[Mad-Hammer]

I'd like to take credit for the article below but I can't . However, the author pretty well sums up my feelings about cheats and cheaters.
I, along with many others, drifted away from TFC and CS because we felt "cheaters" were ruining the games. Hell, there were whole clans dedicated to nothing more than disrupting TFC games. Anyway, my fear is that DoD is going to suffer the same fate. I don't know if there's anything the average gamer can do to stop 'em, but if you come up with any ideas I'm game.


"If the truth be told, the thought of cheating has crossed the minds of just about all of us at one time or another. What, cheating has NEVER crossed your mind? I'm sure it has and your just in denial. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that all of us have cheated, in one way or another, at least once or twice in our lifetime. And some of us a bit more. In this article I take a closer look at why people cheat, and more specifically why people cheat in online gaming.
Small acts or full blown schemes...cheating is cheating, no matter how you carve the pie. No one likes to admit they have cheated...has something to do with all that chest pounding pride we humans have. We have that need to retain certain bragging rights that we are as honest as the day is long. We can look at ourselves in the mirror and say "I am Mr. Integrity". However, we do cheat, or at least contemplate cheating in many different aspects of our lives. People cheat on their taxes. Gamblers cheat at cards. Teenagers cheat on their school tests and lie about his/her age to save money on a movie ticket. College bound students cheat on the SAT tests. How about a fake ID to get into your local club for a bottle of the suds? The list could go on and on forever. There are basically three kinds of people in this world; those who cheat, those who would cheat if they knew they wouldn't get caught, and those that are genuinely honest, but are not exempt from temptation. They just have a higher dose of will power and self-control than the average Joe Schmo. But even they are only a heartbeat away from cheating.
The consequences of cheating...

Years ago on the old riverboat casinos of the south, when they found a cheater onboard, they would actually pull over the boat, find a good sturdy tree, and promptly string him up. And in the days of the old west, if you were found cheating at a game of cards, you would likely suffer the same fate as the cowboy holding the "dead man's hand". Game over my friend. But times have changed much since the old days when cheaters were dealt a swift hand of justice. And where online gaming is concerned, if you get caught cheating, there's virtually no consequences to suffer. That in itself is one of the primary factors as to what lures people to online cheating in the first place. At the extreme end of things, your nickname may get black-balled by the gaming community you are in. But more than likely you'll just get tossed out of a game or get banned from a server. No big deal really. Most gaming communities do not have the organizational means to permanently rid itself of habitual cheaters. And companies who develop the games normally don't have the time it takes to make patches that would combat each and every cheat that comes down the pike for a particular game.

ALL Aboard...

Let's take a look at the people who've already climbed aboard the boat and are resigned to cheating. For the most part, society today is more tolerant of cheating. Have we lost our commitment to honesty and fair play? It would seem so. So why do people cheat? Isn't that the $64,000 question! Fame, name recognition, advantage over others, or just for kicks...who knows for sure. Basically cheaters are chance takers. They weigh both the odds of getting caught, and the consequences thereof. And as I've already mentioned in this article, the consequences as far as online gaming goes are minimal. So even if the odds are 99% against them, what do they have to lose.

The nitty gritty...

For starters, much of the society of the world is now geared towards taking shortcuts in just about everything they do in their daily lives, including online games. Some gamers just don't want to invest the time it takes to hone their skills, and their online time may be somewhat limited. So they opt for cheating which results in instant success, and in their minds, FUN for themselves. A quick "feel good" buzz. Of course, misery for those that have to deal with their inadequacies, and to put it bluntly...laziness. These people thrive on winning no matter the consequences. And in most cases they don't even care if you know they are cheating. In fact, you'll run across some players who'll even brag about it with a certain amount of pride. Well, at least they're honest about being dishonest. Then there are those who choose to cheat because they think everyone else is doing it. If ya can't beat em, join em, right? They don't necessarily want to cheat, but feel they have no other choice. In other words, they want to be on an even playing field and have the same advantages they think the others have over them. I fully understand their dilemma, or delusion, whichever the case may be. But in reality they are just selling themselves out. There are even those who cheat simply because they don't have the skill level of the better players and are resigned to the fact they never will. So cheating at the very least gives them a chance to taste victory, even if it isn't earned honestly.

Fortunately, the majority of online gamers are either in the categories of "those who would cheat if they knew they wouldn't get caught", and "those that are genuinely honest, but are not exempt from temptation". Lets pick apart the first one. Many gamers would never admit to it, but if they were to be honest with themselves, would cheat a bit if they knew 100% that they wouldn't get caught. I'm talking about an absolute guarantee than no one will EVER know you are cheating.

Ask yourself this question: If you had a 100% guaranteed chance free (never get caught) cheat, would you use it?

If your answer to that question above is yes, then ask yourself this question: Have I lost my fundamental commitment to integrity and fair play? My hope is that the majority of gamers would choose to say no to cheating and yes to fair play and honor. There's nothing wrong with temptation. All of us are tempted at one time or another. Just remember there's no reward if you win by cheating. You give yourself a false sense of accomplishment. In essence you are living a lie. And if after cheating you can look yourself in the mirror and say you are proud to be a cheater, then by all means continue on with that mentality and enjoy the games! After all, the choice IS up to you...

[Stevo]

The person definitely knows their cheaters.
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Fopp
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[Bright Red Nipples]

[Kazebari]

Uh....okay? another article preaching about the evils of cheating. huzzah. darnit if I want to play Neo and break the normal rules holding me down (like sv_gravity 800) i'm going to do it!

Well, in the ville we don't accept any cheating that prevents the enjoyment of others. we crack down on cheaters and crack down hard.

what YOU can do is donate 10 dollars a month to The Ville so we can keep our servers up. Doing so also gives you Gold Membership, along which comes certain powers such as voting to kick.

So send that money! and YOU can start eliminating cheaters, just like Ole' Greebo!

edit: anyone remember [Darkside]? whatever happened to those guys?

edit2: cheating depends on the situation. if you were locked in a sword duel with an evil warlord who commits mass genocide, and he was winning, would you pull out your handgun and shoot him?

[Violent Pacifist]

[Bright Red Nipples]

[Kazebari]

[Stevo]

Maybe YOU should get a membership, Kaz.
_________________

The Official TVR Website
Fopp
Song of the Week

[Kazebari]

[`RaphX]

[Kazebari]

[Bright Red Nipples]

[[HALO]cpt._Keyes]

eh anyone caught cheating on 9 will get a good old amx_screwed...or clexec unbind all...maybe both....
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You dont know who I am but you will instantly fall in love with my voice, chances are I will be the best thing you have heard your whole life, I am the voice of the angels.
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-K.Jeffrey(cpt_Keyes)

[Paddyjack]

[sgt stutter]

Very good read, thanks Metal.

What the Nipple said.