Using Multi-devices by the Single Account at the Same Time
I heard from an agent that simultaneously using multi-devices by a single account has no problems. I think it is more advantageous than a single device. For example, using multi-devices is more quickly to fire XMPs.
But I am worried about it against any TOS. Is it ok?
Of course, multi-accounts and simultaneously using each device in other places are against the TOS.
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I’d say using multiple devices simultaneously on the same account would fall under the TOS statement: “Cheating includes any action that attempts to or actually alters or interferes with the normal behavior or rules of a Service.”
Anyone wanting to keep their account (and believing in fair play) surely wouldn’t be doing this.
you are probably ban soon if playing on the same time on several device. because it's cheating.
you can swwitch device but not be on several.
It's considered cheating by Niantic.
#RIP_G+
I was looking for clarification on this case. I'll remind the agent not to do this. Thank you.
A 9 year old comment on G+ is barely anything current about the issue. Just like Hanke's comment about the open API.
Used to be considered against the rules. But people do it. Just like people use multiple accounts on multiple devices. Seems it's becoming more and more common anymore. It's impossible to get banned for multi accounting so there's nothing to stop people from doing it. It is what it is kinda thing. You will never get clarification from Niantic on it.
Niantic's stance on rules has been "If it changes we'll tell you" and despite repeated attempts to ask for an updated statement from @NianticBrian to clarify the "current" state, this is the last official statement on this situation.
Wayfarer solved that issue. As soon as you log in on one device, you automatically get logged out on the other device.
And the Niantic wayfarer team communicate on the wayfarer forum, and apparently they even talk to the wayfarer ambassadors.
There are a few legitimate reasons to have Ingress running on multiple devices at the same time, especially in low-signal areas where you're not sure which carrier will have the best signal. In these areas the signal may be so weak that starting Ingress from scratch is impossible. There are also occasional cases for attempting to take the exact same action from two devices at the same time because only one device can succeed. (Example: Flipcard portal A, or link Portal A to Portal B.)
The thing that breaks gameplay is taking actions on multiple devices when both devices can independently succeed in their attempts. One example would be having one device bursting while the other device is using power cubes.
My god, you will go out of your way to think you're right about things. The "changes we'll tell you" is the Terms of Service because you have to accept the terms to continue playing the game.
I think it's safe to say if anyone is trying to skirt gray areas of the TOS, the onus is on the agent because they are risking their account.
@Perringaiden There's a great big hole in your argument.
Imagine that you're a brand new player to the game. You are a cautious and methodical person and you go to Niantic's site and read every single thing that you can find about the rules of the game... the terms of service, the agent code, every word you can find. You read them twice because you're that obsessive about following rules. Maybe you're a bit extreme and you've even memorized them, or at least you keep the links with you for quick reference.
So you go out and play, following the rules as they have been communicated to you by the company. You're having a grand good time smashing, building, and exploring. Then BOOM, one day you are informed by Niantic that you've broken the rules. Maybe your account is suspended, or even terminated. You are legitimately confused and angry because you've been very meticulous in learning and following the rules and you have no idea what you've done wrong.
Eventually someone informs you that you broke a rule that was only asserted once by a low-level support person on the fourth page of a contentious conversation on a discussion forum. Even worse, that rule was buried on a discussion forum that was deprecated years ago and the source of the rule is completely unavailable to you. Yet, here you are being punished for breaking an unpublished rule.
Does that seem like a tenable situation?
What about "Hey Niantic, please clarify this" offends you? Unless you're trying to skirt those 'unpublished rules' which Niantic is enforcing anyway, clarification is a GOOD thing.
You can argue that the clarification should be placed in the Player Guidelines instead of the forums, but Niantic is already enforcing those unwritten rules. Not telling anyone what they are is more untenable.
Niantic doesn't care if you know or not about the rule. They're enforcing it. It's a more untenable situation than what I'm asking for.
@Perringaiden I read your first post as, "This is the current rule because it's the last thing Niantic said."
I read my response as, "It's ludicrous and untenable to treat anything as a rule if it's not discoverable by new (and old) players."
The only difference between our position is that you pointed at the rule and gave it an air of credibility, while I pointed at it and laughed. I'm fairly certain that we agree on something (perhaps for the first time ever), which is that enforcing rules that aren't published and discoverable creates an untenable situation.
Signed, a resident of Untenablelandia
It sounds like trying to find the latest Wayfarer criteria. There's a logical reasoning for Niantic to say "ignore what was stated before, just look here" because it was getting insane for clarification.
@MoogModular Yes, exactly!
However, Niantic is still doing AMAs and saying things on the forum and it seems like they treat some of the forum comments as authoritative.
And again, you can "point and laugh" but it doesn't change the fact that people have and are getting suspensions and bans for simultaneous multi-device use. Therfore when "you're a brand new player to the game" and ask for clarification, the community has a responsibilty to give the advice that best matches "How to not get banned". Thus we err on the side of caution.
Except for you who says "If it's not in the TOS in black and white, it's completely legitimate" and then the new player gets banned for listening to you.
The initial post was responding to a new player who asked, on what the most likely stance Niantic maintains is. They might not always enforce it, but they do enforce it, so telling a new player "Anything goes" is a great way for you to encourage people to both cheat and get banned.
We can argue the specifics separately, but "new player advice" should not be "Do whatever you want, Niantic won't ban you unless it's specifically and precisely in the ToS" because 99% of the bannable reasons aren't.
You're arguing "desire". I'm telling a new player to be careful. Which of us is the more 'disrepsectful position' to a new player?
@Perringaiden Do we actually know that people are getting banned for multiple simultaneous device use? I thought Niantic was so vague about their bans that there's really no way to be sure.
This is an argument that will have no end because Brent will always want the final word. I saved you a few days of discussion by stating that.
I think, its a question of how its used. If you are logged into multiple devices, not using them at the same time, thats one thing. If you are logged into several devices and using them for firing bursters thats another.
I dont think you are doing anything wrong if that what it takes to be able to play in some areas.
But going around with four extra units and smashing with them is not ok. The game is not meant to be played like that. The amount of xm in each reso are calculated for one account to fire bursters from one unit, not from 5 different units.