Topic: So its come to this

[idolminds]

Blizzard bans users that cheat...in singleplayer.

A blizzard spokesperson defended the company and its actions, saying that the bannings were done in an effort to be fair to all users rather than for money. In an e-mail to a Cheat Happens user appealing their suspension, the company claims that single player Starcraft 2 games have an effect on multiplayer. “While single player games only appear to be you and a computer at first, your achievements and gamer score also carries weight and prestige for your online play,” read the email.

Thank god they are protecting the sanctity of the gamer score. Our society would crumble without it.

[Cobra951]

I love it when companies validate my hardline stance against online requirements.

[iPPi]

Hahahahaha.

[MysterD]

There should be an Achievement for Using A Trainer In SP Mode.

[PyroMenace]

Doesn't the game already have cheats, and it turns off achievements if you use them?

[MysterD]

I've yet to play Starcraft 2 or anything - but does in anyway that doing stuff in SP unlock any extra content and features in MP?

[idolminds]

Pyro, I believe these people that got banned were using trainers. The game has its own cheats that disable achivements, but of course it doesn't detect the trainer.

Well..its still apparently detects it since they got banned for it. What they should have done instead of banning them is to simply wipe their achievements. There, problem solved.

[Pugnate]

What the fuck? Seriously what the fuck.

I should be able to do whatever I want with my game offline. Thanks for validating the concerns of those so strictly opposed to online registration.

edit:

I am going to go make a thread on PC Gamer.

[Xessive]

This is a whole new level of.. of.. shit.

[scottws]

Well..its still apparently detects it since they got banned for it. What they should have done instead of banning them is to simply wipe their achievements. There, problem solved.

I agree with this.  I don't play multiplayer and don't care about the achievements.  Wipe them, I don't care.  It would protect multiplayer without going overboard on singleplayer for no reason.

[iPPi]

I hate to sound like a Blizzard fanboy by saying this, but I'm wondering if the people specifically using trainers and cheats were using them just to get achievements.  While it doesn't make it any better, the Battle.net system is an online system and in a sense, they are still exploiting the online mechanics of the game.  There are rewards for getting certain achievements as well, so if people are exploiting the game just to get those rewards then I kind of understand Blizzard's stance on it. 

I know with WoW's achievement system people have exploited certain mechanics of the game and have gotten banned or suspended for it, just because they were trying to up their achievement score.

The key thing here is that with Starcraft and I'm guessing with all new Blizzard games in general, you're still online while playing single player.  I guess if you really want to cheat or use trainers, you should probably play in offline mode altogether (which would disable achievements).

[MysterD]

I am going to go make a thread on PC Gamer.

You must be loving that PCG picked-up on the story on their main page.

[PyroMenace]

I hate to sound like a Blizzard fanboy by saying this, but I'm wondering if the people specifically using trainers and cheats were using them just to get achievements.  While it doesn't make it any better, the Battle.net system is an online system and in a sense, they are still exploiting the online mechanics of the game.  There are rewards for getting certain achievements as well, so if people are exploiting the game just to get those rewards then I kind of understand Blizzard's stance on it. 

I know with WoW's achievement system people have exploited certain mechanics of the game and have gotten banned or suspended for it, just because they were trying to up their achievement score.

The key thing here is that with Starcraft and I'm guessing with all new Blizzard games in general, you're still online while playing single player.  I guess if you really want to cheat or use trainers, you should probably play in offline mode altogether (which would disable achievements).

Yea thats what I was thinking as well. I mean think about it, this is Starcraft, I sort of doubt that cheats were used to exploit the game in offline mode. I know it sucks that they have this amount of control but they do offer legitimate ways to get by it.

[Pugnate]

Atavachron says:
October 11, 2010 at 8:56 pm

allourbasearebelongtothem

[angrykeebler]

DERP

[gpw11]

I should have stole this game.

[Pugnate]

Well, it isn't that bad.

[gpw11]

Well, it kind of is.  If you're not online you should be able to do whatever you want with your game...especially on a PC.

[iPPi]

The thing is, these people were playing online.  That's the only way Blizzard would have known.  They were cheating the single player game but they were still online on Battle.net.  They were probably using those cheats to get achievements because if you played completely offline achievements do not unlock. 

[gpw11]

Let me rephrase that;  if you're playing single player, you should pretty much be able to do anything you want within the game.  I do get where they're coming from, but it seems heavy handed and a bit drastic in order to protect the sanctity of their shitty achievement system. 

Does being banned from Battle.net mean they can't play SP either? I mean, they could offline, but eventually I could see them getting caught in a patch loop.

[MysterD]

1Up -> Blizz is suing the hackers that made the 3rd party cheats/trainers.

[Xessive]

Ok, if these guys are affecting the multiplayer then I'm with Blizzard. If the trainers/cheats are for the singleplayer only then Blizzard is going too far.

I definitely see the effects of cheaters in multiplayer and how badly they can frickin' destroy a game's fun factor, yet when it comes to the singleplayer it's an isolated individual experience that has no effect on the rest of the community. I, for one, like experimenting in singleplayer games after I finish them.

[gpw11]

I just noticed I dropped "sanctity" in a sentence for pretty much the first time ever....right after reading Idol's post.  I guess I'm very very impressionable.

[Pugnate]

haha you know I like to observe stuff like that. Don't worry, we all do it. I've done it myself, and everyone has done it.

We should do some experiments.

[MysterD]

Ok, if these guys are affecting the multiplayer then I'm with Blizzard.

Agreed.

If the trainers/cheats are for the singleplayer only then Blizzard is going too far.

If there's some sort of system where getting SP achievements can cause you to unlock extra MP content, then there's a problem here.

But, really - is there a way you can just NOT sign into Battle.Net and just play SP in some sort of "Offline Mode" w/out getting any Achievements? If you can - that should be where anything goes, where you can Cheat w/ Trainers and stuff - b/c you're not gaining any Achievements there.

I definitely see the effects of cheaters in multiplayer and how badly they can frickin' destroy a game's fun factor, yet when it comes to the singleplayer it's an isolated individual experience that has no effect on the rest of the community. I, for one, like experimenting in singleplayer games after I finish them.

Agreed.

[iPPi]

If you play offline you won't get any achievements.  End of story.  I think if you are using trainers and cheats for offline SP then there is nothing wrong with that because it doesn't impact the online Battle.net system at all.

If you play online then you will get achievements.  Achievements grant your portraits and decals that let you customize your avatar and your units.  They are purely aesthetic and don't offer any gameplay advantage, but there is a certain level of 'prestige' for having those portraits and decals.  It's just like in WoW... the achievements that grant rewards allow you to in a sense 'show off' the time/skill you have for this game.  That said, however little impact it has on the game, cheats and trainers are still exploiting the online mechanics of the Battle.net, and I think Blizzard is in their rights to protect their online system from exploitation.