Would you be opposed to SE implementing a program to scan for addons/parsers?

[Vahlnir]

There wouldn't be a need for any of this if the game just had a way to tell me

Yep. This is the heart of the issue. The options people feel that they need don't exist in game, so they add them themselves. I don't really blame the players there as much as I blame SE and the devs for creating this issue. I'm not defending the "cheaters" for the world first race, but they've been allowed to get away with a lot in the past, even using ACT while on a live stream WITH Yoshi P watching and he never really batted an eye. So I have to ask, which is it? If it's an issue now, then the ball is in SE's court. Improve the game and give people at least some of what they want, and this issue will solve itself with time. Mostly. Mods and add-ons will exist as long as they are given free reign, which they are. Chiding the player base at this point solves nothing, because they have already admitted that they can't really crack down on these things, at least not in a meaningful way. They let Pandora's Box fly wide open, and that is on them.

[PikoAliapoh]

I don't really blame the players there as much as I blame SE and the devs for creating this issue... Chiding the player base at this point solves nothing, because they have already admitted that they can't really crack down on these things, at least not in a meaningful way.

If they can't crack down on them, maybe they could just remove ultimates from the game? That'd be another solution to this whole thing!

[Vahlnir]

If they can't crack down on them, maybe they could just remove ultimates from the game? That'd be another solution to this whole thing!

That would make an already bad situation worse. The solution would be to improve the game and lessen the desire for these things. Perhaps make some mechanics easier to read, though not any easier to execute, as an example. Players shouldn't feel the need to zoom out excessively just to see what in the world is going on. Ultimate might be the focus at the moment, but it also shines a light on a lot of other issues, too.

[Midareyukki]

That would make an already bad situation worse. The solution would be to improve the game and lessen the desire for these things. Perhaps make some mechanics easier to read, though not any easier to execute, as an example. Players shouldn't feel the need to zoom out excessively just to see what in the world is going on. Ultimate might be the focus at the moment, but it also shines a light on a lot of other issues, too.

So far this hasn't been a problem in any Ultimate I've seen, but when people are using third party tools to play your game because they can't see what the heck is going on, that's when you realize your design choices are not the best.

And to properly illustrate your point: I'm colourblind enough to not be able to spot some colour differences. I can do Kampeos Harma because of shapes rather than colours. When people who can easily see both still screw up the mechanic, it's a sign that figuring out a way to understand the mechanic isn't a problem. Executing it is xD

But there are fights without that sort of foresight. As well as gameplay elements unrelated to combat (I can't see the gathering nodes very well, they're yellow on yellow). I had people who cleared Ultimates get utterly stuck at Construct 8 and I have to be the one telling them where to go. Dyscalculia is an actual thing, turns out, and not something people throw into the air to bail out of math class.

So allowing people to identify mechanics shouldn't be a problem. Especially not when the game has markers for most stuff rather than merely relying on minute details like animation tells, buffs or glowing castbars. Those are things that require special attention from everyone. But when the indicator is meant to be clearly visible, that's a mechanic that shouldn't be hard to identify. The challenge is on the execution, no matter how "pfft, easy" we may think it is.
So when that part becomes a problem due to design, there's likely going to be a need for ways to resolve this. Sometimes, yes, through the use of QoL tools.
An Ultimate player with some form of disability or problem shouldn't be penalized for using third party tools to help them match the level of everyone else, even if they are strictly forbidden. Because if there's no viable alternative in the game, what, should they just be expected to not engage in the content overall? It's not exactly fair.

And before someone says "Yeah well life ain't fair :A", need I remind you we're discussing an online videogame with regular updates, and under the assumption that tools that help with these things exist as alternatives?

Those tools existing is problematic, especially since they open the door for others that enable cheating. And those who want to cheat will do so, regardless of circumstance. But when lacking the alternative, making mechanics who by design should be easy to identify a bit more obvious for them, will mean these tools will have their audience.

I'll just also add, because I know some people have comprehension issues, cheating is cheating. And that is the problem. I'm just pointing out that this solution could harm more than just cheaters. And that a more viable solution, as Vahlnir pointed out, lies in how the fights are designed.

[Gemina]

Yep. This is the heart of the issue. The options people feel that they need don't exist in game, so they add them themselves. I don't really blame the players there as much as I blame SE and the devs for creating this issue. I'm not defending the "cheaters" for the world first race, but they've been allowed to get away with a lot in the past, even using ACT while on a live stream WITH Yoshi P watching and he never really batted an eye. So I have to ask, which is it? If it's an issue now, then the ball is in SE's court. Improve the game and give people at least some of what they want, and this issue will solve itself with time. Mostly. Mods and add-ons will exist as long as they are given free reign, which they are. Chiding the player base at this point solves nothing, because they have already admitted that they can't really crack down on these things, at least not in a meaningful way. They let Pandora's Box fly wide open, and that is on them.

Cheaters are going to cheat, bud. SE can implement every single mod and ACT currently used by players and design their content around those features, and what happens is new cheats will be used to make that content easier, or mods will be used to make available what isn't. The goalposts will always be moved. It also isn't just about making things easier, it's also about these players having advantages over other players who can't or won't use the addons. Then there is the element of simply just respecting the content as it is intended to be played. It is so odd to me that players somehow will place blame on the dev team when they are the ones being disrespected.

It's a really good thing I'm not Yoshi, as my own hammer of fairness is completely and totally indiscriminate. I wouldn't last long in his position as I would eliminate any future ultimate content, housing, and any other feature in the game where there are those who stand to benefit by stepping on others. But I come from a level of discipline where if a child eats a cookie when they are not supposed to, all of the cookies are thrown out.

[Vahlnir]

Cheaters are going to cheat, bud. SE can implement every single mod and ACT currently used by players and design their content around those features, and what happens is new cheats will be used to make that content easier, or mods will be used to make available what isn't. The goalposts will always be moved. It also isn't just about making things easier, it's also about these players having advantages over other players who can't or won't use the addons. Then there is the element of simply just respecting the content as it is intended to be played. It is so odd to me that players somehow will place blame on the dev team when they are the ones being disrespected.

It's a really good thing I'm not Yoshi, as my own hammer of fairness is completely and totally indiscriminate. I wouldn't last long in his position as I would eliminate any future ultimate content, housing, and any other feature in the game where there are those who stand to benefit by stepping on others. But I come from a level of discipline where if a child eats a cookie when they are not supposed to, all of the cookies are thrown out.

I mean, I pretty much acknowledged that this would always be a thing. I'm mostly just calling on the devs to be less reactive and acting so surprised when they have allowed this to happen for long and be more proactive by adding some things that players feel the need to mod in. The devs acting like their feelings are hurt isn't going to do anything. Like you said, cheaters are going to cheat. If the devs don't like it, then give players some reasons NOT to. Ultimates are free advertising, so I'd probably call Yoshi P's bluff if he ever threatened to stop making them.