If you don't know what multi-boxing means, it means you run multiple copies of the game either on multiple computers (thus the name multi-boxing), or on the same computer, each running a different account, but all controlled and owned by one person. Multiple different control methods can be used, such as programs to have the keystrokes go to all of the copies of the game, special keyboards and so on.

Is this allowed in STO? Could someone own 2-5+ accounts and group their own characters together to more easily do group missions, pvp and so on, without breaking the rules?

I don't know this 100%, so take it for what it is.

Id imagine the multi-boxing itself isn't against any rules.

Where there might be gray areas that can cause violations. Would be in the use of external programs to run macros or bot'ing programs. Or in any over use of AFK play. I would guess stumbling into these area would be cause to worry.

So as long as your multi-boxing doesn't put you into macro or afk territory. Id expect the powers that be would be fine with it.

Only issue you would have with this is if you intentionally ran multiple accounts with the intent to manipulate certain gameplay. IE PVP matches.

Other then that, I'm sure that Cryptic has no heartache with you paying for multiple accounts even if they are ran on the same computer. Problem is, unlike other games where Buffbots, Healerbots etc are benificial, there is no content where you need multiple accounts running (all content scales to the number of players in a party).

There is No way you are gonna multi box your way through an STF...

Where you would get yourself banned would be the 3rd party program you would have to use to run 5 accounts at once.

I don't think there is a rule against multi-boxing, but the red part of your text is generally a big no no in the MMO world and you should ask that question directly to Cryptic because there is a huge difference on where each company draws the line between allowed and prohibited ways of playing their games.

Running 2 or more accounts to do group missions and pvp is impossible because you can't control all clients efficient enough without violating the EULA.

The only advantage you would get from having 2 clients is that you can trade your bridge officers around between your characters without having to worry about being scammed. Other than that there is no reason to have more than one account/client in STO.


Beneficial perhaps, but also a bannable offence in most MMO's unless you play the buffer, healer etc by hand without the assistance of any 3rd party programs or macros.

To quote the 'Terms of Use' Document....
So this can essentially be interpreted as to ban any 'automated' software, which would include multi-boxing mods...

http://www.startrekonline.com/terms_of_service

Thank you all for your answers. I never intend to multi-box with this game, I just was curious whether it was allowed or not. I figure at the very least someone could just have their other characters follow with autofire, better than having no ships helping you, or even really operate the steering on one ship, with autofire going, while the other ship you have following but you are operating the cooldowns and abilities and stuff, using two computers with two keyboards, that way neither character is AFKing, and you are complying with game rules (right?).

If you can manage to control all the clients manually by tabing between the clients or play on 2 or more computers at the same time then you should be within the rules set by Cryptic, but keep in mind that the more ships you have in an instance the more enemies you get because the enemies in space scales with the amount of people you have with you.

So lets say you are alone and you get a group of 3 BoP, with a 2nd player you will get a group of 3 BoP and a Raptor or something similar.

A few months back there were issues with players in the high-end DSE's of Gamma Orionis, that were clearly multiboxing, or using some other way of manipulating ships to follow each other and doing the same (attacking same target, flying in the same direction and so on).

There was alot of complaning in the forums, and eventually the group dissapeared from the game.

If it was because it became boring, or because Cryptic locked them down is uncertain, but I can tell you for sure: It is not somthing that the playerbase approves of.

It is a grey zone really... In the dark end of the light balance.

Generally, multi-boxing is fine in MMO's, as long as you physically do all the actions yourself.

Personally, as long as a person doesn't run bots, I'm all for it, though I have no interest myself. In other MMO's a multiboxer isn't as effective per charactor (they are played alright, but both aren't played superbly) as someone playing a single account.

With STO's group scaling, ie more enemies for each person in the group, as long as it is all physically done, I really can't see a problem with it.