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Forums > Home› Controls and Interface

UI mods, why not?

Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
edited November 2011 in Controls and Interface
Considering not only the new minimap, but also the rather lmited number of options of customization available regarding the UI, why not allow UI mods?
Post edited by Archived Post on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Aye even older mmo's (I will not mention names) offered a way of customizing the game UI, surely it can be done with co....
    /signed
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    I'm kinda curious as to the decision against UI mods and such was an Atari decision or a Cryptic decision, personally. I haven't had any UI problems lately, but still - it'd be good to know.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Actually, I can tell you 1 reason I figured out when talking to people about that recently advertised by Chuck Norris game that when you look for UI mods on most of the sites that have them, 90% of them are packed along with some kind of spyware, malware or other type of data you don't want on your PC.

    Who's to say that there wouldn't be a map mod that changed it back to the round shape, but waits a week after download to download a keylogger?

    There are a lot more problems, but that's the one I think should be the most important to think about.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Winza wrote:
    Actually, I can tell you 1 reason I figured out when talking to people about that recently advertised by Chuck Norris game that when you look for UI mods on most of the sites that have them, 90% of them are packed along with some kind of spyware, malware or other type of data you don't want on your PC.

    Also, 90% of percentages are made up. HTH
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    The issue of player-made UI mods becomes a problem if they start adding a decided advantage to players that use them - like ones that exploit some undocumented function like targeting invisible players/enemies, or ones that mark things on the map that you're supposed to have to explore to find. By restricting the UI to the dev-made one, they can ensure that all players have a similar experience. A reviewer might see someone else using a poorly made mod, for example, and give the game's interface a poor review because of it. There also isn't any quality control, so a mod may introduce various bugs that players will not demand that the devs address. Overall, I don't think it is worth it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    A modable UI would have to be designed that way from day 1, its not something you can retro-fit easilly into an existing system. Lots of work, lots of security considerations (as mentioned) etc...

    Given that its not an option at the momment I doubt it was designed that way or it would be there already (just guessing here)

    on the subject of giving potential unfair advantages - people with key-binding skills already have an edge (but not an unfair one imo) BTW
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Mewnie wrote:
    Also, 90% of percentages are made up. HTH

    I don't think its faked at all even Curse the mod tool thing has nasties in it my Antivirus wiped it out ages ago and when i searched why, so many people were saying stop using it and its got spyware imbedded into it.

    Not to mention all the shady mods out there don't help, even Curse itself has had a shady past.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Winza wrote:
    Actually, I can tell you 1 reason I figured out when talking to people about that recently advertised by Chuck Norris game that when you look for UI mods on most of the sites that have them, 90% of them are packed along with some kind of spyware, malware or other type of data you don't want on your PC.

    Who's to say that there wouldn't be a map mod that changed it back to the round shape, but waits a week after download to download a keylogger?

    There are a lot more problems, but that's the one I think should be the most important to think about.

    Um. This is incorrect. World of Warcraft's U.I. uses the Lua scripting engine, of which whose API tied with the game doesn't make it possible to include spyware or anything malicious that would steal your account or do anything else outside the game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    SergeantKoopa wrote:
    Um. This is incorrect. World of Warcraft's U.I. uses the Lua scripting engine, of which whose API tied with the game doesn't make it possible to include spyware or anything malicious that would steal your account or do anything else outside the game.
    The Lua script itself will have a hard time including something like that. But if it's provided through an installer, that installer can dump a lot of additional stuff on your system without your consent.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    There's a way to make UI skins. I wish I was allowed to say how.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Winza wrote:
    There are a lot more problems, but that's the one I think should be the most important to think about.

    Omigosh. Really? If that were true then Skyrim Nexus would be a disaster zone, because your logic dictates that every file on that site is a keylogger. The only problem with this is that reality disagrees, as is often the case with irrational fears.

    If you have a zip file which contains a bunch of files which are either UI script and/or texture files, then you're not going to be able to slip a virus in there. All you need to do on top of that is add peer review. You just need one trustworthy site to handle everything. I've been downloading mods for the Bethesda engine games (including New Vegas) for years, since they first opened, and I've never experienced even one instance of malware. Not one.

    The myth that the Internet is filled with malicious software is just that: A myth. It's truth only comes in in regards to incredibly unobservant people who'll download files from anywhere without knowing whether or not their source is at all trustworthy. But that's true of everything. If you're reading your email then you're at more risk than you would be downloading a Champions Online mod.

    Really, the chances of picking up malware in such a way are so incredibly infinitesimal and improbable that they border on being impossible. And again, if somehow you managd to pick up malware that way, you were probably not downloading from the site you thought you were, and you've already infested your computer by opening every email attachment you get, anyway.

    So having the UI modifiable has absolutely no correlation to malware.

    Stupidity, in general, but most commonly a complete lack of observantional skills hhas everything to do with malware. And whether Champions Online offers UI mods or not is never going to change that.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    To add, they would need a way to pass an instruction that replaces DLLs or EXEs of Champions or other applications on your computer, then count on them to be executed by you or the computer within normal use patterns.

    If Cryptic ever allowed you LUAers to call functions of that nature, that would just be stupidity on the side of Cryptic.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Mostly because it's never just UI mods. You get people using it to make parsers, automaps, and other things which affect gameplay directly. Plus, given how cryptic routinely breaks things with every single update, i don't trust mods with their spaghetti code. I'd be worried they'd break the game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    UImodbro?


    Sorry someone had to. Ima signed for UI mods.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    Calsetes wrote:
    I'm kinda curious as to the decision against UI mods and such was an Atari decision or a Cryptic decision, personally. I haven't had any UI problems lately, but still - it'd be good to know.
    I would think the "no mods"-decision stems from the now-defunct XBox port. Remember that? AFAIK (and this needs to come with a hefty disclaimer; I've never owned a console newer than the Atari 2600) you cannot use mods on the XBox, so it would kind-of make sense to not allow mods for both versions.

    Since that port is officially dead, I see no real reason to not allow mods - other than the fact that it'd probably be a heck of a job to rewrite the game engine to allow them when it is not written for that in the first place.

    I love modding - I spent almost as much time modding my interface in WoW and WAR as I did playing, so there's that problem too (although this might be personal): If I spend half my time creating costumes and half my time twiddling with my UI - when am I going to play the game? ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Posts: 1,156,071 Arc User
    edited November 2011
    The whole thing was discussed to death when i played RIFT .. so i have the same opinion here :

    Pure visual mods via XML like in EQ2 are fine .. but no LUA.
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