I like this site, but I'm afraid...

[Lord Blackwell]

Hey, I'm new to this site, Like just signed up today, but this is the go to site for Choice of games (CoG) LLC modded games. But I'm afraid of the future of this site. Iirc Wend games (I forgot which site) was nearly taken out because of modding and distributing paid content (the games from CoG especially). And as I can see it this site is small right now and they can easily bring this site down if not the site then your source of donations at least.

I suggest making mod menu or mods to other games as well. I get is the site itself is called Choice of mods, but this will solve two things. 1st CoG games are niche af and this site is less likely to blow up, modded CoG games are even nicher, modding other games may introduce new users to the forum. Remember that an account is needed to access the content, this will scare a lot of users who just wanted a mod apk. Expanding your operations might introduce new users. And seeing a respectable number of modded apks they might join because of that. And help in revenue from ads for funding the site.

2nd CoG LLC might not see you as a threat to their income since their games here just have a small interactions/download and may be too troublesome and not worth it to take down. And as a bonus if they still try to take you down, you still have other users for other games you have modded.

In summary: Expanding your operations/modded games MIGHT introduce new users to the site, help hiding CoG LLC games and help fund the site. And even if this site will be threatened operations may still continue, since CoG LLC had a history of trying to take down sites.

But that's just me. Maybe you focused on modding CoG games because you have more knowledge with the engine. Or attached to CoG (like me but hate the mechanics of CoG games) If so then I understand.

Good luck though and best wishes.
-Lord Blackwell

 

[Allmind]

Don’t worry though, I’m helping make sure your piracy won’t be done under wraps anymore and all the authors have the opportunity to come tell you to take their stuff down. Let’s see how many indie authors agree with you guys’ views on this, and whether the mods honor the “authors can ask for the removal of their content” policy, because I just went through that entire thread, screenshotting everything, and I’ve contacted all the authors whose content has been shared/asked for over there

Oh, and I’ve also contacted CoG about the use of Dan Fabulich’s name in this forum.

Y’all have a nice weekend.

Bruh, Last online it's 20 May lol I bet he's either never go back again or just Make a New account at this point xD

 

[ThomasBell]

I'm a pirate.
Came from third world country.
Can't afford not a single book/games due to high conversion of (4-6 currencies per usd).

It makes my day when others willing to take the risk to share content that I couldn't afford. (Bless you leakers and modders). Yes it's wrong and no that won't stop me from pirate it nonetheless

To the authors, be it a leaked content from patreon or official COG just so you know there's plenty of people out there that likes and fan of your work. But only few of them admit it.

And to the moral police. You won't be here if your first intention wasn't to find a modded/leaked content in the first place. Please keep your *** and leave the door silently after you get what you want.

I'm a leaker, I love helping EVERYONE who can't afford Patreons to get that extra content. I was there years ago, couldn't buy any membership and I love this site and everyone here that helped me and thousands of others. Now I'm making money I'm buying memberships and leaking as much as I possibly can. Without this wonderful site I have no idea where I would be and I'm soo grateful I can give back to each and every one of you.

 

[unknown0ne]

In reality the authors are losing nothing

The leaked content will go public so not paying for it and waiting for it to go public are basically the same thing the only difference is time

I've personally told some authors about piracy and they literally laughed and said free advertising

 

[Da2006]

I feel hurt after seeing authors think of us that way, one of the reason this site was created was to fight against tyrant like CoG which takes most of the author's hardworking money, what we do is just provide those contents who can't afford it.

Many people here are from 3rd world country and can't afford to read their work so they have no other choice but to use piracy as their resource, still we always ask users to donate the author if they like their work and they can.

I hope someday these authors will be able to see our way.

Ur speaking facts

 

[Vamp-kun]

In my case, I've paid for most of my games, but not all. What I needed was transparency.
I needed to know how the games are written, how are their rules, if there's romantic scenes (a plus for me), if the games have a thousand parameters for the protagonist to die, etc.
With a book it's simple.
We can check and triple check the reviews, we can scour the net for a billion of opinions and spoilers, and THEN! We buy.

But, not so much in interactive fiction, where there's a thousand stats and no save system (like videogames do) for these games, and where the field itself is saturated with disappointed authors, or teams who fight each other for the direction of their art, or patreon using authors who update a game in ten years and squeeze the bucks of their fans each month behind their funding services. And, let's not forget the vindictive bosses! You know who, those who raise ideological or political matters that are incomprehensible in my part of the pond — despite those things being honorably defended by my local anarchists, now they're the ideological tools of the big market —, and said bosses find the free time to harass authors — hence the reason I remained a ghostwriter instead of becoming an interactive fiction author.

Should I support every single of that odyssey? Why should I?

Piracy is wrong? Why, yes.
Is it right to harass and hurt those that must resort to it because they cannot afford to support themselves and waste money on westerner entertainment at the same time? No! F* the h* no!

 

[Petrichora]

I usually only download games from this site because I want mods for the games I've already paid for from CoG or Itch.io

But the whole "Not everyone can afford to pay for the content, they have no choice but to pirate" argument is kind of crap. If you can't afford to pay, the solution is to not read the content.

 

[Zelrune]

I usually only download games from this site because I want mods for the games I've already paid for from CoG or Itch.io

But the whole "Not everyone can afford to pay for the content, they have no choice but to pirate" argument is kind of crap. If you can't afford to pay, the solution is to not read the content.

if you dislike piracy so much to the point of lecturing people on PIRACY SITE, go ahead and make your own mods
don't rely on heroes like Dan or Dei who "support" piracy that you hate so much
or ask nicely to the authors since you oh-so-generously paid for all the games you've played
get off your high horse and stay away from PIRACY SITE like this one (tho i doubt that since you can't make mods even if your life depends on it)

 

[Vamp-kun]

I usually only download games from this site because I want mods for the games I've already paid for from CoG or Itch.io

But the whole "Not everyone can afford to pay for the content, they have no choice but to pirate" argument is kind of crap. If you can't afford to pay, the solution is to not read the content.

Yarrrr, whateva ya say matey! 'Course you snatch the booty you already have!
Welcome to Port de Pais!

 

[circe]

I usually only download games from this site because I want mods for the games I've already paid for from CoG or Itch.io

Sure, buddy. Whatever you say.
Can't believe you're registered on a piracy site, downloading pirated games and still yapping on how wrong it is.

 

[Petrichora]

Lmao the butt hurt is strong with the thieves huh?

Nah ima stay on my high horse and ride off into the sunset

 

[circe]

Lmao the butt hurt is strong with the thieves huh?

Nah ima stay on my high horse and ride off into the sunset

Lmao not the pot calling the kettle black.
You're stealing too, mate. No one is buying your "I only download from this site because I want mods for the games I've already paid for" bs.

 

[certain]

Lmao the butt hurt is strong with the thieves huh?

Nah ima stay on my high horse and ride off into the sunset

Can the mods just ban this guy? They clearly don't want to bunk with us sinners down in sinnerland.

 

[Blackstone]

But the whole "Not everyone can afford to pay for the content, they have no choice but to pirate" argument is kind of crap. If you can't afford to pay, the solution is to not read the content.

Don’t worry though, I’m helping make sure your piracy won’t be done under wraps anymore and all the authors have the opportunity to come tell you to take their stuff down. Let’s see how many indie authors agree with you guys’ views on this, and whether the mods honor the “authors can ask for the removal of their content” policy, because I just went through that entire thread, screenshotting everything, and I’ve contacted all the authors whose content has been shared/asked for over there

Oh, and I’ve also contacted CoG about the use of Dan Fabulich’s name in this forum.

Y’all have a nice weekend.

I don't know if you guys are mentally challenged, oblivious to the world or simply earn too much working as a clown to notice that not everyone can afford the abysmal dollar conversion, and we are not stealing the bread of yours precious authors the people that are pirating here are the ones that won't buy anyway and if you cannot live with the most basic thing on the internet that is pirating maybe you should leave from it ?

 

[Petrichora]

Lmao not the pot calling the kettle black.
You're stealing too, mate. No one is buying your "I only download from this site because I want mods for the games I've already paid for" bs.

If people don't want to believe fact that's on them

 

[jose012]

I feel hurt after seeing authors think of us that way, one of the reason this site was created was to fight against tyrant like CoG which takes most of the author's hardworking money, what we do is just provide those contents who can't afford it.

Many people here are from 3rd world country and can't afford to read their work so they have no other choice but to use piracy as their resource, still we always ask users to donate the author if they like their work and they can.

I hope someday these authors will be able to see our way.

Many of the admins in CoG are also assholes, you will be banned for the smallest slight against them or even criticising an author.

We were paying this author to help her work so she can finish the game, girl just disappeared from internet without any updates and people kept paying her, it's been a year now and she still has not even updated it nor notified anyone as to why.

After bringing this up, i got banned lol.

Also saying anything which can be seen as negative to LGBTQ will get you banned without warning aswell, admins are mentally ****ed there.

 

[jose012]

If people don't want to believe fact that's on them

Mate, no one gives a **** about your opinion, you obviously just want to be an *******.

If you don't like something, stay away from it.

If we are thieves, then why are you here, using the content from thieves?

CoG is the worst and most mentally ill website there is and this one is much better and sane, there is nothing wrong with what we do.

You have no right to call us thieves and then download the same mods, and i am VERY sure you haven't even paid for half the games you downloaded from here.

 

[Zelrune]

If people don't want to believe fact that's on them

you're the type of person who buys a game legally once (when it's 90% off nonetheless) and thinks they're paragon of virtue, looking down on "pirates" since "I bUy aLL mAh gaMeS unLiKe yOu ppL"
go bother someone else who cares, bruh

 

[Hito]

Mf arguing on the ethics on pirating and how bad it is.

I just like stealing free stuff.

 

[Guy]

Oh. Looks like this thread is getting activity again. I suppose I'll take the time to add my reason for being here to the mix (not that you asked).

I used to make my own mods. Sometimes I'd just do the starting stats or buff some of the choices in the beginning. Other times I would make a full mod menu. That part of it is actually pretty easy. Around the time I joined this site, CoG decided to complicate things. It used to be that you could just change a few files (choicescript_stats, sometimes startup, sometimes the first chapter), making sure to hit the json equivalents too. Then you could just repack/resign the thing. Pretty much just needed APKTool and a text editor or APK Explorer to do it right on the phone itself.

After CoG's update, it made it so you needed to actually needed to remove the license check lest the app just force close or give an error upon running the repack. I'm aware of tools that can do this, but the most notable one requires root. As does running things unsigned. And I just didn't want to need to have a separate phone for that or learn how to do that part manually. Fun Fact: This update of theirs actually broke one of the Hosted Games releases. In Gladiator: Road to the Colosseum, there is an achievement called Cheater that requires passing an impossible skill check. That author expected you to mod. There's also an option in Samurai of Hyuga 5 where if it's modded in a certain way (albeit a weird one), you can trigger a special dialogue with Basho by asking him if he got in trouble for intellectual property theft or something like that. And he breaks the fourth wall for what is essentially a "no u" type response before ending the game. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not, that's kind of funny. I have more mod related easter eggs included by authors, but this is already super long. Maybe I'll drop it elsewhere later.

So, here I am. I just come here for the mods. I still buy every single title that I want to play, and sometimes instead of using a mod I'll just peek the scene files like they're a strategy guide. There's also about a dozen games in the lineup that I don't do either with because the author actually took the time to make sure the skill building and checks make sense. Whatever the case, I'm thankful to Dan for whatever method he does with Website 2 APK and its cool menu builder and to Dei for the more traditional mod menus that remind me of the ones I used to make.

As for piracy, it's a lot more nuanced than anyone here has noted yet, and there's no way we could have the whole discussion here. I'm just going to live and let live, keep paying for content, and not worry too much about others. CoG wants $20,000 up front if you want to license the engine for a commercial product as a front for potential legal costs, so they're the only (legal) option if you want to make money and insist on using their code. So I guess if people really do hate their policies, it's a tough Choice of Publishers. My only immediate issue is jamming woke stuff down our throats at an increasing clip. There were a few titles that could have been pretty good if they hadn't constantly been "gender this, gender that" or dropping surface level (and often factually incorrect) economic takes every few pages. Otherwise, I don't know enough about e-publishing to know what an industry standard cut would be since I have only ever written for academic journals and textbooks.

So, there's my essay/rant. TL;DR: You do you, I'll do me. Let's enjoy some mods.

 

[erek]

now that y'all mention it, cog does have a weird obsession with anything lgbtq, i remember i got banned for like a month on reddit because i said i didn't like that we only find out dr mortum (in fallen hero) is a trans woman in the second game, after we've chosen her path. dumbasses.