La Nariz wrote:Is AFK mining against the EULA?
There is a passage under section 6 titled "Conduct" subsection 3.
"You may not use your own or any third-party software, macros or other stored rapid keystrokes or other patterns of play that facilitate acquisition of items, currency, objects, character attributes, rank or status at an accelerated rate when compared with ordinary Game play. You may not rewrite or modify the user interface or otherwise manipulate data in any way to acquire items, currency, objects, character attributes or beneficial actions not actually acquired or achieved in the Game."
The underlined portion pertains directly to AFK mining. ~Other patterns of play~ which would be AFK mining or the act of opening a client, activating a mining device then doing something else and not even tangentially playing EVE. This action is done to ~facilitate acquisition of items, currency or objects... at an accelerated rate when compared with ordinary Game play.~ When a character is away from the keyboard they cannot do anything or interact with the world because they have no control of their character. Without control of their character they would not be able to gain any of these resources and are gathering them at an accelerated rate when compared to ATK mining. Therefore I make the argument that AFK miners are using other patterns of play to accumulate items/currency at an accelerated rate when compared with ordinary game play. This is similar to botting mining because a botter is also AFK and also gaining minerals/gas/ice at an accelerated rate. We all know botting is illegal and amoral but why is AFK mining currently in a gray area? The case seems hermetically sealed against AFK mining but, myself and others would greatly appreciate a CCP ruling on AFK mining.
The problem is, how do you enforce this? It is incredibly hard to detect who is AFK mining and who had to go get a beer, go to the bathroom or do some other task. The simple solution would be, like the "New Order of Highsec" requires, having all miners dock up if they wish to do these tasks. I have a better solution, remove auto repeat from all fitted mining devices. This is a great solution, it greatly reduces the ability to AFK mine and makes it easier to identify bots. It also adds another decision to mining, whether to use combat drones or mining drones as mining drones will be the only mining device remaining that has a type of auto repeat. Finally it is an indirect buff to drones which we all know need love.