Exploits, Tactics and Choads

Ok time to talk about exploits.  The boards seem to be overflowing with this topic so I think it's time to step back and evaluate exactly what is an exploit, what is a tactic, and what makes you a choad (In the words of Myscha the sled dog)

The CoC defines an exploit as this... 

well what do you know they don't define it, in fact the only reference to such a thing is combat macroing and it says this 

allowing your character to gain experience points or items without being at the keyboard, ready to respond to an Administrator on demand (this activity is commonly called a "Combat Macro").

So I went to to dictionary.com to find out.  The most interesting bit that it pointed out was a reference to the Ping of Death as being the most famous exploit in computer systems.  If you read the rest of the definitions it basically boils down to taking advantage of weak situation.  In gaming this is common and not necessarily frowned upon.  Let's look at Quake I, when it first came out people were playing the game as intended but before you knew it there was things like rocket jumping and camping.  Sure the developers knew about these things but they didn't see them as bad they viewed it as a new dynamic in their game that gave skilled players the advantage.  When you start to view things in this light you have to ask yourself whether this type of maneuvering is an exploit or a tactic.  Tactics and strategies are kind of one in the same.  When talked about in terms of video games they are basically looking at the current systems in the game then developing reproducible results by manipulating those systems.

Let's take a real world (dereth) example.  This is an old tactic in ac1 that still applies to ac2.  I don't know what it's called but I refer to it as a the bait and snag tactic.  You use it in a dungeon or anywhere you have a corner and a wall.   1 person stands next to the wall around the corner from the monster leaving a gap.  The 2nd person runs around the corner and tags the monster and runs back stopping directly behind the 1st person and against the wall.  The monster is so enraged about the 2nd person tagging it that it continues to try and get close to kill but he's hung up on the first person.  From there you both have at him and he dies in quick order.   Is this an Exploit or a Tactic?   It's both, it gives you an unfair advantage over the dumb creature but you are rewarded for executing a difficult maneuver.  This takes a lot of practice to pull off effectively and there's still a risk involved if you fail or if the monster decides the first person would make a tastier treat.

This brings us into the choad discussion.  Perching is about the laziest cheesiest thing you can do in a game.  The reason it falls into a different category than the above example is  because there is no risk involved.  You are not leet and you are not developing good skills for the game to make yourself a good player.

So where does this leave us? It leaves us with the developers, in this case turbine.  Turbine has proven by past accounts in ac1 that they do not frown on tacts/exploits that are risky.  They do frown on perching and other cheesy exploits. But here's the big point, THEY decide and THEY nerf.  If your using a tactic they don't like they will nerf it. In ac1 the removed more perching spot than I can count or even changed the ai of the monsters to allow them to get to you.   

I guess my point in this little article is that you should try and figure out ways to give yourself an advantage in the game but don't be lame about.  If and when I see lamers perching etc don't be surprise if I ridicule you for it as you should be. The spot you are using to perch will be nerfed because it's not up to us what is acceptable it's up to the developers.