PoEHUD safety report (took some time, gathering thouse accounts and configuring all the rig took its toll).
Short version: Tools works and is semi-safe. You need to use protection when using PoEHUD and still it can be detected (but with much effort on the GGG's side).
Long version
1. Accounts and set-up
For testing purposes I've gathered some accounts with different history to have better insight into GGGs methods of detecting 3rd party tools / bots. Ten is a small number, I know - but still - this gives us some risk-free information about the safety of 3rd party tools. I've focused more on acquiring accounts with rich history then using blank, newly-created accounts. Each account has it's own real / virtual machine and logs in from the same region where it was originaly active.
I was using PoEHUD with autopot routine and preload.
When boting, I was using ExiledBot.
I used three sets of accounts:
Set A "Fresh" - newly created after "the banwave". I presume that there were not flagged in any way and have no history.
Set B "Marked" - accounts that were warned about using 3rd party. They can (ARE!) flagged and can be always the subject of ant-cheat screening.
Set C "Unseen" - accounts without warnings or bans, but with rich history of using PoEHUD. They can be flagged, but I am not sure about this (two accounts were using PoEHUD after 3.0 patch and never got ban or warning).
Set D "Extreme" - two accounts that are in some way connected to the accounts banned in the last banwave. Used to say if they flag accounts involved in botting/3rd party and what do they do with them when they detect somethin fishy.
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2. Tests
Sets were tested with these scenarios:
- using unprotected PoEHUD all the time,
- using protected PoEHUD all the time (run as restricted user, self-compiled poehud),
- using protected bot part-time (run as restricted; using for leveling and farming).
3. Results
Scenario I: unprotected PoEHUD ( Used: 7 accounts, Banned: 4)
* "Fresh": one account ok, one account got banned,
* "Marked": three accounts used, two accounts banned,
* "Unseen": one account used, one account banned (I've loved this one... RIP JoyJoy

)
* "Extreme": not tested
Scenario II: protected PoEHUD ( Used: 8 accounts, Banned: 2)
* "Fresh": two accounts withtout warning, no bans
* "Marked": two accounts used, no account banned
* "Unseen": two accounts used, no bans
* "Extreme": two accounts used, both banned (note: one got banned for rtm without any rmt... I blame account rich history here)
Scenario III: protected bot ( Used: 3 accounts, Banned: 3)
* "Fresh": one account used, one account banned (note: goodbye boting? or maybe they just focus-scan fresh accounts?)
* "Marked": one account used, one account banned
* "Unseen": one account used, once account banned
* "Extreme": not tested
4. Summary
I've used 18 accounts and only half of them survived. I can say that bots (at least: public onces) are detectable for them (even when using protection). PoEHUD is semi-safe when you are using protection in form of user-restriction (sandboxing / runing as other user, etc...) and self-compilation. There is the hint that they may be focus-scanning people who got flagged. Using PoEHUD without any protection can result in ban, especially if you were flagged!
Thank you for your time and donated accounts - withouth thet kind of help it would not be possible to cover that much scenarios.
As always: the biggest thanks to PoEHUD team for bringing us marvelous QoL toolkit.
Edit:
Because people ask and will keep asking about how to run as limited user, here is instruction:
https://www.ownedcore.com/forums/mmo...ited-user.html (Run PoE as a limited user)
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