Well, games like MW2 on the PC are pretty much always superior to their console cousins. I mean, with the PC, you can do all sorts of tweaks and put it in developer mode.
There's all the custom maps and user made content, that increases the lifespan of a game.
There's also the dedicated servers of PC games, which allow us to have community-run hang outs where friends and clans can play the way we like.
my biggest complaints on the PC side is without dedicated servers, we don't have admins to kick the kids who should be playing Halo on xbox live instead of spamming racial slurs in game. Also not being able to map vote or kick vote sucks.
I finally got around to try MW3 MP on my PC the other night, too many other games in the way. I'm now very meh on this game. I had an open mind when the changes were announced, but my brief time playing it was a drag, getting bounced around to different servers and having servers drop.
It's not like that never happened in COD4, but in this short sample, it sure doesn't look good. And considering I hated my PC experience with World at War online, I think COD is dead to me now.
I swear to God I tried many many times to play first person shooters on console but ultimately couldn't.
Same goes for RTS.
So I can't say anything about the XBox 360 version... a friend of mine who is used to playing on consoles will give it a go tomorrow, and I suspect he will like it.
But I loved the single player campaign on my PC, and as for the multiplayer...
Well, it's not as bad as I thought it would be, but yes, dedicated servers would be far better.
What usually happens is that I end up playing with the worst lag among all players, and that ends up affecting gameplay.
I'm not exactly a pro player, so I end up with lots of frustration with getting shot out of nowhere and shooting people which I never seem to hit.
But I don't have that much time to play online, and I bought the game for the single player campain... so I'm plenty satisfied.
Oh yeah, I love knifing people... almost 90% of rounds I played ended up with that "Most knife kills" title.
Background of hating campers on Counter Strike Source.
Thanks for the write-up. For most PC players such as myself, this is stuff we already know but for those not really a part of the PC community, it's good to have a comparision.
MW2 on PC is pretty much a total port...minus of course handy things like LAN play and splitscreen since we PC users clearly hate those things.
I disagree with one bit of the article however and I feel it should be pointed out.
When all is said and done, it's a matter of personal perception whether the system is inferior or not
While that could be considered true, someones perception is not always correct. In my opinion, the system is markedly inferior and while I can appreciate the ease-of-use that matchmaking provides, it could have still been done very easily while still retaining dedicated server and P2P lobbies.
Just off the top of my head, Crysis Wars is a prime example of my point. It has a quick match option - one click and it'll search for a match based on preferences set in the options menu. It allows P2P games to be set up. It has LAN support (also, Crysis Wars allows for one disc to be used for an infinite amount of players connected through a LAN) and it supports dedicated servers. It has the whole package and nothing is compromised.
I'm steadfast in my opinion that this was more about control and cash than any sentiment towards any kind of consumer, either that or laziness on IWs part. No matter the case, I'm disappointed in MW2 on PC.
@-MasterDex-: I don't even consider it a matter of perception. The numbers, average latency, are cold hard facts that show the system is inferior to a dedicated server model.
@-MasterDex-:
All I read in your long monologue was that you hated LAN and Splitscreen.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you PC folk crazy about LAN parties?
Also, it's very understandable why a PC game wouldn't have split-screen. But do you really HATE it? Has a PC game ever offered split-screen? Now that I think about it, that would be pretty neat if you could plug in another mouse and keyboard and play splitscreen like you would on a console.
@OiScout: What I find funny is that although Codemasters forums were in flames over the lack of dedicated servers, it took a game of the magnitude of MW2 to get some press to the ever-increasing problem.
@-MasterDex-: I have to agree with you on this, there's not much about matchmaking-only listen server setups that you can point to and say, "Hey look, this is better!" with dedicated server + quick match, there are quantifiable improvements in latency, possible player count, and gameflow, with qualitative benefits as far as custom content and an increased sense of community. The only tangible thing matchmaking-only has going for it is host-migration, though most dedicated servers are far more reliable that any given matchmaking host.
That, and the removal of LAN play for PCs is just ridiculous, LAN parties are great advertising for games, people who enjoy them will often go out and buy a copy. More publishers need to realize the benefits of LAN play and stop viewing it in the same boat as piracy, they're mistaken if they think that more people enjoying their game won't drive sales.
Anyone who plays on PC may want to make sure they are running an anti-virus just in case.
There has been no response from IW/Activision about this or many of the other problems people are complaining about from people who actually bought the game either.
@demistate: I hope that it is a false positive and nothing. It is something people are running into and should regardless know about. Either to protect their PC or to know that it is not serious.
IW should at least assure people that it is no big deal or that they are working on it, rather than leaving it out in the open.
I like how when the modders DID get dedicated servers into MW2...
Did they use them to up the player limits? No.
Did they use them to ensure a more reliable host and speed? No.
Did they use them to rectify any of the super important complaints people had with the game not having dedicated servers?
OPf course not. They dicked around with grenade spamming and low gravity.
And people wonder why I have the least bit of respect for whiny PC gamers. They get a way to completely solve every problem they have with the game, and they HACK AND CHEAT, which the "problems" were meant to, and do, prevent!
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: ... or they could have just used the most simple and obvious means of proof that it was in fact a dedicated server when they were trying to you know, prove it was running on a dedicated server?
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: Because checking out the game's limits is puuuuuure evil.
I'm completely sure that they're actually working on "real" dedicated servers now.
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: You're completely ignoring the fact that if dedicated servers were implemented, we'd be able to choose whether or not we wanted to join modded servers. All COD games in the past had this option.
Stop using that crappy video as an excuse for playing it on console. It was made to prove a point.
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: The title of that video floating around is misleading. It's a game through IWnet, just the host has console enabled as was able to change game settings that way. There aren't third party dedicated servers...yet. The IP connect command is still available through the console, so eventually someone will figure it out. What has been done multiplayer wise, is the quite embarassing bypassing of steam, so that cracked versions of the game are able to play online perfectly normally on IWNet.
I'm sorry to say this, but you are a complete idiot.
You take ONE video and go and apply it to all PC gamers and all potential dedicated servers. There could very well be dedicated servers right now which have upped the player limit and ensure a reliable host. Hell, the video in question could have done both of those. But you probably didn't notice because you clearly have some sort of vendetta out against PC gamers.
What better way to prove you have made a dedicated server than to change server variables? Please, let me know.
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: What makes IWNet hackproof/cheatproof?
Think about this... people who figure out exploits like those you mentioned are likely the ones who would be hacking/cheating in the first place on dedicated servers.
The point being with the dedicated servers... you had a community of regulars and admins who moderate the server... who moderates the IWNet?
If a person lags/cheats/exploit bugs/have vulgar names/use vulgar language/is racist/etc.... they can get reprimanded easily on a dedicated server with admins. Right now I can't join a game without someone screaming "Penis Penis Cock Cock Penis" in the lobby. Sure I can mute them... but with dedicated servers you set rules... people who break them get the can.
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: Errm, they went OTT to show that they had access to the command console.
How else would they have demonstrated it in an overly obvious manner?
p.s It's not cheating if everyone is doing it.
And for some it's fun, hey we have Zero G nights on the Kotakuites server, huge fun on Nucleus. You should come join us, we can give you a Dedicated server 101.
I deanbmmv cordially invite you to tonight's TF2 event [steamcommunity.com]
We will show you a good time, and we will show you the difference between cheating and modding.
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: Yeah because one random video of people having a good time is indicative of what everyone on the PC is going to do. And lol at you if you really think that iwnet is preventing cheating on the PC side.
Edited by Sir-Lucius does anything for Dethklok at 11/18/09 4:30 PM
Sir-Lucius does anything for Dethklok was starred
Sir-Lucius does anything for Dethklok was unstarred
it made it seem like the big revolution was that they could dick around with stettin changes, not that they could do the things they were so adamantly asking for before the game came out. The important things that was the main focus of every argument for dedicated servers, remember those?
I found a distinct irony in "Yay dedicated servers, let's spam grenades and be obnoxious, instead of upping the player limit or doing the things we said we wanted them for" and apparently that was wrong and not ironic
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: Spamming grenades and being obnoxious IS one of the things people wanted to be able to do.
That's one of the things about PC gamers, we enjoy playing hardcore Arma style shooters, and dicking around on Rainbow in TF2 with low gravity and death sentries. It's about being able to play games the way WE want, not necessarily the way the devs saw best. How better to illustrate that than have a bunch of people spamming grenades and jumping around Tribes style?
Edited by Sir-Lucius does anything for Dethklok at 11/18/09 4:34 PM
Sir-Lucius does anything for Dethklok was starred
Sir-Lucius does anything for Dethklok was unstarred
@WhiteMÃ¥ge: it made it seem like the big revolution was that they could dick around with stettin changes, not that they could do the things they were so adamantly asking for before the game came out.
No, it showed that they had gained control.
Please for the love of all that is sane in this world, stop making ignorant comments.
@Bogulmon: I didn't read it, just posted in here to see if there is a way to block this constant MW2 BS. Everytime I load up the page, a mw2 article is at the top. Just gets annoying. And if there was a way to block it, I'd be a happy camper.
@FatherFingers: Good job on adding to the total number of daily Kotaku visitors who click-through on MW2 articles. Doing so will help convince them that they should post more MW2 articles. Which was your goal, right?
@ChicagoRyan: Cheats are very definitely up. Searching YouTube will net you a few videos, though as far as I know there are really 2 main ones going out. I can't say anything about how many people out there are actually hacking, as I don't have the game.
@HarroChan: What did that have to do with cheating? That was showing the ability to have dedicated servers through a few walkarounds. Thats not cheating.
@omgwtflolbbl @HarroChan: That's great and everything, but search youtube for cheats for any game and you'll find videos. Videos of others testing cheats in a game doesn't imply that they're everywhere, just that they exist.
I have seen guys on the IW forums say they haven't bought MW2 due to their boycott, then go off minutes later in another thread claiming that multiplayer is infested with cheaters in nearly every game when they haven't even played it. Cheating is not a problem so far in my opinion.
Also, while Fahey may not have played a ton, keep in mind that it takes a lot of time to get to the level 60+ range, we're talking close to two real days of playtime. So close to 48 hours in, and no cheaters yet. I think that says something about the state of PC multiplayer right now, unless I've been exceptionally lucky.
Even with a small number of cheaters out there, PC gamers need to keep in mind that VAC normally takes a little while to roll out blanket bans. Going against the standard though, I've heard that some of the cheaters on Youtube were banned within hours. It's entirely possible that these guys are being banned from MW2 before they can really become a problem.
@ChicagoRyan: Half the time, you wouldn't even realise you were playing with a cheater. The reason being that many have been hacking long enough to know how to hide many of the signs and this is where the advantage of having administrated servers came in handy.
With the likes of PBBans and Punksbusted which are ban lists that keep track of confirmed hackers caught by both punkbuster and administers, many cheaters, no matter how good they were at hiding their hacks would be banned upon entering a server streaming to these lists.
Where administrators come in is that as the overlords of a server, they have the responsiblity to make sure any house rules are adhered to and no one is using hacks. Administrators and moderators of servers often spend a great deal of time familiarising themselves with the different hacks and how to spot them.
Now with the lack of streaming ban lists and administrators along with the delayed ban system VAC uses, it's going to be harder to deal with any cheaters that may appear.
A few tip-offs I've picked up in my time are:
Wallhacks and aimbots can often be hard to detect because a player using them can see through walls or lock on automatically to the hitbox while killcams or spectators of that player show nothing. On top of this, clever players using them will act like they cannot see through walls or adjust the level of auto-aim to allow a more natural look.
For instance, someone using a wallhack is walking up to a T junction walled on either side of himself. Another player is coming from the left of the player but is obscured by the buldings/walls on either side of the wallhacker but because of the wallhack, they know where that player is and while walking straight forward, keep their eyes trained on the player out of the corner of their eye. Once the player hits the centre of the T-junction, the wallhacker will immediately shoot and probably catch the player unaware and no one will be any wiser as to the presence of the wallhacker.
Fortunately, not everyone using hacks are quite so clever and even the clever ones slip up.
Signs of someone using a wallhack is someone pointing towards the wall and aiming as if following something on the otherside. Now, this is possible without hacks with a UAV so the lack of a UAV is a good sign towards wallhacks because while sound may be a giveaway, the accuracy of the aiming will be more precise than what any sound will allow for.
Aimbots can be easier to detect as often times the lock on is unnatural. The only way this can often be spotted is from long bouts of spectating and seeing sudden jerky aiming.
I won't go into any more detail as this comment is long enough but remember, hacks do not automatically mean ownage so just because someone isn't doing well, it does not mean they aren't hacking.
Now, to get back to your original comment, I'm not saying you have played against hackers but didn't realise it and I believe you probably haven't. I can say that I haven't played against many hackers or had to ban many hackers from either our clan server or random servers...I did once stumble into a hack server where a hacking group were testing out their hacks, funny thing was I ended up at the top of the table with no hacks and got kicked when I told them I wasn't hacking.
The point of my comment was just to say that it's possible to play against hackers and be none the wiser and hopefully give some tips as to how to spot them.
Is cheating really a huge problem with MW2 on the PC? I haven't been following it much (any interesting discourse tends to be drowned out by cries of "MY POOR DEDICATED SERVERRRRRRRRSSSS") but it seems like kill-cams would make any kind of cheating extremely obvious.
@ryoshi: I haven't noticed hardly any cheating minus a few strange moments where someone I was killed by was practically tracking me through a wall.
I think some of the complaining is coming from the fact even when it is blatantly obvious, there's very little in the way of being able to report the problem with no admins and such.
@Barbadus: To be fair, with FMJs wall penetration kills are pretty easy, and UAV's/Heartbeat Sensors/Radar allows pretty easy tracking. I understand that it would be tough to ban people with no admins, though - I guess I hadn't thought of that.
But this game uses Steam. Does it not utilize VAC protection?
@ryoshi: VAC is time delayed, so people can be cheating for weeks before getting banned. Plus it is possible to get around VAC, and relatively easily from what I understand.
The lack of an admin/ability to kick a player is the worst part though. Even if someone gets a VAC ban, players lose the ability to grant instant satisfaction of kicking a cheater/griefer/general asshat.
@ryoshi: Yep agreed, I chase people through walls with FMJ on the light machine guns all the time, and have even been accused of hacking before after such kills. I personally don't use heart beat sensors, but I'll wall spam with a UAV trace, muzzle flash, or just from hearing activity. To get the higher tier killstreaks, you really have to be tricky and proactive in getting the enemy before they can get you. I tend to get a chopper gunner or AC130 from killstreaks at least 3-4 times a day.
Also from what I've experienced, FMJ can penetrate multiple layers/walls so if you've got a general idea where they are you can take them out. LMGs enable players to really spam away too, especially if the scavenger pro perk is active. :)
Here's a nasty trick for all platform players, spam the heck out of claymores when using scavenger. There have been some rounds where I've gotten 50-60% of my kills from claymores alone. You can literally lock down any location, just make sure you have a good hiding spot to avoid the inevitable grenade launcher spam once your opponents catch on.
@ryoshi: Oh absolutely, there are definitely a lot of tools in this game that allow you to be aware of where your enemies are though tracking your exact movement with their crosshair several seconds before even round the wall. No shots we're fired until the instant I was about to pop out of cover.
VAC definitely has good intentions but as Sir-Lucius has said is extremely easy to workaround since I beileve it primarily scans for alterations to the game files themselves. It's just really difficult to take care of someone like that in a somewhat timely fashion.
I understand why Valve doesn't ban cheaters on-sight - it forces hackers to waste a lot of time trying false avenues. I'm kind of interested in how VAC is easily worked around - as Barbadus said, it checks for the integrity of the game files, and I can't figure out how any kind of hack would function without hooking into the program.
Err...To clarify, I'm not looking for hacks or anything, I'm just interested on a technical level. VAC always seemed pretty secure to me.
I know everybody is excited about this game, I am too, but let's be realistic here. This game looks about as good as the Witcher, maybe worse, and that game is a few years old now. The graphics are disappointing even on the PC with maxed out settings, but after the first 2 hours I fell in love with the incredible story and awesome characters. #dragonageorigins
@Sparhawk: That's basically how I feel about this game. I can forgive the lackluster graphics for the excellent storyline, dialogue, customization, sense of scale, and awesome combat. #dragonageorigins
this is disappointing. Was looking forward to enjoying this on my couch infront of a big screen, not getting sucked back into a WOW like state. Any PS3 players regretting the purchase on that platform? #dragonageorigins
@cleh19: Not really because I got it for the PC as well.
But honestly if they released the updated specs for the game, early enough to help change decisions people would've bought it for their PCs.
Just like with Fallout 3, I think I won't really be playing it on the PS3 but my wife would. We try to have one game a year that we can set aside and play together instead of being passive observers (well she's more of that than me with some games).
Still amongst console versions the PS3 is slightly better due to visuals and loading time. #dragonageorigins
@cleh19: Yes. But that's probably more because I went looking for the PC version and it was sold out at the store where I was at and taking the lazy route I just bought PS3 version.
I'll probably get the PC version from Steam this weekend. #dragonageorigins
Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 on the PC were awesome-tastic. Baldur's Gate on console was...alright, but just feels really awkward to play. "Spiritual Successor" to Baldur's Gate? Definitely going to play it on the PC.
Mine sits somewhere between the minimum and recommended, and your review there gives me hope that it will run just fine. #dragonageorigins
11/20/09
since there arn't dedicated servers there isn't anyway to kick the guy. And just how are you suppose to report these guys?
IWNet is not superior to dedicated servers and active Admins.
11/19/09
There's all the custom maps and user made content, that increases the lifespan of a game.
There's also the dedicated servers of PC games, which allow us to have community-run hang outs where friends and clans can play the way we like.
Oh wait.
11/18/09
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It's not like that never happened in COD4, but in this short sample, it sure doesn't look good. And considering I hated my PC experience with World at War online, I think COD is dead to me now.
11/18/09
Same goes for RTS.
So I can't say anything about the XBox 360 version... a friend of mine who is used to playing on consoles will give it a go tomorrow, and I suspect he will like it.
But I loved the single player campaign on my PC, and as for the multiplayer...
Well, it's not as bad as I thought it would be, but yes, dedicated servers would be far better.
What usually happens is that I end up playing with the worst lag among all players, and that ends up affecting gameplay.
I'm not exactly a pro player, so I end up with lots of frustration with getting shot out of nowhere and shooting people which I never seem to hit.
But I don't have that much time to play online, and I bought the game for the single player campain... so I'm plenty satisfied.
Oh yeah, I love knifing people... almost 90% of rounds I played ended up with that "Most knife kills" title.
Background of hating campers on Counter Strike Source.
11/18/09
MW2 on PC is pretty much a total port...minus of course handy things like LAN play and splitscreen since we PC users clearly hate those things.
I disagree with one bit of the article however and I feel it should be pointed out.
When all is said and done, it's a matter of personal perception whether the system is inferior or not
While that could be considered true, someones perception is not always correct. In my opinion, the system is markedly inferior and while I can appreciate the ease-of-use that matchmaking provides, it could have still been done very easily while still retaining dedicated server and P2P lobbies.
Just off the top of my head, Crysis Wars is a prime example of my point. It has a quick match option - one click and it'll search for a match based on preferences set in the options menu. It allows P2P games to be set up. It has LAN support (also, Crysis Wars allows for one disc to be used for an infinite amount of players connected through a LAN) and it supports dedicated servers. It has the whole package and nothing is compromised.
I'm steadfast in my opinion that this was more about control and cash than any sentiment towards any kind of consumer, either that or laziness on IWs part. No matter the case, I'm disappointed in MW2 on PC.
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All I read in your long monologue was that you hated LAN and Splitscreen.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you PC folk crazy about LAN parties?
Also, it's very understandable why a PC game wouldn't have split-screen. But do you really HATE it? Has a PC game ever offered split-screen? Now that I think about it, that would be pretty neat if you could plug in another mouse and keyboard and play splitscreen like you would on a console.
11/18/09
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That, and the removal of LAN play for PCs is just ridiculous, LAN parties are great advertising for games, people who enjoy them will often go out and buy a copy. More publishers need to realize the benefits of LAN play and stop viewing it in the same boat as piracy, they're mistaken if they think that more people enjoying their game won't drive sales.
11/18/09
11/18/09
[www.modernwarfare2.com]
Anyone who plays on PC may want to make sure they are running an anti-virus just in case.
There has been no response from IW/Activision about this or many of the other problems people are complaining about from people who actually bought the game either.
11/18/09
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IW should at least assure people that it is no big deal or that they are working on it, rather than leaving it out in the open.
#speakup
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Did they use them to up the player limits? No.
Did they use them to ensure a more reliable host and speed? No.
Did they use them to rectify any of the super important complaints people had with the game not having dedicated servers?
OPf course not. They dicked around with grenade spamming and low gravity.
And people wonder why I have the least bit of respect for whiny PC gamers. They get a way to completely solve every problem they have with the game, and they HACK AND CHEAT, which the "problems" were meant to, and do, prevent!
11/18/09
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11/18/09
I'm completely sure that they're actually working on "real" dedicated servers now.
11/18/09
Stop using that crappy video as an excuse for playing it on console. It was made to prove a point.
11/18/09
11/18/09
I'm sorry to say this, but you are a complete idiot.
You take ONE video and go and apply it to all PC gamers and all potential dedicated servers. There could very well be dedicated servers right now which have upped the player limit and ensure a reliable host. Hell, the video in question could have done both of those. But you probably didn't notice because you clearly have some sort of vendetta out against PC gamers.
What better way to prove you have made a dedicated server than to change server variables? Please, let me know.
11/18/09
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Think about this... people who figure out exploits like those you mentioned are likely the ones who would be hacking/cheating in the first place on dedicated servers.
The point being with the dedicated servers... you had a community of regulars and admins who moderate the server... who moderates the IWNet?
If a person lags/cheats/exploit bugs/have vulgar names/use vulgar language/is racist/etc.... they can get reprimanded easily on a dedicated server with admins. Right now I can't join a game without someone screaming "Penis Penis Cock Cock Penis" in the lobby. Sure I can mute them... but with dedicated servers you set rules... people who break them get the can.
11/18/09
How else would they have demonstrated it in an overly obvious manner?
p.s It's not cheating if everyone is doing it.
And for some it's fun, hey we have Zero G nights on the Kotakuites server, huge fun on Nucleus. You should come join us, we can give you a Dedicated server 101.
I deanbmmv cordially invite you to tonight's TF2 event
[steamcommunity.com]
We will show you a good time, and we will show you the difference between cheating and modding.
11/18/09
I also wasn't aware that tinkering with settings on your server was considered HACKING AND CHEATING (seemed like that needed the capslock).
Also, I'm sure the ONLY thing PC users would have done with dedicated servers was 'dicked around.'
If you're what represents console gamers, I don't think us whiny PC gamers look half bad.
11/18/09
11/18/09
I would've expected showing a lot more people htan the limit playing, rather than marking their success with doing a bunch of stupid crap.
MY BAD I guess #speakup
11/18/09
In all seriousness. Think rationally for a moment.
How else are you going to prove it was a Dedicated server?
11/18/09
I would've expected showing a lot more people htan the limit playing, rather than marking their success with doing a bunch of stupid crap.
11/18/09
Because, ya know, changing server settings are ~toootally cheating and hacking.
And here I was thinking cheating and hacking were using things like aimbots and making use of things like collision exploits.
EDIT: And that "stupid crap" is actually a far better illustration of success than trying to show player limit.
11/18/09
it made it seem like the big revolution was that they could dick around with stettin changes, not that they could do the things they were so adamantly asking for before the game came out. The important things that was the main focus of every argument for dedicated servers, remember those?
I found a distinct irony in "Yay dedicated servers, let's spam grenades and be obnoxious, instead of upping the player limit or doing the things we said we wanted them for" and apparently that was wrong and not ironic
11/18/09
11/18/09
That's one of the things about PC gamers, we enjoy playing hardcore Arma style shooters, and dicking around on Rainbow in TF2 with low gravity and death sentries. It's about being able to play games the way WE want, not necessarily the way the devs saw best. How better to illustrate that than have a bunch of people spamming grenades and jumping around Tribes style?
11/18/09
No, it showed that they had gained control.
Please for the love of all that is sane in this world, stop making ignorant comments.
11/18/09
11/18/09
Yeah yeah, "you don't have to read them, yada yada." But I dont know how to block this shit.
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I have seen guys on the IW forums say they haven't bought MW2 due to their boycott, then go off minutes later in another thread claiming that multiplayer is infested with cheaters in nearly every game when they haven't even played it. Cheating is not a problem so far in my opinion.
Also, while Fahey may not have played a ton, keep in mind that it takes a lot of time to get to the level 60+ range, we're talking close to two real days of playtime. So close to 48 hours in, and no cheaters yet. I think that says something about the state of PC multiplayer right now, unless I've been exceptionally lucky.
Even with a small number of cheaters out there, PC gamers need to keep in mind that VAC normally takes a little while to roll out blanket bans. Going against the standard though, I've heard that some of the cheaters on Youtube were banned within hours. It's entirely possible that these guys are being banned from MW2 before they can really become a problem.
11/18/09
With the likes of PBBans and Punksbusted which are ban lists that keep track of confirmed hackers caught by both punkbuster and administers, many cheaters, no matter how good they were at hiding their hacks would be banned upon entering a server streaming to these lists.
Where administrators come in is that as the overlords of a server, they have the responsiblity to make sure any house rules are adhered to and no one is using hacks. Administrators and moderators of servers often spend a great deal of time familiarising themselves with the different hacks and how to spot them.
Now with the lack of streaming ban lists and administrators along with the delayed ban system VAC uses, it's going to be harder to deal with any cheaters that may appear.
A few tip-offs I've picked up in my time are:
Wallhacks and aimbots can often be hard to detect because a player using them can see through walls or lock on automatically to the hitbox while killcams or spectators of that player show nothing. On top of this, clever players using them will act like they cannot see through walls or adjust the level of auto-aim to allow a more natural look.
For instance, someone using a wallhack is walking up to a T junction walled on either side of himself. Another player is coming from the left of the player but is obscured by the buldings/walls on either side of the wallhacker but because of the wallhack, they know where that player is and while walking straight forward, keep their eyes trained on the player out of the corner of their eye. Once the player hits the centre of the T-junction, the wallhacker will immediately shoot and probably catch the player unaware and no one will be any wiser as to the presence of the wallhacker.
Fortunately, not everyone using hacks are quite so clever and even the clever ones slip up.
Signs of someone using a wallhack is someone pointing towards the wall and aiming as if following something on the otherside. Now, this is possible without hacks with a UAV so the lack of a UAV is a good sign towards wallhacks because while sound may be a giveaway, the accuracy of the aiming will be more precise than what any sound will allow for.
Aimbots can be easier to detect as often times the lock on is unnatural. The only way this can often be spotted is from long bouts of spectating and seeing sudden jerky aiming.
I won't go into any more detail as this comment is long enough but remember, hacks do not automatically mean ownage so just because someone isn't doing well, it does not mean they aren't hacking.
Now, to get back to your original comment, I'm not saying you have played against hackers but didn't realise it and I believe you probably haven't. I can say that I haven't played against many hackers or had to ban many hackers from either our clan server or random servers...I did once stumble into a hack server where a hacking group were testing out their hacks, funny thing was I ended up at the top of the table with no hacks and got kicked when I told them I wasn't hacking.
The point of my comment was just to say that it's possible to play against hackers and be none the wiser and hopefully give some tips as to how to spot them.
11/18/09
11/18/09
I think some of the complaining is coming from the fact even when it is blatantly obvious, there's very little in the way of being able to report the problem with no admins and such.
11/18/09
But this game uses Steam. Does it not utilize VAC protection?
11/18/09
The lack of an admin/ability to kick a player is the worst part though. Even if someone gets a VAC ban, players lose the ability to grant instant satisfaction of kicking a cheater/griefer/general asshat.
11/18/09
Also from what I've experienced, FMJ can penetrate multiple layers/walls so if you've got a general idea where they are you can take them out. LMGs enable players to really spam away too, especially if the scavenger pro perk is active. :)
Here's a nasty trick for all platform players, spam the heck out of claymores when using scavenger. There have been some rounds where I've gotten 50-60% of my kills from claymores alone. You can literally lock down any location, just make sure you have a good hiding spot to avoid the inevitable grenade launcher spam once your opponents catch on.
11/18/09
VAC definitely has good intentions but as Sir-Lucius has said is extremely easy to workaround since I beileve it primarily scans for alterations to the game files themselves. It's just really difficult to take care of someone like that in a somewhat timely fashion.
#speakup
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
I understand why Valve doesn't ban cheaters on-sight - it forces hackers to waste a lot of time trying false avenues. I'm kind of interested in how VAC is easily worked around - as Barbadus said, it checks for the integrity of the game files, and I can't figure out how any kind of hack would function without hooking into the program.
Err...To clarify, I'm not looking for hacks or anything, I'm just interested on a technical level. VAC always seemed pretty secure to me.
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
11/05/09
But honestly if they released the updated specs for the game, early enough to help change decisions people would've bought it for their PCs.
Just like with Fallout 3, I think I won't really be playing it on the PS3 but my wife would. We try to have one game a year that we can set aside and play together instead of being passive observers (well she's more of that than me with some games).
Still amongst console versions the PS3 is slightly better due to visuals and loading time. #dragonageorigins
11/05/09
I'll probably get the PC version from Steam this weekend. #dragonageorigins
11/04/09
Mine sits somewhere between the minimum and recommended, and your review there gives me hope that it will run just fine. #dragonageorigins