It's an ability we've been discussing in the rules thread. It's an acronym that's been coined for changing a small set of race characterstics in the raceconfig file located in My Documents\My Games\GC2DarkAvatar. These changes are Metaverse legal. The ones that have an effect on the game are starting alignment, home planet, and super ability.

You can catch all the discussion on it in the rules thread and voice your opinion there, here's the thread.

Man, with the ARC cheat in things are simple. I just managed a 1 year victory with these settings in about 2 hours, where as my last attempt was a 60 hour struggle.

There is, it seems to me, an obvious best-case setup if you are going to use ARC "just to change your own character". Its a combo so gross though, I can't believe its considered fair.

~ Wyndstar

I also have had reservations about ARC. To be honest, I, like wnydstar, find it at least dodgy, as it requires manipulation of files outside of the game interface. This is probably the distinction to make and that wyndstar finds objectable.

That said, I also admit that I played this round with an ARC Altarians.

As someone who comes from the FPS e-sports scene (though a few years back), I am frightenly familiar with toeing the line between obvious cheats and 'almost but not entirely illegal' modifications*. It's simple. If ARC is allowed, it means that more or less everyone has to use it in order to stay competitive. The difference wyndstar notes in his game speak for itself. However, as it doesn't trip the cheat flag, we would have to depend on the honour system if we disallow it.


I therefore propose the following possible solutions:

- Explicitly allow ARC (open season)
- Explicitly ban ARC (honour system)

- Partially allow ARC in the following way: The round setup is posted together with the raceconfigs that can be used. The honour system would see that every player either uses stock races or the ARC provided by the commish. This would also allow players who know nothing about ARC themselves to not be disadvantaged. I know that silverbeacher has experience in modifying the raceconfigs, so that should not be an issue.


Whatever the decision is, I'd suggest a ruling before the beginning of the next round.


(*) It is my opinion that during internet matches there was always at least one player that either used still undetectable cheats or modified resources to gain an advantage. As a server admin I spent a lot of time testing cheats and cheat detection software and therefore also knew exactly what was possible at any given time.

I was unaware Ghostwes was in this round. Not in the team listing. Not that it matters of course. And is Califdude out? I'm not sure his comments were clear on the point.



No and yes. An ARC cannot be done to a stock race xml file, that will trip the cheat flag. Changes made to the customrace.xml though are permitted, which of course you can base on a canned race. Many of the other changes you mention can be made in game via create an opponent.





Ya know, until SD labels this process illegal and sets the MV to trip the flag when it sees an ARC we should not be labeling it cheating. It is a well known setting that has been around since the start of DA. I have always believed it to be on purpose by SD as the custom race as it is in game is very weak. The "straw dogs" that can be made in game are far more unbalancing than an ARC.

I will often use an ARC, they are very unique, especially to play against.
By calling it cheating you call anyone who has used it a cheater. Personally i don't like being labeled a cheat. Be it indirectly or not.

Yeah, I don't know why I wasn't in the list. I dropped out of last round, but said nothing about not participating in this one. Nevertheless, I may not participate given this current issue, so whatever. Cross that bridge when I come to it.



Meh. I think it's pretty clear I was joking. It's really more of an exploit than a cheat, anyway.

Well, let's see what Cari says about the issue. I'm content to wait.

Oh, it almost certainly is my fault. I try and stay up on everything, but I admit to skimming a lot of posts and topics. It obviously changes nothing for this round, but while I'm sorry for re-opening an issue that may have been closed, there seems like there is still plenty of time for discussion before the next round's rules are finalized.

~ Wyndstar

I did preface my comment as an attempt to not be overly critical yet I did want to make the slightest of admonishments that this topic was discussed for an extended period of time and that I did everything in my power to focus all discussion on it during that entire period.

Obviously people have lives. Also people that may have to play 20 games to get one they like might miss some things that others don't.

Anyway please take the comment as it was intended, a good natured poke in the ribs to please pay a bit more attention in the future, schedule permitting of course.

Certainly I agree there is plenty of time left to discuss this and I also want to make it clear that I prefer to have your input perhaps a little late than not at all.


I agree. I'm not saying we shouldn't reopen the discussion I was just trying to suggest that in a perfect world everyone would have participated in the first discussion thus precluding the need for a second. However I'm fully aware we don't live in a perfect world and that everyone has a real life as well as a metaverse life.

Being labeled a cheater is a pretty big insult to me. I understand none of you guys made that accusation on a personal level but we should be aware of how comments can be perceived in this format.



Now that would be a much better avatar Kzinti. Or perhpas tigers scare you little kitty cats a little too much....

I totally agree with this assesment but at the same time I do see a purpose and benefit of what people are trying to accomplish here by trying to come up with a more specific rule.

If I'm interpreting this correctly it seems to be saying pretty much the same as I said with my proposed rule of requiring people to submit games that accurately represent the reported difficulty level.

I agree that asking people to do this and asking people to select 4 opponents this round instead of just two both equally count on the honor system for them to work. But at least the requirement of having 4 opponents this round is a concrete requirement that no reasonable person would have any doubt about.

I think that people are perfectly fine with following the honor system but simply want a simple rule requiring no individual interpertation. Perhaps just saying no custom race editing (i.e. ARC) and no alteration of opponents stock abilities (i.e. no straw men) is the best way to go. It's a simple direct rule not subject to interpretation and even though it still requires the honor system for enforcement it should leave no doubt in anyone's mind as to what is and what is not allowed.

This may not be what those that would like a "reasonable use" of ARC and straw men would like to hear but perhaps both sides of this can't be satisfied.

The real question is if we do have to choose, and it appears that we do the longer this discussion goes on, then which choice leaves the league in the best shape. On one side we would have half of the folks feeling that they may be taken advantage of and on the other side we have half of the folks that aren't allowed to quite play as they would like to.

As an almost unbiased observer playing DL I would have to say that I wouldn't feel great about not letting people play the way they want to but I would feel absolutly awful if I felt that some folks felt they were being taken advantage of.

On that basis it's my opinion that the best interests of the league are served by disallowing customrace xml files and also disallowing the changing of any opponents stock abilities or super abilities.

And in other news...CalifDude is alive and well. He has survived the unfairness of Round 7 enabling mega events in DA, and is back on the job carrying the water bucket and towel for Team A.

Califdude, don't you mean the Beer Bucket?

Good points Mumble. I'm just keen to see the matter put to rest as the damage this has caused the league is troubling to me and the sooner we put it to bed the better.

I'll have an extra dose of patience on my cereal this morning.