Titanfall Doesn't Have Anti-Cheat (Yet)

[Steven Bogos]

Titanfall Doesn't Have Anti-Cheat (Yet)

Titanfall lead programmer Jon Shiring admitted that the game's anti-cheat system hasn't been turned on yet.

If you've been busy playing Respawn Entertainment's mech-tastic shooter Titanfall, you may have noticed some players pulling off some seemingly impossible stunts. Many fans were quick to call "hacker," and this time, they may just be right. In response to a fan query query over the high prevalence of hackers, lead programmer Jon Shiring admitted that the game's anti-cheat system hasn't been turned on yet, but it will be enabled "soon".

He later clarified, when pressured as to whether or not Respawn's prior statement about anti-cheat working [http://imgur.com/47ehr4y] was false, that there is an anti-cheat system in place that is "catching" cheaters, but that the system that punishes them hasn't been enabled yet. He said that they would start dealing with the cheaters "very soon." He said that the reason it wasn't enabled from release was because "It's useful to watch them a bit without revealing your hand."

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/jonshiring/status/445027701145870337]

We have reached out to Respawn for comment on whether this is effecting the PC, Xbox, or both versions of the game, and for a more precise time-frame on the solution.

I've already seen quite a few cheaters in the PC version of the game, from players who were very clearly speed hacking to Titans that could fly. How about you guys?

Source: Twitter [https://twitter.com/jonshiring/status/445027701145870337]

Permalink

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Seriously, what the hell Respawn and EA been doing pre-release that meant that the game (which is multiplayer only to boot) didn't have any sort of anti-cheat?

Letting cheaters run riot isn't what I'll call good for the nascent playerbase, even if you plan on giving them the banhammer later on so their excuse doesn't add up.

EDIT:

[user]Mr Tea[/user] found this Twitter which came after the one in the article

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/jonshiring/status/445284850556080128]

As to why this wasn't included I have no idea, but it puts Respawns response in a slightly better light.

That said pulling this sort of anti-hack job isn't really advisable for what is either a new game developer or one with a dubious record with dealing with hackers depending on your point of view.

 

[Agayek]

I haven't actually seen any overt hackers on the PC version. I've seen a few players who do quite a lot of damage at absurd ranges with weapons not meant for long-range combat, and players who seem to take a lot more bullets than others to kill, but both of those could just as easily be me not being terribly good at the game. It's very hard to say what's my lack of skill in similar situations and what's a hack.

 

[Kopikatsu]

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Seriously, what the hell Respawn and EA been doing pre-release that meant that the game (which is multiplayer only to boot) didn't have any sort of anti-cheat?

Letting cheaters run riot isn't what I'll call good for the nascent playerbase, even if you plan on giving them the banhammer later on so their excuse doesn't add up.

I think it's a good method. If it was turned on at the beginning, then people would find a way around it and on the battle would go. But this way, they can ban a mass number of accounts at the onset, which means there'll be less people trying to work around the anti-cheat.

 

[Daymo]

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Seriously, what the hell Respawn and EA been doing pre-release that meant that the game (which is multiplayer only to boot) didn't have any sort of anti-cheat?

Letting cheaters run riot isn't what I'll call good for the nascent playerbase, even if you plan on giving them the banhammer later on so their excuse doesn't add up.

You know VAC works the same right? Not banning a person instantly so they can catch more people using the same or similar hack is quite common for anti-cheat things.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Seriously, what the hell Respawn and EA been doing pre-release that meant that the game (which is multiplayer only to boot) didn't have any sort of anti-cheat?

Letting cheaters run riot isn't what I'll call good for the nascent playerbase, even if you plan on giving them the banhammer later on so their excuse doesn't add up.

You know VAC works the same right? Not banning a person instantly so they can catch more people using the same or similar hack is quite common for anti-cheat things.

The Twitter states that the anticheat system isn't enabled yet, as in there is nothing to record any potential hackers period.

I get not alerting people that you know about cheat X, but that requires some sort of passive system to catch them to work, otherwise all you are doing is letting your game become a playground and this isn't the fun kind we're talking about here.

I think it's a good method. If it was turned on at the beginning, then people would find a way around it and on the battle would go. But this way, they can ban a mass number of accounts at the onset, which means there'll be less people trying to work around the anti-cheat.

See above.

 

[frobalt]

I still can't understand why people feel the need to cheat when playing games.

Is it because they're so bad that they can't play properly?
Is it because they like pissing people off by constantly owning them?
Or can they only have fun when totally owning everyone else?

 

[Kopikatsu]

The Twitter states that the anticheat system isn't enabled yet, as in there is nothing to record any potential hackers period.

It actually doesn't say that at all.

He later clarified, when pressured as to whether or not Respawn's prior statement about anti-cheat working was false, that there is an anti-cheat system in place that is "catching" cheaters, but that the system that punishes them hasn't been enabled yet. He said that they would start dealing with the cheaters "very soon."

 

[Monsterfurby]

Grammar nazi alert:

"effecting the Xbox" - Unless it causes an Xbox to magically appear, you mean 'affecting'.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Seriously, what the hell Respawn and EA been doing pre-release that meant that the game (which is multiplayer only to boot) didn't have any sort of anti-cheat?

Letting cheaters run riot isn't what I'll call good for the nascent playerbase, even if you plan on giving them the banhammer later on so their excuse doesn't add up.

This is what pretty much every PC game does all the time. It makes no sense to ban bots and hackers as you go on a 1 by 1 basis as it allows the people who make the shit to know they are being caught and adjust their program accordingly. You catch much more by doing purges every now and then.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

"We have anti-cheat but it is not enabled yet - it will be soon. This is important to us." Then why you don't have this enabled at the launch of your -MULTIPLAYER ONLY- game? I simply cannot fathom this.

I haven't personally encountered any cheaters in my 40`ish hours of the game so maybe I'm just lucky. I was playing on PC of course.

 

[softclocks]

Well, that's it for me.

They're beyond ridicule at this point : D

 

[Arawn]

I still can't understand why people feel the need to cheat when playing games.

Is it because they're so bad that they can't play properly?
Is it because they like pissing people off by constantly owning them?
Or can they only have fun when totally owning everyone else?

To answer your questions: Yes, yes, and yes. Seems odd that they have a sense of pride or excitement from winning a rigged game. I don't know about you, but even in older games I'd used the max weapon cheat, but not the god mode. I mean what's the point if there's no risk/danger? The point is overcoming a challenge, but I figure they just like seeing their name on top.

 

[Metalrocks]

at least they admit it. so far i dint really come across any cheaters, or people who i think are cheaters but at times there were moments that made me think if this player could be one because he killed me so quickly with a weapon thats not possible.

 

[Strazdas]

Speedhacking and flying? What is this a shitty online arena mod or something? how badly do you have to code your netcode to not have server doublecheck the speed and pull the player back if his client is reporting wrong data?

I still can't understand why people feel the need to cheat when playing games.

Is it because they're so bad that they can't play properly?
Is it because they like pissing people off by constantly owning them?
Or can they only have fun when totally owning everyone else?

Lets say you are in a race and the only way you can beat the other guy is by turning on a NOS in your car even though the race rules are agaisnt it. how many people would do it, you think?

Its all about competition.

 

[CyberAkuma]

Knowing how little effort Infinite Ward put in to their past call of Duty games with hackers and cheaters I really don't see why people are surprised. CoD has its periods where the game is entirely unplayable because of cheaters and the fact that the developers switched to another company; I don't think it's going to be much of a difference for Titanfall.

 

[iseko]

Speedhacking and flying? What is this a shitty online arena mod or something? how badly do you have to code your netcode to not have server doublecheck the speed and pull the player back if his client is reporting wrong data?

I still can't understand why people feel the need to cheat when playing games.

Is it because they're so bad that they can't play properly?
Is it because they like pissing people off by constantly owning them?
Or can they only have fun when totally owning everyone else?

Lets say you are in a race and the only way you can beat the other guy is by turning on a NOS in your car even though the race rules are agaisnt it. how many people would do it, you think?

Its all about competition.

I get what you're saying. But cheating for money or glory I could understand. Cheating so you can have a wank over how fantastic your aimbot is however... You're not winning anything with it except contempt.

OT: It's good what theyre doing. Build a database of people hacking and do a nice purge once in a while. It will net more results. Also: Ban them from any game that you can please. Also offline single player versions. Put it in the user agreement. Hacking should really be firmly punished. Bring out the BANHAMMER!

 

[Snotnarok]

Speedhacking and flying? What is this a shitty online arena mod or something? how badly do you have to code your netcode to not have server doublecheck the speed and pull the player back if his client is reporting wrong data?

I still can't understand why people feel the need to cheat when playing games.

Is it because they're so bad that they can't play properly?
Is it because they like pissing people off by constantly owning them?
Or can they only have fun when totally owning everyone else?

Lets say you are in a race and the only way you can beat the other guy is by turning on a NOS in your car even though the race rules are agaisnt it. how many people would do it, you think?

Its all about competition.

Yeah they have that in game, burn cards, if you're still losing and need to use a system that is outside the game, that's cheating. That's not like nitrus, that's like shooting at the other driver with a heat seeking missile then claiming skill or whatever.

 

[Zac Jovanovic]

Knowing how little effort Infinite Ward put in to their past call of Duty games with hackers and cheaters I really don't see why people are surprised. CoD has its periods where the game is entirely unplayable because of cheaters and the fact that the developers switched to another company; I don't think it's going to be much of a difference for Titanfall.

COD was secured by VAC (Valve Anti Cheat) which does fuck all for players in the short term. They let you be raped by cheaters for as long as 6 months before ban waving a couple hundred thousand and then repeat. They don't even take player reports, just rely 100% on automatically detecting cheaters.
It is Infinity Wards' or possibly Activision's fault there is no player game control in most COD games though. I can't think of a single anti cheat that actually works well enough instantly to remove the need for players to be able to kick and ban players from the server.