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Is Alt-1 cheating?


Does this look like cheating to you?

For those unaware: Alt1 is third-party software for Runescape. It tells you exactly where to click and in what order. It screen-grabs your client info and throws up indicators of where to click and when. It's "paint by numbers" gaming; it does all the thinking for you.

It's similar to how Chess cheats work, it sits on-top of your client and you can click 'through' it, like digital tracing paper. Is this fair play? In the Chess world, this technology is considered hard-cheating.

It uses a script to automate the solving of dynamic content, content designed to be solved by the player without use of a guide.

Alt1 plots out all possible dig spots and narrows them down by analysing your unique whereabouts (using triangulation). It uses visual indicators of where you need to click and in what order, in real time. All you have to do is click the indicators Alt1 generates and that goes through into the game. It offers 'paint by numbers' gaming essentially.

'Dynamic content' is there to be done by an individual, not machine.
It changes each time for that reason.

People make a lot of money running this third-party script - they bypass spending 2.5m on skip tickets. Those that use Alt1 can solve 5x as many clues (in the time it takes an ordinary person to), potentially making them very rich! by use of AI.

Youtube / RS Wiki cannot solve dynamic content, as it is randomised; they can only show you 'how' to solve these elements of the game - by teaching you techniques. Alt1 just does it for you, all you have to do is paint by numbers.

Search 'alt1' into google, you'll find these common searches. That's not a good sign, is it?



According to a 7 year old Reddit post, it 'seems' fine to use (by Jagex).
Feel free to discuss! do you think Alt1 is cheating or not? be civil please.

Original thread - Quick find code: 14-15-894-66225030 Bob says:

A bank PIN will keep your items secure.

Always check the second trade screen.

Never trade in the Wilderness!

Keep your computer keylogger-free and virus scanned.

Never give your password out to anyone.

31-Aug-2021 10:35:54 - Last edited on 30-Mar-2023 10:52:07 by SlR

I'll get a lot of stick for this (because so many people use it) but it needs to be said.
ALT-1 is cheating (imo) in every sense apart from not auto-clicking. It should be banned.

Alt-1 screengrabs your Runescape client and indicates where you need to click (and in what order) via translucent markers on screen, in real time. It sits 'above' your client but acts as if it is 'within' your client. It does NOT click for you, however it does process the cognitive side of play for you.

ALT-1's primary purpose is to solve dynamic (randomised) content such as clue puzzles. Why is this an issue? If it can solve clue puzzles with a transparent overlay, it can tell you where to click in a boss fight at the exact right moment. This is a problem that needs to be addressed before it gets to that point. We need to go back in time to save John Connor! I mean RS



- Jokes aside, the threat of 'paint-by-numbers' bossing and PVM/PVP (using indicators) is real if you allow this kind of technology. This game is for humans, not robots.

ALT-1 is free and spreading like wildfire. A lot of Runescape streamers and youtubers are recommending it in their videos because Jagex has not 'officially' dis/approved of it.

Why bother with randomised content at all if you're going to let players use a program to solve it for them? (besides the clicking part which is so difficult ). I thought the whole purpose of dynamic content was to slow players down (as we cant use a guide). Using AI to play RS should be against the rules.

PS: There are already ingame items that solve puzzles for you, they're called skip tickets and they cost 2.5m each. People are using Alt1 to save 2.5m and bypass this ingame mechanic to give themselves an unfair advantage. 3PC software is 'use at your own risk', thus unavailable to those that don't wish to risk their account security.



Why pay 3.5m on a Puzzle Skipping Ticket when ALT-1 is a 'free' skip... Bob says:

A bank PIN will keep your items secure.

Always check the second trade screen.

Never trade in the Wilderness!

Keep your computer keylogger-free and virus scanned.

Never give your password out to anyone.

31-Aug-2021 10:35:58 - Last edited on 30-Mar-2023 10:56:07 by SlR

ALT1 may not be considered 'cheating' in the traditional sense. It does not input anything into Runescape (it'd get caught otherwise). Instead, you click (where it shows you to) with indicators that pop up on screen. You're basically the mechanical operator of the script. So, if anything, can we accept it is half-cheating? since half of playing this game is cognitive?

The program uses real-time output from your game client by screen recording. In 1s it knows your unique location + puzzle combination. It visually alters your game by use of 'digital tracing paper' with clickable indicators.

It tells you what to do and when to do it, all in real-time, and does it in seconds. A static 'guide' cannot do this.

If you can bypass solving randomised content with a third-party program (so long as you click / enter in the commands of your script) then why bother with randomised content at all? It is not like Wiki or Youtube as they cannot solve randomised content for you.

There are puzzle skip tickets in game, they cost 2.5m each; if you don't wish to solve the puzzle then that's your in-game solution. Its simple: you trade GP for time saved. I don't think it is acceptable to let players bypass this mechanic whilst others pay to play the way it was intended.

I understand if Jagex don't want to ban it simply because it's hard to detect, but there are obvious ''clues'' that tell you when somebody is using a script like ALT-1. I doubt the world record holder for slide puzzles could match this pace and accuracy!


ALT-1 may seem benign now, but what about when this exact same overlay indicator technology tells you exactly where to stand and what to do during a boss fight? or in PVP?

If you allow these third party programs to run wild, you'll have people buying/selling scripts each time a new boss comes out to avoid learning the mechanics. Thoughtless clicking of indicators generated by AI is not good for any game. Please consider banning this. Bob says:

A bank PIN will keep your items secure.

Always check the second trade screen.

Never trade in the Wilderness!

Keep your computer keylogger-free and virus scanned.

Never give your password out to anyone.

31-Aug-2021 10:36:00 - Last edited on 05-Mar-2022 15:50:10 by SlR

31-Aug-2021 10:36:03 - Last edited on 21-Apr-2022 14:34:18 by SlR

31-Aug-2021 10:36:06 - Last edited on 09-Mar-2022 17:49:10 by SlR

31-Aug-2021 10:36:09 - Last edited on 07-Jan-2022 14:55:40 by SlR

31-Aug-2021 10:38:05 - Last edited on 07-Jan-2022 14:55:30 by SlR

So, as long as we 'enter in manually' what a bot/script tells us to do, its all OK? Hmm...

I have read the unofficial clients post (for OSRS) dated: 30/09/2019 -

"We consider features which enable you to bypass gameplay mechanics to be unacceptable, like those which might indicate where projectiles would land, where NPCs might spawn, or which protection prayers to activate."

whilst it may not be 'where projectiles land', the method and execution would be the same. I believe this to be an example, as there would be too many variations to list.

Unacceptable features:

"Anything that automatically indicates where to stand, or not to stand. This applies to only automatic indicators, and not tiles which have been manually marked"

- Alt1 creates automatic indicators for you via a click-through overlay (which may as well be in-game, as the end result would be exactly the same) Source 2.

"this is not an exhaustive list, and we reserve the right to add features to this list in future. We’ll continue to monitor community concerns about other specific features and offer more clarity if it’s needed."

- They are open to change.

Source 1:

https://secure.runescape.com/m=news/c=kpvWN8yzBzo/a-message-about-unofficial-clients?oldschool=1

Source 2:

https://secure.runescape.com/m=news/another-message-about-unofficial-clients?oldschool=1

I am going off the assumption these are global principles and apply to both OSRS & RS3.


REDDIT (6 years ago) - It appears OK to use
But the question is - Should it be?[/centre]

Why can't people just take the time (that it takes everyone) to do things themselves? Or...

The prices are way higher now (3m for the blue one) but you get the point...

To be continued Bob says:

A bank PIN will keep your items secure.

Always check the second trade screen.

Never trade in the Wilderness!

Keep your computer keylogger-free and virus scanned.

Never give your password out to anyone.

31-Aug-2021 10:52:10 - Last edited on 21-Apr-2022 14:38:37 by SlR

31-Aug-2021 11:05:49 - Last edited on 01-Sep-2021 10:42:33 by SlR

31-Aug-2021 11:05:52 - Last edited on 01-Sep-2021 17:48:53 by SlR