It might be controversial, but i’m happy with the company’s stance on this: Providing information and help in the middle of the game is unfair when the other side doesn’t have it.
Blizzard is right in their stance in providing a fair game for all. Thanks, devs.
Here’s also my concern: What consistutes a third party program?
Within the last month, Linux users have been reporting getting suspensions and bans on Overwatch. This has to do with a tool called DXVK, which converts the DirectX 11 to WINE, so that linux users can play the game. The thing is: That technically is a third party program. And while the bans got overturned, it just brings up the question:
How do you know if a third party program is “approved” or not?
We at least got confirmation in this thread that the two third party programs in question are not, but unless if there’s a way to apply for approval or a list of these programs, everyone is going to run into this. Is OBS an ok third party program for example?
It opens up a can of worms.
Visor I get,
Pursuit I do not, and I’m not too sure you’ve seen or used it otherwise you’d know the difference.
Essentially they’re blanketing them under cheating, which then applies to any analytical means, including using OW API to gather information after a game. Then you get to the grey areas, where uploading VODs to coaches could be considered cheating.
If you open the door, it becomes murky territory,
Remember how murky it got with One-Tricks being a reportable thing or not?
I dont know how much clearer you want them to be. It is a 3rd party program not expressly authorized by Blizzard.
Blizzard has clearly stipulated in their TOS which third-party software does and does not require authorization. The EULA is a contract–they can’t suddenly say “we do not authorize use of this third party software and will ban any user taking advantage of it.”
Specifically, the TOS says that the following software is banned:
- cheats; i.e. methods not expressly authorized by Blizzard, influencing and/or facilitating the gameplay, including exploits of any in-game bugs, and thereby granting you and/or any other user an advantage over other players not using such methods;
2. bots; i.e. any code and/or software, not expressly authorized by Blizzard, that allows the automated control of a Game, or any other feature of the Platform, e.g. the automated control of a character in a Game;
3. hacks; i.e. accessing or modifying the software of the Platform in any manner not expressly authorized by Blizzard; and/or
4. any code and/or software, not expressly authorized by Blizzard, that can be used in connection with the Platform and/or any component or feature thereof which changes and/or facilitates the gameplay or other functionality;
Blizzard cannot just willy-nilly say “we do not authorize this software so it is banned!” The software in question has to change and or facilitate gameplay or other functionality of their Platform. There is a strong argument that Pursuit does not do this, and so Blizzard are violating their own TOS by banning people.
so if pursuit employees tell us they got authorization for working with OWL and T2 Teams do they lie?
If not they meet the requirements of your TOS
member when cheaters tried to convince you it was not a cheat? i member… 
Man. I can understand Visor to an extent. There was definitely some grey area there. especially with the Ult tracker (no matter how terrible it was)
Pursuit is legitimately useful and doesn’t coach you in game. It just gives us the thing we have been asking for that Blizzard refuses to give us, stats.
If Blizzard wasn’t so weird about giving us an actual scoreboard or real post game stats it wouldn’t even be an issue.
tbf you can just play qp and get yourself a friend… invite him to your game and let him track all the ults or coach you midgame.
its qp… but does it mean you are allowed to use “outside help” like this.
Oh dear. I’ve never heard of these two programs before today.
And after some research (Probably more than the OW team could do), I can’t see a reason why Pursuit would take the hit. It is as everyone said, an analyzer that reports when a game has ended.
Prohibiting that essentially gives you the ability to powertrip and ban anyone for simply recording your gameplay video. Or, even go as far as siply taking a screenshot.
Vague lines like these makes the community concerned, and eventually, lose trust in their overlords. And eventually, revolts.
Do be careful, my dears. We wouldn’t want an actual Omnic Uprising.
Of course thirdparty software is cheating, it’s crystal clear. I knew this immediately when I saw what VisorGG does and how much more information you gain by using it. You have to be delusional to not see how this obviously is cheating.
Hope the ban hammer is gonna hit hard, really really hard.
That is a dumb argument. You can literally do the same thing by having a VOD of your match analyzed.
So is having. 144 Hertz monitor cheating?Makes you perform better but not everyone has access?
Okay, so third-party tools are banned. How about making first-party tools available? Several OWL pros have talked about using the replay function, it’s been accidentally leaked on official streams, etc.
Making self-improvement tools like the replay system available to everyone (especially aspiring pros) should be priority one imo, over hero releases, reworks, balancing, bug fixing, new modes, and new maps. I have countless anecdotes of people struggling and being left behind because they didn’t have access to an easy in-game replay function.
The fact Blizzard has had to take this step means they’re way behind player demand. They should take a good long look at their development practices and see how it’s hurting their players, especially the ones who matter most for the long-term health of the game (i.e. t2 and t3 pros).
The outside help part isn’t my point though. I’m not reinforcing it.
Depends on the context in all honesty.
I doubt it but you provided a decent argument so I’ll just agree with you then.
Players need to improve without a third party programs. This is much more fair than having a program tell you what to improve in during the game. Also, it tells you stuff like, “Your healers are dying too much”. You wouldn’t have known that since you aren’t focusing on your healers 24/7. The program however focuses on them 24/7 meaning you literally have another pair of eyes. That is an unfair advantage.
Like I said, it probably is the fact that it gives you insights on what to improve on based on individual matches. Other players don’t have this luxury and have to figure out what they need to improve on. This is a big if though.
The EULA has no stipulation about enhancing your insights, or enabling your learning, or helping your self improvement. It says that software which “modifies/enhances the PLATFORM” or “influences/facilitates the GAMEPLAY” are forbidden without prior authorization.
Visor very clearly falls into this category, because it provides information during a live game, thereby influencing the gameplay (i.e., the way the player interacts with the game) to give a competitive advantage. Pursuit is much less clear, because it neither enhances the gameplay nor the platform–making you a better player is not modding the game.
I agree with this. However, how are they detecting the presence of said 3rd party applications?
If they are scanning disks outside of the OW game install files, then they are essentially installing thier version of “good malware” onto your PC when you install OW.
If I find out that is the case, even though I never use these 3rd party tools, I will 100% stop spending my money on Blizzard products.
Like I said, it probably is the fact that it gives you insights on what to improve on based on individual matches. Other players don’t have this luxury and have to figure out what they need to improve on. This is a big if though.
Nothing is stopping these other players from using Pursuit other than a lack of knowledge of the product.
Section 4 of the Blizzard EULA:
Consent to Monitor. WHILE RUNNING, THE PLATFORM (INCLUDING A GAME) MAY MONITOR YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE’S MEMORY FOR UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAMS RUNNING EITHER CONCURRENTLY WITH A GAME OR OUT OF PROCESS. AN “UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAM” AS USED HEREIN SHALL BE DEFINED AS ANY THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE PROHIBITED BY SECTION 1.C. ABOVE. IN THE EVENT THAT THE PLATFORM DETECTS AN UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAM, (a) THE PLATFORM MAY COMMUNICATE INFORMATION BACK TO BLIZZARD, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION YOUR ACCOUNT NAME, DETAILS ABOUT THE UNAUTHORIZED THIRD PARTY PROGRAM DETECTED, AND THE TIME AND DATE; AND/OR (b) BLIZZARD MAY EXERCISE ANY OR ALL OF ITS RIGHTS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, WITH OR WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE TO THE USER. Additionally, certain Games include a tool that will allow your computer system to forward information to Blizzard in the event that the Game crashes, including system and driver data, and by agreeing hereto you consent to Blizzard receiving and/or using this data.
Blockquote I agree with this. However, how are they detecting the presence of said 3rd party applications?
Google “Bruce Schneier Warden”.
Also, I hate to break it to you, but any game you’ve installed ever in the last decade, especially multiplayer online games, has reserved the right and probably exercised the right to monitor what other software you have running in memory for ad-targeting and anti-cheat functionality.