I’m curious about your opinions on what makes something an exploit as opposed to a clever use of mechanics or map design. For example, I see using reset points for boss fights as part the game design. Standing somewhere where it is impossible for the boss to reach you or making a mob glitch out (like the raptor in ZG) is a clear exploit. However I have come across some players who feel that they are the same thing - if one is OK the other must be too. I am fairly rigid about not using exploits so it makes for interesting discussions.
Honestly it really just boils down to what the owners of the game (Blizzard) decide is an exploit. Individual players opinions are not a determining factor in what is an exploit.
Taking advantage of the simple 2d geometry of vanilla pathing is not an exploit, for example, because it hasn’t been deemed by Blizzard as such. At least it hasn’t on a universal level. And given how long this had been around I don’t think it ever will be. Although sometimes if people whine about something long enough Blizzard decides to change it, which in my opinion is a mistake.
It is exploiting. I’ve said this many times before and I will always stick to it. The current Mara (and ZG) meta involves using a piece of buggy terrain that creates a clearly unintended pathing issue. There is no possible way that it was intended for someone to stand on an object 10 yards off the ground and have the mobs run as if they were standing at the base of the object.
It is not “advanced kiting”, it is abusing a buggy object to create completely unintended paths for mobs. Advanced kiting would be what hunters do in DMT or duo mages in strat UD (i think? haven’t actually been to one of those runs).
Yea, I can’t be convinced that hopping on and off a rope bridge to reroute pathing is “clever use of game mechanics” it’s an exploit, it’s just an exploit that doesn’t receive any negative recourse.
The difference between clever use of game mechanics and an exploit of game mechanics is a ban or patch. If blizzard thinks it’s fine then it’s clever use of game mechanics. If blizzard doesn’t think it’s fine, then it’s an exploit.
Players can debate what is or isn’t an exploit, but it doesn’t matter one iota if blizzard is fine with it.
Nah. It isn’t. It’s not an exploit until Blizzard calls it out as such. Until then it’s just a thing that some players complain about.
You’re mistaking unintended gameplay with exploits. They’re not the same thing. Case and point: +healing snapshotting on diamond flask. Not intended but also not an exploit. Many players called it an exploit just like you are now. Then Blizzard commented on it and was like, “Nah that’s not an exploit.”
So by your definitions nothing is an exploit at all until people start getting banned for it? I’m never going to go along with that belief because that is what spawns the “exploit early and often” mindset that killed classic wow from phase 1 with layers.
People are abusing a clearly unintentional mechanic that makes no logical sense within the game and is not intentionally replicated in any way in any other part of the game. If that is not exploiting then nothing is.
Yes, in some cases Blizzard decides an exploit is so obviously an exploit that it’s worth suspending/banning people over it before they communicate to the players about it.
But what we’re talking about is much more of a gray area. They’re (probably) not going to ban people over Mara boosting where mages are jumping on that U shaped pillar thingy before calling it out as an exploit. And if they do deem it an exploit they’ll probably just fix it as they have with AV backdoors, which IMO was a mistake.
Your opinion. Recognize it as such and know that yours may not be shared will the ultimate lawful authority on the matter.
Essentially. Or at least it’s not severe enough to be considered cheating. At that point it’s just part of the game, intentional or not. The only difference for all intents and purposes is people whining about it.
