Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Do mods dumb things down?
kmimmorpg
Member Posts: 624
I have to speak from WoW experience.
I can't remember where I read about how thottbot and allakhazam remove all the fun, group building and exploring from mmorpgs. Have trouble finding a quest? Go to thottbot and there is a map with the exact spot of where to go!
I had a mod that added more buttons (a feature WoW eventually added in a patch). A mod that displayed instance (dungeon) maps. A mod that listed buff times, etc. I even had a mod that kept track of where to find craft items on the map.
I felt like these all these things made my gameplay easier. (How much easier could WoW get? I know that's coming!) But is that a good thing?
Some people think they should be banned altogether, that it is a form of cheating.
Some raid groups would only let you in if you have a raid assist mod.
Would games be more hardcore if you couldn't use any mods whatsoever?
Comments
Mods are a way that players can alter the game to make it work for them better.
A game company can't think of everything, nor do they have the ressources to make everything people want. Modding gives players a chance to enhance their own gameplay without having to leave it in the hands of developers who might not see the point in spending money on such minor things.
Modding in games other the MMORPGs is a essensial part to the longevity, it adds new content and fresh idea to the table, as well as helping young designers, artists and programmers break into the industry.
Whos to say this isnt the same for MMORPGs, sure they aren't remaking the game with fresh ideas, but it is allowed the game to be easy to use for more people. You have a hard time with somthing, there might be an addon to help you compensate, you want to be more organized, there is probably an addon to help with that.
Also, the idea of addons attracts people who like to make things, or come up with ideas, giving your game a modding community often brings around a lot of educated gamers, and they are often good for the game as a whole.
Sure in some cases it makes the game a little easier, but whats wrong with that? If it makes the game funner for more people, or makes it more accesible or useful then thats worth it, isnt it?
Well that's my opinion, and im sure there are people out there who would disagree. Personally I see only good comming from it aside from the occasional exploit but those are to be expected anyways. If Blizzard's WoW, and Rysom's new Expansion are a peek into whats to come, I forsee a strong future in modding in MMORPGs as well as new ways for young video game enthusiasts to break into the video game industry.
after 6 or so years, I had to change it a little...
They are opt-in features, and thus can only truly hurt you if you are offended by others being advantaged by their use.
But I've long considered them to be simply a part of the researchable lore in the games themselves. Consider all the libraries that exist in cities, with nothing but poorly-written 5-page mini-stories in them. Instead, consider Allakhazam to be a compendium of research information at your local library. For me, spoiler sites are nothing more than an extension of the in-game lore.
when i use to play WoW i thought the mods were pretty cool and allowed me to sorta be different.
I think that modifications that add ease of use to interfaces are perfectly acceptable. Things such as skins, communication tools, inventory management mods etc. are all just fine. The problem comes with pieces of software that fundamentally change the way the game is played. For example, radar mods that detect things which would otherwise be undetectable, mods that allow unattended gameplay in a game that offers no such features (though mods that streamline unattended gameplay in games with such functionality already in-place would be fine), or mods that identify the qualities of mobs or equipment which would otherwise be unknown without skills or equipment.
Basically: Anything that makes the tools and abilities already in the game easier to use is terrific. Anything which grants the player abilities they wouldn't otherwise have is an exploit.
*Notice: The views expressed in this post are solely those of the author... got sick of holding backspace.
-----------------------------------------
ParaTrooper, That guy that used to mod the MMORPG.com forums.
Does anybody else think of people that use mods/hacks for mmogs in the same way a person thinks of a biting mosquito? I personally beleive it to be an annoyance as people aren't supposed to have an advantage that they didn't earn themselves. Not in games anyway. I play games to get away from that sort of thing. It's a crutch often used by people who like to play games but are either too lazy or too stupid to be competitive. I have no sympathy for bad players. I'm not the best player in the world, but I accept my shortcomings and I don't cheat. Single player cheating is fine, but when you bring it online, then you're running the possibility of ruining it for everybody else. I play with what I have and have no intention of using cheats for any mmo.
Okay, that's my 2 cents, flamers line up. I'm ready to take the heat.
It seems players yearn for that edge and focus on reward to effort - thus many search for spoiler sites, use teamspeak, IGE/eBay, and other metagaming aids. It seems to be the current MMORPG playing style.
Game modifications just add to this trend. In Horizons there is a map pack that will show just about everything. Some like it, some rely on it, and some just like to explore the lands.
In the end it depends on the game developer's intent to "level" the playing field, especially in competitive or PvP games. Obviously, but sadly, if developers allow a group to gain that upper hand then it is okay. As long as they, and the player base, are aware of playing within the intent/features of the game and exploiting that same intent/features.
It comes down to what is fun. Players having fun operating their toon on a screen or immersing themselves in their character and "living" in the world.
Perhaps I should have elaborated on my definition of cheats earlier. As already mentioned, interface options and communication tools, simply make things flow better. They don't add some unnaturally powerful edge. Though I don't use teamspeak, I probably will in the future. I'm a big proponent for the use of easier faster and more efficient communication systems. As far as interface mods, those are things that probably should've been in the game beforehand and at least give people a chance to customize to their own preference as personal customization is a very important part of all games but especially in mmogs where an eyesore can ruin the game for you permanently if not dealt with.
Cheats by my definition (my opinion), are typically ambiguous exploits of game code that allow people to do things that weren't part of the game concept. I.E.:map hacks, god modes, weapon and money hacks, no clip mode.
As I posted earlier though, my opinion of cheats is only negative on the mmo side of things. I've enjoyed many cheats in single play and I don't hassle other people who do. My highly zealous opinion of mmog hacks/cheats comes from experience with blatant and obvious cheaters. Needless to say, some of those cheaters had to find a different game to play when the gms were done with them.
Account/cd key deactivation/lockout is a bitch ain't it?
User interfaces on release lack a lot of things, its not hardcore its just not there.
I think wow is in the right direction making it easy to mod, this cuts development costs and increases a certian type of community.
To me a mod is, why isnt that in the game to begin with? Little things like extra tool bars color coded health...
To be fair wow has added some of these player made options to the official interface.