Trials of Ascension

phybre · March 2005

Trials of Ascension looks like it will be a very fun game. They take a new approach to MMORPG games; namely that all characters should not be created equal. They achieve a higher balance by making more powerful races more difficult to play, and make progressing very difficult to do. They offset this by providing 18 playable races (at last count, but the number has been tweaked in the past). This is done, presumably, under the assumption that while not everyone is suitable at being a magic-wielding dragon, all the various race-skill combinations will yield at least one that any given player can excel at. This way the player must find their suitable role in the game world, rather than them making a game where anyone can do everything.

I could go on and on about all the stuff I've read about ToA and love. I could, but that's not the point of this post.

The point of the post is to explain why I will never buy it or play it.

It seems that immersion is a big priority with Shadowpool, which is the development team that is making ToA with their own money. It is such a big priority to them, it would seem, that they plan to ship the game with spyware that will detect any chat program (AIM, ICQ, Y!, etc) running at the same time as the game, and to close the game client if it detects them. Why are they doing this? They claim it's to prevent people from overcoming the "language barriers" in-game, since each game race is not necessarily comprehensible to other races.

Personally, I think that's a pretty weak and insulting justification. There are lines that a programmer may not cross to create immersion in their games, and I believe Shadowpool is crossing an important one.

They seem to think they have the right to spy on my running processes. They seem to think they have the right to dictate the state of my computer while I play their game. That the programs on my computer are open to their scrutiny, so they can match them against a blacklist they will doubtless continually update along with their client version.

I find this unacceptable and believe that the success of this game will set a dangerous precedent in what is and is not ethical in applications development. How long before every game does this? How long before you can't use chat software in tandem with any online game? In this age where people constantly find faster and more efficient ways to communicate, Shadowpool feels justified in actively violating my privacy in an attempt to discourage communication, for the benefit of their oh-so-important game.

I was looking forward to this game more than I have ever looked forward to any online game. Unless they re-think this spyware garbage I will never play it. Even if they do re-think it I will have to question whether I trust them to have not included unpublished malware in their code, since they have already been proven to have flexible ethics.

I would expect this from Claria or AOL/TW, but not from a game developer. Not from an independently-funded game developer, at that.

ghoul31 · March 2005

Did you also take the fillings out of your teeth? The government sends you radio signals into your fillings to try to control you. I bet the government is running TOA too. Good call man

Malianea · March 2005

All they are doing is taking a stand that in their game, using outside chat programs to go around the built-in language barriers is not ok. You have an issue with this in their game why?

Other games run nProtect to stop people from cheating. This is no different if you really think about it, as they are lookiing at the chat programs as cheating. Do you not only boycott the many games that use nProtect, but go out of your way to tempt others into doing the same?

You don;t want to play it because of this? Fine. However, it IS their right to use it if they deem it necessary in THEIR game.

Grunch · March 2005

He's just mad because now he will have to log out of the game to conduct cybor on ICQ.

phybre · March 2005

Well let's see. To reply to the obviously ignorant, which is everyone so far...

What Shadowpool is doing is injecting code into the OS outside their game session to monitor your running processes. Guess what, friends? They can do anything with this information. They can send it back to their servers for habit tracking. They can sell that information to anyone they want. They can be forced to give that information to a law enforcement body that asks for it. The information they collect can potentially contain any personally identifiable information that exists on your computer. By apologizing for them doing this, you are essentially agreeing that your computer is not your property.

Let me use small words, for the galactically stupid: They are hacking your computer in the name of "game immersion".

[quote]Other games run nProtect to stop people from cheating.[/quote]

I'm not familiar with that system, nor have I played a game that uses it. What is your point, anyway?

[quote]However, it IS their right to use it if they deem it necessary in THEIR game.[/quote]

Don't pretend you're a lawyer, kid. It is NOT their right to put spyware on MY computer, and no EULA gives them that right. If you plan to install their spyware, then don't act self righteous when games after this one use more intrusive content management systems. It's a slippery slope, and this is the first game I've seen that plans to integrate it into their client.

For the rest of the unwashed retards, instead of posting stupid shit like "You have an issue with this in their game why?" or "He's just mad because now he will have to log out of the game to conduct cybor on ICQ." or "Did you also take the fillings out of your teeth?" why don't you do us all a favor and say what you're really thinking, which is "I have no idea what you're talking about, and intend to use this opportunity to stroke my own ego, though I couldn't tell you what spyware was if it shat in my shoes".

If you don't understand the intellectual property ramifications of packaging spyware with a game client simply on the shaky ground that their EULA empowers them to do it, kindly sit down and shut up and let the adults talk. Thanks in advance.

phybre · March 2005

nprotect.exe is a process from Symantec that is associated with the Windows Recycle Bin. It prevents the user from accidentally deleting data from the PC and Recycle Bin.

Explain to me what this has to do with MMOs or "preventing cheating" ? Or how it compromises the security of my computer?

phybre · March 2005

nProtect is designed for all secure SSL websites that send and receive sensitive, personal information over the Internet (Financial institutions, cyber shopping, e-commerce, online payment services, ISPs with online paid services etc.)

Perhaps you meant this. But again, what does this have to do with MMOs or "preventing cheating", and how does it compromise the security of my computer? I'm still not seeing it.

Grunch · March 2005

Ok so they want to make it so you can't use outside communications while playing their game? Ok sounds good to me will suck a little because I wont be able to actually talk to my friends but it will make the game feel more realistic and overall better game experience imo. People will still get around it though.

phybre your making it sound like they are putting the Y2K virus on your computer. I read about what they said but maybe it was old news. What i read was if you try and run a program like ICQ or IM TOA will shut down itself.

MisfitZ · March 2005

I honestly think you're overreacting. How is this any different from HLGuard for half-life mods, or Valve Anti-Cheat? or Punkbuster?

All of those programs scan your processes for a list of third-party software they deem unacceptable. Cheats, in this case.

Now, if the guys making ToA are going to be selling demographic information about processes, that might be a small cause for alarm.

If there is also spyware that tracks your browsing habits, or a keylogger, then I would start getting a little pissed. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Anyways, how are they going to stop me from running mIRC, trillian, and Xfire on my second computer?

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Trials of Ascension

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