Zone Reward and Completion Time Overlay

Hi there! Looking forward to the 0.5 league launch, just wanted to check if the following is considered an "illegal tool":

A fixed overlay that shows the campaign rewards for each zone, and how long the player has taken to complete the zone.

This tool doesn't read game memory, instead it simply parses the log file the game outputs, and sits on top of the game window to show the zone rewards. This effectively means the player doesn't need to keep a campaign guide open in their browser window. There is no screen or game memory reading involved as the relevant info can be found in the log file.

I'd prefer not to get banned for creating this, so just wanted to check prior if it would be considered a bannable tool.

Thanks!

- AlpineDev

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Ramon_GGG wrote:

Hi there! Unfortunately, we cannot comment on the legality of third-party tools, as we aren't able to thoroughly and accurately check exactly how they work.

In general, we do not encourage the creation or use of third-party tools because they provide advantages for players that use them. I'm afraid that we're unable to guarantee if a tool is allowed or would remain allowed in the future.

I would recommend refraining from creating or using any programs that automates or does more than one action with a keystroke or mouse click as well as anything that interacts with the game client to provide an advantage over other players or provide information that isn't normally visible.

Thanks for the swift response Ramon, I'm sure it's a very busy time over at GGG!

Appreciate no yay/nay can be provided for third-party tools generally, though would showing for example that an Orb of Transmutation can be found via the league mechanic in Clearfell be considered in violation of "provide information that isn't normally visible"? This is not really any different from having a campaign guide open in my browser, right?

And slightly more advanced, is reading the log file output considered in breach of "reading game memory", given that it's effectively just a log dump?

Thanks again, appreciate your time.

- AlpineDev

GGG probably won't answer, but lots of tools read the log file so that should be safe.

For information gathering, things tools can do that cross the line include reading the games memory, or monitoring the games file access. Although I think GGG changed how POE1 loaded artwork for league items a number of years ago to minimize the scope of information cheat tools could get by monitoring the games file accesses.

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Summoner#6275 wrote:

GGG probably won't answer, but lots of tools read the log file so that should be safe.

For information gathering, things tools can do that cross the line include reading the games memory, or monitoring the games file access. Although I think GGG changed how POE1 loaded artwork for league items a number of years ago to minimize the scope of information cheat tools could get by monitoring the games file accesses.

Appreciate the response Summoner, and respect that I'm unlikely to get any further detail around whether this is allowed or not.

Most tools I've seen are market related, which I suppose is telling in itself that something like I've described here is likely not allowed, given that it "provides information that isn't normally visible", in that we can match the current zone (output in the game log file) to a known reward from an online database like PoE2DB.

I'm probably best not to go ahead with this in that case.

https://github.com/Lailloken/Exile-UI/wiki/Act%E2%80%90Tracker

Exile-UI does use log file data to provide per zone information for the campaign. If that's legal I don't see why what you're doing wouldn't be.

Most tools being trade related almost certainly has to do with most experienced players spending the overwhelming majority of their time in the end game, not the acts.

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Summoner#6275 wrote:

https://github.com/Lailloken/Exile-UI/wiki/Act%E2%80%90Tracker

Exile-UI does use log file data to provide per zone information for the campaign. If that's legal I don't see why what you're doing wouldn't be.

Most tools being trade related almost certainly has to do with most experienced players spending the overwhelming majority of their time in the end game, not the acts.

Wow thanks Summoner, I'd never seen this tool before, and it appears to be doing significantly more than my limited description here.

Also your point on time spent in end game versus the acts is something I'd considered to be in support of a tool such as this being allowed, although that's obviously subjective to what GGG allow.

Greatly appreciate you taking the time to discuss and provide resources here, it's been a huge help.

This has shed a lot of light on what *could* be considered okay for companion apps for the game.

Thanks again!

- AlpineDev