Originally Posted by Zoopy_T

Wow. This is a horrible line of thinking. This would be like opening up a EB Games franchise store, and selling pornography instead of games just because you think pornography is better. Sure your store will be horribly popular, but you are destroying the reputation of EB Games.

EB Games has a venue of action considering they are most likely a franchise operation. Valve lacks that luxury. Players by nature will do what they can to "destroy" a game's reputation (Counter-Strike), even if they don't mean to. That's the problem with releasing IP out into the world for others to use and/or modify.

The only real argument against mine would be pointing out that a modder could most likely easily add FF back in once the SDK is released.

Just because you own it doesn't mean you can destroy Valve's design intensions.

Yes, it does. What do you think "mods" are? You list Insurgency as a game you play at TG. Do you think valve specifically intended HL2 to be used to create that type of game?

XP Professionals "design intention" is for use in a Domain network. I use it at home. Am I destroying MS's design intentions?

Since you are hosting a server you are representing the game to the population. Valve shouldn't give you the option to ruin it for everyone else.

How is me running a server however I want going to ruin it for everyone else? If you don't like the server, there are thousands more for you to game on. Why should I "not buy the game" if all I have issue with are a few minor details? By contrast, if a dev doesn't like some of the aspects of an engine they've licensed for use, do they scrap it and make their own, or do they mod it to make it work?

Have you ever been pubbing? Just randomly selecting servers on a whim? Try and find me a game with public run servers that doesn't contain a myriad of gametypes, maps, and attitudes that you don't despise.

Now, you're arguing from what you view as a rational perspective, and it is. There are certain things more mature players may not want to deal with. But what happens when your idea of what is fun and mature is the variable being locked out?

The only reason why Valve gives out SDKs and allows easy mods is to keep the game in circulation as long as possible.

Only reason? Doubtful. They also do it because the modding community makes them games they can buy up and then sell. Where do you think TFC originally came from? TheShip? I could go on.

But there's one reason they do it that's really at the heart of my argument: they do it because it's good business when you give your customers control to enhance their gaming experience. You and I may not view it as enhancement, but that's not the point.