We’ve asked our Terms of Service department, and we can confirm it is not part of our policy to ban players for using combat log parsers.

I'd say that is about as definitive as it gets.

We’ve asked our Terms of Service department, and we can confirm it is not part of our policy to ban players for using combat log parsers. If anyone feels like an action has been taken against their account in error, we strongly encourage you to contact support (http://www.swtor.com/support/form) with details. Please keep in mind that we do monitor for anything that violates the Terms of Service (speedhacking, botting, or any other third-party software that interacts with the client to result in unintended behavior). We also encourage people to be very careful about downloading and using any third-party software – remember to take the safety of your computer seriously!

Can you clarify that for combat parsers that are shown in real time as an overlay on top of the game?

Can you clarify that for combat parsers that are shown in real time as an overlay on top of the game?

Overlays are typically a clear window placed over the windowed version of SWTOR, so highly doubt that is against the rules, because it's just like me putting it on my second screen.

Overlays are typically a clear window placed over the windowed version of SWTOR, so highly doubt that is against the rules, because it's just like me putting it on my second screen.

A better example is when you intercept the direct x calls and put an overlay on the game (similar to how steam Shift+Tab or xfire work). Comment on this is different to the one for a parser app which sits very much alone in its own window, transparent or otherwise.

We’ve asked our Terms of Service department, and we can confirm it is not part of our policy to ban players for using combat log parsers. If anyone feels like an action has been taken against their account in error, we strongly encourage you to contact support (http://www.swtor.com/support/form) with details. Please keep in mind that we do monitor for anything that violates the Terms of Service (speedhacking, botting, or any other third-party software that interacts with the client to result in unintended behavior). We also encourage people to be very careful about downloading and using any third-party software – remember to take the safety of your computer seriously!

Awesome, thanks for finding out!

Can you clarify that for combat parsers that are shown in real time as an overlay on top of the game?

Your answer is right here:

Please keep in mind that we do monitor for anything that violates the Terms of Service (speedhacking, botting, or any other third-party software that interacts with the client to result in unintended behavior).

The parser does not interact with the game client, rather it interacts with the log being generated by the client. An Overlay also doesn't interact with the client, it's an interaction with your operating system forcing the graphics of the parser to appear on top of anything else being ran.

Funny thing.

Our MT just got a one week ban for "using 3rd-party-programs" while he's only using the MOX parser.

Funny thing.

Our MT just got a one week ban for "using 3rd-party-programs" while he's only using the MOX parser.

I'm calling BS on this. MOX parser doesn't affect the client in any way. It reads the created log file in real-time and puts the information to your screen in it's own, always on top window. Therefore, there would be no way for BW to know it's running. This, along with the previous official post giving the OK to parsers. Your MT was doing something else that he hasn't divulged to the guild, and is blaming MOX.

Funny thing.

Our MT just got a one week ban for "using 3rd-party-programs" while he's only using the MOX parser.

Doubt it. Most likely he is either lying to you or he had something running other than MOX that he was not supposed to and just didn't confess it to you.

Doubt it. Most likely he is either lying to you or he had something running other than MOX that he was not supposed to and just didn't confess it to you.

I highly doubt that.

He contacted CS already, we'll see what happens.

Out of curiosity, how would it even be possible to ban somebody for it? Third-party parsers don't interact with the client.

I highly doubt that.

He contacted CS already, we'll see what happens.

Pick up more doubt of your friend, then. It's not actually possible for them to detect that he's using the third-party parser.

I reported a guy on our server, someone who openly admitted to using a space bot and making millions of credits off of it. I even provided the name of the program as well.

Months later this guy is still actively botting and playing no-less. It's hilarious to think he hasn't been banned, but someone using a combat parse to better their performance would be.

Simply unbelievable.

As we mentioned before - if anyone feels they have been banned in error, we strongly encourage that individual to contact Customer Service. The only way we can assist if someone feels they have had an action taken against them in error is if they contact us directly.

See, there in lies the flaw. We have no way to 'report' a bad CSR. If you file a ticket, another CSR will just dismiss it and stand by their coworkers decision. I have personally seen this kind of thing happen in other games, forums etc. In SWTOR, I have reported bugs. Let me stress, actual bugs in quests, abilities, etc. And the ticket just ends up closed without the CSR actually forwarding the bug. What exactly are we supposed to do here? Open another ticket and hope we get an intelligent CSR this time? Is there some way we can contact a bioware supervisor to report a bad employee?

And then there is the whole 'live chat' thing. Sometimes a CSR will try to open a live chat thing with you, claiming to want to talk to you about your problem. I submit a bug and end up in a chat room with a CSR, and saying "ok, did you need more information on this bug?" And he just says "no". So what was the damn point of contacting me?

There has been a general negetive opinion of bioware's customer service. Many players list the CSRs as one of the big downfalls of this game, and it's no surprise when about half of them seem to ride the short bus to work each day. I am writing this with the hope that someone at bioware will try to do something about these CSR problems.

Funny thing.

Our MT just got a one week ban for "using 3rd-party-programs" while he's only using the MOX parser.

most likely he was duping credits...

I'm calling BS on this. MOX parser doesn't affect the client in any way. It reads the created log file in real-time and puts the information to your screen in it's own, always on top window. Therefore, there would be no way for BW to know it's running. This, along with the previous official post giving the OK to parsers. Your MT was doing something else that he hasn't divulged to the guild, and is blaming MOX.

exactly. what's next, people saying they were banned for running 3rd party browsers or using outdated video card drivers?

I'm calling BS on this. MOX parser doesn't affect the client in any way. It reads the created log file in real-time and puts the information to your screen in it's own, always on top window. Therefore, there would be no way for BW to know it's running. This, along with the previous official post giving the OK to parsers. Your MT was doing something else that he hasn't divulged to the guild, and is blaming MOX.

OR ... MOX has hidden code which interacts with the client in some way you don't know and they haven't said.

OR ... Bioware screwed up the code to "detect 3rd party programs", and it is giving a false positive for MOX.

You have to admit, it might not be the MT that is mistaken, here.

exactly. what's next, people saying they were banned for running 3rd party browsers or using outdated video card drivers?

I used an old video driver and Bioware hacked it to crash. DOWN WITH BIOWARE

OR ... MOX has hidden code which interacts with the client in some way you don't know and they haven't said.

 

OR ... Bioware screwed up the code to "detect 3rd party programs", and it is giving a false positive for MOX.

 

You have to admit, it might not be the MT that is mistaken, here.

Okay, which would you say is more likely: That the programmers of the most widespread parsing program, on which they've built a good deal of goodwill and reputation, have included an undocumented piece of coding interacting with the client to violate the TOS, for no purpose that the user has access to, and without it being necessary for the program to fill its purposes....

Or, somebody is lying about cheating to save face?

Okay, which would you say is more likely: That the programmers of the most widespread parsing program, on which they've built a good deal of goodwill and reputation, have included an undocumented piece of coding interacting with the client to violate the TOS, for no purpose that the user has access to, and without it being necessary for the program to fill its purposes....

 

Or, somebody is lying about cheating to save face?

My guild has been using MOX since the 13th and we haven't had anyone banned. Seems more likely that this MT was cheating (actually what is more likely is the MT in question doesn't even exist and it's just someone posting FUD because they have a grudge against dmg meters.)

If someone doesn't want to use meters for whatever reason and they need an excuse what is easier than making up stories of a "friend of a friend" who was banned?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt

Okay, which would you say is more likely: That the programmers of the most widespread parsing program, on which they've built a good deal of goodwill and reputation, have included an undocumented piece of coding interacting with the client to violate the TOS, for no purpose that the user has access to, and without it being necessary for the program to fill its purposes....

 

Or, somebody is lying about cheating to save face?

Or like he said BW screwed up on their part.

Wouldn't be the first time I've seen this happen...

Or like he said BW screwed up on their part.

Wouldn't be the first time I've seen this happen...

The problem with that is that unless there *is* some part of it interacting with the client, they are physically incapable of detecting whether or not you are running it, shy of the client running spyware on your system. So neither which way you go, the only option that doesn't put the fault at that player lying is a pretty silly conspiracy.

The problem with that is that unless there *is* some part of it interacting with the client, they are physically incapable of detecting whether or not you are running it, shy of the client running spyware on your system. So neither which way you go, the only option that doesn't put the fault at that player lying is a pretty silly conspiracy.

Blizzard's Warden is(was?) scanning your memory for stuff that is blacklisted.

Blizzard's Warden is(was?) scanning your memory for stuff that is blacklisted.

One of the complaints against swtor is that it doesn't include any warden like anti-cheat which means BW relies on player reporting and data analysis to find cheats.