[Guide] What a macro is allowed to do in Path of Exile

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Pangaearocks wrote:

That is well and good and totally understandable. However, people are using the tool and its functions are presumably well-known by the relevant people in GGG. So I would like to know if it's actually permissible to use the tool as it functions now, or not. Naturally I would assume they are fine with it, otherwise people would be banned.

* I have never used MercuryTrade myself, and I am not familiar with all of its functions.
* I have seen several people use some of its features, and none of what I have seen is breaking the ToU. This is not my complete endorsement of everything MercuryTrade is capable of doing; as, once again, I do not know the full extent of its capabilities.
* I am not a GGG employee, and while I'm familiar with the general policies (as outlined in this thread), I am not an authority on their application to any particular case.
* If you want a definitive answer, the only way to get it is to contact support@grindinggear.com yourself. Once again, tell them what you want to do, not which tool are you using to accomplish it.



You are looking for a clear and simple answer of the form "Using tool X is allowed".

Unfortunately for you, this is not how GGG's policies work. You will not find an answer like this; from me, from GGG, or from anyone else familiar with the macro rules.

Fortunately for you, there is another, similar, just as clear and simple answer that I can offer: "If you are performing one action with one input, and there is no logic, timing, or automation involved, it is allowed - no matter which tool you are using."

Prime example being AutoHotkey. It is trivial to write an automation script that, say, opens and closes the MTX store every second. This would most definitely not be allowed by the macro rules. Does that mean that using AutoHotkey is not allowed? No, it doesn't. There are many perfectly valid AutoHotkey scripts that stay within the rules and that many people (myself included) have been using daily for years. Does that mean that using AutoHotkey is allowed? No, it does not - as I just illustrated, there are cases where using AutoHotkey will lead to a swift ban.

MercuryTrade is no exception. Using MercuryTrade to send one message with the press of one button is perfectly fine, no matter what other features MercuryTrade offers. If MercuryTrade also offers some automation features (I don't know whether it actually does, see above), using those particular features would not be allowed.



If you want a real world analogy: you are asking, "Is using a hammer allowed?" with no further description of what you want to use the hammer for. Yes, owning a hammer and using it to put together a cupboard is perfectly fine. No, using a hammer to crack someone's skull open is not allowed. This has nothing to do with the tool itself; and everything to do with what you use it for.

So, again, if you want to know whether something is allowed, explain what you are trying to do, not how you want to accomplish it.



Just to rephrase once again: I do not work for GGG. I can only offer interpretation of their rules based on their past public claims. If this is not enough for you, the only way to get an answer specific to your case is to contact GGG directly.

While not entirely related to macros, I believe this fits within the spirit of the thread.

I wanted to know if it is allowed to have a program capture a section of the screen and overlay it in a more visible place - I specifically wanted to copy my skill bar closer to my character to keep an eye on my cooldowns. Here is my query and the support reply:



So the official GGG answer to this is basically "i dunno lol ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

Thanks, very helpful.

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Sarno wrote:

To me that feels a bit like a loophole (“can I modify the client without technically modifying it?”). The question puts them in an awkward place, because it probably shouldn’t be allowed - but in the past they’ve caught flak for answering such questions (see also: popsicle sticks).

I don't see how this is modifying the client - if it is, technically streaming on Twitch is modifying the client as it is doing exactly the same thing. But I am well aware that my opinion has no value here.

I would be perfectly fine with a "no, this is not allowed" response, and I'd happily put it here too for people to know. What I got was a "yes you can use it, but we can also maybe ban you for it if we change our mind". Which completely defeats the point of asking about it in the first place. That's what I have a problem with.

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You may want to consider replacing the screenshot (and link) with cropped versions which omit the individual employee’s name.

Thanks, I missed that somehow. Fixed.