Over at our old buddy's house, Stomped.com, Colonel Lai has posted one of those oft-published cheating articles. The article isn't cookie-cutter at all, it's just that the topic has been discussed to Christ's death. Here's a bit:
One affected element not many people realize is the casual gaming communities that provide non-competitive gaming services to the public. The administrators of these gaming societies must make the tough decision of rather or not to shut down, clamp down violently on suspected cheaters, or let cheating run rampant. All three choices have negative repercussions: If they choose to shut down, they face the same fate as their colleagues in the competitive leagues: potentially losing customers and revenue. Running a zero tolerance policy on cheaters, and even suspected cheaters, may isolate legitimate gamers who are kicked unfairly because someone accused them of hacking. If the administrators do nothing about the cheating, legitimate gamers will take flight in disgust, and the servers will just be a high-powered magnet for cheaters and hacks. Most recently, Playway.net, a Counter-Strike community I frequent on a minutely basis, took the violent clamp down stance of enforcement. There were people who understood what administrator Matt Chambers did, but there was a discontented minority that was kicked unfairly. Some were vocal about their displeasure, and left the community in a blaze of unfounded and misplaced rage. In the end, community regulars stood by their long-time admin, understanding the tough situation he had to endure. All in all, administrators don’t have many options to counter the hacking environment, and none of them pleases everyone.Give stomped a click, for old time's sake!