Bans = HB information leaks?

[frosticus]

Without exposing my source I'm now 100% convinced that this ban wave has been directed at x86 clients in a x64 environment. I have no technical knowledge or experience in things related to programming but at my age I've acquired a huge amount of common sense.

Since HB runs purely as x86 even in an x64 environment it's fairly obvious that the detection of users will relate to this discrepancy........ Why else run the client x86 while the launcher is x64. Read Occam's Razor.

Occam's Razor

a theory that is just as simple would be they targeted users running in windowed mode, performing actions while the window was not in focus.
or targeted players who ran multiple instances of wow, where the characters werent in the same vicinity.

these two suggestions are free of 'detection of ingame activities' theories and would encompass a large number of us.

 

[foam_follower]

a theory that is just as simple would be they targeted users running in windowed mode, performing actions while the window was not in focus.
or targeted players who ran multiple instances of wow, where the characters werent in the same vicinity.

these two suggestions are free of 'detection of ingame activities' theories and would encompass a large number of us.

I agree. Both are equally possible.

 

[aleks8811]

This is very true! HB should look into this. I had 1 account on 1 pc running using windows x64. But on my main PC I have windows 8 x86 and the windows 8 account is not banned at all though I used HB the most on it!

 

[Macatho]

I run 3 accounts on 3 separate PCs. 2 of them were banned, one of them not. The one that remains unbanned is running on Windows Vista x86. Both of those banned were running on Windows 7 x64. All 3 accounts were botted identically and all 3 accounts have been active since the WOD expansion.

I get a really strong feeling that there's something of note in the difference between x86 and x64. I cannot accept that big a coincidence.

Sadly with n=3 your test has close to zero value in form of information.

 

[Macatho]

Without exposing my source I'm now 100% convinced that this ban wave has been directed at x86 clients in a x64 environment. I have no technical knowledge or experience in things related to programming but at my age I've acquired a huge amount of common sense.

Since HB runs purely as x86 even in an x64 environment it's fairly obvious that the detection of users will relate to this discrepancy........ Why else run the client x86 while the launcher is x64. Read Occam's Razor.

Occam's Razor

We all know what occam's razor is. Though I dont think it applies in this case at all.

 

[brainAbuddy]

When program/bot is detected Blizzard would ban every account attached with that bot at anytime not just last 10 days, few weeks ... This is something fishy.

they could just have a log file with every information about you and when the new system launched boom headshot

 

[Nodecaf]

I quit using Honorbuddy about 4 weeks ago but did not immediately close my WoW accounts (I switched to FFXIV/Rebornbuddy). All of my WoW accounts are still active until the current subscriptions expire, and no bans.

I haven't played for 2 weeks. My subscription expired yesterday. Today I received 6 month suspension notice.

 

[Khrx]

Before you guys decide to upgrade the client to x64 architecture, let me share with you a lil bit of interesting information so devs, and botters alike don't waste their time.
Dxtory a screen recording program that writes directly in the buffer ( So it's faster than fraps) only works with the 32bit client of WOW. many streamers, myself included use that way of recording arena games, and general gameplay. So don't bother. The client has nothing to do with it. I have a strong feeling I do know what's the cause tho' sadly... I can't share that bit with you guys

Have fun

 

[frosticus]

We all know what occam's razor is. Though I dont think it applies in this case at all.

/agree i thought i knew what occams razor was, the general idea anyways. but i had to look it up.

here is the text for those who have no idea what we are talking about

You've probably heard it before: The simplest explanation is usually the right one. Detectives use it to deduce who's the likeliest suspect in a murder case -- you know, the butler did it. Doctors *use it to determine the illness behind a set of symptoms.
This line of reasoning is called Occam's razor. It's used in a wide variety of ways throughout the world as a means to slice through a problem or situation and eliminate unnecessary elements. But what we call the razor is a little different than what its author originally wrote. There are two parts that are considered the basis of Occam's razor, and they were originally written in Latin:
The Principle of Plurality - Plurality should not be posited without necessity
The Principle of Parsimony - It is pointless to do with more what is done with less

then like a dummy, i wasnt 100% sure of what plurality actually meant so i looked it up

plurality
noun plu·ral·i·ty \plu̇-ˈra-lə-tē\
: a usually large number of things

: a number of votes that is more than the number of votes for any other candidate or party but that is not more than half of the total number of votes

grammar : the state of being plural

which left me confused as to the context. anyone want to add a simpler definition of occams first part? such as an example of context?

 

[tednugent]

Clearly blizz used a defined period of time to create their bann list, perhaps only monitoring periodically to stay below the radar. I bot on the same machine (x64 running x386 HB obviously) and all accounts at various times. I typically use a the same account to bot and that one was banned. The other 2 accounts, one that I bot on every other day and one I use even less were not banned. I never afk bot and only use envoy for dailies and occasionally LFR. This means no one reported me and it was clearly a detection system, not scanning the drive for files but what's running in memory during their monitoring and not banning all sub accounts associated to a bnet account.
My $0.02

 

[frosticus]

Clearly blizz used a defined period of time to create their bann list, perhaps only monitoring periodically to stay below the radar. I bot on the same machine (x64 running x386 HB obviously) and all accounts at various times. I typically use a the same account to bot and that one was banned. The other 2 accounts, one that I bot on every other day and one I use even less were not banned. I never afk bot and only use envoy for dailies and occasionally LFR. This means no one reported me and it was clearly a detection system, not scanning the drive for files but what's running in memory during their monitoring and not banning all sub accounts associated to a bnet account.
My $0.02

i agree that the detection appears to be intermittent and not active full time.
im not sure how you conclude no one reported you.
i agree that the detection was limited to online activity during the detection event.

some of my accounts were banned, but not all. one was botting during the event and is still not banned.
people can report you any time, any place, for any reason. someone could have been mad at your numbers in lfr, anything. you cant just declare no one reported you.
blizzard used many resources to process bans, they may have decided to not run the association software. maybe they wanted unique offenders and not associated accounts.

we dont know. we just dont know. and anyone saying different should have the responsibility of providing supporting evidence.

 

[CimmerianRage]

Banned as well. And yes, I'm using a log in I just created. my original HB username contains elements that might be used to identify my WoW account, so I don't post with it, ever. But here is my thought: Its -very- likely some sort of RAM processes scan. I come to this conclusion based on the fact that my Honorbuddy and WoW install are segregated from one another. I'm challenging my ban, but they are being tight lipped about the details, as I expected, but the fact is, there is a degree of consumer protection, despite their overreaching eula. I urge everyone to request refunds, or do charge backs in order at least to deprive blizzard of the surplus revenue. Meanwhile... off to play other games while I wait for the fallout to settle.

 

[frosticus]

I urge everyone to request refunds, or do charge backs in order at least to deprive blizzard of the surplus revenue. Meanwhile... off to play other games while I wait for the fallout to settle.

it makes me think you would do the same if you felt betrayed by honorbuddy. i mean, where do you draw the line?

Its -very- likely some sort of RAM processes scan. I come to this conclusion based on the fact that my Honorbuddy and WoW install are segregated from one another.

scanning your ram is perfectly legal in the US. because you waived your rights when you gave consent to search when you clicked agree on the terms. you had a choice to not play the game, but you felt giving up the protections of the 4 amendment wasnt that big of a deal.

there is a degree of consumer protection,

consumer protection against what? bad life decisions?

 

[CimmerianRage]

it makes me think you would do the same if you felt betrayed by honorbuddy. i mean, where do you draw the line?

-IF- I felt betrayed by Honorbuddy, you bet your ass I would. I'd seek civil or criminal liability wherever I thought I saw the faintest glimmer of proving it. Because I am an asshole. Next question?

scanning your ram is perfectly legal in the US. because you waived your rights when you gave consent to search when you clicked agree on the terms. you had a choice to not play the game, but you felt giving up the protections of the 4 amendment wasnt that big of a deal.

I never said it wasn't legal, just pointing out a likely source in the speculation since I've seen people saying it was a HDD scan. Unlikely they scanned all 6 of mine, especially since my HB is on my most protected drive.

consumer protection against what? bad life decisions?

Sure. The accuser in this case refuses to prove definitively that a violation occurred, because in doing so they would have to reveal the source of their knowledge. This opens any accused account up for contestation from the person paying for the account and allows for refunds in the form of chargebacks from credit cards and paypal, something blizzard has no control over.

 

[chemical]

i have 6 accounts on 1 log in .. only 2 were active/botting . one was botting during the ban, the other was last used maybe Saturday. both accounts were 6 month banned. the remainder 4 weren't.

Trust me there are people who roam around area's looking for botters. i had this one guy ( i was horde , he was alliance) attacking me in mt. hyjal. i was questing, and of course HB didn't fight back. So when i came back and hearth i tried to fly away.

well he was an rogue and was doing that cloak and dagger move every time i took off in the air. he logged on a horde and told me he was reporting me for botting. and of course i went ahead and reported him for harassment he he.

 

[petor123]

these threads are stupid... we will never know how they detected it, and they can ban you for no reason if they want, they own the game.

 

[frosticus]

mt hyjal is a pita trying to level chars on a pvp server. i once had a pair of dks pull me down into that lake behind the spawn point. kept chain of ice and death gripping me under till i died. killed me a couple times. i was laughing about the third time i died. i just stayed dead without releasing to keep the dks there as long as possible. luckily on my server, we usually have a good group of horde waiting to pwn the dirty alliance scum.

mt hyjal is just as bad as trying to level in hellfire

 

[CimmerianRage]

these threads are stupid... we will never know how they detected it, and they can ban you for no reason if they want, they own the game.

That is where you are wrong, someone will figure it out, through testing, and then a workaround will be made. And they can ban you whenever they want, but without providing evidence as to why they banned you they open themselves up to fraud complaints and other legal or financial complications

 

[frosticus]

That is where you are wrong, someone will figure it out, through testing, and then a workaround will be made. And they can ban you whenever they want, but without providing evidence as to why they banned you they open themselves up to fraud complaints and other legal or financial complications

first off, id like to welcome you to the buddyforums. and no, banning with no reason is well within their rights as stated in the Terms. it would only lead to invalid complaints, quick dismissals, and wasting their own time and money.

 

[tednugent]

i agree that the detection appears to be intermittent and not active full time.
im not sure how you conclude no one reported you.
i agree that the detection was limited to online activity during the detection event.

some of my accounts were banned, but not all. one was botting during the event and is still not banned.
people can report you any time, any place, for any reason. someone could have been mad at your numbers in lfr, anything. you cant just declare no one reported you.
blizzard used many resources to process bans, they may have decided to not run the association software. maybe they wanted unique offenders and not associated accounts.

we dont know. we just dont know. and anyone saying different should have the responsibility of providing supporting evidence.

Agreed there's no "guarantee" that no one reported me... however there was never an event where the bot ran out of control, I never topped the charts because unless you're legit that's only bringing attention to yourself. I was always friendly and helpful and not just another dude in the raid (certainly not bossy or annoying).
There simply was no logical reason that I would be reported in the last few months, certainly nothing (being a botter and tuned to that sort of behavior) that would make me think someone was botting, hence reporting me for it. That was my point. Although I'm sure there were others reported there's nothing in this megaban that makes me (or anyone for that mater) believe this was something that was reported. Furthermore, if this was some sort of bliz detect/monitor/ban over an extended period of time, I'm a bit curious why all of my accounts weren't banned, which leads me to "believe" there were certain periods of times that were monitored more than others. For example the 2 accounts that were not banned were used more during the day when fewer member are playing and my primary account that got banned was used in the evenings/nights. This seems more logical or I would have expected at least 2 if not all 3 accounts would have been whacked. I agree this is all speculation but sitting back and attempting to be logical about it this seems most likely.... Also I'd like to add for others worried about Blizz continuing to charge your credit card, they won't for the same reasons others have mentioned, they are greedy but not going to open themselves to a class action lawsuit, that's a waste of time effort and press. The immediately canceled my paypal account agreement at the time they banned my account
Once again my $0.02 take it for what it's worth