"Outriders" is now available on Steam! The coop, RPG, looter shooter game has been popular on the internet since the Demo was released in February. Now developers updated their policies regarding cheaters in the game.
Apparently, it has a unique system of branding cheaters instead of banning them altogether.
"Outriders" developers (devs) worked hard on the system as the game makes its official launch on April 1. Taking their data from the Demo servers released in Berlin, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Sao Paulo, Sydney, and Tokyo, devs identified 200 cheaters from the 2 million players in the community. This is about 0.01% of the whole game's population.
Game-Debate reported that People Can Fly does not see the number growing anytime soon. However, the devs have taken countermeasures against existing cheaters.
In-Game Cheaters
Devs wrote in their blog announcement a list of what they consider as cheating in-game. This includes:
- Running the game without Easy Anti Cheat (EAC)
- Modifying game files to enhance a character: inventory, levels, skills, etc.
- Externally modifying game time to reduce time-dependent features such as vendors and challenges
- Gain in-game advantages by using a trainer program or other similar systems
- Using gameplay altering programs such as aimbots or wallhacks
Players who feed, show AFK (away from keyboard) activity, and get regularly kicked out by multiplayer hosts would also be considered cheaters. The devs are currently reviewing such activities as additional anti-cheat/anti-grief safeguards.
The game makes some exceptions to modifying the program. Using performance tweaking software to improve personal gaming experience such as RivaTuner will not be considered cheating. Farming and Camping game strategies are also not considered cheating.
"Outriders" Cheater Mark: Punishment System
Banning players has been a traditional solution against cheaters for most games. However, these players often create new accounts and repeat the cheating process from scratch. "Outriders" and its devs propose branding cheaters with a "discreet but visible watermark" on the game's HUD, making flagged accounts easily identifiable.
The punishment doesn't stop there. Devs plan to deliver a "cheater hell" in the gaming community. Cheaters can only matchmake with other cheaters, and the matching queue time is significantly longer.
All accounts will be checked for evidence of cheating since the launch date and at regular intervals after that. Accounts identified will be permanently branded with the new system. Accounts created during the Demo are included in this inspection. To remain unbranded, devs instruct guilty accounts to delete all characters and items on the entire account.
The new system is currently in implementation, and People Can Fly developers reserve all rights to update, change and improve the policies in the future.
"Outriders" developed an interesting new way of addressing their cheaters. This new system is a unique solution that could revolutionize the gaming community entirely. Cheaters appear regularly as players who want to make gaming easier or have some curiosities in tampering with the program code. Identifying cheaters and letting them co-exist in-game is an unexpected but efficient solution to the problem
