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Cheating in pubs
Unplug cheats seem to be getting more frequent in the pubs. What do you think of the idea that a bot detects lag spikes and automatically spectates someone for 2 minutes when they spike?
The intent would not be to punish or prohibit players who happen to live far from the server. It's the spike amid otherwise stable ping that would be detected and penalized.
I know there is a fine line here. The fundamental problem facing SS is maintaining a large enough population to remain playable. On the one hand, we don't want to spec laggy and presumably legitimate players or penalize wireless users, but on the other, people who seek a fair game will leave. It is demoralizing to absolutely have the drop on someone, only to be robbed of your kill when you see the telltale hop across the screen. Or to have solid defense of the base, and someone blows through the minefield, eats a bomb and a few L3 bullets, then comes to life suddenly and sprays the disarmed gunners. Players whose lag is high but stable are a different story. They can be avoided, or you can modify your strategy to deal with them somewhat. It's the players who goad you into thinking the fight is fair when it ultimately isn't.
The problem is too distributed and too fine-grain to be effectively managed by ?cheater calls and human supervision. It's like bullying at recess. No matter what the teachers say and no matter how vigilant they are, they cannot stop it. So it should be automated. No subjectivity, no human time cost.
Maybe laggy players or wireless users would be unable to play, and that sucks. But we should balance the loss of those players with the loss of fair-minded players who are demoralized by cheaters. If you take it to its logical conclusion, as more people cheat, more people will feel justified in cheating or counter-cheating. It will grow until eventually nobody dies, except the people who don't know how to cheat or don't want to. Then they will leave. And then the player population will rapidly dwindle until the game dies.
From what I've read, a previous version of the client that was easily hacked cost SS a significant chunk (half, IIRC) of its member base a few years ago. In the current system, I think the lag hack is too easy to do and too hard to punish to be effectively managed. Just have a bot spec people for two minutes if they spike. If they keep getting specced, then they can turn off the torrents, get a wire, move closer to the server, or just learn to enjoy voyeurism.
EG Duel already does this. It's maybe too sensitive, but I think it's the right idea.
I suspect this subject is well beaten and controversial. AS A COMPROMISE, I suggest we try a bot-enforced spike-free hour or two during the peak hours so that players who are close to the server can have a fair game during prime time, and players in faraway places and funky time zones are not deprived of the ability to play the game.
Comments?
The intent would not be to punish or prohibit players who happen to live far from the server. It's the spike amid otherwise stable ping that would be detected and penalized.
I know there is a fine line here. The fundamental problem facing SS is maintaining a large enough population to remain playable. On the one hand, we don't want to spec laggy and presumably legitimate players or penalize wireless users, but on the other, people who seek a fair game will leave. It is demoralizing to absolutely have the drop on someone, only to be robbed of your kill when you see the telltale hop across the screen. Or to have solid defense of the base, and someone blows through the minefield, eats a bomb and a few L3 bullets, then comes to life suddenly and sprays the disarmed gunners. Players whose lag is high but stable are a different story. They can be avoided, or you can modify your strategy to deal with them somewhat. It's the players who goad you into thinking the fight is fair when it ultimately isn't.
The problem is too distributed and too fine-grain to be effectively managed by ?cheater calls and human supervision. It's like bullying at recess. No matter what the teachers say and no matter how vigilant they are, they cannot stop it. So it should be automated. No subjectivity, no human time cost.
Maybe laggy players or wireless users would be unable to play, and that sucks. But we should balance the loss of those players with the loss of fair-minded players who are demoralized by cheaters. If you take it to its logical conclusion, as more people cheat, more people will feel justified in cheating or counter-cheating. It will grow until eventually nobody dies, except the people who don't know how to cheat or don't want to. Then they will leave. And then the player population will rapidly dwindle until the game dies.
From what I've read, a previous version of the client that was easily hacked cost SS a significant chunk (half, IIRC) of its member base a few years ago. In the current system, I think the lag hack is too easy to do and too hard to punish to be effectively managed. Just have a bot spec people for two minutes if they spike. If they keep getting specced, then they can turn off the torrents, get a wire, move closer to the server, or just learn to enjoy voyeurism.
EG Duel already does this. It's maybe too sensitive, but I think it's the right idea.
I suspect this subject is well beaten and controversial. AS A COMPROMISE, I suggest we try a bot-enforced spike-free hour or two during the peak hours so that players who are close to the server can have a fair game during prime time, and players in faraway places and funky time zones are not deprived of the ability to play the game.
Comments?
:shock1: 547 Aussies. That's a lot. I didn't think Finland and Nertherlands would have that many though o.O
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