Blizzard bans more SC2 hackers

[Ken Sapp]

It's against the Terms of Use policy. They brought this on themselves.

You mean the terms of use which you don't see until you have already purchased the game at the store, taken it home, removed the shrinkwrap(thus being unable to return the software in most stores) and begun installing?

This issue has already come up in court before and been shot down as non-binding since the terms of use are not readily available to be agreed to before the purchase takes place.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/9.248158.9143478

AS you can see in my later post. There is an explanation and a link to the EULA on the box.

Thank you for the link to your later post. As you can probably assume I don't read the entirety of a multipage thread before making a comment or responding to one that has caught my eye.

To your point, a EULA which is available on the web for perusal prior to purchase is a hazy point at best as it is not a reasonable method of delivery for in-store purchases. Online purchases of digital download or physical product yes, but not when the box is physically in your hands in the store. Add to that the fact that most EULAs contain text which is unenforceable(and sometimes illegal) under the legal system of the land.

But to return to the main point, using a trainer in single player which has no effect on multiplayer is not a reasonable cause for banning someone and removing their ability to use their lawfully purchased software. Multiplayer has different rules due to the fact that it affects others who rightfully expect a level playing field and cheaters should be punished up to and including bans. But until they can show me that there is a measurable game effect on multiplayer from using cheats in singleplayer I will not accept that they are within their rights to take away individuals right to enjoy their lawfully purchased singleplayer game however they want.

Well thanks for replying in a civil nature. But in an even later post, I withdrew from this discussion, I couldn't see it ending well for anyone

I do my best to be civil at all times, if i wouldn't say it to your face I won't say it in a forum. I also agree the discussion really goes nowhere once all is said and done. The people on one side are still going to be disagreeing with the people on the other. Ultimately I would say that singleplayer never should have been hooked to Battle.Net in the first place and leave it at that. Enjoy your day

 

[Spencer Petersen]

Well this is trying to avoid such a similar shitstorm.

They've just made a new storm, just as stinky and about as much of a mess.

Well remember that the Sega plan punished all players who played by the rules just as much as the hackers, and probably more, if you got high on the leader boards from one Zen-like master trance of playing and now have to get lightning to strike twice to get that status back. The hackers there are not punished in any way. With Blizzards method the only real victims are those who are responsible for the problem.

The only way you are affected by these bans are if you actively hacked, which I'm guessing about 99% of the people here haven't. Whereas with Sonic 4, even if you played all by the rules, you got punished.

 

[Gindil]

There are already cheat codes in the singleplayer that Blizzard put in. People who hack it are just plain stupid. And by hacking, they mean Blizzard are banning people using an external programs to cheat.

People who are banned should get over it and learn their lesson.

This. If you want to cheat, then cheat. You don't have to turn to a third-person hack for that, so there's really no excuse.

Hackers eventually ruined Diablo and Diablo 2, as well as Warcraft 3 to a lesser degree, so people should be pleased with this strict enforcement by Blizzard.

Wouldn't have a problem with it but they've done some BS to make this work against their customers.

Bungie handled the hacking thing quite well. Activision... yeah...

And Valve has a decent policy. Blizzard's is just way over the top IMO.

 

[Ameter]

Using modifications/hacks for SP shouldn't be treated that harsly if you ask me. That's plain nuts. If these programs ALSO offered MP hacks, ban those idiots but if not, leave them the fuck alone.

Blizzards side of the argument is that many of the trainers can work in multiplayer, however they are banning people who have never even played online in order to keep the integrity of the achievement system

So you think they should decide on a case by case basis after plunging the logs to find out if the person ever went to multiplayer instead of just banning people who break the terms of service?

Okay.....

 

[Gindil]

What BS? Anybody hacking online needs to be perma-banned on the first offense. No questions asked. This isn't some generic console shooter we're talking about where any random person can get really good in two weeks. Starcraft 2 ladder is seriously competitive, and rightfully so. I stopped playing some time ago, but throughout beta and early release I was serious about playing well (top 10 diamond). And it took some real focus and dedication.

Don't hack, kids...it's an insult to those who have real skill.

The fact that the single player is attached to the multiplayer is the BS part. No, I won't play SC2, even though I may want to see the campaign but having seen the rules, I don't want to abide by them personally. But just because people are using the third party cheats, it's supposed to kill the games for others?

Until we know HOW these people are using them, it's just Blizzard's word against the individual person's. I'd rather they do what Bungie did a while back and detail the process than come out specifically with the banhammer.

 

[likalaruku]

That $60 is essentially a rental fee that only grants you the right to play the game & the developers can revoke it at any time. The only thing you really OWN when you buy the game is the plastic disc it's printed on, the manual, & the box it came in. It's douchey, but this is a plutocracy after all; bow down to your DRM/copyright masters.

Now I would be against Blizzard punishing people for cheating in a single player game, but if they did have cheat codes already in it, then why bother hacking it? Hacking software you're legally only renting access to & don't own would be unnecessary & infringing.

 

[TrollOgerElf]

Its really hard to keep my self inline when i see people Q.Q over cheating or hacking in single player. So very very hard.
If they take it online then yeah ban hammer but banning single players is more like durka durr.
Haters gonna hate.

 

[d3structor]

So you think they should decide on a case by case basis after plunging the logs to find out if the person ever went to multiplayer instead of just banning people who break the terms of service?

Okay.....

Don't put words in my mouth; I never said that and I dislike multiplayer hackers as much as anyone.

I disagree with single player being linked to multiplayer.

I disagree that players are merely licensing single player usage for a full price game

I disagree that the only response is mass bannings

I disagree with the people who hack on the ladders as well.

Also the case by case basis is not as far-fetched as you seem to think, it is not Blizzard doing it but the players who lost games and then watch the replay to find out their opponent hacked. Once a player reaches a certain threshold of reports and/or the game sends a log of suspicious activity to blizzard their account is suspended from the ladder until an Admin reviews the replays at which point official action is taken.

I am one of the people who likes to adjust and mod my things until they suit my tastes so I suppose I am an amateur hacker but I don't think that is a bad thing.

Can I understand why they are doing this? of course.

Do I agree? Obviously not.

Is this the best choice? maybe it is.

My point, if I need to sum everything to a single line, is this:




Why does a company as successful and powerful as blizzard resort to the simplest and arguably worst punishments without regard to anything but online ladders

I can think of a bunch of other methods of dealing with this off the top of my head, so why can't blizzard?

 

[d3structor]

They used the hacks in multi-player, no question. Like I said, there are cheats built into the game as far as single-player goes. And nobody is impressed with someone who has all the single-player achievements, so there's only one possible motive for hacking: building a good record.

Then what about my case: replacing zergling sound effects with Murloc sound effects. is my motive to become a 2k diamond league player?

 

[d3structor]

It altering the core game files of their games and is directly against the EULA and liable for the same penalties.

I am with you though but for the sake of this thread I lump everything together.

Although I doubt anyone has actually gotten banned for it the fact is that if I did I would be walking a tightrope that I don't want to walk.

Also the case I was talking about was more than editing individual maps if I was unable to make that abundantly clear.

 

[d3structor]

It is not unlimited offline play, it may not constantly be checking but it still does periodically (every 30 days if i remember correctly, feel free to correct me).

And even if it was I still enjoy playing online so that is not really an option.

You are of course right about it sucking not having LAN.
such a shame

 

[d3structor]

Yes I had that thought as well and I will probably end up doing that sometime. Its just the principal of the matter.

I shouldn't have to circumvent their securities for things like this.

Thats just my personal feeling though.

 

[renzozuken2002]

If they are just banning players from multi-player, then I have no issue.
If they are banning them from the entire game after paying 60$ for it, then I call that major BS, border lining on robbery!

Personally, I think tying achievements to SP was a retarded move on Blizzard's part. With or without cheats, playing against a computer is not the same as playing against another player. AI strategy can never match up to human strategies, to call them a great player simply because they can predict the AI's movements is just a disappointment when they can't live up to their titles in online battles.