No one has a problem with someone showing a new player around. Showing a new player around doesn't create an unfair playing field in anyone's eyes; at least, I don't recall anyone mentioning having an issue with that.

What some people have an issue with, but others think makes things more fun, is:
- going with your friends to get high end gear.
- pk'ing with your friends
- inducting your friends (and trust me, I've been asked to do this)
- passing gear to friends when you delete (and I've been offered this in return for induction of a new character).

So whilst I said no, I suspect that the fact these offers are made mean that others say yes.

What I think everyone would agree is cheating, but actually happens on occasion, is where a friend logs on to do something like:
- wake a character that got slept
- spring an ambush at the inner on a bunch of people raiding their online friend (assuming they logged off there)
- flag someone who committed a crime against their friend
- ally with someone they shouldn't be to mutual advantage.

Problem is, you can't usually tell what's genuine coincidence, legit interaction, and what's not, unless they are stupid and forget to send a message on the cabal channel, or some other ic means.

I mean, I've had regular contact with Death Claw, Larcat, and Isildur over the years, and in all cases we pretty much treat each other as if we didn't know who was who. (e.g. Isildur killed my conjie, left my gear, much as he does with anyone else). I killed Larcat's ragers a couple of times with my necro. Death Claw and I tended to be on the same side more often, so we just didn't travel together. I think we only did one joint pk ever, and that was because the person I was chasing from the Araile Desert ran into Hamsah where DC was, and both of us tried to finish him off (unnplanned).