Can I opt-out of installing anti-cheat software (and, thus, multiplayer)?

[valiant43e]

In EULA it's mentioned that anti-cheat software (really, a spyware) is included during installation. I will never play multiplayer in Dungeons 4. I probably won't cheat in single player, but I would like to keep that option just in case.

What I want is during installation to have 2 options :
- Install single player components only
- Install single and multiplayer components (including anti-cheat software)

I think this transparency would be good.

How difficult for developers would it be to add this option during installation process ?

[JVC]

No. To use the game you agree to the terms of service and that includes that feature. It is expressly mentioned.

If you don't like the game as it is provided, don't buy it and don't play it. Simple.

[AlterEgo45]

Originally posted by JVC:

If you don't like the game as it is provided, don't buy it and don't play it. Simple.

Done!

I was already balking a little bit at the price. Adding a "feature" like that for a game I'm going to play on my own (along with the apparent arrogance if your opinion matches the devs) pushed me over the fence.

[JVC]

Originally posted by AlterEgo45:

Originally posted by JVC:

If you don't like the game as it is provided, don't buy it and don't play it. Simple.

Done!

I was already balking a little bit at the price. Adding a "feature" like that for a game I'm going to play on my own (along with the apparent arrogance if your opinion matches the devs) pushed me over the fence.

Cut it with the personal attacks. You're the one with an issue because you're asking for ways to break the terms of service and ways to hack the product you're contracting a user license for; which is something very different than "owning". Any trade has terms and conditions. Every transaction on any market is a tradeoff "Do I want this product for that price and on those conditions?" Shoppers make that decision hundreds of times every time they go grocery shopping.

Thanks for the free points btw.

[valiant43e]

Originally posted by JVC:

Cut it with the personal attacks. You're the one with an issue because you're asking for ways to break the terms of service and ways to hack the product you're contracting a user license for; which is something very different than "owning". Any trade has terms and conditions. Every transaction on any market is a tradeoff "Do I want this product for that price and on those conditions?" Shoppers make that decision hundreds of times every time they go grocery shopping.

You didn't direct your question to me, so I apologise for giving unsolicited answer, but I cannot just pass by.

First of all, the fact that something is legal, doesn't mean that it's morally right. Slavery has been legal just several centuries ago. It's still legal on certain conditions in some countries like USA where inmates are forced to work for a miserable salary (see "Penal labour in the United States" wiki article).

Second of all, we aren't asking for a way to hack the product. We are doing the opposite : we are asking developers to remove a feature so that we WOULD NOT have to reverse engineer the game and modify it ourselves.

EULA forbids reverse engineering and it's perfectly reasonable. I have no issue with most of its content and I won't be doing anything that would violate it (even parts I don't agree with).
But a customer is allowed to try to negotiate the terms. Developer/publisher is obviously not required to cede to my requests.

Third, it's a common knowledge that most gamers don't read user agreements and just skip them. It's because most EULAs are reasonable and are just there to protect the developer/publisher. Adding a malicious/harmful article in EULA is, at the very least, unethical.

Yes, anti-cheat software is mentioned in EULA, but it's too important to be mentioned in just a couple of paragraphs. A warning should be put everywhere to inform customers. Currently, the law protects companies that do this, but, hopefully, that won't last for long.

FYI, if you don't understand why anti-cheat is dangerous, here is a simple article that explains it : https://gist.github.com/stdNullPtr/2998eacb71ae925515360410af6f0a32

Basically, the biggest issue is that having an anti-cheat software installed on my computer not only exposes my system to developers, but ALSO makes it vulnerable to hackers that might want to hijack the anti-cheat software. You can read up on this here :
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/easy-anti-cheat-washes-its-hands-of-the-apex-legends-hacking-disaster-that-saw-streamer-accounts-hijacked-live-there-is-no-rce-vulnerability-within-eac/

CONCLUSION : EULA indeed mentions that anti-cheat software will be installed, but it doesn't mention that anti-cheat software would expose my system to potential 3rd party hackers. And this is something that is really-really bad.

[Amayeha]

Aha, good to know. Just removed it from my wishlist.

[AlterEgo45]

Originally posted by JVC:

you're asking for ways to break the terms of service and ways to hack the product you're contracting a user license for

I believe that's an offense that can get someone kicked off Steam and no-one with a brain would come on a Steam forum - a Steam forum run by the Dev themselves - and request something like that.

If you can quote any text where people asked for "hacks" or ways to violate any TOS's then I invite you to do so, because I sure can't see anything like that in my post and I don't see it in anyone else's post either.

It seems to me that you're trying to redirect or get the mods here on your side. The OP's question was reasonable and clearly directed in a legal sense, and the reaction of other people not to buy the game based on that is also reasonable.