SOE Explains PlanetSide 2's No-Exceptions Mod Policy
As you may have noticed, Jim's been quite taken by PlanetSide 2. And when Jim gets taken by something, we at RPS make a policy of paying attention - even when that thing's not some form of megalomaniacal game journo kidnapper. But, in spite of the supermassive time black hole's distinctly PC lineage, mods have always been out of the question. Obviously, adding weapons and new shades of purple willy nilly would destroy the game, but what of simple interface tweaks and usability apps? Turns out, they're also completely, 100 percent off-limits. But why? Well, the short version is - somewhat predictably - cheating.
SOE took to PlanetSide 2's official forums to clarify its all-holds-barred stance on modding. The formidable creator/destroyer of worlds explained:
"It is vital that you not run software which modifies the Planetside 2 client in any way. If you do this, you are indistinguishable from various hacks that work in the same manner. The result of this is that you will be banned from gameplay and lose your characters/items."
"We cannot make exceptions to this. We do understand there are relatively harmless apps that fall in this category, but if we allowed those they would simply be used as a shield excuse by players trying to cheat. This same rule applies to data that Planetside 2 uses for gameplay. Do not modify any of these files or attempt to modify them in memory."
So it's a matter of picking security and stability over customization. Which makes sense, given that cheaters and hackers can ruin an experience in a heartbeat - especially if they slither their sticky fingers into the whirring guts of a complex machine like PlanetSide 2. And while interface tweaks are probably a no-go for the foreseeable future, players will eventually be able to use SOE's Player Studio to at least maybe get a shot at designing PS2 items/weapons. So it's not like the longtime MMO maestro's completely wrenched the steering wheel out of players' hands.
Have you encountered dirty, no-good lawbreakers in PlanetSide 2, though? I mean, no game's without cheaters - at least, not for long. And if/when that does happen, do you grit your teeth and bear it, or do you ride off angrily into the sunset - never looking back?