Bringing out the "Cheater" In People

[Sheogorath]

I logged on about 3PM EST tonight (Actually, by my clock, its last night, but, you understand) and then went to eat dinner at 4, and logged back on PSO at 6PM, anyoo, for the first two hours, I created about 5 games, and every game got "defiled" by a cheater.

However, heres the kicker: The cheaters were "Trusted" friends of my current PSO World friends. They only showed their true colors once they saw my level 100 in a game...

This has happened before, but tonight, it was an epidemic.

For instance, my Friend Silo5 wanted a private game with me, him, and two of his buddies. Well, the one guy he brought in, (I forgot his name, I'll call him Weasel) was level 86, and immediately mouthed off, saying he didn't want to play the game at all, and instead wanted to trade with me...

Now, I don't trade...ever. I "Give away" my extras, like P claws, Crush bullets, Visks, stuff like that. But never do I trade.

For 5 minutes I kept shoo'ing him away telling him as politely as I could that I don't need anything. Eventually, when me and the other two fellas went to the Forest area, he was forced to follow or be left behind...

So as soon as he caught up to me, he starts doing the famous mark of every insecure, lamer duper/cheater....he switches between 10-15 ultra rare weapons (sonic Knuckles, LAvis, Pan arms, ect..) and starts telling me how much better i'd be if I let him give me his "extra" Lavis Cannon. I refuse...3 times...

Then me and Silo5 EXPLAIN to weasel that Sheogorath is a "pure" character, and that I only equip weapons for two things:

#1: Photon efficiency ratings
#2: The menacing look they give. (Bazooka)

Then, weasel REALLY let loose, telling me how I can't be a real 100, and kept asking me, time and time again, if I used a Gameshark.

Eventually, I had a choice. Cave into my horrible Irish Temper and go on a tirade (Which got me banned from many boards, even Gamefaqs) or simply disconnect, reconnect, and join another game entirely.

I chose the later of the two.

As soon as I come on, Silo is pleading with me, saying he's sorry, and that he had no idea that weasel was an arse.

This happened two more times before the night was through.

Sad that normally "Cool" people suddenly feel they have to conduct a p*ssing match with my character when they meet me in a game.

As a footnote to this story, Silo5 deleted the guy's Guild Card....

[Lenneth]

...unfortunately, it only looks like things are going to get worse. Although it doesn't look like "traders" will have much to do know that everyone can manufacture weapons with the new codes. Pretty soon the thieves will be bored as well.

A lot of people have been fairly optimistic, saying that the new Exploder codes are going to make the game boring for those that would cheat, but... I think that may be wishful thinking. I remember what happened in Diablo 1, I remember people thinking the same thing when the trainer programs were released, and then I remember being amazed when people were passing around Gnarled Root rings (the equivalent being a Lavis Cannon that fired like a Spread Needle).

Pandora's Box has been opened, but I have a feeling we've yet to see the worst the hackers can do with these codes.

On the up side, when the corruption is this rampant it does tend to show what your online friends are made of, as you have shown. In addition, I can only hope that Sonic Team addresses these issues for the release of PSO2.

We will see what we shall see, I guess.

Pax, Lenneth

[Nalana]

The way I see things, theres item creation code now, dupers don't need to dupe, when they can just create. So trading will become more of a "pure" thing, if thats your speed. Really this just make it easier on people who would rather not cheat. Obviously someone who can create any item in the game at will doesn't need to whine to get something from you to dupe, and doesn't need to trade... so... yeah..

On an unrelated note, sorry I had to take off yesterday Sheo, I hope we can play again sometime *smile*.

-Nal

[Qbert]

I feel your pain. I'm not lv 100 yet (getting there), but this past weekend I suffered through several of the same experiences you related.

I had to leave a couple of games just because I got so tired of GameSharkers telling me how to play the game or just wanting to talk about rares. WTF?!? I've logged nearly 200 hours on this game and played some fantastic games with other great people. I've hardly found anything anyone would consider rare. The last thing I feel like doing is stroking some cheater's ego.

I kept hearing, "look at my mag, isn't it cool?" and "check out this weapon, awesome isn't it."

I left about the time he started complaining that my Last Survivor was too powerful. Too Powerful?!? Is that because I was actually able to kill something before his needle did? Forget it.I felt sorry for leaving my freinds there, but I didn't want to spend anymore time with those jerks than I had.

I don't waste any time with GameSharkers anyomre. there are so many other great people out there to team up with, I won't waste my time with GameSharkers anymore