But why is reloading a cheat? It’s a game mechanic, intentionally programmed a certain way. If the designers didn’t want you to do it, they’d disallow it. It might not be the most challenging route through a game, true, but it is, IMO, not cheating to take advantage of a game mechanic.
Likewise with purchasable/unlockable extras. I spent the effort to obtain them, why is it cheating to use them. Again, it certainly removes any skill otherwise required to play when you can turn on an infinite rocket launcher (RE4) or invincibility (Lego Anything), thereby reducing or eliminating game challenge, but it’s still using an intentionally designed game reward mechanic. To get them in RE4, as an example, I have to finish the game the “normal” way and play a new game +. In the Lego games, I have to complete most of the levels the “normal” way before I can unlock the extras (and accrue Lego studs to purchase them after otherwise unlocking them). I don’t see how that is cheating.
About the only choice in the list I posted I see as cheating is the hidden cheat code route (which you basically have to figure out using non-game means), and I personally only use those sparingly or after finishing the game normally.
And the Final Fantasy VI loop, I’ll admit is a hazy/gray area. On the one hand, it just uses a certain character’s native skill along with the one area in the game you can go around in circles without actually watching the game to keep your characters from dying while accruing small bits of experience. Given enough time, you can then level them far higher and access spells sooner than otherwise. But you can do that anyways fighting monsters in the first area (it just takes a ton of time that way) if you wanted. The exploit just takes advantage of a poorly planned game area. It is an exploit, however, so I could see someone arguing that it’s cheating.
In truth I am not a very good knitter, but since all I am doing is making what are essentially coasters, I never cared much. As I said, it’s soothing.
