What kind of 'non-technical cheat countermeasures' are there that are useful for countering cheats in games?



Every game has players who use certain tools to cheat within the game. These actions by players are harmful to normal players, so game manufacturers are taking measures every day, such as creating anti-cheat tools. In addition to 'technical' measures such as anti-cheat tools, software developer Julien Voisin introduced some relatively simple 'non-technical' measures.

On non-technical video-games cheat mitigations

https://dustri.org/b/on-non-technical-video-games-cheat-mitigations.html

Game makers are already implementing some non-technical measures, and one well-known measure used in various games is to prevent players from participating in ranked matches until they have spent time raising their level. Cheats typically cheat repeatedly in the same game, and each time they are suspended, they create a new account and try to rejoin the game. However, by creating a system where you cannot play certain rules until you reach a certain level, you can exclude people who are not willing to take the time to cheat.

Voisin also points out that 'the most obvious mitigation is to put a financial burden on fraud.' Free games are an exception, but cheating can be reduced to a certain extent if the system requires you to buy the game again every time your account is suspended. In particular, it would be great if accounts could be suspended based on information tied to PCs and game consoles.



There is also a player rating system, which is used in several games. This is a system where players who have finished a match can rate and report others, and game makers can decide who to punish based on this information.

It is also important to motivate players to report, and in recent years more and more places are offering rewards for reporting bugs in anti-cheat tools.

This is a technical countermeasure, but it involves intentionally inviting cheating by preparing a server that clearly states that it does not have any anti-cheat measures, and collecting data on how cheats are functioning to take countermeasures. can also do.



Mr. Voisin also writes about what kind of cheat countermeasures each game takes.

◆Rainbow Six Siege
Using an anti-cheat tool called BattlEye, we suspended approximately 5,000 accounts every month from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023. Also, you need to reach level 50 to participate in ranked matches, which takes around 50 hours. There is also a billing system for skins and characters (operators), and if a player who has paid does cheat, they will lose everything, so it can be said that cheating is suppressed in that respect as well.

◆Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
If you cheat, your account will be permanently suspended from all Call of Duty titles. The unique feature of Call of Duty is its unique mechanism of ``making fun of cheaters,'' which allows normal players to unilaterally attack players who cheat. It is said to be possible. This mechanism seems to be aimed at obtaining information on cheat tools by intentionally leaving cheats unattended.

Call of Duty implements a ``system where general players can unilaterally beat cheaters'', making general users transparent from cheaters - GIGAZINE



Voisin said: 'According to the data published by game makers, these countermeasures do appear to be working well, producing better results than technical countermeasures alone. They also protect people from harmful behavior. It's also economical, since keeping players away doesn't reduce the number of players as much as banishing them outright.Non-technical methods are also effective for the gaming industry to combat cheating and cheating. It's great that you are aware of this,' he said.

in Game, Posted by log1p_kr