commenting that it’s not intended, I’m not so sure anymore.
My thoughts - if it helps a player who might physically struggle pressing a key many x30 times in succession (in the case of stone crafting) and a piece of software or hardware helped, then why not. I don’t see this as a cheat, only a QOL tool.
If a player setup a macro which automated a series of commands, with the intention of earning XP or other benefits whilst afk, then this is an exploit and should be stopped.
One thing I’ve always been curious on is the use of auto clickers to shoot a sling-bow as fast as having the rapid fire epic, but without having to spend the 5 skill points.
Yeah I think there’s a lot of hardware that can do this. You wouldn’t have to even run an app or write/record a macro.
I think in some places it’s considered offensive, and in others it’s considered fundamental.
The trunk farm I posted about is very optimal for this sort of thing, and it wouldn’t affect my skill selection. But clicking exactly, reliably 15 times in succession could add a few percent to my desired output.
Common convenience tool meet “game-destroying exploit”? Or just de facto, another available option?
I don’t honestly care to favor either side of this. If it’s clearly acceptable, I’ll be doing it.
@Elsiekelsie Yes, but the only function of the rapid fire epic is that you can hold down the mouse button and shoot continuously. It doesn’t make you shoot faster. At least in my tests sub-20 it looked like that.
It sort of looks like what you would expect with regards to community standards but if there’s no clear policy on the matter I won’t be logging thousands of identical to the millisecond clicks on my account, either.
Things can suddenly swing pretty far and I’d hate to be in an account sweep or similar.
I have used auto hot key to help level toons via the stone method.
I used it to level several toons though I actually rarely use them and was all a bit of a waste of time… I think I just wanted the full number of toons availabe to satisfy my completist.
my 3 main toons were leveled the traditional way.
using ahk saved me from getting a rsi, as the game doesn’t provide a way to mass craft multiple times without a lot of key mashing.
Haven’t and wouldn’t see the need to use ahk in any other part of the boundless gameplay.
My main main toon gets all xp from mining, cratfing the metals etc and building without the aid of ahk.
Nothing, wrong, in my eyes, in using such a system as long it does affect others gameplay.
Have used ahk and macros in mmo’s where there were actively encouraged, Wow being the main example (dual boxing and such).
I’d like to hear an official stance from the devs as well. I was checking the EULA and CoC, since I know usually terms of service include mentions like “automated access to the services” and “unauthorized scripts”, but for Boundless the only thing I could find is under 2. Restrictions:
Restrictions
You are not entitled to and must not:
[…]
create data or executable programs which mimic data or functionality in the Game except in the case of Permitted Modding;
Scripts mimic the game’s functionality of user input. Essentially this should mean that it’s only OK if the devs explicitly say it’s OK. Which could be why they haven’t given an official OK yet, scripts are a touchy subject.
Until then it’s safest to avoid them, but I highly doubt that quality of life “anti-RSI” scripts like pressing the mass craft button 30 times would get you in trouble.
I have a script that I trigger when looking at an inactive portal, it asks for a portal token name, and then proceeds to making a token and taking it to my inventory, then another one I trigger when aiming at a shop stand and it places the token in to it and sets the price to 0.
And another one that I used to name multiple signs with an increasing counter.
It’s just a convenience and qol for me so I don’t have to repeat the same action again and again.
I feel this would save me hundreds or thousands of mouse clicks and hours of holding down the mouse button straining my wrist and arm used to automate a process which doesn’t currently require my avatar to move or change direction in any way.
Incidentally though it would increase my efficiency (i.e.desirable loot per tool) by something like 5% just to use it.
Somewhere there’s a blurry line between quality of life and unfair advantage.
With no clear policy I would still prefer not to use this (any hardware or software aid) on my paying account.
I should clarify that I don’t see any other use for me, but can totally understand others will in clever and inventive ways.
Ran a mini army of shamen alts in wow, using some program that I now forget the name of (getting old…) and played with an xbox controller…felt quite an achievement at the time
I’ve brought up the macro topic before and at the time consensus of the community was it’s something that shouldn’t be done. But never got any dev response. Just people saying I should report the players I see using it.
To me using an outside program to make your character do anything without you being there is kind of an exploit/hack. But again that’s just my opinion. Plus this is only something pc users can do. Which gives a significant advantage to them over ps4. Which also makes it a touchy spot.
