Texmod and GW

Hey, I just have a couple of points regarding Texmod and it's effect on the state of Guild Wars. Just looking for a reasonable discussion. I'm kind of worried about the effects that Texmod has on PvP. I was going through a list of mods that you can upload previously made by other people, and found items like spirit ranges, adrenaline icon boosters, etc. Believe me, I think this is all awesome that people are finding fun, new ways of improving their playtime on GW, but what if someone goes too far? There are highly skilled people out there that could potentially create such a program or mod that it gives them an unfair advantage in PvP. Currently there is a "Fog of War" mod and with some time and skill, wouldn't it be possible to create a map during GvG that you could potentially see in the observe mode where every position of the other team is?
Also, from what I can see, the economy is dropping. Fast. Armbrace for 100k +7e and the guy was there for hours spamming in Kamadan. When people are able to customize their armor and weapons to the point where it is unrecognizable, I think the demand for certain items drop.
Of course, I could be a complete idiot. I really enjoy using Texmod as well, but in my opinion, A.Net should place CERTAIN restrictions on Texmod, especially for the PvP area.
Please feel free to flame, point out, make fun of, etc.
It's a discussion
-Sj1608

Ok, I'm not sure how this topic is going to go because the use of TexMod is either loved or hated by GW players in general.

I don't think that Anet needs to take any steps at this point. Besides the fact that GW 2 is on the horizon, no one currently has a known mod that abuses things. I think their was one previously and the loophole it took advantage of was closed. As for preventing future abuse, just ask the Anti-Virus industry how well that works.

Highlighting fog of war so you know what you have missed. Very easily. Not that I'm against it, but there's one.

negative. observor mode has a 5 (or was it 10?) minute delay from when the match starts to where it hits the list. so, no worries there. ANet did this on purpose so people could not cheat in GvG's.

~LeNa~

Well, TexMod can't create anything except modifying textures that are already there, and they have to be there to exist and work.

This leaves only model modification, UI skinning, and....that's really about it.

The things you mentioned (Spirit Ranges, Adrenaline UI changer, meter at 50/80% HP, etc.) will only help out the beginning player, as anyone in the intermediate to high level will only find this information redundant, as they can determine at a glance the same information without being distracted.

yah but the information is all there. its just not shown on your mini map. the other team has their own mini map with all their char's locations. A.Net, no offense, but theyve been outdone before like the armbrace dupe. they sed it's not possible to dupe in this game , but some1 found a way.

I play with texmod constantly. I have a streamlined interface mod as well as cartography mods for whichever campaign I'm playing on at the moment. Also have spirit range at all times. I use these when pveing and pvping. I've been playing for 30 months.

Do these mods make me a better player? I don't think so. sure I can tell the exact range I need to be away from Tranquility before I cast my enchantments, and it helped me get my Canthan Grandmaster Cartographer (my first 100% carto title). But I think there's two things to consider here:

1. Is it giving me a huge advantage in pvp?
I don't think it is. The only real difference in pvp is the spirit radar range, which is pretty obvious anyway, just from looking at the wiki article on it. Because (as DarkNecrid said) TexMod only modifies textures that are already available, there's no real way to gain additional information that wouldn't help you. I also have a 50% mark on my compass, for ZB and WoH, but before texmod, I had my exp bar shrunk down and at the 50% mark, so I've always known where that is.
2. Does it affect you?
I'm a big fan of letting people play the game how they want to play it, as long as it doesn't affect me. Also to cite the OP's point about the economy, I buy my weapons and armors for how I want them to be visible to other players, which TexMod doesn't do. So I don't think it will have a huge impact on the economy.

I think Anet should focus on GW2, and not fix what isn't broken.

don't talk if you don't know how the freaking program works, jesus.

That isn't really the way the Texmod works...It changes textures only, therefore you can only see the things that are on your screen anyway. You could change the enemy to a different colour that you personally find clearer, but that's about as far as it would go...

Maybe learn a bit about the program in question...

or make a guildhall button when there isnt one supposed to be there........

Which wasn't TexMod.....

The cartography mod really pisses me off!

I did it the hard way, but now Legendary Cartographer has become one of the lowliest titles. Because of texmod!

One of the more concerning problems is someone going past texmod and making a program that breaks into the models. If that happens, I hope Arena.net is prepared to battle it.

Anyone could just, make their sword look like a Crystaline if they wanted to.

Or better yet, some mod that changes like Feathered Longbows to something cool. If it gets popular, its "Buying stormbow 500g and buying feathered longbow 50k" ...

And then the worst of all... the depreciation of the community. A nude mod.
Hell no! And the worst part, i've not seen one company yet do anything about nude mods! Look at Blizzard, they practicly handed it to the community.

Most people will say the dumbest thing ever "Just dont use it", does it occur to them that when I make characters I CARE about them. What's the use of personalising your own character and spending hours thinking of a good name and trying to make |him the most hardcore looking/her the prettiest possible| and then spend days working on getting the pefect armor set, IF, everyone is just going to be dancing around naked anyway.

THOSE BASTARDS BETTER KEEP THEIR EYES OFF MY CHARACTERS!


So all in all, other than GUI, No! No mods.

OK.

It's a string of data. It's not worth anything anyways.

Uh.....no they won't? Maybe if you knew how the structure of the server + client worked, you wouldn't be so ignorant. This is impossible.

No. They can't. And even if they could, it would just be on their screen.

Ignorant.

Already exists, and it doesn't matter since only YOU see it.

Don't we have a sticky about how texmod works somewhere, cause if we don't we need to get one fast. It seems that NOBODY except for 1 or 2 people here know how this program works. It modifies the textures ONLY, not the 3D wireframes, not the code. Its not like I could go into texmod and give myself full FoW, and make all my weapons eternal blades, thats not possible.

If a father opposed a new technology, sunglasses that didnt see clothes... would it not matter?

If he didn't want people looking at his daughters, would that be so bad?

And "Only I can see it" won't hold up in court.


And don't tell me "It's just a game" because these are game forums.

o.O wow thats just...wow.

Texmod would be equivalent to holding up a clear pane of glass and drawing on it, and holding it over people. It doesn't REMOVE anything. You arent "not seeing clothes", you are seeing different clothes, ie: holding up the glass with a drawing on it.


All the various texmods like spirit radar and such can be made by using a clear piece of plastic and a friggin marker. Just tape it to your monitor. -.-

Oh no, sorry for the missunderstanding.

I mean if someone pulls off a modeling program.

I don't care about texmod nudemods, people can do better with their imaginations.

Agreed.

Texmod can not do half the functions the OP is worried about.

And the duping thing just took advantage of a glitch in the reconnect code.
In order to cheat in a GvG like this, it would require a full on server side hack, which has nothing to do with texmod, nor, as far as I know, has it ever been done (closest thing to it is the 117 Mallyx Outpost).

Since the OP clearly has no knowledge of the technical functionality of the GW sever code, or even what Texmod is, can we get a /close please to avoid massive hysteria/rumor spreading?

I'm not doing this for anyone but myself. Whether it's a "lowly" title, I don't care. So why should it matter to me if someone else has done it with Texmod or not? CUZ IM LEET IF I DUN IT W/O TEXMOD???? Some people really think like this and THIS pisses me off.

Can be done via Texmod. Of course it won't have the real Crystalline skin... but yeah, you can mod weapons to look like something else. I could use a spear and make look like a Crystalline spear. So... how does it affect me if someone uses it? Not at all. It's all on THEIR side and I see nothing of it.

Yeah right... such a thing is NEVER gonna happen.

Community is depreciated already, and has been for along time.

Just don't use it. It's true. I'm serious about it.

I care about my characters too. I personalize them and minutes (never hours) thinking of a good name and trying to make him/her look badass. It's all on THEIR side. I don't do that kinda stuff to please OTHER PEOPLE; I do it because I WANT TO.

So I look at other chars, see one and go "hey he's hot x], I like that armor combo"...

Quoted for truth. As usual, a chicken-little thread about texmod posted by someone who doesn't understand how the program works.

That's right. Rurik's back takes yooo to teh guild hallz!!!! Here's proooof!


[Explanation of sarcasm for the extremely dimwitted: Of course the button doesn't work. This is just a demonstration of how silly the idea that sticking a drawing of a button somewhere makes a functional button really is. Texmod can't add functionality. Period. Friggin Idgits.]

lolwut? You're comparing real people to pixelated characters?

Well I didn't mean to start such hostility.

Basicly saying, I dissagree with mods in MMOS. Especialy GW.

UI mods are fine though.

Other games, like Oblivion for example, its better if you install certain mods before launching the game the first time.

im ok with some mods people have made.

but there are a few people out there that change the graphics in order to give themselves an unfair advantage.

not too long ago i saw a texmod pic of someone casting GoLE, with the animation changed, to be a giant box above their head, with the words in it. "INTERRUPT ME NOW"

i dont know about you, but if people do things like this, i claim it to be unfair, and unfitting to be allowed.

it is possible to change the skin of players, and other visual aeffects, to give notice to them. like when they are using aegis, or their whole team turns a light green, when they have tainted on. such visual changes can give one player the upper hand, which is what anet doesnt want to happen.

i totally agree with you How would marking clearer the adrelinine u have help you. Besides you will actually need to play to win a match not just watch adreniline

Pretty much sums it up right there.

Notice how skill balances are usualy minor changes but everyone ends up crying "OMG NERFED!"

Its the little things that count. If Texmod advantages are to be allowed, the team is going to have to take that into consideration next time they balance the game.

Man, that's clever. It's also available to everyone, since we can all use TexMod. A decent mesmer or ranger doesn't need the help, but it can turn pretty bad ones into a semi-decent one.

Texmod does nothing but change textures and images in Guild Wars. You can't change models, you can't add buttons, you can't exploit strings of data.

as 'clever' as it is your still forgetting its not all about interupting GOLE to win a match is it? Everyone in the party would need this mod aswell and what are the chances of this actually helping. To be honest its the same as seeing the GOLE animation anyway

GoLE already has a specific casting animation effect and sound.

Why do you think spells and stances make different sounds and particle effects?

Good interrupters learn to take these cues and use them. Adding text to it doesn't do anything for those who already know what to do.

And enchantments have a generic particle effect.

Texmod is similar to sunglasses that skip the clothes malarky.

inorite

You just put more fail into your fail thread, please stop failing.

I doubt that. The people I know that have used that mod only really started using it when they were at 99.X% and couldn't find those tiny little specks on their map.

I don't really have anything against it as long as it doesn't get out of control.

I was wondering my the numbers jumped on my Cartography mod....happens everytime someone complains about it. Thanks! Besides, all it does is remove the monotony of wall hugging the same areas over and over looking for the last .5% or whatever. You've still got to have the motivation to actually go out and earn the title. Even as the creator of the darn thing, I don't have LGMC on any character yet, because I've got better things to do than go hug walls.

As for your other complaints, there's little advantage to be gained in PvP by using Texmod, and that only by someone relatively new to the game. Anyone who's put any real time into tactics and practice already can tell ranges, percentages, and skill animations at a glance.

re: Cartographer Title
I started using the Cartography mods whenl I was looking for the last 10% or so. And my argument for using it is very simple: Every other title that Anet offers in the game provides more explicit and accurate feedback then what you receive for Cartography title. In game, you reveal .10% (note the decimal!) but you see something like 1.00% of the map revealed. That is a 900% margin or error. While it might mimic historical accuracy when mapping, no other title operates this way. Drunkards, Reputation, Sweeties, Wise, Skill Hunters, Protectors, etc know exactly how much they need and where to get it - mappers don't.


re: Re-skinning Items & Characters
Since all of the changes that occur are only on the TexMod user's side, I don't see how/why this is an issue. I am sure that someone will eventually do something that gives them an edge - but it's probably someone who needs it anyway. What I mean is, as mentioned the game already has custom animations per spell/skill used and for exactly the reason that you need a sign saying "interrupt me now". The thing is the player has simply failed to learn the necessary visual clues. At least, THAT player has - others (particularly PvP players) will already have learned these animations and know that they need to interrupt that character.

As for nude characters, this is equivalent of the carnival cut-outs where you stick your head through a hole and "appear" to be someone else based on the image painted on the front of the cut-out. I mean, I seriously doubt that anyone thinks that I could just paste my face over say... Brad Pitt's or Marilyn Monroe's body and you'll all believe it. If it was that easy we wouldn't have a multi billion dollar diet/fitness industry!

And so I made my gladius look like a crystal sword? Big deal. I see, no one else does. It doesn't have any of the effects of a crystal sword. Nor can I make someone else believe it is a crystal sword. So I cannot sell it to a merchant or other player for the crystal sword price. I can only sell it for the gladius price. Which is correct. So what is the point? Ok, it looks pretty to me. But then, that is exactly the same reason you went through all of the trouble of getting a real crystal sword for yourself. Cause it looks good to you. I cheated and patched mine to look like something it's not. But I still know that it's not actually a crystal sword - and will probably make a point of getting a real one at the first reasonable opportunity. (And no, I don't actually have one.)


re: Unfair Advantage
The one thing that I thought came close to being an unfair advantage was the mod that changed the color of spirits. It made it a brighter greenish-yellow color that stood out more. I personally felt this might alter my game play and decided not to use it. I remember seeing a "fog of war" mod of some kind. But I also vaguely remember thinking that whatever it did wasn't something I wanted to be bothered with.


re: Mods I use
From time to time I use TexMod with the following mods running:

• Cartography Made Easy (full set) - for mapping purposes
• Cthon's Spirit Radar - see note below
• Clearskills - easier to see
• Enhanced Hero Skills - easier to see
• Enhanced Hero Flags - regular flag does not accurately show where H&H are located, this does
• Enhanced Critical Hit - until using this I wasn't sure I was doing any criticals
• Enhanced Adrenaline - easier to see

I started using Cthon's for the intended purpose - recognizing the distance at which a spirit can perceive / affect your party. However, I notice that this altered my game play in that I started paying more attention to where patrolling mobs were located. So when using it I almost treat it like the aggro bubble. Whether their are any spirits around or not.

But please note that I use GW 98% of the time without running TexMod. The graphical glitches are minor - but annoying. Enough so that I'm unwilling to put up with them on a regular basis. If I did use it regularly I would probably not run the mapping mods unless actively working on the title.