SE's most difinitive statement yet on parsers

[Velox]

Inb4 the lock

[Massterchef]

Inb4 the lock

TIL Parsers will still go about their business and white knighters have more fuel to report everything in sight.

[Kaethra]

Take a quick look at every single screenshot you take with the client, and tell me what they have in common. (hint, it's located bottom left, and you'd have to be blind not to notice it.)

Just because they don't necessarily enforce their ownership of everything that the client generates rigidly, doesn't mean that it's not theirs. Even the config files are their intellectual property. You either weren't paying attention in beta, or didn't play, but they have, in the past, enforced stricter usage rules of that content.

There is nothing that this game client creates that you own. And rightly so, you didn't make it. Go and read the EULA.

I have. And I'll post this:

The manor sentry takes 84
(+22%) damage.
gains the effect of Greased Lightning.
moves into Opo-opo Form.
uses Heavy Swing.
The manor sentry takes 42 damage.
The manor sentry casts Stone.
takes 114 damage.
The manor sentry begins casting Stone.
hits the manor sentry for 45 damage.
You cast Stone II.
The manor sentry takes 144 damage.
uses Maim.
The manor sentry takes 54
(+47%) damage.
gains the effect of Maim.
gains the effect of Wrath III.

That is taken straight out of a logfile (with names taken out). Feel free to report that for breaking the EULA. If it gets removed, you're right. If not, then you're wrong. Point being. We can view this stuff. Whether it is in notepad, clipboard. Or a spreadsheet.

You'll also notice that info is viewable ingame in the Combat Tab (in fact it is the same exact text). Are we going to get banned for clicking on that too?

[Amberyl]

You'll also notice that info is viewable ingame in the Combat Tab (in fact it is the same exact text). Are we going to get banned for clicking on that too?

Retroactively or simultaneously using a third party program to view that data and use it to alter the game experience is a bannable offence, yes. Square aren't dicks tho, and aren't about to cut their nose off to spite their face. The more people rant about parsers however, the more likely it is that generation of the logfile will simply disappear one day.

[Tannlore]

...
The more people rant about parsers however, the more likely it is that generation of the logfile will simply disappear one day.

Pretty much this. Also, I find it amusing that people are arguing with each other how this is or isn't fair/cheating as is any one of us has any say on the matter. SE has spoken, their decision is made and pretty clear. Smacking each other over the heads with interweb toughguy sticks accomplishes nothing but a decimation of my popcorn supply. *sigh* I need to go buy some more now.

[raelgun]

Pretty much this. Also, I find it amusing that people are arguing with each other how this is or isn't fair/cheating as is any one of us has any say on the matter. SE has spoken, their decision is made and pretty clear. Smacking each other over the heads with interweb toughguy sticks accomplishes nothing but a decimation of my popcorn supply. *sigh* I need to go buy some more now.

Yet when addons come about, we will have parsers, your point ?

[raelgun]

Retroactively or simultaneously using a third party program to view that data and use it to alter the game experience is a bannable offence, yes. Square aren't dicks tho, and aren't about to cut their nose off to spite their face. The more people rant about parsers however, the more likely it is that generation of the logfile will simply disappear one day.

parsers dont alter the game in any means, thats just your imagination, and really really doubt people like that will go away, they are hear to stay and pretty much the ones that keep end game going, as long as end game exists, they will exist no matter what, also addons are coming, we will see a surge of people and trust me when I say the most downloaded addon will be the parsers on all systems.

[Kaethra]

Retroactively or simultaneously using a third party program to view that data and use it to alter the game experience is a bannable offence, yes. Square aren't dicks tho, and aren't about to cut their nose off to spite their face. The more people rant about parsers however, the more likely it is that generation of the logfile will simply disappear one day.

They'd be the first MMO to do it. And to be honest this is the first time I've ever seen anyone place 'log file viewing' up there with cheating. And I've been MMOing since Everquest (with SOE having the strictest policies on that sort of thing, yet still allowing parsers). I doubt they'd disallow it, considering you could parse log files in FFXI.

[Tannlore]

Yet when addons come about, we will have parsers, your point ?

And tell me, my dear, who will allow those addons? Blizzard? NCSoft? Bethesda?

Maybe... I dunno.. SE? Why yes!

Wait.. wait.. doesn't.. SE have.. control of the ToS?

Yes they do!!

Now wait for it... wait for it..... Here it comes...

SE who has now spoken about the matter.. will THEN speak about it AGAIN!

OMG? Who would have thought such a thing could ever happen!

Also, Yoshi-P said no parsers in the add-on system in a Interview article. I'll go look it up and post it for you. The add-ons will basically be changes to the HUD pretty much. But don't get your hopes up there.. but who knows, maybe they'll change their minds.

[Amberyl]

Also, I find it amusing that people are arguing with each other how this is or isn't fair/cheating as if any one of us has any say on the matter.

This.

I've been in development for over a decade, and a not insignificant part of that time has been spent attempting to address the disruption caused by idiots like this, who believe that their ability to alter something to their own liking is justification enough for doing so. It's pure short-sightedness and self-entitlement, and can have a direct, very damaging result on the financial viability of a product under the right conditions. Sadly, once you lax up in one area, you open the door to everything else, legally.

Every time someone uses a parser as an excuse for illegitimately kick-voting another player from an instance, the chances of that tool being allowed to exist diminish greatly. The first rule of fightclub, after all, is the most important.