My suggestion to help new players against those who cheat

Suggestions
1

First, I wanted to say a few things about things I have learned while playing this game.

Cheating is much more rare than I realized. In most cases where I suspected cheating was involved, it was more likely it was one of the following situations…

  1. Player is very familiar with movement patterns on the map and/or is coordinating with fellow team members
  2. Players level is far above your own and has been poorly matched up for the match
  3. Server bugs cause the player to essentially become immortal for the match.

It is also important to note that the largest weakness of new players, aside from lack of experience with the game and the map is the terrible performance of weaponry that has not been maxed. Lower level weapons are next to useless at range, where max level weapons are precise and deadly.

Now, that said, what I have noticed is that players in this game that do actually cheat (or at least seem to do so) tend to be higher level characters. One can tell this based on the equipment they have available…like mortars, certain types of planes and weapons, etc. Having them matched with players with players that are essentially brand new (lower than level 20) is just abusive and contrary to the intent of hooking new players on the game.

The matchmaking system in this game needs a huge improvement. I feel there isn’t any situation that justifies matching a top level player against a new one.

I would suggest a block in place for players below level 20 in campaign. In fact, it would be best to group players below level 20 based on campaign level in the 5s…level one to five in one group, 6 to 10, 11 to 15 and 16 to 20. After level 20 most players are competent enough IMO and dedicated to the game, so they can be matched with all player levels 21 and beyond.

The second suggestion is one I have made before…a “war game” mode where a player is put on a map with the exact same soldiers they started the game with, completely unleveled, and face fellow faction players. No tanks, airplanes, artillery, etc. Players, when killed, “sit down” to indicate they are dead and then disappear from the map.

There would be no progression from this mode. It is simply practice. This would allow brand new players the opportunity to hone their skills before facing real players in open play.

I believe that both of these suggestions would reduce the impact that cheating players have on game player retention.

Thanks for reading.

2

Not sure if there is enough players to create a ranked matchmaking. Or maybe there is but it would increase greatly the waiting time

I quite don’t get what you mean with your “war game”.
What would be needed at least is a better tutorial/practice mode where you need to attack or defend an objective against AI, fight another tank, bomb a target in a plane,…

Of course AI is not the same as fighting players but a new player can practice shooting real targets (not those big wooden targets we currently have) and also realize the AI do have a “aimbot” (so not every weird shot in a match is someone cheating)

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3

What I meant was a bot free mode where real players of the same faction compete against each other in a simplified map, much smaller, with generic soldiers like level 1 when you started.

No blood, no gore, just same faction players fighting against each other. When you “die” you sit down instead of fall down, then disappear from the map like normal. You are essentially using blanks.

It is a training war game. It allows players to practice honing their fighting skills in the game, and can play against friends. There is no progression, so it doesn’t effect the overall game.

Perhaps making it against bots is better, since it could then be single player. But I do feel that lack of progression or reward is important. It is just for practice.

4

Oh there are clear cheaters. Those who are shooting through walls, walking through walls, and those who shoot randomly in the general direction players are and boom headshot after headshot. There are very clear cheaters in this game, such as BarneyBadAce.

5

Many walls can be penetrated though. Especially wooden boxes or thin siding.

I’ve never seen anybody walk through a wall. I’m pretty sure stuff like that is calculated server side and can’t be hacked from running a little script on your computer.

Have you ever had a bit of lag and suddenly the server puts you back a few feet? The sever has the final say on your position. Otherwise you’d see people flying like Superman with rockets flying out of their eyes.

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6

I got some experience on shoot through wall myself, I shoot someone moving towards cover and he killed behind the cover, it rather look like synchronizing issue but not really shoot through the object. And other experience is that an enermy stood beside a door and his arm and leg passed through the walland I was able to shoot his leg and kill him.

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7

I’m printing this out. Motivational AF.

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8

Dude’s first post is to accuse someone of cheating, and describe pretty normal server-client synchronization issues - perfectly encapsulating the toxic crap that is much of this forum.

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9

Although I agree on the need for a better tutorial, I see no point in the kind of “war game” you are suggesting.

Even in the worst “normal” match you can have, you lose nothing. At worst, you make 0 or very little progress.

What you are suggesting is a mode where you’re stuck with starter equipment forever, with no XP reward whatsoever, while facing EVEN HARDER opposition than in normal matches… Because in all likelyhood, as soon as you actually introduce a 100% bot-free mode in game, most of the remaining “lone fighters” mode players (who complain about bots filling slots) will migrate there en masse.

TLDR, it would become hardcore PVPers playground, the opposite of what you want to obtain.

:point_up: this is a better idea imo.

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10

A walk through tutorial, scripted and giving a little experience (say +1 level for a couple of squads), plus exposure to tanks and planes and killing them, would be a good idea.

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11

We don’t want matchmaking. War always involved experienced soldiers and new recruits. Much more realistic without it.

12

…someone likes clubbing baby seals

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13

Dude’s first post is nothing of the sort. Replies like this are more representative of “toxic crap that is much of this forum” lol.

14

That’s fair, though I would point out that all players would be equal in everything but skill alone. Considering that it would be easier for new players, even against experienced players.

15

I made that comment as a newbie with little experience. Got nothing to do with seal clubbing.

16

The game is extremely imbalanced. One plane can destroy an entire team in one run. One tank can do as much. Just wait till they balance the game to play it. For God’s sake don’t waste your money on this game. It isn’t worth it unless you sit in planes and tanks.

17

I love how planes can kill you inside a bunker and you aren’t standing near any outside holes in the wall.