Macro checks and disconnects

[GM Oden]

It's that time again, a brief discussion on macro check alarm scripts.

There's been a rash of "disconnects" during macro checks. I even had a look at one player's, and was informed, the most popular macro checker script in the Pangaea public and what should I discover?:

Code: Select all

Sound:
for %timer 1 240
{
sound macrocheckalert.wav
wait 1s
set %timer %timer + 1
set %left 180 - %timer
setUOtitle HA_MACRO
}
terminate uo
goto Sound 

With regards to the snippet there is enough code there so that the culprit who wrote this knows they wrote it, I have been told who wrote this and this is not the entire macro, you can push an update on it if you wish and I would welcome it otherwise it is up to the individual player who is using this macro check script to make the proper adjustments.

But for others who are not using it, see that "terminate uo", there is no valid reason you should have this in your macro check script. I get it, macro checks suck, I don't want to lose my skill and stats, however, this recent rash of magical disconnects has me quite suspicious. This is not a thread about who is and who is not using them, this is however a warning that if things need to change with the macro checker system to tighten things up even further, I am more than happy to comply with your requests to do so and make macro checks more frequent for players who disconnect during a macro check and I have a lead on how to possibly remedy false flags. I understand that some disconnects are legit and I would like to remedy those, they are on the todo list now for sure so we can hopefully nip this shit in the butt, however, if your macro check script has any mention of "terminate uo" and believe me, if you have no idea what my player board account was and where I spent probably a quarter of my posts, I am no slouch when it comes to EasyUO macros, pull any mention of terminate uo out of your macro check scripts.

This is nearing to take priority for me thus pushing other stuff on the agenda to the back burner and I like many of you, do not really want to put off stuff that should have been done a long while ago for this just so that I can tighten up what feels like has become a loose fitting pair of pants or trousers if you prefer.

Kind Regards,

Oden

PS - I don't want feedback on "my macro check script does not use this", that is irrelevant I am giving the warning shot now that the macro check system in it's current state can be wound tighter than a two dollar watch if necessary.

PS 2 - There are plenty of other macro check scripts out there that are simple and just check for the generic_gump and play a sound or you can probably still grab mine but I think some people had issues with it and hence it is not likely used by too many people, although the only issue I had with it was the sound on my pc being turned off.

PS 3 - Shit sorry, a final note I hope, on this and similar issues pertaining to character or account issues, WE NEED to hear this from the player or person who was involved, not a third party. I make all my chat information available and am more than willing to answer things when I get the ability to. I WILL NOT BE FIELDING ANYMORE "My friend" or "My Brother" or "My Dog" or "My 93 year old gran" messages. This is very simple, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU, YOURSELF AND ONLY YOU, not your cousin, lover, unicorn, 56k modem, toilet, fax machine, third cousin on the left, congressman, mayor, governor, Furher, Dear Leader or zippo lighter needs to get a hold of me. I did not change my ICQ information from when I was a player so I have a large majority of your ICQ numbers still in my list, I never blacklist anyone from ICQ, my skype information is out there, you can pm me, you can hit me up on discord in a private DM I am always on one of these and aside from this last week check these services at least once daily. I think the only thing most of you can't do is call me on my mobile, email me or send me a letter through the post office, but I have tried to remain in good contact with everyone, there is no reason to send someone else to do your bidding. Again, I am not going to field anymore of this "My cousin or sister or transgender alienoid brother from another terrestrial mother needs....". I do not want to be a dick but I keep my communication pretty open with the rest of you, if some of you can not return the courtesy with me, I can always send my ICQ, Discord, Skype, Board Account, UOAM logging in into the dark ages, not a threat but this is getting rather old too.

[GM Oden]

This apparently has rubbed a few people the wrong way and as such I'm going to adjust and add to the rules regarding easyuo so expect a post of this in the next few days.

To be clear:
I don't care who wrote the macro from whence the snippet I posted came. I don't care if you didn't write it, I don't care if you are or were using it.

I hope I was clear enough with the instruction on how to remove it that it is easy to do so. I don't care if this terminate uo is used in beneficial but legal ways, it just isn't to be used to try to skirt or mitigate the macro check system or any other rule skirting ways.

The new guidelines will merely clarify something's about the use of macros in general. I don't plan on changing things here just restating what should be good practice for those who accept and use macros from others and for those that write them.

I've had a shitty week this past week so I may have come across harsher than I wanted to but you have a clear idea of just one thing to look out for.

[Maximilian Lhoth]

I heard - privately, not from a GM - that I have been "blamed" for writing this script or posting it somewhere.

1) I know no one cares if I falsely admitted scripting or spreading it
2) I haven't scripted it or spread it
3) I haven't even seen it but I'm aware of the fact there have been such scripts in use for ages

Personally, without knowing what has happened on Pangaea for last 6 months, my theory is following:

Using such scripts just became mainstream, because Pangaea was inactive enough for the rare players to think no one's watching them anymore and even if so, no one cared anymore. As playerbase grew again, people stuck to their old habits without rethinking. And, naturally, mentioned to others what they have been doing for some months now. When something is illegal, but becomes mainstream, people start to think it's in practice OK because everybody else is doing it.

Comparing to real life crimes, illegal piracy for example is consider acceptable by many, but shoplifting is a no-no even if piracy in fact is most often a heavier crime. At least I would rather be caught shoplifting than for torrents; penalties are way less severe.

[GM Oden]

Thanks Max, your name was dropped by a few people indeed. I will take your word for it you've always been more than honest with me when I've had dealings with you over icq or in game.

I don't care who wrote it it's the user's responsibility to clean up their copies.

[KrondorZuula]

that terminate uo script has been around for 6+ years at least, no idea who wrote it but I've seen it around countless times lol

[Maximilian Lhoth]

that terminate uo script has been around for 6+ years at least, no idea who wrote it but I've seen it around countless times lol

My scripts:
- macrocheck script making a constant ticking sound and spamming both uotitle and screen with things just so that I'm not accidentally forgetting it off
- macrocheck script reacting to anything out of ordinary in the journal, such as you_see instead of just the generic_gump gumpcheck
- very, very alarming sound I carefully engineered to make sure I wake up from even the deepest sleep

I was always aware of autodisconnect script being in use by some, of course. I thought everyone know it, including gamemasters naturally. If I made an autodisconnect script, it would pseudorandomize the time to disconnect between 3:49-4:11 or so after the alarm triggered without no one answering, to make it seem like it was random, adding plausibility. Autodisconnect script seemed too scary for my tastes - I did like the skills I had on the characters, and a ban would've been horrible. Later on I deleted all voluntarily... twice! Just to make new similar characters later! I recall even actually raging over losing vampire-lunar tier gear on Malas to some ice fiend. It was 10-12 years ago. Those were good times. Also my times in Law with all the PvP even though I got trouble over it were golden. Now I barely remember to refresh my houses!

[Torr Aramin]

I admit I was using a similar script many years ago, it was much more than just 6 years. I don't have it anymore because I lost all of my old UO related files long time ago. Back then even macro alerts weren't allowed. Noone told me about it or shared it with me. It was my idea and I wrote it myself, but haven't shared it to anyone, but a few people I knew in person. And asked them not to share it to anyone else, because I knew if everyone used it, Pangaea staff would find out sooner or later. But it would be possible they didn't listen to me and shared it with someone else. I stopped using it when GM's started checking using it by activating macro checks manually, appearing in front of you and started talking to you. And if you didn't respond and lost connection before the macro check timer ran out you got punished. A GM almost caught me once (it was Alteran if I remeber correctly) and then I stopped using it.

My script similarly to this one also used random timer before terminating the client. So it might be I wrote the script posted in this topic but it just doesn't seem my writing style.

Anyways for quite some time I had an idea to write a script with a timer that would play an alert and pop-up a button - say every 8 minutes. And if one doesn't click the button to confirm his presence and reset the timer in 2 minutes, the client would terminate. Since I stopped using the "macrocheck client terminate" script I think every macrocheck I have failed was because I forgot to log out before leaving home. I never had the intention to stay logged in while away (noone does). For example the other day I ran out of cigarretes and left home to buy some. While in the store I remebered I forgot to logout. 15 minutes later I was home again and macrocheck was on screen for god knows how many minutes and Anatomy at about 97. I was lucky this time but it would have really sucked to get punished just before GMing a skill because sometimes I'm messed and forget stuff. And such a script would help with that.

I suppose such a script wouldn't mean cheating in any way and would be perfectly legal. But there would always be some chance it would terminate the client also when a macrocheck was present on screen. So I'm afraid to use it because it would be detected as if I tried to cheat the macrocheck.

So there are legit ways to terminate the client but how would one prove to the staff they were legit?

The same could even happen if my client crashed during macrocheck or I lost my internet connection.