Does anyone else feel like they're cheating?

[matthias5770]

Basically, does anyone else feel a bit dirty when they use in-game systems/exploits at a low level to get good gear? Like getting the Blade of White Woe in balmora, or getting the early Daedric Equip from the Hlaalu councilor (for the ebony mine)? Or using paralysis/scrolls to get early glass/indoril/ebony armor from killing npc's? I've gotten better at pacing myself, but when I can beat Dremora at level 3 for quests and their weps, I kinda feel bad. Also, early Ring of Winds. Just... so good.

 

Not that it's going to stop me, of course. heheheheheheheheh...

[Tchos]

There was a long discussion about that in other games, which I read a while ago. Some people would call it cheating even if the only person you're cheating is yourself in a single-player game. Others don't call it cheating, because in a single-player game the player decides which rules are important and which can be discarded, to make it fun, which is the reason they play games. The word "cheating" contains some moral and ethical implications, as well, which don't necessarily apply in a single-player setting, unless you're bragging to others how you beat the game so easily, but neglect to say you did it by exploiting weaknesses of the engine.

 

My personal position is that I don't mind using the word "cheating" if I use console commands, cheat codes, or knowledge of hidden items that a normal player wouldn't have, in order to bypass legitimate challenges. Part of what makes games fun for me is a worthy challenge.

 

However, I'm the judge of whether a challenge is worthy or unfair, and I don't consider it cheating to bypass something that I consider poorly designed, faulty/buggy, or imbalanced, or something that holds me back from the part of the game I want to play by forcing me to go through a part I don't want to play. (People play games for different reasons, and many games have multiple elements that appeal to different people for different reasons.)

 

For instance, I gave myself a pair of boots that increase my movement speed, because I don't enjoy walking slowly across big empty areas. But when I get into a battle, I take those boots off, because I don't want an advantage I didn't earn through playing the game. If I didn't enjoy the fights either, though, like if the only reason I played the game was to explore and find hidden areas or enjoy the scenery, then I would feel fine about ending fights by whatever means necessary.

 

So it's basically up to you, if you're not involving anyone else.

[TheNo1Odor]

i always play with the "toggle full help" enabled, just because i want to be sure what i can steal with no problems.

This is also because the game is programmed in such a way so (for example) if i steal a restore magicka potion from an alchemist, than the NPC will afterwards "think" that all restore magicka potions belongs to him/her.

[ImperialMan2]

Yah I feel really gilty when I do that so I avoid doing it, but thats just me.

[DarthTwitch]

If you can gain a powerful, end-game item early on, and you're not using a hack or mod to get it, or a console command for that matter, then no, it's not cheating. Remember Fallout 2? There is a way to get power-armour right at the start of the game, simply by visiting an mid/end-game location as soon as possible.

If you feel guilty, or you feel over-powered, simply don't do it. The same goes for console-commands, really, and cheat-codes - in any game. If you feel guilty by cheating, don't do it. If you feel guilty by picking up the Blade of White Woe, don't pick it up. Simples.

That said, I can see sometimes where the temptation lies.When Oblivion first came out (pre-patch, of course), once I learned of the paintbrush trick and the "equipped arrows" dupe trick...

Oh, and as for what Tchos said about "I gave myself a pair of boots that increase my movement speed, because I don't enjoy walking slowly across big empty areas." - Make a character with Speed as an attribute, or take the Steed, and have Athletics as a major. Boom.

Edited July 26, 2013 by DarthTwitch

[billyro]

Would it be considered cheating to clear out that first cave in Seyda Neen, loot the moon sugar and skooma, travel straight to Balmora and sell it to Ra'virr for a few hundred dollars?

Well, no not really. After all, my character is simply being smart - he realises that Khajiit are willing to purchase moon sugar and skooma, and these are quite expensive items.