Hi,
Cheating is IMO acceptable as long as it affects no one else.
I would say that cheating is impossible unless someone else is involved.
To cheat, one must deviate from the agreed upon rules. And, ultimately, a game is its rules. So, if one deviates from the rules, one is playing a different game. Changing the rules without telling the other players is the essence of cheating. So, if playing solo, there can be no cheating. One is simply playing a different game.
This "different game" might take many forms. Turning a strategy game into a mindless arcade game. Trying experiments to understand how the engine works, or to determine game parameters. Or just seeing what you can do for the hell of it. As long as it involves no one else, it isn't cheating for there is no one to be cheated.
And that leads us to the concept of mods. Basically, they are changes of the game that all the players have agree upon. Which is why there is no question of a mod being a form of cheating. Of course, in practice, it is the better players looking for a greater challenge that make and play mods, but there is nothing in principle that excludes a mod where all the players are gods.
In any discussion of cheating, the central question that must be answered is "Who is being cheated?" If the only answer is "Myself" or "No one", then there is no cheating. Note that that is *not* a simple question to answer. Indirect results need to be evaluated carefully. Even if the effect of an exploit on other players is indirect and subtle, it still exists and thus the exploit is cheating.
Now, when carefully thought out, many things the people consider cheating are not. Many of the things people gripe about are legal yet cheesy. Twinking, rushing, leeching are all examples of things that are legal yet frowned upon by the "legit" community.
So, "legit" is not the opposite of "cheating" but rather a quality standard of play that excludes cheating but also excludes many fair but cheesy loopholes.
--Pete
Cheating is IMO acceptable as long as it affects no one else.
I would say that cheating is impossible unless someone else is involved.
To cheat, one must deviate from the agreed upon rules. And, ultimately, a game is its rules. So, if one deviates from the rules, one is playing a different game. Changing the rules without telling the other players is the essence of cheating. So, if playing solo, there can be no cheating. One is simply playing a different game.
This "different game" might take many forms. Turning a strategy game into a mindless arcade game. Trying experiments to understand how the engine works, or to determine game parameters. Or just seeing what you can do for the hell of it. As long as it involves no one else, it isn't cheating for there is no one to be cheated.
And that leads us to the concept of mods. Basically, they are changes of the game that all the players have agree upon. Which is why there is no question of a mod being a form of cheating. Of course, in practice, it is the better players looking for a greater challenge that make and play mods, but there is nothing in principle that excludes a mod where all the players are gods.
In any discussion of cheating, the central question that must be answered is "Who is being cheated?" If the only answer is "Myself" or "No one", then there is no cheating. Note that that is *not* a simple question to answer. Indirect results need to be evaluated carefully. Even if the effect of an exploit on other players is indirect and subtle, it still exists and thus the exploit is cheating.
Now, when carefully thought out, many things the people consider cheating are not. Many of the things people gripe about are legal yet cheesy. Twinking, rushing, leeching are all examples of things that are legal yet frowned upon by the "legit" community.
So, "legit" is not the opposite of "cheating" but rather a quality standard of play that excludes cheating but also excludes many fair but cheesy loopholes.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?