Recently there has been (yet another) upswing of criticism on the forums about scripting and I'm having a bad day, so I'm going to rant. You have been warned.

[rant]

I really really wish everyone who hates scripting (which seems to be a minority, from my observations) would just shut up and leave us scripters all alone. If you don't like scripting, fine. Don't use scripts. Play on servers where the sysop discourages/disallows scripting. Scripters don't constantly bash you for playing by hand, mock you for supposedly inferior skills, or degrade you as a "script kiddie". How about showing us equal respect, huh?

If you don't want to use scripts, fine. Knock yourself out, I don't give a rat's Butt. But shut up about it already. Yes, some people think scripts give players an unfair advantage. Boo hoo. Here's a newflash - LIFE IS UNFAIR. Not everyone is on equal footing. Thats the way it has always been and always will be. That being said, scripts don't normally give people as huge of an advantage as all the whining would seem to indicate - except against people who aren't prepared for them. If you grid by hand in a competitive game, you're just begging to be pdropped. If you weren't prepared for it, then its YOUR fault, not the guy running the pdrop script. Scripts aren't too hard to manipulate or fake out, even without resorting to spoofing (which forum frequenters will know I hate). Just because you're unfamiliar with them and don't know how to work around them, doesn't mean that they're "bad" or "evil" or "ruining the game". Learn how to deal with them. Crybabies.

And since the loudest whinging seems to come from people with the least experience with scripting, I'll illuminate a few facts for you:

(1) Anyone who runs kill/attack scripts while they are away from the computer is an idiot who deserves what they get. Scripts are dumb, they only do what they're told and can't think rationally. Anyone running a pwarp photon while they're asleep is just begging for their planet to be drained of ore and/or capped.
(2) There is no super almighty script that you fire up and it automatically plays the whole game for you. Its still a PERSON making decisions as to whether or not to run a script and which script to run. Knowing how and when to use a script is arguably more important than having the "best" scripts. You could have the best scripts in the world, but if you don't know when and how to use which one, those of us with "lesser" scripts will mop the floor with you.
(3) Scripts are not perfect, they are not infallible. Even a bug free script can easily get you killed. Theres an inherent danger in running a script, which scripters accept. I've been killed by script fubars plenty of times, but you don't see me whining about how evil scripts are.
(4) Scripts are NOT a new development. I wasn't playing back then, but I've talked to plenty of players who say they were using scripts 10+ years ago. Scripting has been a part of the game for almost as long as the game existed. Its not some new phenomenon thats suddenly turned the game to crap. So cry me a river.
(5) A strong argument can easily be made that scripting has actually made the game MORE strategic in nature, not less. With scripts handling the scut work, the player is free to focus on broader strategies, not stuck pair port trading (and haggling) by hand.
(6) Writing scripts is not magic. Scripts are not secret treasure that only those initiated into the secret club and taught the secret handshake are allowed to use. http://www.grimytrader.com has an excellent selection of scripts available for free download to anyone. And there are plenty of plenty who are more than happy to help teach aspiring scripters the ins and outs of TWX.

For all of you script haters who aren't so blind with rage at me that they're seeing red, consider this little fun fact: If scripts disappeared overnight, wouldn't there be an unfair advantage given to people who can touchtype?? Would the people who chicken peck or those with arthritis or carpal tunnel start pissing and moaning about the "touchtype kiddies"? And keep in mind that doing all the boring little menial repetitive tasks that are necessary for TW will quickly increase the ranks of those with carpal tunnel and/or arthritis, spawning a whole new generation of crybabies to spam the forums.

So in conclusion: If you hate scripts, just shut up about it already. No one cares. Go play on an out of the way server where you can all vigorously agree with each other about how evil scripts are. You won't be missed.

[/rant]

Whew. Glad to get that off my chest. If I offended anyone, GOOD! Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it! I meant everything I said, though. I'm tired of being constantly inundated with rants about scripts ruining TW. There are plenty of players who think that TW is as good or better than it has ever been, myself very much included. This is not an invitation for a flame war, btw. I've said what I wanted to say. If any of you script-haters wants to reply, have fun. I'm sure I'll get lots of laughs out of your replies, I usually do.

And that's that.

lol, that was good, I'm sorry your in a bad mood.

I hate scripts. They consume too much of my time and keep me up way too late. [:P]

+EP+

I've begun sorting my laundry into arrays... ahhhhh!!!!!!

<snicker>

Zoso

send $shirt[1] "*"

For the record Psion, who are these people of which you talk?

[:D]well said , well put and i agree...let the whiners go play with themselves some where else!

Well said and about time someone said it that way!
Thanks Psion.
and im quoteing you for the paper : )

Ender, I'm not going to stoop to naming names, and if you've been reading the forums lately it should be quite unnecessary anyways. They know who they are and they have let us all know how they feel, so I decided turn about is fair play.

I am one of those script haters! Hate them. Think they HAVE ruined the game as I knew it. There are those that depend on scripts to do everything from steal to trade to attack other players to cap ships to wipe thier arse! I think you script writers are great at what you do. But where to draw the line? IF the script will do EVERYTHING in the game from logging on to attacking players with Photons and P-drops, the only skill you have is what script to use and when to use it? COME ON!! Oh yeah and how fast you can load your script. I do not give a Shoot if you are tired about hearing from people that hate scripts? DON'T READ THIER POSTS!!
Now that I had my spaz...
I am learning how to use scripts and I am trying to learn to undrstand how to write them. I figure it this way, I can't beat em might as well jump on the band wagon. As I have read in past posts that scripts are, and will continue to be a part of the game and us script haters will have to stop playing if we don't like it, well SCREW YOU I am not stopping playing because your ball is newer then mine. I am going to get a better ball is all. So rant all you want! You sound like you need a beer and a few days away from your computer.
And when your script tells you your drunk let me know!




Bethel

PS::: Now if I could only log in the Grimy Trader.....


Bethel

bethel are macros ok? they allow you to do stuff you couldnt do manually by hand.. atleast not that quick.. coem on bro wake up scripts are what make the game fun, no script does everything for you.. i have hundreds of scripts and it does take skill to know when and where to use them.. also there are ways around every script..

Scripts are the debil.

Heh this looks like it might get interesting. Well i can't write scripts but i like to use them.

Kinda like girls, eh Desert? You don't know how, but you sure like lookin? hehe....