Weekly Poll

[Weeb TheEpicGuyV2 269]

Quick disclaimer: configs are not the same as the advanced launcher

 

This week's poll is going to be on whether you consider configs as cheating or not (regardless of whether they are allowed or not). The type of configs this poll will be addressing is purely visual changes, not keybindings & not text edits

 

A quick rundown on configs for those who don't know what they are: files you can change by hand to change the game e.g. removing fog or editing mission text

 

Now before we start ripping each other a new one, Matt on record has stated that configs are allowed (certain things cannot be touched however like removing muzzle flash) for now until the engine upgrade is released. You can find the interview he said it in on @JenzAmaka's Twitch channel here:

 

After the engine upgrade you can still edit the ini file, however the amount of things you can edit will be less in quantity as some of them will be added to the options menu in-game as part of the upgrade

 

If something isn't in the ini file nor the new in-game options that was in the ini file previously, it's safe to assume you're no longer allowed to touch it

 

Try to keep things civil the forums being civil? unheard of

 

These polls might become biweekly, I dunno

Edited June 27, 2019 by Weeb TheEpicGuyV2
One write-up evidently isn't enough

[Saxtus 497]

I believe they give an unfair advantage over those that don't do it, so I categorize it as cheating.

[YumiSakura 86]

13 minutes ago, Saxtus said:

I believe they give an unfair advantage over those that don't do it, so I categorize it as cheating.

^^This pretty much.

 

i do use a config myself too but that's simply to try and level the playing field, "when in rome do as the romans do" though id much prefer it if i didnt feel the need to use one.

Edited June 26, 2019 by YumiSakura
i voted "yes" btw

[Ketog 1031]

2 minutes ago, Saxtus said:

I believe they give an unfair advantage over those that don't do it, so I categorize it as cheating.

that's arguable, am i cheating if i have a computer running apb at 144fps and playing against someone playing on a laptop with 20 fps ?

 

that's an advantage.

 

don't get we wrong tho, i voted that i consider configs as cheating, i played with them myself and you can really do many things that would be considered unfair, especially when you start messing with shaders.

[Bishada8800 22]

What a stupid vote

 

Config changes that give you an unfair advantage, that let you do or see tactical information that you should normally not have access to (like deliberately removing fog, outlining opponents through smoke etc), should of course be considered cheating. The fog or smoke etc are game mechanics that you are not supposed to ignore.

 

Some config changes are obviously not cheating (setting key bindings, sprint when not pressing walk key etc)

 

Some config changes end up in a gray zone (cross hair / center dot) because they can be reproduced by other means (painting a dot on your screen, third party software, monitor hardware options).

 

Then you also have the whole macro debate, but I don't think this apply to config changes.

10 minutes ago, Ketog said:

am i cheating if i have a computer running apb at 144fps and playing against someone playing on a laptop with 20 fps ?

This is of course not cheating (don't be silly). Not your fault that your opponent is running on a computer from 1980s,

 

However, editing the config file to remove particles from perc grenades or spraying or outline opponents through smoke and explosions etc is cheating and people using it should be punished (perhaps they should be flagged as cheaters and then only be matched against others that made similar config changes :))

 

 

[Weeb TheEpicGuyV2 269]

@Bishada8800 updated it a bit

[YumiSakura 86]

Just for the record i was under the impression that "a config" is pretty much what AL does, anything outside of that im not interested in, shaders, outlines, fog, muzzle flash etc... thats a different ballgame entirely.

[Kempington 295]

Shader configs that disables visual elements you can't normally turn off? Stuff that gives visible outlines to models, even through obscuring VFX? Yes.

 

Text edits to scoreboard/notifications such as "Kill" to "That'll Teach 'Em"? No.

[Speedz 147]

Using the word "config" is very vague (and I told you in discord dms lol), even if you mention it only being visual changes.

 

• There are settings which change the way the game looks, but do not give you any advantage whatsoever and instead increases performance (no fog)
• ...then there are changes you can do to change a few text lines in the game for fun
• ...and then there are modifications which allow you to see through certain objects or effects which is a big advantage in some situations (no smoke)

Edited June 26, 2019 by Speedz

[Thial 176]

Unfortunately file checks are pretty poorly implemented in APB so you can literally remove all smoke / explosion effects from the game and play with runescape looking graphics and APB won't care.

Even using the Advanced APB Launcher can be considered as cheating since you can disable most of the VFX purely by adjusting some settings so if I will want to play with the ultra settings I will be at a disadvantage.

Rust is a good example of a game which specifically adjusted all graphic options so the game would look the same on every level of detail.

Meaning same amounts and render distance of vegetation, same render distance of shadows and no ability to disable shadows.

On low settings things were just much more pixelated.

Would be cool if APB was also capable of doing that in the future and removed the external engine config files so people couldn't mess around with those anymore.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Thial

[vsb 6171]

as others have said “config” is a pretty broad term, some technically qualify as cheats and some don't 

 

atm i think the access configs grant less capable pc users outweighs the (usually) minimal advantages that certain configs can give 

 

1 hour ago, YumiSakura said:

^^This pretty much.

 

i do use a config myself too but that's simply to try and level the playing field, "when in rome do as the romans do" though id much prefer it if i didnt feel the need to use one.

i find this a very strange mindset tbh

 

having used a fair amount of configs and also having played a lot (including currently) without any configs, i’ve never once died/lost a mission and wondered if it was because my opponent had a config

 

 

[Havana 216]

I don't know a lot about this. However if you can configure to hear footsteps better. That's a MAJOR CHEAT!

[CookiePuss 5378]

Config user here. 

Here is what my game looks like:

 

And here is how my game performs with stock APB, the advanced launcher, and my config:

 

 

So tell me, how is making the game playable cheating?

[yood 345]

Would you consider configs as cheating? Yes .

[Sayori 311]

12 minutes ago, CookiePuss said:

Config user here. 

Here is what my game looks like:

 

 

And here is how my game performs with stock APB, the advanced launcher, and my config:

 

 

 

So tell me, how is making the game playable cheating?

Your CPU is not bad, GPU is more than enough so how do you get such minimum fps?  I'm running 8700k and gtx 950 and have almost solid 100fps besides the first 1-2 minutes after joining district. Still using advanced launcher though, I'm just used from the times I had a potato pc.

Whatever advanced launcher does is not cheating but like others said - no fog  and other various effects is cheating.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Sayori

[CookiePuss 5378]

53 minutes ago, Sayori said:

Your CPU is not bad, GPU is more than enough so how do you get such minimum fps?  I'm running 8700k and gtx 950 and have almost solid 100fps besides the first 1-2 minutes after joining district. Still using advanced launcher though, I'm just used from the times I had a potato pc.

Whatever advanced launcher does is not cheating but like others said - no fog  and other various effects is cheating.

I think its just bad luck tbh. The i7 4820k doesn't seem to like APB at all. Runs all other titles as well as the specs say it should, but with APB its just like "nope".

And that's an important thing to remember, APB does not run the same on all rigs, and performance of APB isn't always directly proportional to the amount of computing power you have. So just because "apb runs fine on my computer" doesn't mean it will for someone else, even if they have a "better rig" than you.

Edited June 26, 2019 by CookiePuss

[RCooper 182]

When the mission just  start and u already know what the last stage is gonna be. 

That is cheating

 

[Saxtus 497]

That's the problem @CookiePuss. The game itself is a bad mess, handicapping the majority of players that don't fiddle with config.

 

I can't blame you for wanting to remove the handicap for yourself, but as we talk about a PvP game and matchmaking doesn't take into consideration if people are using custom config or not, that move is creating an uneven playfield.

 

The problem with APB is the lack of consistency when you're not using custom config. It's rare for someone to have smooth gameplay with the default config.

 

However the question of the original poster was if removing things like fog should be considered as cheating and not if fixing the game for your PC is considered as cheating. Although I don't agree with that separation, I will follow it and go a step beyond: When people turn game into potato graphics, there is less clutter for the eye to follow (apart for getting smooth as butter gameplay) thus making gameplay easier for the user, thus still categorized as cheating from where I come from.

[CookiePuss 5378]

11 minutes ago, Saxtus said:

That's the problem @CookiePuss. The game itself is a bad mess, handicapping the majority of players that don't fiddle with config.

 

I can't blame you for wanting to remove the handicap for yourself, but as we talk about a PvP game and matchmaking doesn't take into consideration if people are using custom config or not, that move is creating an uneven playfield.

 

The problem with APB is the lack of consistency when you're not using custom config. It's rare for someone to have smooth gameplay with the default config.

 

However the question of the original poster was if removing things like fog should be considered as cheating and not if fixing the game for your PC is considered as cheating. Although I don't agree with that separation, I will follow it and go a step beyond: When people turn game into potato graphics, there is less clutter for the eye to follow (apart for getting smooth as butter gameplay) thus making gameplay easier for the user, thus still categorized as cheating from where I come from.

ahh, I see what you mean... fair enough

 

 

Also for anyone wondering... "fog removal" has nothing to do with the fog we have in say the Halloween event.

The fog that is removed is the haze that you see as you stare at far off buildings. For whatever reason players can see up to a 20fps increase by removing these. Here are pictures showing the difference:

 

With fog: (look at the skyscrapers in the distance)

 

Without fog: (look at the same skyscrapers)

Top photo has brightness turned up higher than bottom. Removing fog does not effect the graphics in any way.

 

 

This is one of so many little quirks that make APB run smoother.

Another is simply using the Advanced Launcher to lower particle space area to below 1200. This keeps all the smoke and stuff you would normally get from explosions, but will help remove the stutters that can come along with them.

 

These are the kinds of things most commonly done by those who use configs.

Neither give an advantage but rather remove a disadvantage that the player would otherwise suffer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by CookiePuss

[Saxtus 497]

I wonder, if @CookiePussfound a sweet spot config that makes game run smoother and doesn't alter the game mechanics, why @MattScottdoesn't ship the game with that config so everybody can be happy and enjoy a smooth gameplay? 

[vsb 6171]

5 minutes ago, Saxtus said:

I wonder, if @CookiePussfound a sweet spot config that makes game run smoother and doesn't alter the game mechanics, why @MattScottdoesn't ship the game with that config so everybody can be happy and enjoy a smooth gameplay? 

because cookie's config works for cookie's configuration

[Mitne 724]

What prevents me from making config which would make all buildings just lines which are see through so I can see where you are?

Yeah. Defintely cheats. Too big chance of abuse there.

[GhosT 1301]

Yo, what?

The majority voted yes, but whenever I state that some configs are borderline cheating, nobody seems to agree.

[Zolerox 564]

No comment.

[Flaws 1033]

Particle removals (smoke, fire, muzzle flash) and shaders that outline enemies through smoke and fire are cheating. Everything else is perfectly fine as it does not give any real advantage. "Configs" is a very broad term for this kind of vote.

 

EDIT: Accidentally voted No when I wanted to vote Yes. If some mod is able to fix that for me, that'd be great.

Edited June 27, 2019 by Flaws