EULA Prohibits Modding

Started reading the end user license agreement looks like it does not allow modding. Judging by language such as for the sole purpose of playing the game or you may not distribute, modify, and copy.

- my emphasis

You kind of need the ability to distribute, modify, and copy in order to mod the game. I'm assuming that it is a oversight.

EDIT: added a copy of the agreement.
EDIT2: removed derive source code from second and second-last sentences. also removed emphasis derive source code from the quote above.

I suppose in case of PA javascrips of UI it's not source code, but assets.

Looks like they threw in a generic EULA and didn't bother to read it.

We are definitely allowed to mod the game, though. They knew what they were doing when they made modding one of the key features. Modded PA is already a completely different experience and things like PA Stats just keep adding to the concept of PA as a platform. There's no way the devs wouldn't appreciate something like PA Stats, which logs every game and now has a link to open the replay right from the browser! Another modder is working on a tournament system that could eventually generate links along with brackets, so players can click the link and go right into the correct lobby.

Without mods, PA would be so dull!

EULA: From this point on you will get a reminder to rub your boobies on the screen.

changing the coherent_host to run on 127.0.0.2 definitely falls under what is written there.
Probably Uber really put in some generic text that they need because of whatever *** up laws.

Reversing the game for whatever possible reason is nothing that hurts anybody. That part of the EULA makes most sense for companys that spent half their development-budget on developing a DRM-system just to see it cracked.
Good thing Uber is not like that.

Minecraft's EULA prevents modding too...

well PA's EULA does not define what source code is. By not defining what it is the court will interpret it as meaning the standard definition of source code. Which is human readable instructions that a programmer writes. Regardless of it being interpreted or compiled language.

Most likely is a slightly modified template but it still has the effect of not allowing mods, development, distribution, and, etc. Copyright is a statutory monopoly: Can't do anything without Uber expressed permission. Again this is most likely a mistake on their part.

Minecraft's EULA does permit modding. It states Modifications to the Game ("Mods") (including pre-run Mods and in-memory Mods). There are many other examples of this throughout it. I would just rather have everything above board.

Minecraft eula:
https://account.mojang.com/documents/minecraft_eula

edit: Please note as of 11 December 2013 at 15:22 Mojang update explicitly allows modding.

If you really want to take it as far as whatnargument holds up in court, Uber wouldn't have a chance suing anyone over modding the game since you can just show the court all the videos where they encouraged people to mod. This really wouldn't be an issue (at least in an American court).

Not just US courts but the judiciary they are the final arbiter in these matters. Again most likely an oversight on their part. I already knew that a court would never enforce the prohibition on modding of PA because they do a allow it. Just that EULA is contradictory. if it was brought up outside of the originating jurisdiction. It would be tried under that jurisdiction laws because of the Berne Convention. Which most the world is party too including the United States.

Correct, but I totally sure Uber signed same kind of EULA when they licensed Coherent and I seriously doubt they can change licensing of Coherent/FMOD as they like.

It's just standard EULA for software. I doubt Uber ever think to change it, but still most of modding isn't related to reverse engineering so it's not the problem here.

Congrats @lokiCML I think you just made 300 people read the first EULA of their lives

Nobody reads the EULA even those who make and distribute it. Afterall everyone knows that most generic legal paperwork is actually written by Trained Monkeys Law Students.

No it is most likely a oversight on Uber's part. And most language like that is just a precautionary measure and everything works great, until it don't. (insert joke about unexpected Spanish Inquisitions)

As of Dec 2013? Sounds like they had a "generic EULA" at launch too, and someone brought it to their attention, so they updated it.

Would stand to reason, they overlooked it. It happens, even with the God Mojang. They aren't really gods, mere mortal men, and mortal men makes mistakes when drafting an EULA. I am sure it will be more specific in PA at some time. They have what, 2 years after launch to do it in as timely a fashion as Mojang did it?

Using a template EULA and not altering it to fit your requirements is not a valid excuse. We don't even know if it is a "generic EULA". For all we know Uber went to a lawyer. Then lawyer curated a draft of it which was approved by Uber. This is a possibility but regardless it still has the effect of not allowed modding. Mojang never stated that modding is one of fundamental pillars of the game. Yes people make mistakes which is why you proofread the agreement and outline requirements for it.

Well people really should read them after all because they are contract and who knows what is in them that could be terms that allow you to give me negative review or rub your boobies on the screen.

No offense, but it isn't an excuse, it is a reason. They used a standard modern age game development EULA. Probably the exact one Mojang used. Mojang used someone else's. They realized although their EULA is for standard video game making law, it doesn't match their particular software, like it isn't even talking about the same stuff half the EULA. So, they had one drafted that sounds like it is talking about THEIR game, saying yes you are allowed to mod it as long as you aren't distributing the exact files they developed and distributed with their game (suprise, I DID read their EULA). They sat down, sharpened their EULA, and decided what they personally did and didn't want legally. They are still very strict on limiting distribution of their actual game and it's core files. They do allow any editing or adding to the files, and builds that modify other players files, as long as it doesn't give them any or all of the game files which are supposed to be obtained downloaded and installed from Mojang themselves.

Uber will get to the point, where they will legally sit down and spell out more specifically, what users can and can't do. Technically, with their current EULA, they error on the safe side, which company wouldnt? If they didn't, it would be "legal" for people to build serverside right now, and completely bypass Uber and steal their game right from underneath them. It is technically against EULA to mod the game, but obviously it is about enforcement, and they do not enforce against anything in PAMM, they endorse it, they use it themselves in streams, it is allowed by them even if against their EULA.

Basically, you can either cop out due to fear of legal action, and sorry if you do. Or, you can deal with it and accept that any legal action against you for making/using mods is a longshot as long as you aren't trying to build the game to run standalone or some crazy stuff that COULD hurt Uber.

Well I for one hope that will work out of the box tbh.
If somebody should be able to that right now Uber should hire that person. Reversing the whole server is like rewriting most of the game on insane difficulty mode.

They should, no doubt about that, that person would definitely be an asset to them in bulk coding, and they could actually pay him for work he does for free out of his own time.

They will release server side, but someone(s) could pop out a functioning standalone before release and cost sales if they were legally allowed. Again, what company doesn't error on the side of safe? There is a difference, between companies like Microsoft who makes restrictive EULAs and rewrite them only to get stricter and actually fully prosecute anyone even scratching the surface of it, and companies like Mojang who write them to take legal action if someone literally sabotages them for millions of dollars but nearly never prosecutes unless someone is handing out free minecrafts (and usually it is just cease and desists and site shutdowns instead of sueing for money).

Unless Uber has lied to us about pretty fundamental things there are no easy to stop ways to "pop out functioning standalone" before they give us the server. The server is like the whole engine of the game, all we have is the steering wheel so far. Rebuilding the server is completely insane.

Well we have to agree to disagree on this issue. The reality is that they could have amended it in such a way that would've allow modding. Otherwise this is as restrictive as any EULA that Microsoft has created.