Answer to Question RE: This is Just a Game!

Captain_McCusker · **Answer to Question RE: This is Just a Game! -** 01-02-2003, 03:52 AM

I thought I'd go on a rant since I can't sleep this has been on my mind given all the activity on the forums the last couple weeks.

There are two issues constantly being tossed back and forth. 1) Disgust over Powell (not meant to start a new flame war with the genious, just pointing out the topic) and 2) Cheaters/Hackers (2 completely seperate things in itself). It seems that during these extreme discussions people have a hard time understanding the fuel that starts such fires in the first place and constantly point out the obvious - this is a game. Let me see if I can explain it, at least from my own point of view, so that those of you who don't understand may become more aware of why these topics are such heated ones.

1 - Powell: First off, Powell comes off as a nice guy. And in some way I will actually admit that he is. Here we have a 21 y/o who obviously enjoys the MOH community as I can't think of any other reason why he would stick around through all the abuse we've thrown him. He's helped quite a number of people on this forum with simple fixes to simple problems. He's also gone ahead and made a few "legit" mods and a map, or maps (I only know of one, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

Now the reason why he's so hated by the aa.com community (and even moreso by the AAN community). He used this as a front to being something more than just a nice guy. He joined the community that most of *this* community is disgusted by. Sort of making him a "double agent" if you will. However, instead of accepting that he was caught, when he was caught, he went ahead and made things worse for himself by trying to hide the fact.

Ok, still not a very big deal, but that's when things get interesting. He comes back to this community and says, "Oh please forgive me for the things I've done. I'm giving up all my cheating/hacking ways and want to be a part of this community just for the simple 'Love of the game.'" Quite a few people said, "Yeah, whatever Dude. Once a cheater, always a cheater." And then there was the side that said, "Hey, more power to ya. If you're really changing your ways, we'll give you a chance to prove yourself." Using that to feed on, he decided that he'd join a few of us on Teamspeak and tell us just how much he wanted to be considered an honest player. We gave him the benefit of the doubt.

That's where the "It's just a game" comes to an end, though. When he realised that while we were giving him the benefit of the doubt, he didn't understand why we couldn't just accept him with open arms and full trust through and through. And that fuled some kind of anger in him that then caused him to not only cross the line back into cheating, but he decided he would get even by hacking our server. He took the fact that we didn't want to think he was really that bad and used it to take complete advantage of us and not only cheat, but wreak havoc on our little community. And in that, he not only took advantage of us, but he betrayed the amount of trust we gave him - even if it was only a small amount.

And I would like to emphasize that he not only betrayed us, but he crossed a line from cheater to hacker and joined the ranks of dispicable people like TeamGod.

2 - Cheating/Hacking: This won't be as long and drawn out as the story about Powell, I promise. Ironically, though, it's much more important.

Cheating is one thing. Everyone likes to know there's an easy way around things. However, the general feeling is that in a game, it's just not fun if you can always win. And it's just not fun for someone who's being cheated if they're always losing. Most of us play this game as a form of entertainment and in hopes of "having fun." But add in people who cheat and the level of fun drops, and eventually is gone altogether.

No big deal, right? Just a game.

Well, if start to pay for a server to host this game for both people you know and people you don't, rules become important to you. Not because you're a nazi-admin and power is corrupting you, but because you want to insure that everyone who's playing on your server is having fun. When someone breaks these rules repeatedly, you want people to know you can put a stop to it to further protect that level of fun. When people start finding ways to get around your rules and in the end cheat you from the money you're spending on everyone's entertainment, well... they're in a sense taking your money. This might be hard for some of you to understand, but believe me... it became so incredibly clear to me when I dropped my first $69 on a server. And it became so much more clear to me when I had to up that amount to $159. This isn't small potatoes for entertainment's sake, so ensuring that everyone's having a good time and trusts in fair play becomes more than important, but necessary.

Then there are those that hack into the server to wreak havok of some sort for the simple pleasure of seeing it crash and pissing people off. The thing they don't fully grasp is that while this seems so trivial a thing to do with a game, someone's actually forking over hard earned money to enjoy this game. Same as with the cheating, but to a greater degree, these guys are ripping people off. When you crash a server, or restart maps over and over (thus causing a great deal of people to stop going to the server), you're in effect performing a Denial of Service attack. If I pay $50 a month to play a game with my friends... or even people I don't know anything about... and you come along and put a stop to it every time I try to play, then you're stealing the money away from me as I'm not getting what I payed for.

So in conclusion: Just a game? No, it's not just a game anymore. This is about theft. When you come right down to the bottom line, this is nothing more than simple theft. That's why these discussions are as heated as they are. That's why the law will become involved, and also why they *can* become involved. Maybe it's just a game to you, but after you spend $50 - $200 a month so people can have the privelege of saying "It's just a game," then it's not just a game anymore.

doomsday2002 · 01-02-2003, 05:19 AM

Very well said,im 1 of the people that dont pay for a server but, if it wasn't for people like yourself paying for them I guess i would have discarded this game long ago.
As for powell i don't realy want to start critising, he seems an intelligent enough person just a damn shame he dont use that intelligence in a more constructive rather than destructive way.

dooms.

J()ke|Z · 01-02-2003, 05:45 AM

I couldnt agree more, if someone wants to rent there own server or host a game they can cheat or do whatever they want there because people will just simply stop coming there and thell be left alone shooting smiley faces into walls. But like u said when they take it that next step and start ruining the game that other people pay 100 and sometimes hundreds of dollars per month to enjoy just so they can run around and make themself feel good by posting it in a "hall of the owned" and in that try to make some vain attempt to make themselves feel superior and in tg's case "God-like". Its really pathetic and not only that its illegal.

Bazooka_Joe · 01-02-2003, 09:23 AM

Totally agree with ya, Boo.

Just to add to what you said; there's a difference in using wallhacks or bright skins compared to crashing other peoples servers, or threatning them. When you cross this line, even in a game, it tends to get on peoples nerves. Therefore, Powell is next to be cast off the island. Like I said in other posts, as long as he watches what he says here, he's fine. But, this also implys to people directing posts to him. (Besides this one)

I don't want to see posts of him getting bashed and cursed at, we've already seen too many of these. If you can keep this rational, like McCusker did, I will keep this thread open to discussion. As much as I don't take Powell's word that he's converted like the most of you, I am not going to sit here and curse him out or wish him dead. It's not reading material that the rest of the community should be seeing.

rudedog · 01-02-2003, 09:23 AM

A very good read, Capt. I could not agree with you more.

The only thing you forgot to mention, time. Not only do you spend a very substantial amount of money each month. You have dedicated a good part of your personal time, to keeping the server running and enjoyable to your clients.

Hell if it was just the money, aa.com would still be up.

As a retired game server moderator. I can appreciate what you do for me and the community.

For someone to come in and start taking over a server ( with the intent to cause harm to said server) Then it starts being something more then just a game.

01-02-2003, 09:32 AM

of course the crap comes in when like what happened to me today, Im playin the air base map and my team is sucking major ass so i go behind the map once and get one kill then get killed. i spawn back up take a tunnel into their base plant and let it blow and of course they say i cheated to do it.. next map comes along (the snowwy one with aa gun) i kill one guy and i go from them calling me a cheater to a hacker. now that is some fucked shit. I go under tha map 1 time cause im pissed off and then i play on a map where i dont even think you can cheat on and get called a hacker instead just because im using single shots with an smg and the server is running uber realism with like 5 upper torso head shot kills for smg!

ddub · **Just a game -** 01-02-2003, 12:36 PM

I'm one of those people who play on the servers that you and people like you provide. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks so very much for the service. Is there anyway that someone like me can contribute to the cost? I deplore cheaters. They have a problem with their self esteem and/or their maturity and characture.Well, more like the lack of it. Maybe their parents contributed to their disfunction by failing to instill in them the value of honesty and fair play.Regardless, though, when they become adults, they are responsible for their decisions. For me, the issue goes farther than," its just a game". It's a hobby, a passtime, serious entertainment, friendship, friendly competition. No one has the right to ruin that for me or anyone else.

Thanks, ddub

ddub · **Just a game -** 01-02-2003, 12:37 PM

I'm one of those people who play on the servers that you and people like you provide. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks so very much for the service. Is there anyway that someone like me can contribute to the cost? I deplore cheaters. They have a problem with their self esteem and/or their maturity and characture.Well, more like the lack of it. Maybe their parents contributed to their disfunction by failing to instill in them the value of honesty and fair play.Regardless, though, when they become adults, they are responsible for their decisions. For me, the issue goes farther than," its just a game". It's a hobby, a passtime, serious entertainment, friendship, friendly competition. No one has the right to ruin that for me or anyone else.

Thanks, ddub

ddub · **Just a game -** 01-02-2003, 12:38 PM

I'm one of those people who play on the servers that you and people like you provide. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks so very much for the service. Is there anyway that someone like me can contribute to the cost? I deplore cheaters. They have a problem with their self esteem and/or their maturity and characture.Well, more like the lack of it. Maybe their parents contributed to their disfunction by failing to instill in them the value of honesty and fair play.Regardless, though, when they become adults, they are responsible for their decisions. For me, the issue goes farther than," its just a game". It's a hobby, a passtime, serious entertainment, friendship, friendly competition. No one has the right to ruin that for me or anyone else.

Thanks, ddub

ddub · **Just a game -** 01-02-2003, 12:40 PM

I'm one of those people who play on the servers that you and people like you provide. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks so very much for the service. Is there anyway that someone like me can contribute to the cost? I deplore cheaters. They have a problem with their self esteem and/or their maturity and characture.Well, more like the lack of it. Maybe their parents contributed to their disfunction by failing to instill in them the value of honesty and fair play.Regardless, though, when they become adults, they are responsible for their decisions. For me, the issue goes farther than," its just a game". It's a hobby, a passtime, serious entertainment, friendship, friendly competition. No one has the right to ruin that for me or anyone else.

Thanks, ddub

Argon · 01-02-2003, 01:07 PM

Excellent post.

Bleed_4_Me · 01-02-2003, 01:09 PM

Very well said Boo! Keep up the good work at AAN and in the MOH community. The cheaters will never win! bigzooka:

Old Reliable · 01-02-2003, 01:28 PM

cheaters will not ruin the game, but they should be shot

Jasper · 01-02-2003, 01:31 PM

Very well said 'Boo. I thought at first I would have to disagree with you on the "just a game" part. Thanks for prooving me wrong.

For 99% of you guys it is just a game. Something to be turned on and off will. For some of us though it is more than that. We put up money so others wont have to and we do it because we can and for the love of the game.

I dont host or contribute to a game server. My passion is the TeamSpeak server free for all to use. Damn near all of my TS regulars (even guys in the 10-13 yr old range) have offered to contribute to its expense but I would rather they contribute to server Admins like ChickenBoo.

The point is we get our "kicks" from helping others to enjoy the game. Period.

Powell, and others like him, get their kicks from inflated scores. I get "owned" quite frequently, usually by guys on my TS server but I dont care. For me its about just playing the game. Ive been doing this long enough to recognise actuall *skill* and I respect that. What pisses me off is cheat0rs who are of the mindset "haha! I just owned your ass!" not by actually being good but by using cheats. It shows a weak, pathetic mindset I absoultely abhorr.

I'll shut up with this:
I appologise for my earlier derogatory rant against Powell. It was immature. I have been warned that subsequent outbursts like that wont be tolerated here and I agree. If I used that kind of language on my own TeamSpeak server I would expect an SA to perma-ban my IP.

Drew · 01-03-2003, 11:34 PM

Boo definitely said it all. I run a server myself, and I receive little in the way of contributions every month.

At the point where I am now, it takes a majority of my free time to handle my MoH:AA business every day.

It's difficult as it is to run a clan with over 30 people in it, but when I have to deal with people cheating on the server, it just takes that much more time. Then people like TeamGOD come in and crash my server, wasting more of my time and money.

ChickenBoo, I'd much like to speak with you about perhaps creating an affiliation between our servers to provide clean servers on both sides of the expansion. We're always meeting up with similar posts about these things =)

I'll send you a PM to talk about that, though.