Lafiel: Zoom unlocker does NOT make any changes to LOS. It will not, in any way, give a positioning advantage when shooting over walls. Also, the distance a foe can be detected from does not change either. The only advantage this mod gives in PVP and WvW is a better view of the battle field from the same angles already available to the person.
For example, If I was operating an arrow cart on the double gate of the north keep in EB, I could zoom out far enough to see invaders comming up the stairs from the water gate. Big deal. I will hear them pounding on the west gate 5 seconds after that anyways.
There are some very slight advantages but not nearly as big an advantage as a high end gaming rig has over a low end or mid range computer. Even now that culling is off, there is a huge descrepency in rendering time.
Two great players with optimal internet connections and the same gaming rig would not be effected at all by one of them using this mod. It doesn’t actually give an opposing player more ability, just slightly more usable information.
I never found the 1st person view useful for anything except getting a close up view of the detail on other toons armor, which I can/always could do by positioning my toon at the right angle. Being as this mod is an “unlocker” it must already be in the code. The 1st person view may be “locked” to prevent any pics being generated without the “copyrighted” toon in the middle of it.
The one advantage this mod does give is more noticable in PVE. One tactic I have not yet observed in WvW is 3-4 groups of 5 toons setting up an ambush point, each group from a different direction. In PVE this is part of quite a few AI’s tactics and their code has been writen to make use of your limited range of vision (also the reason foes don’t appear as red dots on your mini map like they did in GW1). Although I don’t like being jumped, I like the illusion of surprise I feel from being jumped. I never felt overly cautious in GW1. A creepy but good change.
I will likely use this mod just for doing some “screen shot” mapping (especially in Cursed Shores) but because I actually have to turn it on after I have started GW2, I am more likely to play without it until I need it. Don’t worry Lafiel… I am much too busy in WvW to take in the scenery.
In truth, I don’t know if this mod would give much of an advantage in PvP as I have no intention of exploring this part of the game. It may not change line of sight but being able to see the entire arena (like we all could in GW1) might really change a persons strategy.
It will definately change the feel of the game in WvW and PvE but not to the degree it would make you a better player than you already are.
Having said all this, all mods are a violation of the ToS. While Arenanet has a relaxed view on mods in the spirit of fun, it is at their descretion whether they ban an account using ANY mod. There are no “legal” mods.