Is using a Cmod in StepMania officially qualify as "cheating"?

Well, I've been thinking about this ever since one or two days ago. And I'm kinda torn as of now.

A Cmod is a mod you can use to rid any and all stops and BPM changes

I've been wondering, is it cheating or a little unfair if one was meant to use this mod??

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It is unfair in many ways here is a link to a video.

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I don't think so, but using the bar is totally cheating.

(I don't like using cmods because I actually like experiencing speed changes, but I don't think it's "cheating")

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Without CMOD

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It's could be considered cheating if we go by the standard definition, but only if you consider a Cmod to be a non-standard method to give yourself an advantage in the game.

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Since it's a regularly accessible option, it's not cheating.

People take these things way too seriously. Every player is different and options like these exist for those that need/want assistance. It's that simple.

It's cheap.
You use it if you suck.
/onion

IMO, it's not that unfair to use Cmod (since I'm not that expert of playing Stepmania). Well, Anyone Opinions could be different.

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It's not really cheating, but it can completely remove the challenges that some stepcharts are built entirely around. I would equate it to a "training" mode: something to get you accustomed to the timing, attacks, and moves of a song before you tackle it head-on for what it truly tests you for.

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Not to derail, but you can't compare those two videos' charts. They are two completely different files...
I don't know if I consider using CMods cheating, but it seems unfair to me. Speed changes and stops usually are there for a reason, and using a mod that ignores them makes the file easier than it should be, imo.

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Also, you can't really cheat in Stepmania to begin with, since practically everything about Stepmania is customizable to whoever is using it.

As TyTigeriku said, it could be used for training to learn a step pattern without the gimmicks of stops and BPM changes. In the case of competing with someone to gain the higher score, it is cheating because it also removes the added difficulty in stops and BPM changes intended for the stepchart.

the people who actually care about this being cheating or not at this point in time are completely irrelevant and not worth your time worrying about

the only place I've ever seen it matter is in tournaments, and even then unless it's explicitly stated otherwise (through #DISPLAYBPM or whatever), cmods are available to be used whether your opponent uses them or not on song picks

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ITG cabinets displayed a "disqualified from rankings" message if using a C mod on a song with that had pauses or BPM changes. This preventing the results for that song from being saved to the machine's high score table or the player's USB card. Using a C mod on a song without pauses or BPM changes was totally fair game.

In Stepmania 5, I prefer M mods; they let you set your exact preferred speed without destroying pauses & BPM changes. The only time they don't work well is on songs with a brief fast segment (even with no steps during that segment).

If it was cheating, it wouldn't really be next to stuff like 1.5x and Metal+. Sue people if they think Chaos is a lot better without the bullshit.

NVM the song still sucks

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If it gets to the point where the chart becomes an unreadable mess (i.e. 24th, 32nd, or 48th streams under 100BPM; as an example), then it's not "cheating", IMO. What's the fun in playing a chart you can't read? But for stops and subtle speed changes, it's not really worth using.