Does this include the infamous Map Patch? Because we never got a straight answer on whether or not that was legal. 
Please detail what is acceptable and what is not.
The police will not be breaking down your door.
I would suspect threads about it would be deleted.
I do hope that if a technical change is planned to block usage of it, someone lets us know about it beforehand.
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Client modifications are against the Coh Terms of Service agreement found here.
I will be removing all posts/threads about client modification as a result.
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Does this mean the bypass on the client will no longer work anymore? Or is this just stopping all discussions of it?
Too bad. A lot of creative and well-done work swept away with but a brush of the mighty hand of Mod.
I hope at the very least you guys make a note of some of the better work and try to purchase rights to use it. There's some fantastic stuff out there that Cryptic would be silly to ignore.
Agreed.
There are two major quality of game modifications that a lot of people use. One is the map hack which makes it really easy to find stores and navigate PP. If the ingame map system wasn't so primitive, this wouldn't be necessary. The second is the insanely annoying sound loops that we have no control over other than to modify them directly. Again, there needs to be ingame controls on the noise level of loops.
Or maybe if you dont like a part of the game, simply petition for a change. I would think that if enough people want better maps, cryptic will put them in eventually. In the mean time simply learn your zones. it isnt that hard.
Modifying the client should be against the TOS, and should be wiped here on these boards.
Damn! While I haven't used any myself, some of them looked really good and I was looking forward to seeing many more.
Anyone know of someplace else they could be discussed? Warcry, maybe some modding forum? 
Bad form.
The Anarchy Online community has produced all sorts of third-party tools (including client mods) that make the gaming experience more enjoyable without being exploits. FunCom doesn't condone it, but they don't delete threads in the forums either. They just ignore them.
This move, while certainly within NCSoft's rights, is not player-friendly. It should be reconsidered.
I just have to say that I am very, very disappointed in this decision, but I will respect it.
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I do hope that if a technical change is planned to block usage of it, someone lets us know about it beforehand.
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I'm thinking this might be that warning.
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I do hope that if a technical change is planned to block usage of it, someone lets us know about it beforehand.
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I'm thinking this might be that warning.
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Naw, because if they announce it beforehand, I'll just cancel my account that much sooner. Modding is the only thing that has really been keeping my interest in the game the last couple of weeks.
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Does this include the infamous Map Patch? Because we never got a straight answer on whether or not that was legal. Please detail what is acceptable and what is not.
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I'll be surprised if they do that. As soon as they do, somebody will find some way to twist what they say and make a cheating hack then throw a fit when they get banned. Much better to just say it's all illegal then do some selective enforcement.
If I understand the Map and Sound Mods they are not modifying the client at all. The are just putting files into an override folder which the client BY DESIGN uses in preference to the exisiting files if the file exists in the override folder.
CuppaJo people understand and have read the ToS thoroughly. Just read it myself to double check a couple minutes ago. But things like adding Map and Sound files to a folder that the client was designed to use isn't breaking the ToS the way it reads.
People have been asking for a definite call from the devs on this for some time now. Just pointing us to the ToS which is ambiguous at best in this case does nothing to answer the questions.
If using the override folder is to be considered breaking the ToS then it'd be much easier to disable the capability in the first place.
Could we get someone to give a definite official answer on this to clarify things before yo ubegin closing all the threads?
Rhaythe
Aaaaah hah! I guess that's why my post was deleted. Well, although I saw it comin' I won't pretend to not be disapointed but on the other hand, I will understand and respect it.
I don't get it. If this is a problem now, then it's always been a problem. The ToS hasn't changed. So why is it that it was allowed to go on for this long without anyone saying anything? It certainly wasn't because it wasn't known about and it's only served to get more people interested. I know of many occasions where players tried to get an official response on this and were not told anything.
Very bad form, especially considering how aweful some of the ingame sound loops are. If you have both Integration and INstant healing on at the same time, virtually all other sound in the game is drowned out by the AWEFUL buzzing sound they make. How about just letting us disable looping sounds? Is it so much to ask? Or fix the really bad ones to be less offensive (and on that not fix the graphics of them also. Regen looks like PoS, sorry but that's the only nice way to describe an effect which completely drowns out your hero costume which is suposed to be a cornedr stone of the game)
Yeah, I'd like a little clarification here... I mean, I can understand the need to keep people from getting/creating a way to exploit the game but there are several quality of life issues, as people have mentioned, that can only be attained through -very- slight modding (in most cases, the simple uncompressed override folder)
The three characters I play are AR/Dev, Claws/Regen and BS/Dark Armor...
If I have to go back to listening to targeting drone, integration/IH, and Dark Embrace all the time, I'll just cancel right now and resubscribe when it's an actual in-game option. This isn't really an ultimatum or a threat; I simply LOATHE the idea of playing the game with my speakers OFF all because of a few poorly implemented, annoying to the point of insanity, looping sounds that we SHOULD have had the option to legitimately mute from day one...
Turbine actually embraced it, some community mods were refined and rolled into the game via monthly patch. Client cheats later became a problem, but you can't forsake the good in order to control the bad.
I'm not sure what brought this on, but the client sound mods have greatly increased my enjoyment of the game.
As long as they don't ever patch the client or something to stop the use of sound overides. Can't see going back to the hum of fortitude, instant healing, integration etc.
I suspect they just can't allow posts on the boards talking about it is all. I hope. Planned on playing this game for a long long time.
I'm rather disappointed in the removal of the threads. It was nice being able to refer people to my thread on removing sounds rather than having to explain everything over and over again.
Well, since CuppaJo decided he'd play Mod God, I will be cancelling my account before my next payment. Thanks for ruining my experience with CoH, new guy. This turns my stomach.
I guess you have no idea how ANNOYING those looping sounds are. I just finally started learning how I can shut them off on MY computer and you start deleting threads on it. How immature and utterly unprofessional.
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I don't get it. If this is a problem now, then it's always been a problem. The ToS hasn't changed. So why is it that it was allowed to go on for this long without anyone saying anything? It certainly wasn't because it wasn't known about and it's only served to get more people interested. I know of many occasions where players tried to get an official response on this and were not told anything.
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I'm guessing they finally came to an agreement as to how to interpret the ToS regarding map patches.
My personal take on the ToS was my map patches weren't EDITING any of the game files. It was ADDING items outside these files.
Furthermore I suspect that, in the 2nd update, they will fix the method of how CoH attempts to access the in-game maps. Currently it's overrideable by creating an external directory structure, identical to the directory structure internal to the pigg file packets. I'll bet that CoH will implement an internal only search in regards to maps.
Cuppa is prolly simply the messenger, dont shoot the messenger bearing bad news. 
I have a hunch this may be for legal reasons, perhaps they simply can't "encourage" the use of any client modification at all for some reason by letting the discussion be on the official boards. As long as we can still do what we need to do enjoy the game anyway. (within reason).
Dev clarification would be good.
Well, in my honest opinion, these client mods in no way affects other customers nor does it put any burden on the devs. It actually "enhances" interest in the game. When a moderator like CuppaJo steps in and can delete these threads on his own whim without first discussing it is in my opinion very hurtful to customer trust. In other words, it seems to me that CuppaJo does not have an open mind and anything that even remotely "resembles" breaking the rules is hereby forbidden. Even if it was all completely innocent... and it IS completely innocent. Open your mind, it does wonders.
Client modifications are against the Coh Terms of Service agreement found here.
I will be removing all posts/threads about client modification as a result.