Though how can I cheat in a solo game, and who would be harmed by it even were it so?
Would it be cheating if I just woke up at 2 AM and played while no one else is online and did the same exact thing?
I just don't have the schedule freedom to do so, nor the inclination to waste my time in that fashion. But I could easily have a char I play 15 minutes a week that logs in and logs off the second there is a threat online. I just wouldn't want to bother with that level of effort. My level of interest in CF even in solo mode is cursory at best, so if I could play solo in a closed environment when it is convenient for me to do so I would, but otherwise, meh, I can really just go read a book or play a game I enjoy more.
Think of it this way. I would still buy CF where it was hosted somewhere and I had zero code access. The only reason I would change a pfile would be to eliminate that 30-40 hours to reach hero, but I don't actually need that. Worry free ranking, and a full slate of gear available would make that a joke. A gleaming silver sword and a merc, and I'm good to 51. I can rank a wood elf bard non-stop, with virtually no down time.
The fact that I could enjoy playing CF without all you other players annoying me is not cheating, nor would me learning all aspects of the game and then carrying it into the real CF were I so inclined, (no different than any other player bringing their knowledge into their next char) though the truth is I will probably not play CF again. Unless Zulgh, Daev, Neltouda and a host of maybe 20 players that all quit all came back, then I'm in.
Game knowledge being portable is not cheating.
Learning game knowledge from playing the game is not cheating.
All a moot point, as CF will never allow anyone to have it, and legally they probably could not. But you asked why people would want to have a copy of CF, and that's the reason more than a few players have. Not all of us give two shits about trying to cheat or finding a way to have an advantage in CF against other players. Some of us just want to play CF to appreciate the effort that went into writing and making CF.