Cheating in Elite Dangerous

[Mohrgan]

Plater's video is not the same hack if that's the one you're talking about. That one is mostly detectable and people using it will eat bans.

I pointed it out to help explain the increase in cheat threads. Your post didn't make it clear you were addressing a separate cheat/hack.

 

[Old Duck]

You mean input devices like this one?

I want one! However, I have a bit of a problem paying almost as much for an input device as I did for my console... Someday, perhaps, maybe for PS5. FWIW, I think devices like this are the rare exception for console players for this very reason. I think most people willing to pay this kind of money will just invest in a gaming PC. I'll bet there are more people using cheats on PC ED than are using a device like this (which isn't technically a cheat) on PS4.

To the OP, we don't have aimbots or PowerPlay ferry bots or invincible players or any other actual hacks or cheats. The device you link to basically puts a console on par with a non-cheating PC.

All that said, I don't want to derail this thread, so I'll let you PC folk get back to dealing with your cheating problems.

 

[Bigmaec]

Thanks ryan, excellent write-up.
I've been waiting for this since the hacking thing went up here some time ago...

@FD: Do something. QUICK. This is not tolerable.

 

[ryan_m]

Did you forget, or just didn't know about "reverse cheating"?
It's when Hacker H uses the program to modify data in ED memory, to make Player P (his opponent, remote player) getting zero damage from shots made by H.
Then H goes to FDev with video record showing how P receives zero damage from tons of shots, and FDev bans player P.
Do you want this again? Potential risk to get a sudden ban after any PvP engagement in Open?

If FDev isn't even banning for blatant hack use, why would they ban based off of a single video without doing any research? If that is what they were actually doing, they should just shut admit they can't handle multiplayer and shut that part down.

 

[Mohrgan]

If FDev isn't even banning for blatant hack use, why would they ban based off of a single video without doing any research? If that is what they were actually doing, they should just shut admit they can't handle multiplayer and shut that part down.

Baby with the bathwater?

 

[XLA]

Thanks for highlighting this issue.
However don't about. Ban these Hacker for any offense

 

[Rob At Work]

Who needs Louis Theroux when you got SDC on the case.

GL guys, hope you have more success this time

 

[CMDR Tom D]

Thanks for bringing this to light Ryan.

I'm tempted to be naive and hope FDev will do something with this info, but really who am I kidding.

 

[Night Wing Zero]

Honestly this should be addressed as soon as possible, cheaters are not welcomed to the game at all nor they will not thrive on any other game AFAIK

 

[Exigeous]

Did you forget, or just didn't know about "reverse cheating"?
It's when Hacker H uses the program to modify data in ED memory, to make Player P (his opponent, remote player) getting zero damage from shots made by H.
Then H goes to FDev with video record showing how P receives zero damage from tons of shots, and FDev bans player P.
Do you want this again? Potential risk to get a sudden ban after any PvP engagement in Open, being totally clean in reality?
That's why i always tell that p2p is absolutely inappropriate for any kind of MMO (of course, assuming that cheating is bad for that MMO). If you don't control server-side process, you don't control anything, you cannot even identify / distinguish reliably cheaters and fair players.
So, forget about this. No dedicated servers -> no consistent multiplayer. Just deal with the fact that really ED is a singleplayer game, with some coop capabilities.

That is a very scary and interesting point - this is certainly a hard issue to solve and you're absolutely right that the current architecture makes it even worse.

 

[DragonIV]

I'm assuming all data going back and forth over the network is encrypted

I would make the exact opposite assumption, TBH. Companies in general (not just gaming companies) have secure programming requirements so far down the totem pole they may as well not even exist.

 

[Vasco Sapien]

What do you want done?
We want FDev to start being more heavy-handed and proactive with punishing hacks. The mere existence undermines the entire game. If you were to be caught hacking in Elite, here's what punishment currently awaits you:

• First offense: 3-day ban to solo
• Second offense: 1-month ban to solo
• Third offense: Permaban to solo

What other online game allows you to cheat and get caught 3 ****ing times before you eat a perma, especially an online MMO? If Elite were a single player game, this is a very different conversation, but it isn't and this has implications for every single play style.

EDIT: Exigeous did a great video on this as well.

In my humble opinion there should be a complete BAN for using it once. Just end the account.

None of the punishments outlined above are enough, if Fdev have the capacity to detect and punish in the first place then they should show a HARDLINE. (because these Hacks are game breaking. The more they are used the game is damaged and discredited as a title worth playing because of it). Other multiplayer games have died because of prolific hack use.

Given that the ED client is so cheap during sales (-£5) a player can easily come back into the game and start again if they want. But hack again.... BAN. Buy the game again and hack again...BAN.

As the cost adds up and the time adds up, i would bet that the hacking would go down.

I think half of Fdevs problem with cheating and hacking is the fact that they are seen as a light touch.

 

[Nugstar]

I cannot stress enough how important (to the game and to the wider community) this issue is.

Thanks to RyanM17, Obsidian Ant, Exigeous and CMDR Plater for shining a light on this ongoing issue.

 

[JonLuis69]

That is a very scary and interesting point - this is certainly a hard issue to solve and you're absolutely right that the current architecture makes it even worse.

Remember when certain pvp groups were found to have been using engineer cheats for many months before they deigned to inform the rest of the mortals? I 'member...

 

[Mohrgan]

In my humble opinion there should be a complete BAN for using it once. Just end the account.

None of the punishments outlined above are enough, if Fdev have the capacity to detect and punish in the first place then they should show a HARDLINE. (because these Hacks are game breaking. The more they are used the game is damaged and discredited as a title worth playing because of it). Other multiplayer games have died because of prolific hack use.

Given that the ED client is so cheap during sales (-£5) a player can easily come back into the game and start again if they want. But hack again.... BAN. Buy the game again and hack again...BAN.

As the cost adds up and the time adds up, i would bet that the hacking would go down.

I think half of Fdevs problem with cheating and hacking is the fact that they are seen as a light touch.

So, should have all the '5 for 1' cheaters have been banned? There should be a chance for a player that made a bad decision to redeem themselves. Three strikes is something universal here in the U.S., I think something similar should apply.

 

[swiftsure]

I assume these cheats could also have been used to influence the squadron leader boards?

 

[ryan_m]

Remember when certain pvp groups were found to have been using engineer cheats for many months before they deigned to inform the rest of the mortals? I 'member...

So, should have all the '5 for 1' cheaters have been banned? There should be a chance for a player that made a bad decision to redeem themselves. Three strikes is something universal here in the U.S., I think something similar should apply.

It's honestly sad to see the "whataboutism" from you two.

 

[WorldsGreatestForumDad]

Fdev should DROP the snowflake "witch hunt" term and start shaming combat loggers and cheaters.

Fdev needs to post their names and set an example.

Rainbow 6, Tarkov and Overwatch do it. Its not against the law.

Its not like it cant be done.

Whats the deal here? This should have been done in year 1. We're on year 6? Same problems.

Unacceptable.

 

[Rob At Work]

ok, ok, I went to Robinio Mines, TWICE - Ban Me!

and I admit it, I used to mission stack, but not any more (Cus you changed it)

 

[Exigeous]

WTH with all the cheat threads all of a sudden, it's like an orchestrated campaign.

Between myself, Obsidian Ant and Ryan/SDC we absolutely planned the timing of our videos/post so they would have maximum impact. Plater scooped us by a day as we didn't know he was making a video too, which is absolutely great. The more attention the better IMHO.