PVP Hackers, the solution

[TrixxieTriss]

Anyone playing lowbies/mid and knows all abilities at lvl 65 will be seeing some funny stuff happening.

Ive been seeing people using abilities that aren't even available to them at those lower lvls. I have no idea how this hack would work or be possible. I've done lots of research on hacks in this game and this is a new one to me.

But there are also the more obvious hacks like people teleporting, speed hacking and floating.

The floating one is the most annoying because half the time tab target passes them by or doesn't work and you have to click them. ie, if you have one enemy only in the vincinity and you can't tab to them, there is a problem. You also miss 50% of your attacks, much higher than lack of accuracy considering bolster in lowbies nearly gives you 105% accuracy.

Juggs and other non stealths disappearing into stealth and you lose target lock and then they reappear.

Classes teleporting away from you. I saw lowbie Sorc do this the other day. When I called him a hacker I got told to learn my class skills, that they were using Phase Walk. lol, Phase Walk isn't available pre30.

lvl 10 sorcs and Sins using speed run when speed run isn't available till higher up, then try to justify it as a class ability. Once again they don't have that ability at that lvl. So they were obviously using a speed hack.

There are others too. I can list a whole heap I've been recording since season 7 started.

It is much easier to spot these cheats in lowbies if you've played the game a long time and know all abilities and classes.

Bioware obviously broke the code Badly in 4.3 for all these hacks to be used and not being stopped.

I'm pretty much over this game. The amount of cheating in it is getting so bad that if you don't cheat yourself you are at a major disadvantage before you start. I think this is also contributing to the hacking. People figure if you can't beat them, join them.

This will be the nail in the coffin for PVP. When there are too many hackers in any PVP game out there it has been proven to ultimately kill that game or that part of it. The game then becomes the home of hackers until they get bored and all leave to hack another game. By then all the non hackers have left and the game is dead.

[TrixxieTriss]

Once again, Icykill is correct. I nearly wish I could vote for your posts (like MVP votes in warzones).

 

You can vote for the thread at the bottom of the page. If it's a topic you believe in and the thread is mostly heading in the direction you agree with, then you should vote. The more who do, the more stars it gets and the more likely it is to stand out.

[stu_ungar]

Juggs and other non stealths disappearing into stealth and you lose target lock and then they reappear.

Classes teleporting away from you. I saw lowbie Sorc do this the other day. When I called him a hacker I got told to learn my class skills, that they were using Phase Walk. lol, Phase Walk isn't available pre30.

lvl 10 sorcs and Sins using speed run when speed run isn't available till higher up, then try to justify it as a class ability. Once again they don't have that ability at that lvl. So they were obviously using a speed hack.

 

Yeah, you're right, I forgot about juggs stealthing, saw that a lot, thought they might gotten a temp stealth like maras, but now that I think of it, it did always look weird.

 

All these hacks are result of single design vulnerability (which is probably forbidden to be discussed about) but being a programmer I'm really not sure how would it be possible to fix it. And I can't see how any dynamic online game of this design wouldn't suffer from the same exploits. Constant monitoring would be too resource expensive, some sort of random sample would be doable but then you'd need to ban for life for it to make any sense. Probably the best solution is let the community point out the cheaters, check logs and ban for life.

[TrixxieTriss]

Yeah, you're right, I forgot about juggs stealthing, saw that a lot, thought they might gotten a temp stealth like maras, but now that I think of it, it did always look weird.

 

All these hacks are result of single design vulnerability (which is probably forbidden to be discussed about) but being a programmer I'm really not sure how would it be possible to fix it. And I can't see how any dynamic online game of this design wouldn't suffer from the same exploits. Constant monitoring would be too resource expensive, some sort of random sample would be doable but then you'd need to ban for life for it to make any sense. Probably the best solution is let the community point out the cheaters, check logs and ban for life.

 

We've been asking for this since launch. We've reported the hackers over and over. "If" they do anything it's a 3 day slap on the wrist. Mostly they don't do anything. Reporting is a huge waste of your time because the process is so convoluted and they don't do anything anyway.

You can make recordings and send them to Tate or Eric, but even then they supposedly need so many for them to investigate?

Bioware actually run an anti hack monitor program that is supposed to catch them, but it doesn't and the logs don't help either. The hackers can run a masking program that hides their activity.

The only solution is to have harsher penalties, random game moderators who go into matches often to see what is happening, proper investigation of reports, an easier way to report and also attach proof to it in the form of screen shots or recordings.

[Icykill_]

Yep no hacks.. LoL..

 

Have a look at this forum thread one of them just posted with their latest hits

 

Hey babe

Noticed your lowbie hacking thread went "poof".

Looks like the deniers and hackers are getting their way.

Don't even respond to fools asking for proof. We all know it's happening

These people are probably participating in said activities or are under bridge dwellers.

All they are trying to do is bait us so we are silenced.

 

😘😘

[Icykill_]

Anyone who knows all the class skills and what lvl they get them should roll some lowbie toons and go see all the shenanigans going on in that bracket.

It really stands out the most there, especially when using abilities not available for their lvl. ie phase walk

[GrandMaster]

All of us have experienced the misfortune of playing with some hackers, due to one in particular i lost ten matchs in a row, not that bioware care, cause giving me 200 % more coms is not gona reward me the 200'ish elo points i lost.

 

So the question is what to do so they actually wake up??? PPl should start unsubbing so they really see this as an issue, more and more we play with hackers, was asking the most notorious one why he keeps doing this, his reply was "to give credits to ppl" well i m not sure if he is short on ideas or just plain stupid. Since he is giving creds to ppl i asked him well where are my credits for losing to your **** hacks...

 

PPl should start unsubbing, speacilly the pvp community, since we aren't as small as bioware thinks we are. Also to try to fix your qeueus, losing because i don t have enough ppl on my team is, sadly, stupid

Honestly, they should allow player moderators or put an option in the ranked matches to allow faster reporting of the hackers.

Edited May 20, 2016 by GrandMaster

[Icykill_]

Honestly, they should allow player moderators or put an option in the ranked matches to allow faster reporting of the hackers.

 

The whole reporting systems been getting more convoluted as the game gets older. I once asked Eric what was the correct way to report it in game. The method he gave me is broken. He told me to report harrassment, then go in and add notes. The add notes option doesn't work, you actually have to start a whole other ticket. I brought this to his attention 3 years ago and it is still broken and doesn't work. I have asked again how to report correctly and have had zero response.

There is no standard way to report. They make it as hard and as time consuming as possible, then don't do anything to the cheaters once you report.

Its obvious from their in action, silence and difficulty to report the issue, that they don't want people reporting it and they don't want to do anything about it.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but all anecdotal evidence seems to validate my points.

 

Why can't we just have a simple system like we have with the report player name or guild when we see something offensive.

 

It's pretty easy. All they need to do is have a right click on the player, then report exploit or cheat. It then creates a report of the player name, guild, WZ and time stamp. You could then add notes to describe what you saw happening.

Also have the option to attach video, combat logs or pic files to support your case.

 

Buoware, please make the reporting system easier

Edited May 21, 2016 by Icykill_

[TrixxieTriss]

Hackers, hackers go away and don't come back another day

[Icykill_]

Hackers, hackers go away and don't come back another day

 

lol 😎

[SlightlySychotic]

The weirdest thing I've heard about hackers is that they don't even really care about winning. In fact, a lot of hackers are on their way out and want to take as many people with them as possible. They know they're going to get banned but they don't really care. They know it'll take a few days or weeks for the mods to verify what they're doing and in the interim a lot of players get fed up and quit. I wouldn't be shocked if there are people sociopathic enough to take the ban, open a new account and start power level a new character: if it takes about a month for them to get caught they break even. Besides, their game is to get as many people to quit as possible, after all.

 

Also, to be fair, there are people who don't know other classes'/disciplines' abilities and are crying foul. Hell, I've made that mistake myself.

[AlrikFassbauer]

The weirdest thing I've heard about hackers is that they don't even really care about winning.

 

[...]

 

ll take a few days or weeks for the mods to verify what they're doing and in the interim a lot of players get fed up and quit. I wouldn't be shocked if there are people sociopathic enough to take the ban, open a new account and start power level a new character: if it takes about a month for them to get caught they break even. Besides, their game is to get as many people to quit as possible, after all.

 

Read this : https://www.academia.edu/6016545/Trolls_just_want_to_have_fun

 

Making people angry is what fills the sadistic kind of troll with glee.

[TrixxieTriss]

Blizzard applying zero tolerance policy now.

Thousands already been permabanhammered in OW.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/05/blizzard-takes-zero-tolerance-stance-on-overwatch-cheating/

http://imgur.com/gallery/yoms5

 

.Why can't Bioware and EA apply this policy? Small slap on the wrists do nothing. Lack of action encourages more to cheat.

Bioware could really take a page out of Blizzards book.

Edited June 6, 2016 by TrixxieTriss

[TrixxieTriss]

Read this : https://www.academia.edu/6016545/Trolls_just_want_to_have_fun

 

Making people angry is what fills the sadistic kind of troll with glee.

 

I've read this before. It's extremely sad that there are these individuals in the world. Imagine what people with sort of behaviour did before the Internet. I'm pretty sure most of it would have been a crime. Shame society accept these people and in some cases even applaud and encourage more trolling from people who wouldn't normally do it.

What are we turning our society into? How long till our apathy progresses for it to be acceptable to do more criminal things related to this mentality in the real world? The generations coming through now are being programmed to accept this behaviour as normal.

Edited June 6, 2016 by TrixxieTriss

[kissingaiur]

Blizzard applying zero tolerance policy now.

Thousands already been permabanhammered in OW.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/05/blizzard-takes-zero-tolerance-stance-on-overwatch-cheating/

http://imgur.com/gallery/yoms5

 

.Why can't Bioware and EA apply this policy? Small slap on the wrists do nothing. Lack of action encourages more to cheat.

Bioware could really take a page out of Blizzards book.

 

As much as I want to believe Bioware would take after Blizzard, it just won't happen. Blizzard is an extremely successful company and always have a lot invested in their games. They also have a lot invented in constant promoting of their game's competitive scene to keep their games alive for years to come. Did you notice how they were already having Overwatch tournaments, teams and large money prizes right after Beta? Well it's been happening constantly ever since it's release. With how popular their competitive scene is; to insure their game stays competitive and is taken seriously, they have to be extremely strict on their banning policy.

 

SWTOR "investment" is currently put on is story content not it's PvP, that is why nothing will change. There is no long term benefit to taking hacking in their game "seriously" just to make the handful of people who play ranked happy.

 

That is the sad truth.

Edited June 6, 2016 by kissingaiur

[Tsetso]

Blizzard applying zero tolerance policy now.

Thousands already been permabanhammered in OW.

http://imgur.com/gallery/yoms5

 

Lol, some hackers bought the game 3 times and got banned on all 3 accounts. And the ban is not only on the game but on their battlenet accounts actually

[AlrikFassbauer]

I've read this before. It's extremely sad that there are these individuals in the world. Imagine what people with sort of behaviour did before the Internet. I'm pretty sure most of it would have been a crime. Shame society accept these people and in some cases even applaud and encourage more trolling from people who wouldn't normally do it.

What are we turning our society into? How long till our apathy progresses for it to be acceptable to do more criminal things related to this mentality in the real world? The generations coming through now are being programmed to accept this behaviour as normal.

 

Well, I read about a book which has exactly this as the discussion topic; one main thing really appears to be that internet anonymity makes monsters out of some people.

 

In an editorial about the death of Keith Emerson, the editor wrote about troll entries like "I wish he wouldn't play anymore". And people close to Keith Emerson knew that he was extremely sensitive and read all these comments. In the end, the troll's wish was granted, it seems.

 

Quote from the British Prog Magazine :

 

He had concerts in Japan, and even though they hired a a back-up keyboard player to support him, Keith was worried. He read all the criticism onlineand was a sensitive soul. Last year he played concerts and people posted mean comments such as 'I wish he would stop playing'."

 

This troll's wish was granted.

Happy now ?

 

 

 

 

Besides, this is only proof to me that in any toxic environment ( like the PvP environment ) the most sensitive people are weeded out. No matter how much talent they have - see Keith Emerson. Only concreteheads remain.

Edited June 6, 2016 by AlrikFassbauer

[Neoforcer]

Here we go, the hack deniers are back. OMG, go away. When I start seeing you guys appear it's a good sign that you're one of those people doing it or are just ignorant or are trolling. Either way, it's total rubbish.

.

 

Here we go again the person that is the poster boy that thinks every one better then he/she is hacking. They beat me there for there hackers. Get real are there hacker out there yes just not as meany as you complain about every time the subject comes up you are out there waving the flag. No one is trolling when we don't agree with you you call people trolls. I have seen people post video here of hacker and laugh when i see them and realize it is a class ability. Are there some hackers yes it is total rubbish that you think the problem is as big as you make it out to be....

[TrixxieTriss]

Here we go again the person that is the poster boy that thinks every one better then he/she is hacking. They beat me there for there hackers. Get real are there hacker out there yes just not as meany as you complain about every time the subject comes up you are out there waving the flag. No one is trolling when we don't agree with you you call people trolls. I have seen people post video here of hacker and laugh when i see them and realize it is a class ability. Are there some hackers yes it is total rubbish that you think the problem is as big as you make it out to be....

 

I see you've possibly been living under a rock or bridge that has hairy creatures under it.

You attack someone because of hacks, but admitt they are out there.

Not sure if you've just come back to the game or forums, but there was more than enough proof posted since season 7 started to satisfy the PVP community that they are out there.

Also Icy knows the difference between class abilities. Sure lots of people call hacks mistakenly, but not Icy. I've seen her correct more people who call hacks and it's abilities, than actually confirm a hack/cheat in a match.

Not sure why you feel the need to be so hostile to her when she is obviously trying to bring attention to a problem in the game. Icy wouldn't bother to post if she wasn't passionate about the game. It's obvious she's also researched it significantly, have you? Do you even know how it's done?

It's very easy to do if you have a clue or have someone show you. Bioware either can't detect it or don't care. This attitude by Bioware has encouraged more people to try.

I'm sure Icy would agree that there aren't a heap of people doing it, but with the population so small now, you see the same people/guilds over and over, that it seems like there are a lot. Try playing when pop times are 20 minutes to 2 hours and you see the same guys every match. Now add more than one in a match and it looks like everyone is doing it.

Putting your head in the sand or trying to deflect the issue often looks like you condone it or have a vested interest in making the conversation go away.

With so few people visiting or posting on the forums now, I think you'll find that this topic will stay current until Bioware fix it.

[TrixxieTriss]

Lol, some hackers bought the game 3 times and got banned on all 3 accounts. And the ban is not only on the game but on their battlenet accounts actually

 

Thats awesome. Go Blizzard

[TrixxieTriss]

As much as I want to believe Bioware would take after Blizzard, it just won't happen. Blizzard is an extremely successful company and always have a lot invested in their games. They also have a lot invented in constant promoting of their game's competitive scene to keep their games alive for years to come. Did you notice how they were already having Overwatch tournaments, teams and large money prizes right after Beta? Well it's been happening constantly ever since it's release. With how popular their competitive scene is; to insure their game stays competitive and is taken seriously, they have to be extremely strict on their banning policy.

 

SWTOR "investment" is currently put on is story content not it's PvP, that is why nothing will change. There is no long term benefit to taking hacking in their game "seriously" just to make the handful of people who play ranked happy.

 

That is the sad truth.

 

That's so true. Very sad, but true.

The whole PVP hacking and cheating thing in this game should have been addressed properly years ago with proper disincentives.

I just wish they would apply the same standard of penelties that they apply to cheating in other parts of the game. It really isn't too much to ask for.

[Icykill_]

I really hope this server downtime is to apply security fixes and close code that allows hacking.

I just saw a commando in mids, on harbinger, teleport through the wall in civil war to get away from me killing him.

People are just so bad they need to hack to play. If this is to fix the hacks, We'll see these people who look like good players turn to noob trash over night. I look forward to farming them hard for the next week till they inevitably find a work around to keep cheating.

[stu_ungar]

I really hope this server downtime is to apply security fixes and close code that allows hacking.

I just saw a commando in mids, on harbinger, teleport through the wall in civil war to get away from me killing him.

People are just so bad they need to hack to play. If this is to fix the hacks, We'll see these people who look like good players turn to noob trash over night. I look forward to farming them hard for the next week till they inevitably find a work around to keep cheating.

 

I'm sorry to say, but being a programmer I think there's no way to close this particular vulnerability that allows the majority of hacks (one hack to be honest, with different types of results) without seriously affecting performance.

 

Come think of it, I haven't seen known cheaters on TRE for few weeks, and server was affected by ton of lag at that time, maybe they've tried to implement something and are now rolling back after banning major offenders? One can dream

[OldRepublicRevan]

How is that a solution? Reads more like a vague complaint about Bioware than an actual solution.

[Icykill_]

I'm sorry to say, but being a programmer I think there's no way to close this particular vulnerability that allows the majority of hacks (one hack to be honest, with different types of results) without seriously affecting performance.

 

Come think of it, I haven't seen known cheaters on TRE for few weeks, and server was affected by ton of lag at that time, maybe they've tried to implement something and are now rolling back after banning major offenders? One can dream

 

It's a constant arms race. They impliment something to either make it difficult to allow those settings to properly or a way to detect them better. Within a week there is a work around.