Cheating means that you're breaking the rules of the game. Since there are no rules against vulching shades, I guess the principle isn't the same at all.
Oh ok... this is a court of law, and if there's no code section specifically pointing to a violation, we must acquit!
No. It's already been mentioned several times in several threads that the historic course of action from HTC was a wipe of perks and stats. This hasn't been disputed by anyone I saw. If there's a change in policy, we haven't heard directly from HTC, but your inference is their silence speaks volumes more than their track record. Wait for it...
But, lets just assume that you're right. HTC has changed it's mind and HiTech really does <3 shade vulchers. The hundreds (thousands?) of other players who have an opinion as to right and wrong don't matter? One mo time...
By the way how does it kill the game for players who aren't big enough nerds to give a damn about score/perks/rank/achievements?
For scores and achievements, it's little more than lameness of the highest order that doesn't impact gameplay. On those you technically have a point, but it's still silly and lame. If you like to champion silly and lame behavior, that's cool. Just be prepared for others to disagree.
Perks on the other hand are not vanity. They are in game cash for all intents and purpose. Gaining perks in any way other than the prescribed manner (legit combat) is cheating the system. Cheating the system with perks can and will lead to more frequent occurrence of perk planes, which will tip the balance of power. Good luck making the argument that a the Tempest, 262, -4, C-Hog, etc., aren't unbalancing planes.
Did nerds using multiple accounts to power level alts in other online games kill those games? No, if anything it helped. And the tron suit clad Wilford Brimleys squeaked and moaned there too. There's always going to be malcontents and snitches, if we start catering to them that will surely kill the game.
Oh ffs... tell me you sampled 1000 multiplayer games for the last ten years to come up with this conclusion. For a fourth time...
If you didn't, you're just making a guess, and an illogical one at that. You're assuming that people, when faced with a choice, somewhat prefer to play games where there's cheating going on simply because this cheating brings in more accounts thereby bringing in more money to the developer, who will in turn improve a game that is flawed at the core because people circumvent mechanisms by cheating.
Yeah dude... I wanna play that game.
