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Killing The Fun - Cheating In Online Games

Posted by simoniker on from the i-aimbot-joo dept.

Thanks to the San Jose Mercury News for its story discussing the ever-present problem of cheating in online games. One of the issues discussed is cheating on Xbox Live using Action Replay-like devices, with a Microsoft spokesperson suggesting: "We didn't go into this with the idea that no one's ever going to be able to exploit this... But we absolutely take this stuff seriously and are taking action on it every day." However, noted FPS player Dennis 'Thresh' Fong laments an unfortunate side effect for the dextrous: "Because there is this perception that everybody cheats, people that are good are not recognized for their skills. When I play online, I'm always accused of being a cheater."

7 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Cheating not only in online games... by gringo_john · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Cheating is something that is prevalent in many things in addition to online gaming.

    Take for example the olympics. The "arms race" to build the ultimate undetectable performance enhancing drugs closely mirrors the battle between online game cheaters and cheat detection.

    It's a sad fact that when the more there is at stake, the greater people will be willing to go in order to obtain a win.

  2. Did you ever think... by JavaLord · · Score: 5, Insightful

    However, noted FPS player Dennis 'Thresh' Fong laments an unfortunate side effect for the dextrous: "Because there is this perception that everybody cheats, people that are good are not recognized for their skills. When I play online, I'm always accused of being a cheater."

    Did you ever think people might cheat because they might not want to deal with the "dextrous" players who play 4-50 hours a week?

    Online gaming needs match making and player rankings built into their in game browsers.

    1. Re:Did you ever think... by Idealius · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It wouldn't make any difference anyway. The cheaters would just create 6 bots instead of one to account for the 6 skill brackets.

      The whole beauty of online gaming is it's chaos. No blood, no foul. Just like life.

      Besides, a game is meant to be competitive. Cheaters have to do just as much work programming those bots as it takes to get good at the game. Not to mention they're caught, and kicked, often making the point moot.

      That doesn't solve Fong's unfortunate side effect, but it does make for some interesting online experiences.

      The things that happen through these machines are only an extension of our intentions. Tell me you've never heard of people sent to die in the deathchamber that were found to be innocent later?

    2. Re:Did you ever think... by eliza_effect · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's what single player if for. Or at least find a server that is at your skill level. Many people find it fun to challenge themselves, and there's no reason to throw that away so you can have an even playing field.

  3. Take it as a compliment by Toxygen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously, if you're so good at a game that you're consistently being accused of being a cheater, just laugh it off and say to yourself "damn, I'm good". Don't get me wrong, it sucks to have people not trust you, but in the end YOU know the truth, so how much should you really care about some insecure loser's paranoid opinion?

  4. thinking all the time by August_zero · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But that isn't a reason to cheat is it? How many "casual" gamers do you think cheat? If I had to make up numbers, I would guess that most of the cheaters, hell I would guess a vast majority of them play the game in question as much as the ubber-1337 players do. There is this tendency for people to assume that people that cheat suck or have no skills and that is why they cheat, I think this is just something we tell ourselves when we lose to a cheater ("if he wasn't cheating I would own him!") People that cheat are people that either don't want to lose, or they are doing it just to ruin the game experience of others. I would be very surprised if you could find me a below average player that uses a couple of cheats to level the playing field.

    I see what you are saying, but I am not sure that there is really any relevance to the subject at hand here, I mean I don't think its fair that I own a crappy car, but does that mean you could empathize with me if I robbed a bank to buy a better one?

    --
    On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
  5. Find some people you trust... by Shazow · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Back in the days of Diablo (1), one of the most cheated-in games ever, a few of my close friends from school decided to limit our gameplay amongst ourselves so we wont be affected by the cheating going on in the "real world". We managed to enjoy the game a great deal, none of us cheated. It's based on trust, really. If you can find a few people that you trust and play with them, it increases the enjoyment of the game enormously.

    Same goes for first person shooters or any other game. Find yourself a clan with trustworthy members, and play.

    Just because everyone else cheats, doesn't mean you have to expose yourself to their damnation.

    - shazow