Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?

From: rvvugt@worldaccess.nl (Rogier van Vugt)

Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000

Gary Baines <Gary.Baines@J-Sainsbury.co.uk> wrote:

->In article <4ivkq3$5d@clark.zippo.com>, dschulz@luminet.net (hElIcAl
->gEaRs) wrote:
->>
->> There is NO way to deal whith PBEM cheaters other than
->> to hard code it into games.  To do this, you simply make
->> the player wait one turn to see results (a simplistic
->> approach, but effective). A typical cycle goes like this...
->>
->> a) see results from last turn.
->>
->> b) plan next turn.

->Another approach I code into my games is to save the current random
->number sequence as part of the save file and re-initialise to this
->when the game is re-loaded.  I then use a system similar to warlords
->II which doesn't let you save your game during your turn, but only
->saves when you press end turn.  If the player processes his battles in
->a different order then he may get slightly different results, but his
->general results are pretty much guaranteed to be the same as there is
->no way for him to change that initial random seed.  This stops
->a player keep rerunning his turn until he gets the perfect combat
->result for all his battles.

->Gary.

Doesn't this simply mean that the cheating player will hold off combat
if the seeding number is a bad one? Or remember when the bad results
come and use footmen in stead of dragons? Or even better, try to
maximize his results by attacking in the right order.
For example fight 1 gives a bad result but if I use the dragon to
attack the footman I win anyway. Fight 2 gives a very good result and
I can use it to win even with one footman against a dragon. Fight 3 is
very bad, so I simply attack with a footman against another footman
and lose. Fight four is good again so I attack with my dragon that
other dragon and win.
It's a not a bad idea, but I think a bad cheater can use it to his
advantage... (and cheat even worse than before)

Rogier 'Konradius' van Vugt

References

PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
Jim Flanagan <flanag19@eos.net>
Thu, 14 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
kkent@gulf.uvic.ca (Kevin Kent)
Fri, 15 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
dschulz@luminet.net (hElIcAl gEaRs)
Sat, 23 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
david.m.bott@dartmouth.edu (Dave Bott)
Mon, 25 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
Gary Baines <Gary.Baines@J-Sainsbury.co.uk>
Thu, 28 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
Jim Flanagan <flanag19@eos.net>
Thu, 14 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
kkent@gulf.uvic.ca (Kevin Kent)
Fri, 15 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
dschulz@luminet.net (hElIcAl gEaRs)
Sat, 23 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
david.m.bott@dartmouth.edu (Dave Bott)
Mon, 25 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBEM Cheating, how to deal with it?
Gary Baines <Gary.Baines@J-Sainsbury.co.uk>
Thu, 28 Mar 1996 00:00:00 +0000