Console Players don't need Addons

[novamare]

Genuine question here, as someone just out of sprout territory (and certainly not anywhere close to high level endgame content): doesn't "cheating" imply cheating others out of something? It's my impression that very little in this game is zero-sum in the sense that one player's success demands another player's failure. Exceptions are PvP and, I suppose, world first races--although the rewards there seem to be limited to bragging rights.

So even if addons make content easier for some players--because the line between what is "just QoL" and what is "game altering" is gray and mercurial--is it really "cheating" that directly and negatively impacts the gameplay experiences of others? Does a player clearing with addons materially devalue the clear of someone playing without them?

I know this might be an overly nitpicky semantic distinction, but I find it hard to agree with arguments that rely on an assumption that "cheating" in this sense is inherently detrimental.

Maybe this is just my live-and-let-live tendencies (and the fact that I've had to remind kids in my life that it's just a game), but as long as addons are not necessary for content, and that the players who use them aren't directly and negatively impacting the gameplay of others, I don't really see the point in demonizing them...

Do folks really care that other players choose to experience the game and clear content in a different way than they did? Are there some higher stakes, beyond pretty weapons and bragging rights, to this that I'm missing?

(Also, this isn't a discussion the ToS, or the enforcement of the ToS by SE; it's more about the moral(?) outrage from some folks about this whole drama.)

[SwingLifeAway]

Genuine question here, as someone just out of sprout territory (and certainly not anywhere close to high level endgame content): doesn't "cheating" imply cheating others out of something? It's my impression that very little in this game is zero-sum in the sense that one player's success demands another player's failure. Exceptions are PvP and, I suppose, world first races--although the rewards there seem to be limited to bragging rights.

Wow, an actual well thought out take from a sprout dismantling the entire argument made by veterans of the game. Embarrassing for the community tbh lmao.

Cheating in general is kinda cringe, your sentiment is correct but in MMOs a lot of value is tied into achievements. The thing is though that the plugins the raiding community wants to be allowed, are just really basic things that aren't cheating in anyway. Good luck convincing people who don't raid though.

And I hope you continue to enjoy the game despite what you might find on the forums, it's really not representative of the entire community.