@MaceWindex, can you provide your tool + instructions here when you get a chance? Let’s hash it out and see how we can use the opportunity to improve the game.
To those who don’t know, this is the tool referenced in the Black Eye 3 Exploit and Poll. To be clear, the tool predates BE3, so it does not appear that it was created with malicious intent to cheat.
However, it can be used to gain an advantage, which is what we should address here.
A note regarding tool approval
I have heard people raise the issue that I “literally helped develop” this tool, meaning it should be implicitly approved.
I do help a lot of players with questions about code, including examining IC’s public code. I have had multiple conversations with @MaceWindex before about our map javascript, and helped him with questions about how certain things work, technical questions, how to do this or that, etc.
This is something I do all the time. I even run a community for game and web developers where we discuss these things openly.
However, helping to understand and experiment with IC’s code isn’t the same as helping to enable js hacks and distributing modified code to actually play the game. I neither helped with nor approved that part.
So, if you’re a tech-savvy player who likes to experiment, please ask about usage if you plan on using or sharing something. I am more likely to help you than to tell you no, but we need to be aware of it to keep the game fair for everybody.
I’m looking into ways to block unapproved code from running, including this:
Shout out to @Zanoab for the suggestion. 
If I understand correctly, @MaceWindex’s tool allows for rendering custom map lists. This is something that the old map did, but the newer one never saw implemented.
So, we need the following:
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The ability to manage custom planet lists, even outside of the map view.
This is related to Entity Tagging. -
The ability to show lists from #1 in the map
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The ability to disable #2 in round settings
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The ability to block hacks that circumvent #3
Doing #1 properly is a significant amount of work, so in the short term the quickest workaround is to just allow a single “Custom” view. I believe this is what the tool did, but please correct me if I’m wrong. That would combine #1 and #2 in the short term.
#3 is already supported, we just need to hook any new code into the existing “limited map” checks.
I can start working on #4 now as part of the new frontend work that is already in progress.
@MaceWindex (and others), does this all make sense? The goal here would be to remove the need for any external tool, and to protect against unapproved code being ran.
I am open to other suggestions if you guys have them.
