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Cheaters /ip tracing etc - Possible solution

Posted: Dec 03, 2017
by marekjoz
Since the discovery of aristo's 25+ different names and accounts used here only to ruin games of others' players and making a mess, a process of IPs tracing was widely used to trace such cheaters and abusers.

Many here think, that you should be able to play totally anonymously, others think, that the identity of a player should not be anonymous. Not anonymous does not mean that the real life identity should be revealed, but rather, that it should not be allowed to appear here under many different names without being recognised under one single "Hearts name". There are many reasons behind it and and the discussion here already took place long time ago.

As cheaters have successfully introduced new ways to hide their real IPs it is more difficult to trace them and protect integrity of games and players.

A simple update to the game's code could prevent such cheats by introducing a new Unique Machine (game instance) ID - (UMID)

1. Install update
2. At first login to the new instance of the updated game:
a) is there a UMID present? If yes go to step 3
b) get a new UMID from the server
3. While playing insert UMID into game log

Aidan - it would be a simple update, giving you opportunity to test a new solution, which you could use in another games you have.
It would however bring security here and integrity of the community to quite another, higher level.

I hope, you could think about it...

Regards
M

Re: Cheaters /ip tracing etc - Possible solution

Posted: Sep 22, 2021
by Aidan
Version 3 will show coded IPs and not the real ones so you can still compare but no personal information is revealed.

The unique machine ID is interesting and I will look into it.

Re: Cheaters /ip tracing etc - Possible solution

Posted: Sep 28, 2021
by SunnyCorner
So will the machine code always display the same code if it corresponds to the same IP or does it change with each login? And presumably if 2 players are using one IP the machine code will display the same?

Some players use VPN (this can change regularly if its setup in that way) there fore the IP will probably never be the same - will the generate a new machine code every time?


Regards Ice

Re: Cheaters /ip tracing etc - Possible solution

Posted: Sep 28, 2021
by Aidan
The unique machine code is not connected to the IP in any way, and yes it will be the same for different users on the same machine. But it could be a good idea and I'll look into it before the V3 release. Of course it won't stop cheaters using another machine to play on (with also possibly a different IP), but it might help.

The one thing it has it its favor is that while it can be totally legit for e.g. different family members to play in the same game using the same IP, it should never be the case that two people are playing in the same game with the same machine id.

Re: Cheaters /ip tracing etc - Possible solution

Posted: Sep 28, 2021
by HowCoolIsThat
Okay, once again, some "people" believe their own conspiracy theories that people conspire to cheat. How obtuse. When there's no monetary reward, which there isn't in Hearts 2, what's the point? [Hint: none] It's really Much Ado About Nothing as Shakespeare so aptly put it. Don't waste your timing chasing someone else's craziness.

Re: Cheaters /ip tracing etc - Possible solution

Posted: Sep 29, 2021
by SunnyCorner
"Since the discovery of aristo's 25+ different names and accounts used here only to ruin games of others' players and making a mess, a process of IPs tracing was widely used to trace such cheaters and abusers."

This was real and demonstrable - not a conspiracy theory and that is why Aidan is quite rightly addressing the issue!!!! ARISTO systematically tried to wreck the game and he certainly wasn't the only one. See my posts over the years - I've exposed many of them. Methinks he "doth protest too much"..........

Regards Ice

Re: Cheaters /ip tracing etc - Possible solution

Posted: Sep 29, 2021
by Aidan
It should not be a problem and I don't know why people do it, but it does happen.