Hello. I would like some clarification regarding rule seven of the CyberNations Terms and conditions. In particular, I’d like to know if I can use Snap Links, a publicly available and free Mozilla Firefox plugin that enables users to open multiple links at once by dragging a box across them. I’ve bolded the section of the term that might prohibit Snap Links below:


I suspect the term exists primarily to prohibit bots, interface highlighting, and automation so users and alliances who know how to program never gain an unfair advantage over everyone else. If I’m correct, tools that “supplement” the user interface should fall outside the term if they improve gameplay, confer a negligible advantage, and are readily available to players regardless of their alliance or computer skills.

Snap Links improves gameplay by making sending recruiting messages, checking alliance mates’ statistics, and searching for trade partners less tedious. With Snap Links, players can open nations in new tabs by holding down the right mouse button, dragging the box across the nations, and releasing the mouse button. Without it, players would need to right-click on each nation, move the mouse to “Open New Tab,” and click. This is repetitive and takes time from more enjoyable and helpful aspects of the game, such as talking on IRC or writing forum posts.

Bots also make the game less tedious, but unlike Snap Links, they enable players to get something for nothing and give players a significant advantage over others. If players could use bots to switch their DefCom ten minutes before update, everyone that hears about the bots, knows how to use them, and feels comfortable automating a game would gain an advantage that can currently only be obtained by dedicated players or those for whom update comes at a convenient time. If Snap Links were approved, tedious tasks like updating records and sending messages would become easier but far from fun or brainless. Players would still need to spend considerable time formatting tables and gathering data or picking targets, writing messages, and sending them.

Because Snap Links can be downloaded by anyone for free and installs as easily as a typical Windows program, most players with basic computer skills could use it. Having said that, I cannot find a free equivalent for Internet Explorer or Opera, so allowing Snap Links might put players who dislike Mozilla or cannot modify the computer they use to connect at a disadvantage. However, this disadvantage is extremely indirect and will generally only concern record keepers, recruiters, and other alliance officials, who probably use their own computer.

I must also admit to a more practical concern: server overload. When I use Snap Links for recruiting, I’ll open as many as three hundred nations within five minutes. If this would harm the server but my other arguments are sound, please allow players to use Snap Links with stipulations, such as not using it around update or opening only forty nations at a time.

Thanks.

Thaliak

The terms are clear. These tools are not allowed for numerous reasons including the quoted reason above.