Is GShade allowed?

[GaiusDrakon]

There was a second thread... I want to say in 2015? ...which linked back to the 2013 thread asking if Tool X and Tool Y and so on were all okay, where a SQEX rep weighed in to note that their reassurance that graphical alterations via post-processing that didn't alter the actual game files were okay was a blanket statement and that people didn't need to ask individually about every single possible tool that let you make graphical alterations via post-processing without altering the game files.

(Unfortunately, as the forum's search tools are terrible, I cannot seem to find that thread to link it here.)

But that was ~7 years ago (or whatever), and the original thread was 9 years ago; the TOS has changed multiple times since then. And moreover, SQEX support themselves noted in a reply to someone that statements like that were very old and did not necessarily apply any longer regardless.

So what exactly IS the status of GShade? I think this is the most important question we all want to know.

[Packetdancer]

So what exactly IS the status of GShade? I think this is the most important question we all want to know.

I don't think SQEX is going to give us an official answer, because every time they say "all third-party software is forbidden except..." they open the door to people trying to find loopholes ("Look, I embedded ACT into GShade!"), or hundreds of emails going "Well this should be allowed, too!"

So I think you have to make your mind up for yourself about your comfort zone, and what you're willing to do. I wouldn't recommend streaming yourself using GShade, because that just seems like bait/catnip for trolls who want to get people banned. But if you're using it just for yourself, or using it to take shots that you post on, like, DeviantArt or Twitter or Instagram and where they could shrug it off and go "maybe they just did artistic stuff in Photoshop before posting", maybe that's within your comfort zone as far as "risk" goes.

I personally don't think they're going to bother putting in the effort to enforce TOS against the latter scenario; someone who uses GShade to make artistic screenshots that look like an oil painting is probably a lot lower-priority target for the TOS than someone who uses a tool that modifies the game and draws giant "GO HERE" diagrams in Ultimate fights or whatever else.

[Oopsy]

I don't think SQEX is going to give us an official answer, because every time they say "all third-party software is forbidden except..." they open the door to people trying to find loopholes ("Look, I embedded ACT into GShade!"), or hundreds of emails going "Well this should be allowed, too!"

So I think you have to make your mind up for yourself about your comfort zone, and what you're willing to do. I wouldn't recommend streaming yourself using GShade, because that just seems like bait/catnip for trolls who want to get people banned. But if you're using it just for yourself, or using it to take shots that you post on, like, DeviantArt or Twitter or Instagram and where they could shrug it off and go "maybe they just did artistic stuff in Photoshop before posting", maybe that's within your comfort zone as far as "risk" goes.

I personally don't think they're going to bother putting in the effort to enforce TOS against the latter scenario; someone who uses GShade to make artistic screenshots that look like an oil painting is probably a lot lower-priority target for the TOS than someone who uses a tool that modifies the game and draws giant "GO HERE" diagrams in Ultimate fights or whatever else.

IM SORRRY WHAT PART OF ALL THIRD PARTY TOOLS VIOLATE THE ELUA/TOS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL ANSWER?

In videos and in blogs they have even said mice can count as 3rd party tools. Including Razor Nega Mice.

But their enforcement policy is based off reports and evidence. They are not hunting for reasons to ban people and would rather people just play the game. If they judge that it violated the rules after they review the evidence then it does.