Official statement of cheating on PBW.

[geoschmo]

I had originally resisted making an official announcment of this. I did not want to give anybody any ideas. However some things have happened that have made it clear to me it's important to get this out in the open.

If you don't already know, we caught a player cheating in multiplayer games on PBW. The exact method is still being investigated by Malfador, but it appears to be either data file manipulation that circumvented the data file checks, or actual hex editing of the player file. The result is that this player accquired technology in several games that they did not legitematly earn.

While we cannot currently prevent this cheat, rest assured it is fairly easy to detect and confirm that a player is doing it.

The player in question, Tankgirl, has ignored our requests for an explanation, and so is in the process of being stricken of playing privileges on PBW. Most of the games they were involved in have already been scrapped, or are in the process of being adjusted to remove them as a player.

However, a nasty sideeffect of this incident is a climate of distrust that is growing among players on PBW. I have had a few occasions of people suspected of cheating that were investigated and found to be doing nothing wrong.

I will do my best to investigate anyone suspected of cheating, but no action will be taken against players unless actual evidence of cheating can be found.

A player having more tech than you in a game, even several levels, is not eveidence of cheating. There are many legitimate ways to accelerate your research in game, ways that will suprise many people in their effectivness. These are not cheating.

Enhancments to your intelligence characteristic.
Rapid expansion and heavy empasis on building research centers.
Trade and research or better treaties with several players.
Technology trading with other players.
Prioritizing ruins in colonization.
Forcing AI or other players to surender.

All of these methods when employed to their maximum can result in a stagering variance in tech level with a player not doing them to their full potential.

Let's not let the cheaters ruin this great game. If you think someone is cheating, let me know. I will check it out. But let's not go on a witch hunt, and let's not assume that everyone who has more tech than you is cheating.

Geoschmo
PBW Admin Team