Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Cheaters?
Cheating in gaming can take two similar but different paths. If you're playing to
win, and you don't care about following all the rules, then you can break them
and cheat to get what you want. However, cheating can also be a way to get a leg
up in the game. For example, if you've been playing a game to get to the next level
but can't quite get there, learning a cheat , such as how to make your weapon
more powerful for a short amount of time—long enough to kill that boss—is
another way to bend the rules and advance through the game.
These latter types of cheats, although in the truest sense they let you gain
an unfair advantage in the game, can actually add to the fun of the gameplay.
A favorite one is the God Mode cheat in Quake . Using the keyboard, the player
types in ~God . That allows the player to walk about in the game, invincible.
They can be attacked repeatedly without suffering damage or dying and, there-
fore, finish the level—or they can go look out the window, which they couldn't
do before because too many bad guys were in the way.
God Mode started with the company id Software, which programmed it into
their Commander Keen game, and it has become synonymous with similar abili-
ties in dozens of other games. It allows players to finish certain parts of the game
that they might not have been able to complete otherwise and to move around
environments that before would have been too hazardous to pass through. Testers
often use it to move past certain parts of the game so they can try areas they want
to get information about.
In Raven Software's Jedi Knight II , a God Mode is built right into the apparent
gameplay and doesn't require a coded cheat to access it. In the final boss fight,
a beam of energy shines in the center of the room. Players can run through the
beam and gain God Mode for a minute.
Other games, like id Software's Descent , can detect when God Modes are turned
on and reduce the shields that protect the player in the game. Some players enjoy
this challenge and access the God Mode for its short duration just to be able to
attempt the level with a handicap. The bragging rights associated with winning
that way are important to these players.
Many gamers who have already played through a game and wish to replay but
scoot through certain, perhaps boring, parts of the game (like fast-forwarding
a recorded TV program or movie to get to the good parts) may use cheats to
advance to the “more fun” areas of play.
Many websites offer cheat codes, or walkthroughs , which can explain how to
understand and then master the strategy part of the game. Simply type into any
online browser the name of the game followed by cheat , cheats , cheat codes , or
walkthroughs to find them. Walkthroughs may be written instructions or videos
showing actual gameplay.
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