Stance on Cheating

Plain and simple, cheating sucks. Now I know that you didn't click to this page just to see that, so I'll elaborate a little bit.

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat. THERE ARE NO HACKERS ON BNET! Tranier babies, cheaters, lamers yes. Hackers no. Someone who downloads a trainer, clicks his mouse a couple of times, and creates an unbeatable character is not a hacker... he's a cheater. Perhaps the person who originially created the trainer is a hacker, but not the person using his work. It's that simple.

To be honest with you, I really don't care if you cheat in single player Diablo or Hellfire. The only person that you're cheating is yourself. Hey, if you want to ruin your game by making it a click-fest, be my guest. I don't really understand why you would purchase a game, and basically skip to the end. The whole point of gaming is just that... playing the game. The whole problem with cheating is when you ruin someone elses game.

Third Party Programs
There are a ton of these programs floating around the internet. [No, I'm not going to tell you where to find them.] Basically, what they do is read the code used to create Diablo and gives the user the ability to modify their character. Some allow you to change character stats, some allow you to import and export items, some allow you to backup characters, and some allow you to create new items right out of thin air. In my opinion the ONLY reason to use a third party program is for backup purposes. With the Diablo 1.08 patch, this really isn't necessary, but if you're used to doing it that way fine. Moving characters from one computer to another can be a real pain in the backside. So if you want to back up your characters using a third party that's fine by me... you're still legit.

Using that back up opens up a whole other can of worms.

Restoring Your Characters
Let's say you've gotten yourself into a nasty stair-trap. Four or five Blood Knights and a couple of Soul Burners are just waiting for you right when you come down the stairs. Can't get your gear back. Tough... this isn't the time for a back up. You got yourself into this mess... get yourself out. [Now would be a wonderful time to practice being really careful in a new level, and ALWAYS creating a Town Portal when you enter a new level.]

If on the other hand b.net lags you out of your game while you're laying dead in the dungeon, I see nothing wrong with going to the back up. You didn't do anything to cause you to lose your hard earned gear... go get it back by any means necessary. General power failures, or problems with your computer would also be covered here. The way I look at it, if it's out of your control, don't sweat using your back up.

Many people fear public b.net games for fear of losing their hard earned gear. I don't really blame them. But there is a couple of ways to combat this. One, play a character where you don't mind losing your items. [A naked mage comes in really handy here.] Two, play in password protected games with your friends, or at least with people you can trust. Three, play solo multi. You can play a game with your multiplayer character without even connecting to the internet. Simply choose one of the other multiplay options and you're good to go.

Originally, I had the following statement up here.

Oh, by the way... If you take your legit character onto b.net and get autokilled, it's your fault. This also ISN'T a time for a restore. If you want to play public games and you're afraid you'll lose your gear, play a Naked Mage, or password protected games.

1. The cheater res/kills you until your are MKilled. Keep in mind, there are legit MKillers out there. If a legit one gets you, tip your cap and go about your business.
2. The cheater has autokill/autodrop. I've only seen this a couple of times, but it's a real nasty one. This one falls into the "beyond your control" category. A normal PK would only get your gold and your ear. This bread of PK also gets your precious gear. Restore at will.

Basically, being a legit shouldn't be a real big thing. Here's what I go by. If I have to ask myself if it's legit, then it probably isn't.

Ok, sorry about the rant. I'm done now. If you want some more "Legit" reading, head on over to Mr. Virgil Tibbs' website. He's got a great write up on what it is to be legit.