Emulated server

From WoWWiki

Emulated servers, colloquially refered to as 'pirated servers' are third-party (user-created), offline game servers for online games which do not normally support the use of such servers. This is not to be confused with games which support third-party servers as a normal feature, such as any number of first-person shooters, or Blizzard's own Warcraft series of games. Playing on emulated servers through the use of Blizzard's WoW client is also a breach of the End-User License Agreement (EULA).

The Servers

Emulated servers are usually created by using 'emulation software' which mimics the setup and physics of a real game server. For this reason, players often experience glitches, damaged trade skills and spells, content that does not work at all (such as missing NPCs or completely empty instances). Several of these servers also offer many incentives or advantages to play upon them such as custom or new items, cheap, free or 'unique' items and equipment sets, boosted experience rates and item drop rates, disabled fall damage, access to otherwise inaccessible areas, or even Game Master powers for certain users.

Most, if not all emulated servers require absolutely no intervention from the Blizzard main servers by having the user change where the game looks for realm list data, usually through editing the contents of "realmlist.wtf" file, although some programs have been created to do this automatically.

Blizzard's view

As stated in the EULA, by agreeing to it, "You hereby agree that Blizzard would be irreparably damaged if the terms of this License Agreement were not specifically enforced, and therefore you agree that Blizzard shall be entitled, without bond, other security, or proof of damages, to appropriate equitable remedies with respect to breaches of this License Agreement, in addition to such other remedies as Blizzard may otherwise have available to it under applicable laws."[1]This entitles Blizzard to close your official account for a limited or unlimited period of time.

References

1. EULA Section 12, Paragraph 1, World of Warcraft End User License Agreement page. Retrieved on 2007-06-02.