#anticheat

[cyncrovee]

We shouldn’t simplify the anti-cheat on Linux issue to just Linux not supporting anti-cheat- because that’s simply not true. Linux does support a lot of anti-cheat software, it’s just that most of the time when anti-cheat is an issue, it’s a deliberate choice by the developers to block Linux.

Many anti-cheats work just fine on Linux, and we need to push back against developers trying to block an entire operating system because of the mere possibility there *might* be a few extra cheaters. If you don’t want cheaters, you’d have to just not release a game- but that’s unreasonable, and so it blocking other operating systems.

(And to be clear, yes, there is likely some anti-cheat that doesn’t support Linux, at least at the moment. I just want to clear up any misconceptions about Linux blanket not supporting anti-cheat)

[flooferland]

I find kernel level anti-cheats and generally client-side anticheats like BattleEye, EasyAntiCheat, and Vanguard really stupid, because they really aren't stopping cheaters, all they're doing is discouraging them while sacrificing performance, user privacy, Linux support, and generally risking accidentally banning casual user.

I started developing my own anti-cheat for a game and it hit me, you should never have any anti-cheat on the client. All anti-cheats should be server-side, because to this day players are still figuring out ways to bypass these anti-cheats, like using hardware-level exploits which are physically impossible to detect unless they start serving anti-cheats as AI-powered robots that are physically in your room looking at you while you game.

Think about it.. Wall hacks let you see other players through walls, easy solution right? Just don't tell the client where the other players are, do server-side calculations for occlusion, you already have a system for it to do it client-side since it saves performance not to render players that aren't on the screen. But nope, because it would slightly increase server costs, even if it makes cheating impossible to perform.

The number one rule in multiplayer is "NEVER TRUST THE CLIENT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE", and these huge game dev corporations are consistently not following it, then complain about having cheaters while going "Oh, it must be the Linux users!!! Not our flawed approach at anti-cheat!!!"

[good-fwiend-in-wome]

man, i don't know, i think maybe once you need to ask players to have dedicated cryptography hardware and specific bios options on their PCs for your anticheat to let them play you might wanna stop and really consider if this never-ending arms race is actually a good way to fight cheaters

[littlebit670]

I wrote a wall on my WordPress about Apex Legends disabling Linux support over alleged cheating concerns

[apples-stables]

I did more digging into GameGuard cause I saw concern about if its safe or not, and honestly the general consensus is that "its not inherently *unsafe* and it hardly does its job as an anti cheat"

Now, I'm honestly not like *happy* about it, especially since apparently its a pretty piss poor anticheat system *anyways* and then on top of what it does have access to on your computer its still not like *fun to think about*

I hope SSO takes different steps honestly? Like I don't like the idea of what GameGuard does to your computer, but the argument can be made that "a lot of games use it so maybe its ok"

Alternatively the argument can be made that "just cause lots of people use it doesnt mean its good"

Sources:

(1) (2) (3)

[fandomstuckportal]

((OOC: once more, with @telltalegames choices! (and press f to pay respects)))

[jay-the-warrior]

Aren’t there some villains or something that you’re working against?

“…That’s probably the reason I’m friendly around them.”

[csvkru]

true :)