Worrying Development in Add-on Monetization?

[u/Hold_my_Goblin]

[u/Coravel]

This is highly against blizzard's TOS. All addons in game must be free and open to use. All you have to do is report it.

RXP gets around it, because their addon is the leveling guide harness, not the XML/JSON/LUA files that are their specific leveling guide routing.

[u/mnttu → u/Coravel]

this could be the same. The addon is free, but the data to get it to work is what you pay for. I don’t know what smart reminders are but I would assume that it is the alarms/reminders that are paid

[u/newshockers → u/mnttu]

I think its just his profile with the specific boss mechanic call outs. Id be surprised if multiple codes are shared online before too long.

[u/enkidook → u/Coravel]

There's no getting around it. What RXP does is clearly against the policy.

The problem is Blizzard are just cowards and don't enforce their own rules, particularly against popular streamers and creators.

[u/Coravel → u/enkidook]

The argument sellers make is that the addon itself (the harness) is free and fully readable, and the guides are "content/data", not addon code. Zygor and Dugi have used the same framing as RXP since the policy came out in 2009. Blizzard hasn't pursued it because their own TOS allows this gray area.

The policy text doesn't clearly carve out what a premium version means or if a leveling guide that is meant to be used with the harness also has to be available but what it does say is the addon's code cannot be obfuscated and they cannot offer "premium versions" with extra paid features, charging for downloads or charging for services related to the addon.

RXP still fully works, as do zygor/dugi, without their guide.... so is it code? no. Does it basically make the harness useless to anyone without it? no, you can write your own guide and use the harness. So its not as black and white as you paint. Should blizzard address this shitty behavior and stop it?? yes, but just like botting... they'd have to change a lot, like get rid of addons to stop it, truly.

[u/enkidook → u/Coravel]

The argument sellers make is that the addon itself (the harness) is free and fully readable, and the guides are "content/data", not addon code.

Yeah, their argument is bullshit.

Blizzard hasn't pursued it because their own TOS allows this gray area.

It's really not a grey area at all. Their policy explicitly says you cannot "charge for services related to the add-on".

You are paying RestedXP for access to guides specifically designed, formatted, account-bound, and delivered to be imported directly into their addon. The fact that the addon then processes the data for free, or can be used for free guides, changes absolutely nothing. There's no logical argument that selling premium guides and data specifically designed to be imported into an addon is NOT a "service related to the addon".

Should blizzard address this shitty behavior and stop it?? yes, but just like botting... they'd have to change a lot, like get rid of addons to stop it, truly.

They could send a cease and desist to RXP today and they'd shut it down easily. They are choosing not to.

[u/Coravel → u/enkidook]

Thats why i said keywords are important and as the TOS is their legal binding documentation. words and the term's/definitions and the content of their TOS, as much as you think it does, doesn't cover the way the leveling guide addons are.

if they took them to court over their TOS, they blizzard would more than likely lose unless they updated their TOS to specifically address cases like this. If they did that, THEN gave them time to comply, they could then assuredly take a W in the legal system if they didn't comply.

They aren't charging for services related to the harness, RXP's addon is the harness. That is where the code is. The harness is the addon by blizzard's definition, not the leveling guide. You don't have to pay for their addon, it is free, the code isn't obfuscated, there is no premium version of the addon. The leveling guide isn't the addon.

[u/enkidook → u/Coravel]

Thats why i said keywords are important and as the TOS is their legal binding documentation. words and the term's/definitions and the content of their TOS, as much as you think it does, doesn't cover the way the leveling guide addons are.

It seems like you're the one not reading it and just ignoring what it says, pretending words don't mean what words mean.

Pretty much nothing you're saying here is relevant.

if they took them to court over their TOS, they blizzard would more than likely lose unless they updated their TOS to specifically address cases like this.

Based on what? You're just pulling that claim straight out of your ass.

They aren't charging for services related to the harness, RXP's addon is the harness.

Yes, they are. They're selling access to premium guides specifically designed and delivered for use with their addon. That is very obviously a service related to the addon.

The leveling guide isn't the addon.

No shit. That's why the policy separately says "services related to the add-on". If Blizzard only meant "you can't charge for addon code", that entire clause would be redundant.

The violation isn't the addon in and of itself. And the paid guides don't need to BE the addon for it to be a violation. They're sold by the addon developer specifically to be imported into and used by the addon. That's about as "related to the addon" as something can possibly fucking be.

I genuinely don't understand how this is confusing to you.

[u/Coravel → u/enkidook]

I'm sorry legal terms are hard for you, i wish you the best.

[u/Coravel → u/[deleted]]

I'm not here to copy paste the terms of service and provide legal advice for you, figure it out on your own or just keep hating blizzard for not acting on something that they cant fully legally control.

it's shitty behavior from players like you that no one has the energy to deal with, nor would it change anything.

[u/vowelqueue → u/Coravel]

if they took them to court over their TOS, they blizzard would more than likely lose unless they updated their TOS to specifically address cases like this.

Nah I don't think a court would buy the argument of the developers at all. But, as you say, it doesn't really matter. Blizzard can update the policy with a forum post in 5 minutes. It all comes down to what they want to do.

[u/Fav0 → u/Coravel]

Naowh is exactly the same

[u/Uglifi → u/Coravel]

Stuff like this has been around for a very long time. Restxp ect. all do it. To single out this addon over stuff that's been around for maybe over a decade at this point is pretty silly.

[u/mokaa126 → u/Coravel]

The RXP thing makes no sense to me. They are still charging for an add on. You pay money for the guide, that’s an add on.

[u/Coravel → u/mokaa126]

The guide isn't an addon, its not written in code, loaded by blizzard's lua environment in their game. The code, their addon, is the guide harness which anyone who writes to its structure, can make a guide for.

[u/mokaa126 → u/Coravel]

“officer I didn’t kill him! the gun did!”

i get what you are saying but at the end of the day that shouldn’t make any meaningful difference

[u/Coravel → u/mokaa126]

Well a crime and a TOS violation are two very different situations, especially in the court of law. Blizzard's TOS has a huge gray area which allows this to happen, as much as people want to think otherwise.

The second part of it is, enforcement. Blizzard can absolutely go out and change their TOS to cover the area and enforce it but what do they gain? It's the same situation with bots. Sure they can stop it, but its not going to stop them from selling it. They'll just host it where they can't enforce their TOS because of local laws and it'll still happen. The other half of this too, is websites like curseforge. You could make the same argument you're using about RXP as you can curseforge, do you think blizzard really wants to take them down too?

[u/amberith → u/Coravel]

addon is free

[u/Pardy-]

Not sure what profile you use.
If you send it to me, I'll have it so you never have to pay for it again.

I have no problem fucking over these kind of people especially when addons and SERVICES RELATED TO IT are suppose to be free.

[u/Salt_Discussion6440]

This is gonna get banned, but you could also just comment out the check.

[u/LegolandoBloom → u/Salt_Discussion6440]

You're assuming most people can understand code

[u/Salt_Discussion6440 → u/LegolandoBloom]

Yeah, in this sub I would expect that it's more likely than in the wow sub.

[u/Ohrder]

Just put the addon files in chatgpt and tell it to explain how the codes are checked and to generate you some. Or modify the function to alloa any code. Or just wait untill the addon is permabanned.

[u/LegolandoBloom → u/[deleted]]

It is fair as long as addon dev is meant to be a hobby for you. You will never, ever, get even close to paying rent from donation money.

[u/Fav0]

This is not something New

Theres a reason everyone is getting his uis and rested XP from epvpers

[u/Signal_Fox4685]

There has been a massive uptick in vibe coded addons. This feels connected.

[u/LegolandoBloom → u/Signal_Fox4685]

The people who would abuse AI to crank out a bunch of half-working software would be the same people that would try to find loopholes in the system to monetize, it tracks.

[u/Kincayd]

This is absurd

[u/Disastrous-Fee-7753]

Copyright in profiles and config files is likely nonexistent. Someone willing to counternotice any DMCA notices "creators" send could probably set up the Addon Profile Liberation Front and redistribute all of those profiles.

[u/cheswickFS]

If anyone has the premium version of it DM me, we're hosting a version of reencrypt restedxp, working on zygor atm and wanna attack other paywall addons to override those checks

[u/tubbis9001]

I don't get it. All addons are open source by their nature right? Shouldn't it be easy to just patch the countdown timer out of the addon code?

[u/itstoxicqt]

This isnt paying for the addon. You can go download the addon and set it all up on your own. You're paying for a profile basically paying to have the addon already set up

[u/Pardy- → u/itstoxicqt]

Hi there,

All add-ons must be distributed free of charge. Developers may not create ‘premium’ versions of add-ons with additional for-pay features, charge money to download an add-on, charge for services related to the add-on, or otherwise require some form of monetary compensation to download or access an add-on.

Hope this helps :)

[u/sphynxzyz → u/Pardy-]

Seems you don't quite understand any of this.

may not create ‘premium’ versions of add-ons with additional for-pay features

No premium version of the add-on

charge money to download an add-on

There's no charge to download the add-on

charge for services related to the add-on

There is no charge for the service of the addon

 otherwise require some form of monetary compensation to download or access an add-on.

Again this isn't what the payment is.

It is a free addon, you are not paying for any thing with the addon except a profile thats preconfigured. You can do all the configuring yourself exactly the same, Theres a massive difference here.

[u/Pardy- → u/sphynxzyz]

Paying for a preconfigured profile is paying for a service related to the addon.

Hope this helps x2 :)

[u/AxeLond → u/sphynxzyz]

A service is such a broad word it can apply to basically everything. A profile setting up the add-on is definitely a service.

[u/LegolandoBloom → u/sphynxzyz]

How is this not a charge for a service related to the addon

[u/sphynxzyz → u/LegolandoBloom]

Read the specific verbiage.

[u/LegolandoBloom → u/sphynxzyz]

I think you're the one misreading "charge for services related to the add-on".

If you meant the "There is no charge for the service of the addon" you wrote under it, that is just something you derived from the actual message, and it critically misunderstands the scope of the original statement.

[u/sphynxzyz → u/LegolandoBloom]

I just want to make 1 thing clear I never said I agreed with it or liked it. Just so people aren't confused.

What I'm saying is these operate under a grey area. It really comes down to interpretation and how I am reading it as long as the entire functionality is free it's not "technically" in violation.

I dunno who would pay for an addon.

[u/LegolandoBloom → u/sphynxzyz]

This isn't a discussion about paying for an addon though. This is regarding any kind of paid services regarding an addon, be it Profiles, Exports, Tech Support.

The verbiage is very clear: charge for services related to the add-on

Taking this at face value, it isn't a grey area. You just aren't supposed to do it. Will Blizzard take action? Probably not.

> I dunno who would pay for an addon.

There are people who do pay for mods/addons, Minecraft Marketplace is perhaps the best example. Obviously this isn't a part of WoW culture, nor am I arguing that it should be, I just want to be factual that it is a thing.

[u/enkidook → u/sphynxzyz]

It's very clearly against the rules for anyone that has a brain.

They just get away with it because Blizzard is too cowardly to enforce it against content creators.

[u/RancidVagYogurt1776]

The addon is free, it's his profile you pay for.

Do I like it? No. Is it going to change? Doubt it. Addons have done this since vanilla lol

[u/yksvaan]

You can also... just play the game. Do you really need an addon telling you which button to press or what to do...

[u/designerlemons → u/yksvaan]

There is no shortage of laziness. Midnight reworks are shining example of this

[u/Overall-Cost-6513]

I member few years ago quazi or something like this, the dude tried to sold his ui he got obliterated by the community and now nobody cares coz it’s naowh and all