09-22-2003, 02:58 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-22-2003, 03:04 PM by Occhidiangela.)
EDITED: Hit reply instead of Preview, sorry. :(
IMO, it was due to the compromise of the The WC III Beta Test/Hype Vehicle. What happened was this: whether or not the folks who developed BNETD in order to be ableto create private realms intended for any harm to come to Blizzard or not, the BNETD product was used by a number of folks to run illegit WC III Beta realms during Blizzard's Beta for WC III. That activity got in the way of Blizzard's official "whatever the hell they were trying to get out of that beta" project. Over at WCiii.net the flame wars between "real beta players" and those who had cracked CD's and played on privately run realms, in explicit contravention to Blizzard's WC III Beta policy, cropped up now and again. The expansion of the Beta beyond their control is, IMO, what pissed Blizzard off. I may not have that completely right, but I am pretty sure they felt damage done to the sanctity of their Beta/Hype for WC III.
Setting up Diablo II LAN parties and Diablo II TCP/IP games is legit. Setting up a private realm is also, IMO, so long as no harm is done to Blizz. It takes money, time and effort, and is similar to running a big TCP/IP set of games. Folks who go to this effort are most likely NOT PLAYING BNET anyway due to the environment, or due to a preference for mods. I played some SevenLances, but then went to other things due to time issues and not ever seeming to be on when other 7 Lancers were on. Given the problems with client and server behaviour in TCP/IP games, a faux realm is a reasonable solution, providing it does not
1. Interfere with Battlenet
2. Compete with it.
Folks playing mods won't be playing on bnet anyway, so a private realm can hardly be adjudged, IMO, to be a competitor to BNET. Blizzard's arguments early on concerning the reverse engineering and the Millenium whatever act are likely to help their case in court.
On BNETD as a method for running private Realms. Running BNETD on private realms such as the SevenLances Realm hardly does harm to Blizzard. It allows folks to enjoy a Blizzard game, usually in the form of a Mod, rather THAN PLAYING SOME COMPETITOR's game in that amount of free time.
Do you condisder a Mod as a cheat? Bolty does not, and nor do, as I recall, any of the other mods or Admins on this Board. So, discussing this at the Lounge probably is not a foul. BNETD is not Maphack, as it does not influence Realms Play: the folks on a private Realms are, by default, unable to influence Blizzard Realms.
The previous discussions on the Lounge regarding BNETD were pretty charged, but they were full of some great insights by folks who knew far better than I what they were talking about on a "down in the weeds" level, and included some great legal commentary and good links to legal arguments on both sides of the issue. I wish I had those threads back, they were pretty good.
IMO, it was due to the compromise of the The WC III Beta Test/Hype Vehicle. What happened was this: whether or not the folks who developed BNETD in order to be ableto create private realms intended for any harm to come to Blizzard or not, the BNETD product was used by a number of folks to run illegit WC III Beta realms during Blizzard's Beta for WC III. That activity got in the way of Blizzard's official "whatever the hell they were trying to get out of that beta" project. Over at WCiii.net the flame wars between "real beta players" and those who had cracked CD's and played on privately run realms, in explicit contravention to Blizzard's WC III Beta policy, cropped up now and again. The expansion of the Beta beyond their control is, IMO, what pissed Blizzard off. I may not have that completely right, but I am pretty sure they felt damage done to the sanctity of their Beta/Hype for WC III.
Setting up Diablo II LAN parties and Diablo II TCP/IP games is legit. Setting up a private realm is also, IMO, so long as no harm is done to Blizz. It takes money, time and effort, and is similar to running a big TCP/IP set of games. Folks who go to this effort are most likely NOT PLAYING BNET anyway due to the environment, or due to a preference for mods. I played some SevenLances, but then went to other things due to time issues and not ever seeming to be on when other 7 Lancers were on. Given the problems with client and server behaviour in TCP/IP games, a faux realm is a reasonable solution, providing it does not
1. Interfere with Battlenet
2. Compete with it.
Folks playing mods won't be playing on bnet anyway, so a private realm can hardly be adjudged, IMO, to be a competitor to BNET. Blizzard's arguments early on concerning the reverse engineering and the Millenium whatever act are likely to help their case in court.
On BNETD as a method for running private Realms. Running BNETD on private realms such as the SevenLances Realm hardly does harm to Blizzard. It allows folks to enjoy a Blizzard game, usually in the form of a Mod, rather THAN PLAYING SOME COMPETITOR's game in that amount of free time.
Do you condisder a Mod as a cheat? Bolty does not, and nor do, as I recall, any of the other mods or Admins on this Board. So, discussing this at the Lounge probably is not a foul. BNETD is not Maphack, as it does not influence Realms Play: the folks on a private Realms are, by default, unable to influence Blizzard Realms.
The previous discussions on the Lounge regarding BNETD were pretty charged, but they were full of some great insights by folks who knew far better than I what they were talking about on a "down in the weeds" level, and included some great legal commentary and good links to legal arguments on both sides of the issue. I wish I had those threads back, they were pretty good.
Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the Men 'O War!
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete