Modding single player Mass Effect 3 bans you from Origin

[Scars Unseen]

I liked Bioware when she was beautiful and quiet. Now she?s got this thing I don?t want to talk about. It?s like Developer cancer.

 

[Vigormortis]

By the way, anyone still want to run out the "but... but... Steam is just as bad as Origin!" argument?

Let's be honest here, you know...you just KNOW...someone's going to do it. Assuming they haven't already.

Some people just love to hate on Steam. Even if it requires putting on the tin-foil hats and making stuff up.

[edit] God, I'm really getting sick of the new Captcha. 90% of the time it's an ad being shoved in my face.

This one in particular is kind of threatening.

~ "The all new Chevy Sonic! We've got you surrounded. Let's do this."

o.0

 

[SajuukKhar]

Let's be honest here, you know...you just KNOW...someone's going to do it. Assuming they haven't already.

Some people just love to hate on Steam. Even if it requires putting on the tin-foil hats and making stuff up.

Steam has things it could improve, like fixing offline mode for a lot of people, and used game trading, and fixing auto-pdate so it stays off when you turn it off, but anyone who says it is as bad as Origin is silly.

 

[Yellowbeard]

I beleive from the way games are sold nowerdays its more Akin To you Renting a lawnmower and then replacing the blades on it to non-sanctioned ones (which may or may not be better) which naturally they wouldnt like and they would want you to return the lawnmower (and other rented items) back to them and likely not want to provide you a renting service anymore.

NO! It's more akin to someone renting you a car with a stereo that only plays certain music, then objecting when you turn off the stereo and listen to music of your own (which may or may not be better) and maybe hanging some fuzzy dice from the mirror.

But of course, it's not really akin to that at all because, and lets get this perfectly clear....
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE THE GAME BACK IN THE CONDITION THEY GAVE IT TO YOU, or at all. Pardon the caps, but I'm kind of wondering why no one's made this point yet.

The idea that licensed software is in any way comparable to leasing or loaning a physical object is absurd. In most cases you can't even give a disc back if you wanted to, let alone be held responsible for keeping it in good condition. Digital distribution makes this idea even more laughable.

I don't care if my copy of System Shock 2 is 'legally' still owned by EA, under no circumstances am I required to return a working copy of it or anything equivalent. The fact that I have more mods piled on that game than I have teeth shouldn't mean jack shit to anyone but me.

I practically live on Steam and most of the people I know on there don't expect a game to be moddable or have mods at all unless it is a game like the ES series that prides itself on modding.

I dont know anyone who expected Bioshock or Prey or most games to be moddable.

I live on Steam too, and almost every game I've played on it (including Bioshock), so far, has been improved by downloadable mods, edited configuration files, unofficial patches and intentionally vandalized files.

Mass Effect 2, for example, is way less annoying now that I've downloaded the mod that replaces all the loading screens. Loading times have gone from 30+ seconds to 1 second. No artistic vision or anything defensible there. We're talking simple sloppy design that someone else fixed for them. I refuse to acknowledge anyone's right to tell me I can't do that.

I have games that make me nauseous without FOV fixes, and plenty that don't have native widescreen support.

 

[SajuukKhar]

I live on Steam too, and almost every game I've played on it (including Bioshock), so far, has been improved by downloadable mods, edited configuration files, unofficial patches and intentionally vandalized files.

Mass Effect 2, for example, is way less annoying now that I've downloaded the mod that replaces all the loading screens. Loading times have gone from 30+ seconds to 1 second. No artistic vision or anything defensible there. We're talking simple sloppy design that someone else fixed for them. I refuse to acknowledge anyone's right to tell me I can't do that.

I have games that make me nauseous without FOV fixes, and plenty that don't have native widescreen support.

I wasn't saying that those games didn't have mods just that most people didn't expect to ever mod them.

Also Bioshock had mods?

 

[Vigormortis]

Let's be honest here, you know...you just KNOW...someone's going to do it. Assuming they haven't already.

Some people just love to hate on Steam. Even if it requires putting on the tin-foil hats and making stuff up.

Steam has things it could improve, like fixing offline mode for a lot of people, and used game trading, and fixing auto-pdate so it stays off when you turn it off, but anyone who says it is as bad as Origin is silly.

I actually agree. The offline mode could use some work, though turning off auto-updates on a game all but guarantees it'll work 100% of the time in offline mode. With a few exceptional cases, of course.

The trading of used games is kind of a murky area, though. Valve could possibly do it with their own games, but doing so with 3rd party titles gets really complicated really fast.

Still, you have to consider that trading a game, digitally, doesn't necessarily mean you're actually giving up your game. It's fairly easy to make a copy and store it locally. Since the files are already on your hard-drive.

That said, with the success of the Steam Inventory and trade system, the possibility of trading "used" games may not be that far-fetched.

 

[SajuukKhar]

Well Gabe did make mention in a interview with Eurogamer back in august of last year that they were looking into game trade ins.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-25-valves-gabe-newell-interview?page=3
"Eurogamer: Will it eventually lead to players being able to trade in games on Steam?

Gabe Newell: We need to hire an economist, because we keep bumping up into these issues. You're starting to look at weird issues like currency and inflation and productivity and asset values and liquidity of asset categories. We just wish we were smarter about this stuff. We're reading frantically. We're brushing up, and all we're doing is convincing ourselves that we're more stupid. Half the time people are saying, oh, well, illiquid assets inherently have a penalty, so this argues for trade-ability, that we're essentially becoming a Russian currency model in the 1970s. Everybody races off to try to read papers on the implications of that.

We think we want to move in the direction where everything is an item of exchange. We just aren't totally sure how to do that right. We're sure there are economists out there who understand this really well. We feel like we're this third-world developing country. We've discovered rocks! And we've discovered sticks! And there's this other thing out there and we should move our economy in that direction. There must be somebody at the World Bank who can tell us what we ought to be doing. We just don't know what that is yet."
.
.
Also what I meant by turning off auto-updating is that many people will turn it off, then th next time they open Steam it is back on again.

It resets on Steam closing for a lot of people.

 

[Yellowbeard]

I wasn't saying that those games didn't have mods just that most people didn't expect to ever mod them.

Also Bioshock had mods?

I'm not disagreeing with you, just casting my vote with the minority of people you know on Steam. I expect games to be moddable and modded, regardless of whether the devs or publishers meant to be.

I don't know if Bioshock had downloadable mods, but I'm including file edits and stuff. Bioshock was virtually unplayable for me without manually fixing some mouse issues.

 

[The Lunatic]

Uhh were is the problem in this?

-The game belongs to EA/Bioware
-They have the right to say no modding SP


Again, where is the problem?

The part where you paid money to purchase a copy of the game.

Keyword there being "Purchase" as opposed to rent.

"Copy" of the game, as opposed to "License".

 

[Threeseventyfive]

Oh come on EA, you're practically begging people to pirate your game.

What? Afraid the community might mod an ending that makes some actual sense?

 

[Yellowbeard]

That said, with the success of the Steam Inventory and trade system, the possibility of trading "used" games may not be that far-fetched.

Oh man, I would give anything to be able to trade in COD4, just out of spite. I can't believe I spent $15 bucks on that hemmorrhoid sandwich.

 

[SajuukKhar]

The part where you paid money to purchase a copy of the game.

Keyword there being "Purchase" as opposed to rent.

"Copy" of the game, as opposed to "License".

Funny thing is though you technically didn't purchase a game.

I wish it was the way you described it, but that isn't how it is now.

 

[Scars Unseen]

I live on Steam too, and almost every game I've played on it (including Bioshock), so far, has been improved by downloadable mods, edited configuration files, unofficial patches and intentionally vandalized files.

Mass Effect 2, for example, is way less annoying now that I've downloaded the mod that replaces all the loading screens. Loading times have gone from 30+ seconds to 1 second. No artistic vision or anything defensible there. We're talking simple sloppy design that someone else fixed for them. I refuse to acknowledge anyone's right to tell me I can't do that.

I have games that make me nauseous without FOV fixes, and plenty that don't have native widescreen support.

I wasn't saying that those games didn't have mods just that most people didn't expect to ever mod them.

Also Bioshock had mods?

No one expected people to mod Baldur's Gate either(as anyone who was around before TeamBG got things going will recall), but that game has a modding community that still thrives 14 years later. If you make it, they will mod.

 

[SajuukKhar]

No one expected people to mod Baldur's Gate either(as anyone who was around before TeamBG got things going will recall), but that game has a modding community that still thrives 14 years later. If you make it, they will mod.

I totally agree with that, hell Morrowind still has mods being made for it.

I doubt I could play Skyrim anymore without them.

 

[Snotnarok]

Wooooow I'm amused by the people defending this. I guess you guys would be okay with not being allowed to modify your car without direct permission from the manufacturer.

You BOUGHT the game, modifying single player in games is not new or restricted to T.E.S. games it's just something that is done on PC games in general. There's mods for EVERY game ranging from better textures to more hair to well cheats. But it's not uncommon for games to be modded even without permission and devs know it expands the life of their games beyond their expected scope.

This is just sheer apple-headed logic where it's STILL theirs though you bought it from them.

 

[The Lunatic]

Funny thing is though you technically didn't purchase a game.

I wish it was the way you described it, but that isn't how it is now.

They claim you don't, but, I'm sure if you took them to court and had a judge with any common sense, you'd probably be fine.

The issue is a lot of people just don't stand up for consumer rights.

 

[Doom-Slayer]

"We are only taking action against players who modify their multiplayer game to gain unfair progression, unfair advantage, or affect the experience of other players."

"To confirm, YES you will be banned if Origin picks up that you modified SP which it scans for on ME3 launch. Locked. "

Two completely different answers from Bioware employees. Seems like Bioware needs to get their brains sorted.

 

[Something Amyss]

Oh come on EA, you're practically begging people to pirate your game.

What? Afraid the community might mod an ending that makes some actual sense?

It would kill the sales of their "We finally fix our screwup" DLC.

Funny thing is though you technically didn't purchase a game.

I wish it was the way you described it, but that isn't how it is now.

I'm actually not sure what people don't get about this. I know that "nobody reads licensing agreements," but this has been covered so often, you'd think people would have caught on by now.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I beleive from the way games are sold nowerdays its more Akin To you Renting a lawnmower and then replacing the blades on it to non-sanctioned ones (which may or may not be better) which naturally they wouldnt like and they would want you to return the lawnmower (and other rented items) back to them and likely not want to provide you a renting service anymore.

NO! It's more akin to someone renting you a car with a stereo that only plays certain music, then objecting when you turn off the stereo and listen to music of your own (which may or may not be better) and maybe hanging some fuzzy dice from the mirror.

But of course, it's not really akin to that at all because, and lets get this perfectly clear....
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE THE GAME BACK IN THE CONDITION THEY GAVE IT TO YOU, or at all. Pardon the caps, but I'm kind of wondering why no one's made this point yet.

The idea that licensed software is in any way comparable to leasing or loaning a physical object is absurd. In most cases you can't even give a disc back if you wanted to, let alone be held responsible for keeping it in good condition. Digital distribution makes this idea even more laughable.

I don't care if my copy of System Shock 2 is 'legally' still owned by EA, under no circumstances am I required to return a working copy of it or anything equivalent. The fact that I have more mods piled on that game than I have teeth shouldn't mean jack shit to anyone but me.

I practically live on Steam and most of the people I know on there don't expect a game to be moddable or have mods at all unless it is a game like the ES series that prides itself on modding.

I dont know anyone who expected Bioshock or Prey or most games to be moddable.

I live on Steam too, and almost every game I've played on it (including Bioshock), so far, has been improved by downloadable mods, edited configuration files, unofficial patches and intentionally vandalized files.

Mass Effect 2, for example, is way less annoying now that I've downloaded the mod that replaces all the loading screens. Loading times have gone from 30+ seconds to 1 second. No artistic vision or anything defensible there. We're talking simple sloppy design that someone else fixed for them. I refuse to acknowledge anyone's right to tell me I can't do that.

I have games that make me nauseous without FOV fixes, and plenty that don't have native widescreen support.

woah woah woah. could you perhaps point me in the direction of these me2 mods? I definitely would like a piece of that action.