The Bad and the Good of Cheating in Video Game
"You feel like you're going to have a bad time."
-Narrator (Undertale)
Cheat in video game is probably as old as video game itself. It was used by the developer to test their game while in development, to see if the game works well. And now its function has changed into a 'tool' for gamers, or in this case cheaters, use to benefit themselves and gain great advantages in both single player games and multiplayer games. This is something that most gamers disagree with, and the other proudly doing so. And not only the players, the game developers too don't like it to see cheaters that they are getting rid of them in many ways. But when I think about it deeper, cheating in video game is not entirely bad.
The Original Purpose of Cheat in Video Game
Game testing, the purpose of cheat code was to aid the testing process of the game while still in-development. Why would the game developer need to cheat to test their in-development games? To test certain levels, mechanics or other features in the game for hundreds of times a day it will otherwise took too much time if the playtester had to play the game normally only to test some certain things in the game, and then work on it again, and then test it again over and over until they achieved the desired result of the game. That's why playtesters used cheat codes to make it easier. It let them getting to different part of the game quickly and finish the testing process.
Like the infamous Konami Code, it was first created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto when he was developing an arcade side-scrolling shooter Gradius, and find it too difficult to play through during testing. So he invented a cheat code that provide a full set of power-ups. Sometimes the cheat is still present in the game after the release because they accidentally left it there, just like what happened to the Konami Code. Kazuhisa Hashimoto simply forgot to remove the feature so it can still be used in the said game. And for some reason that code became so popular that we could find it in many modern games too.
How Cheating is Bad
Competitive games were made to be as fair as possible for both side no matter how different the characters' weapons, playstyle, and abilities are in order to create a fun balanced gameplay experience. When you find yourself being an easy prey for your opponents in competitive multiplayer games because they are cheating, I believe this would ruin your fun gaming time and give you complete annoyance. Because you'll need to better these people with greatly unfair advantage, not because you need to better their actual skill, which is could be almost impossible to do.
For example, in League of Legends (0r other MOBA games) when you play as an assassin which is as soft as marshmellow and you find yourself in a difficult duel and/or might be losing against a rock-hard fighter character, it is depends on your skills, your strategy, and your items build whether or not you could win the seemingly unfair duel. No matter how unfair the said situation to you, still there is nothing to be mad about, right? (except your unfortunate loss) Because your opponent is winning with their own skill, not using some forbidden cheats that are not a part of the game. (Note: I don't know if there are cheats in League of Legends, though. It's just an example. Are there cheats in LoL?)
The most known cheat in online FPS games is the wallhack, that allows the player to see through the walls and figure out each enemy locations throughout the map. And the one that let the player headshot the opponents very easily, I don't know what that one is called. Even worse, sometimes the cheaters looked like they are playing normally beating you with their own skill.
Cheating in online game is also come in the form of external software that are commonly known as bots. These programs are set to do the player's tasks. In MMO games using bots could be used to run several tasks such as running quests or farming certain resources and minions, which could be extremely unfair for the players who play the game properly.
How Cheating is Good
I personally never wanted to use cheat to ease up my progress, I hated it. I prefer to play by the rules on the game and don't like it to have the game hands me everything and do everything for me. But the last time I play a game I find myself using cheats quite often, and I think it was ok. How come? Because I use it to deal with bugs and glitches. So I think that's where cheat could be tolerated.
It was when I played Fallout 4. As far as I remember the bug that I had the most was missing companions. They were following me around uttering their sarcasms along the way and the next minute I realize that they are not talking anymore. So I look around and I figured they were missing, probably stuck somewhere inaccessible. So I typed in a code in the console command to instantly move the companion next to me, and that always worked thanks to the cheat.
This "cheat" feature that is provided by the developer in the game itself, such as the console command, could grant you pretty much any impossible abilities that are off the game's rules such as being invulnerable, able to fly around or walk through the walls, gaining infinite ammo and money, unlocking secrets, and even to obtain every single piece of weapons and armours available that would otherwise require you to spend hours in order to obtain them.
For example, in Skyrim if you open the console command and type in "coc qasmoke" you will be teleported into an inaccessible room that contain every single items of the game, from weapons to potions. Once you take everything you wanted you can go back to slay everything in your path way easier than before.
Console command could also be used to experience fun gameplay in many different ways as you please, without actually ease up your main story progress. Such as spawn a bunch of NPCs that will fight each other in order to create an epic large scale battle scene.
My Conclusion
The pro of using cheats is that it could give more amusement, just for fun, and help you deal with bugs and glitches. But I don't like it if this 'amusement' is making my progress easier like gaining instant money or EXP. So I don't really agree on that part when I said cheat could grant you impossible abilities, weapons, etc. But still I put it in the "good" section because if the game is a single player game where cheating won't affect other's experience, I won't be the one to judge you for using whatever cheats on a game that you entirely own. But please, for the sake of your fellow gamers don't cheat on multiplayer game.
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I wholly agree with you, I feel like cheating takes the fun out of the game (and the experience) if you're doing it just to have an easier time. Although I do admit, sometimes some games do have quite difficult areas that cheating may aid especially if it's stopping progression or taking the fun out of the experience. But if you're doing it just to have an easier time I feel it's also disrespectful to the developers etc. because they worked hard to make the game the way it is.
I also find cheat codes quite fun to use after I've finished the game, as it gives me something new to do and enhances the experience.
If someone is cheating in a multiplayer game such as Star Wars Battlefront or LoL, I really feel that strong measures should be taken against them because they are ruining the experience for everyone else and it's highly disrespectful. Great post!
Thank you!
For me I usually avoid using cheat to aid in difficult areas to see if I'm good enough to be able to beat it. Beating that difficult levels in game is one of the best feeling from playing game.
And for the extra fun after I finished the game I usually go to mods over cheat, but I did use cheat sometimes. My favorite thing to do with cheat is creating massive battle in Skyrim or Fallout.
A really interesting article.
When you agree to play a game – any game – you enter into a contract with other players. The game isn't important -the contract is. It's representative of competition within set parameters, which allows for the participants to, hone and show off there skills, to other competitors – An ancient, ritualistic, safe environment for fighting , if you will.
Breaking of the contract (cheating) shows a disregard for entering into the contract, in the first place.
This is sociopathic behavior.
I think computer gaming attracts a much higher than average number of sociopaths. ( around the 2% mark, in society, as a whole)
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense – a no risk, no effort environment, to screw over fellow human beings. ( sociopaths are notoriously lazy via vis input, for result)
It's a kind of sociopathic heaven !
My 'career' in computer gaming finished a long time ago- 'ghost recon', and 'total war -empire'- .
(I was always been a tabletop wargamer and one of the reasons I just joined steemit, actually).
I see the level of respect shown in both genre's. (I mean with respect to 'the contract of the game'.)
With tabletop wargameing (or board games), there is a 'reverence' to the contract, and seen as something valuable, not something to get around, in order to beat your opponent.
And thus, deeply more satisfying, (in my opinion.)
Due, I think, mainly, to the effort you actually have to put into it, to have the wargame. - There is 'effort' involved – a real commitment.
The analogy of ordering a burger and fries, at a drive through, and a sitting down in a French restaurant, with an 'a la carte 'menu, is very apt.
If you have never experienced the difference, it can only be an abstract concept, unfortunately.
I completely agree with you because if you use cheats correctly, it's much more interesting to play. For example, if there is a broken puzzle door that doesn't open. You can get around it by sneaking through walls, or skip some tough fight with invulnerability and murder weapons through, or cut down on the economic routine by giving yourself unlimited money to make sure that you can buy all the work in the last game, you saved a lot of time. The only thing that can interfere is bans for cheats. Because mostly they ban you for cheat codes. But if you use apex legends hacks, then bans can be avoided.