14 DAY TRIAL // Games tend to be some tough bunches of pixels that can drive you completely mad with their zany, difficult levels/monsters/whatever. Ostracism and torture in the medieval times were nothing but little angels compared to the hell of pressing, for the hundredth time, the "retry" button. What does the regular gamer do in such circumstances (of course, AFTER smashing the controller to the wall, spitting on the screen and chewing on the power cable)? It googles the following: "Game's name, cheats, Softpedia". God mode, invincibility, infinite ammo - and the gamer is calm again, ready to experience Heaven.
Yes, as the title subtly suggests, this Weekend Reading is about cheaters. Not necessarily "casual" cheaters that just can't pass a level because some developer thought it would be cool to make it impossible and they DO have to use the codes. We're talking about the hardcore ones, those who guide their lives following one golden rule of thumb: Cheat, cheat, cheat. We're talking about the scum, the losers, the "I don't care about the game, I only have to win". Let's see three points of view. Are they good, bad or just plain ugly?
(Andrei Dumitrescu, Games Editor)
Codes are l33t. Everyone should be forced to also pick up a poster full of codes to hang on their walls when they pick up a game. Advantages follow.
I don't want to stand around the watercooler asking myself, and maybe other in a very low voice, "Hey! Did Joe finish Bioshock so we can talk about it?". I don't want to make friends run away when I mention the name of a game they haven't finished yet.
I use codes and I use walkthroughs and I use trainers and I get through a game pretty quickly. Damn, there are so many games out there that need trainers and cheats. Otherwise, I might still be trapped in some house by the dock in Baldurs Gate 2 trying to kill a Lich (yes, that was a long time ago but that lich was pretty tough).
When I play games, I want to talk about games. But talking without spoiling is hard. If you and me and everybody else would just learn to Google using the terms "walkthrough" and "cheat" my life would be so much easier. No more playing dumb on how Knights of the Old Republic plays out, no more grinning of the teeth when someone says they just started The Witcher, no more thinking alone about the best strategy to kill Andrei in Bloodlines.
And, of course, there are the on-line cheaters. The people who use cheats to equalize the playing field against the expert twichers, against those that spend their whole lives playing games on-line. I have a job and social life, there's no way I can compete with a kid who lives on his parents money while devoting every bit of free time to Unreal Tournament. So, I cheat! Can you blame me?
I dream of a gaming world where gamers who use codes are not looked down upon as lesser creatures, where they can proudly and clearly say that they use codes because they don't have the time or they don't have the skills to beat a game or another. I dream of a world where cheating is OK, where cheaters and non cheaters can live together in the all encompassing glare of a computer monitor. Alas, my dream will probably never become reality with all the purists around, arguing that cheating is wrong and that finishing a game with help from a trainer is somehow a taint upon the gamer who does it.
Next time someone tells me cheating is wrong I'll tell them what "Would you kindly..." means.
(Silviu Stahie, Video and PC Games Editor)
Let's say I'm a cheater. There are only three reasons why I would do such a despicable thing: I can't get past some level in a game as my brain is too small and incapable of computing the trillions of possibilities developers chose to provide when they finished the level design. At this particular point, I need a friend to help me with the cheats because I don't even know how to use them (and don't even get me started on the trainers methodology). The second reason is that I am a fanboy, hyped up on forum adrenaline. I live only to be considered a god among other fanboys and to be able to write "I'm done" on every game that crosses my path actually make my day. This is why I'm the first to say "they" have done a terrible job with the game and that it was too short. The third and final reason it's because I'm an old fart (anyone over 26 will qualify when playing games) and I don't really have the time and resources to actually finish games. I will never stay up late to post on some obscure forum that I finished it because I'm already asleep at that hour.
Let's say I'm against cheating: there are two categories of people that are against cheaters and cheating in general. The first group is the quite vocal and will use any opportunity to brand anyone that will even hint that using cheats is OK. They will ban, block, forbid, prohibit, suppress, outlaw and any other synonyms you can think of to prove their point. The second group is also completely against cheating and will side with the previous group just to get on the righteous side. They will however use cheats and walkthroughs just like an alcoholic or drug addict (these are the dangerous ones).
What side will you choose (the fanboys in the back row need to sit down)? What's the difference between common sense and the bland ignorance and disrespect for developers and their work? What about the people coming home from work tired and wanting only to get a nice clean headshot in Counter Strike without the fear of a hack? How can we draw a clear line in the sand and say no more? Such questions will go unanswered mainly because people have rights (isn't that a bummer?) and I can say for certain cheating is a chronic disease that will never see any cure.
(Calin Ciabai, Games Editor)
Cheating is definitely not good - it's not even bad, for God's sake! Cheating is ugly. Hideous, actually, but it would've ruined our western theme. Why? Here are my? five cents:
1. Cheaters will always finish the game waaay before you do. While you will still be playing the third level, trying to defeat that boss that pulverizes you with one hit, the Cheater will be out with your geek friends, detailing how cool the ending video was. So who gets all the praise? Yup, that's ugly! 2. Cheaters are always too aggressive and aggressiveness is ugly. Just imagine you're playing a multiplayer FPS, close to losing your mind when the Cheater kills you for the 20th time with a headshot from miles away. His messages are rolling down the screen: "Hahaha, n00b!," "You l00ser!," "*****" and other stuff that just can't be reproduced here. He's aggressive and it drives you mad. What's even worse: you can't do anything about it. 3. Cheaters just can't stop. They're addicted. Because they are actually weak, they lack the skills - they're just not good enough. And cheating gives them power. Just think: is there anything uglier than a lowlife who turns into a king just because he knows a code? 4. Cheaters never cheat. That is a known fact - nobody will ever admit they're too weak to do something good, something on their own, because their glory would mean nothing. And that's what they want: glory. And getting all the praise for lying is damn ugly. 5. Cheaters don't value games. No comment. There is nothing uglier than this. If you don't value them, don't play. Period.
This is what we feel about cheaters and, in a more general way, about cheating. Feel free to share your opinion with us.