Cheating: What is it really?

Welcome back!

Many people have an opinion on what is considered cheating and what is not considered cheating. Some people think it is okay to cheat against Non-Player Characters (NPCs) but not against actual players. Others  think it is okay to use in-game codes but not okay to modify system memory, game files, saved data, network activity, etc.

One of the most popular (and older) forms of cheating are cheat codes. Cheat codes are programmed by the developers to unlock certain aspects of the game without finding an item or accomplishing an objective. These are popular in old fighters, open world environments or any game that does have easy access to saved data or no online play. These codes are rarely if ever available online and will usually disable trophy or achievements.

In my opinion using cheat codes is not considered cheating. Why? Because you are modifying the gameplay in a way the developers did not intend. If they included the code than they would at some point intend for you to use the code. If not why did they create it in the first place?

Another more modern form of cheating is the modification of system memory, game files and network activity. You will see this a lot more on PC or Mac games where the system and memory data is more easily accessible. The system and memory files are modified client side and are used to give characters more power than they are supposed to have. The common defense against this vulnerability is to require the server to check system, memory and character data before it accepts that player into the game. The most popular example of this are game sharks.

Some more recent events have occurred within the Call of Duty communities on consoles. What happens in this situation is that a player intercepts network traffic and hosts their own server. From here they have access to modify any data they have access to via network traffic (this usually includes most if not all of the data for that lobby). To solve this issue developers try to tighten the encryption and security of network traffic. This solution is usually circumvented with time though.

Modifying game data is definitely a form of cheating in my opinion. When you modify game files you obviously not playing the game the way the developers intended. When a player performs these actions they are clearly have the intent to modify the normal gameplay of the game.

The third most popular form of cheating is taking advantage of a known game bug. In this case the player is not altering or activating any special feature of the game. Instead the player either stumbles upon or knowingly uses the game bug to his or her own advantage. These bugs usually get fixed and won't usually pop up again in the future once they are fixed.

If the player accidentally stumbles upon the bug I don't think that is a form of cheating. The player did not intend to play the game inappropriately but was just trying to play the game as intended. However if the player finds out how to take advantage of the bug and knowingly uses that advantage that is cheating. The player knows they are doing something wrong and not playing the game as intended.

The least popular, but very vocal, form of cheating is when a player plays the game against the rules of another player. These are usually unwritten rules that some, but not all, of the players in a community are ware of and follow. This is cheating in my opinion. No player should be obligated to follow the made up rules of another player if they do not choose to. As long as they play the game as intended they can play however they want.

In summary it is my opinion that as long as players play the game the way the developers intended then they are not cheating. This a very touchy subject that I bet most gamers, athletes or competitors have an opinion on. My opinion is not absolute and in no way correct or right. However I do believe that before a game or match begins each player should be aware of the rules and agree to them before started the game or match.

What do you think cheating is? Is your opinion different or similar to mine? In my next post I am going to talk about Heroes and Villains: Are they the same? Be sure to check back next time!

Bye for now,

Superskull85 - The Dark Skull