Cheaters, when will you prevent this?

If you look at the screen shot they’ve got max stats; which is impossible to get legitimately.

There are “trainers” for it on PC (allegedly) which allow you to unlock all skills, increase damage, invincibility etc.

The “any ammo etc.” glitch is annoying, but at least on console it’s easy to kick & block if you find that sort of thing annoying.

Disclaimer:
I’ve only ever played it on Xbox, but have seen screenshots of people using trainers. Personally, I’m totally against that sort of thing especially in a multiplayer game where people are playing legitimately. I’d like to see cheaters match-made with other cheaters. That way they can do their thing, and we can do ours. :slight_smile:

Everyone here can agree to disagree all they want on cheaters/cheat software, but Generation Zero is primarily a PVE game rather or not the player is playing solo or co-op. Sure playing with friends or even randoms is good & all, but the online stability still has a lot to be desirable.

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Would it be ok with a “name and shame” thread to warn others of known cheaters? :rage:

Three of them, just this evening alone.

For now I suggest 2 solutions:

  1. Play with people you know
  2. Play solo

Yeah I know. It’s just that I’ve always enjoyed joining random games, since most of the players I meet are nice and play legit, so it’s a shame that this can keep going on, and that there’s no blacklist option of any kind. The influx of cheaters the last few days are worrying for players like me.

Another one just now. I asked this guy if he enjoyed his weapons (full auto grg and Ex. AG4 with unlimited ammo, and of course, all skills maxed). His first reply “They are crazy” (the weapons). He claimed he had gotten them from someone at Avalanche (that was including all the skills maxed as well)! :rofl:

cheating_conversation_1

Seriously, I don’t know why they wont dispose of that useless matchmaking and do multiplayer joining like it is in The Hunter: Call of the Wild:

This would make all so easier for us.

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Yes please.

Anyway, one thing they could start with is to implement blacklists for the host. That way I won’t have to get in crappy conversations with cheaters that join my game and keep on kicking them over and over again…

So, after a long time and first time in 2020, i decided today to try out MP to see how the game stability is in MP (it’s good so far in SP).

Lord and behold, the very first game i joined, host was a skill point cheater. Screen too:

(Note: i edited the username out since there are no rules about publicly displaying cheater’s name and i don’t want mod dropping a ban hammer on me due to this.)

At first glance, host looks like any other max level player with a bit too much skills unlocked but closer inspection reveals the truth.

Host has unlocked 39x skills (10x in Combat, 8x in Support, 9x in Survival and 12x in Tech). That alone isn’t possible since there are only 30x skill points in the game. The most evident is the host’s skill level. At char level of 17, there is no way on earth having that many skills unlocked.

Did report the host via Steam though. Also, can provide uncensored screens when needed.

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As it was mentioned, a block list to certain players would benefit us all.
Letting people to have max skill level would also put us all in equal footing.

I really don’t get what the point of reporting people to Steam for cheating in this type of game is. It’s not PVP or competitive. If they joined your game and it interfered with your experience I could understand but not if they are using cheats in their own game and you don’t like it then you can exit the session.

it’s a legitimate strategy

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That technique is exploiting the game’s rival system. And using exploits in any game is frowned upon. Using in-game exploits (or bugs) isn’t as bad as outright cheating (with 3rd party program) but it isn’t that noble either.

I know several players (including myself) who try their hardest not to drop down (die). Sure, there aren’t any significant consequences for dying but keeping yourself alive in any means necessary gives additional challenge to the game, which i like.

Since people exploited the rival spawn from player kills quite a lot, devs changed the rival spawn system where now, you won’t get kill spawns so easily anymore with score spawns increased, just to counter the exploitation. That was tweaked in January’s Update;

Update notes: https://generationzero.com/en/blog/january-update


Since cheating is against the game rules, it doesn’t matter which type of the game it is. If i see a cheater, i will report him/her as well. That is known as: “doing the right thing”.

It’s like when you see a burglary to take place in the middle of night and rather than reporting it to the police you think: “Well, he doesn’t steal my stuff so why should i report him. Maybe he desperately needs food from that grocery store.”.

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Not a very good example
The burglary may not hurt me but it does hurt the homeowner so reporting it would make sense.
It’s more like calling the cops on someone for playing their music too loud when you don’t even live in the building or have to be there anyway.

I understand reporting cheats and exploits to the developers so they can patch them if they see fit, but trying to get someone banned on Steam because you don’t like how they are playing a game that they own is wrong. How does someone using cheats in their own game that they are hosting and you do’t have to play in hurt you?

They could have gotten tired of their missions and/or saves constantly being reset and having to start over so are using cheats to get through the game. Some of them could have beaten the game and are just playing around having fun blowing stuff up with friends. I’ve done that with a few games, after beating them legitimately, gone back in playing around with console commands to kill time.

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In their own game - I don’t care at all.

I do care though when a cheater joins my game, many times repeatedly after I’ve kicked them out over and over again due to the game lacking a blacklist option.
That or when a cheater joins someone else’s game I just joined.
Or when I join a game, see that the host or someone else cheats. I quit to the menu and try to join another game and get tossed in with the same guy again and again.
That’s what this is about.

Yes it’s a pve game, but when some cheater joins our rival hunt evening and blast everthing to bits in seconds with their cheat tools, I don’t find a reason to play anymore.

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100% agree
I was only referring to people do it in their own hosted game. I’m not against complaining or reporting troublesome players that are actually messing with people’s games.

that is a problem and could be easily fixed if they would just give us an “avoid player” option or otherwise fix the way it finds game to join

The example doesn’t have to be a very good one since you got what i was saying.

Btw, your counter example isn’t the best either. Sure, i may not live in that building or don’t have to be there but there are neighbors who do and loud music hurts them. Especially infants and toddles who need their nap during the day. So, reporting would make sense still.

I take that you’ve never reported anyone through Steam and doesn’t know how things work. Here’s what Steam says to you once you’ve made the report:
(the last line in green box)

If a cheater gets banned since they are cheating (doesn’t matter who reported them), then i only have this to say to a cheater: “If you can’t do the time - don’t do the crime.”.

While cheater in his own SP game doesn’t hurt anyone else except himself/herself, things change when said person joins MP game with cheats enabled. Will i be there when cheater joins someone else? No. But the poor bloke’s gameplay experience, who’s game cheater joined, can be hurt. Just like OGDH explained above.

Also, all the cheater needs to do, to avoid others joining his/hers SP game, is going into Multiplayer settings and set his/hers game “Invite Only”. With that setting, no other people can join the game, unless invited by host.

All cheaters should set their game to Invite Only. This would give them their own sandbox where to play by their rules while the rest of us (legit players) can enjoy cheat free MP game with other legit players.
There is a reason why crooks are held in a prison.


Steam has VAC and it would benefit GZ quite a bit. Though, i’m not sure if VAC can work with the Apex engine.

I’m moving this thread to the Feedback/Feature requests section, since it isn’t really a ‘bug’, but it is good feedback for Avalanche.

Thanks!
boston_51

it’s only shared between your characters

So, more folks seem to be annoyed with the level of cheating in GZ, and how it affects them.
These are ideas based on LOGIC and PRAGMATISM, and DEVOID of emotional impact.
I am NOT taking EMOTION in account here, but I try to address the problem of cheating.
No more… and no less… :slight_smile:

Simple ways to overcome cheating:

  1. Take the BEST GZ gamer, see how he levels, make a programmed rule one cannot have faster speeds gaining Exp.
  2. Take the BEST GZ gamer, do the same with levelling.
  3. To overcome ALREADY cheated accounts: next DLC is incompatible with current safe: one needs to restart.
  4. Use https://forum.generationzero.com/t/2-ideas-to-solve-the-weapon-drop-and-weapon-dupe-issue/22760/ as additional implementation.

Can a PROGRAMMER please tell me the feasibility of implementing this, approximate code duration, difficulty, ‘resource need’?
Thank you.

If you want more systems implemented, please do ask…
I have several ideas more, if needed.

Well I’ll be…
Upon search for cheater, cheating, it turned no results… my apologies…

Indeed, sir @Anon302611
But when weapons are level locked, the ‘need’ to dupe is gone.
Why dupe something… you cannot use?
Right?
Also, weapons could be given unique ID’s on creation, for example.
Having a duped ID would erase the dupe.
This has been done in many a game.
And the system… works…

Other ideas:
Godmode prevention: a simple piece of code that sees if hitting the player results in damage: if NOT, player is booted to start screen with a warning. Three warnings would result in save demolition.

Insta-Kill prevention: A simple piece of code that checks the weapon normal damage vs actual damage done: if NOT, player is booted to start screen with a warning. Three warnings would result in save demolition.

Speed Cheat: Player speed and stamina vs real speed and stamina ingame: if NOT correct, player is booted to start screen with a warning. Three warnings would result in save demolition.

Are you saying All current saves would not work?
Because if they did release a DLC or patch that made starting over from scratch mandatory that would get a lot of people angry.
I’m annoyed I had to restart as many times as I have because of bugs and have a hard time playing right now because I feel lost having to backtrack and figure out which side missions I need to re pick up. I dont want to start over again and lose the seasonal items I’d lose.

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