eSports Server Arbiter

General Discussion
1

I am playing with some A.I.s that are making things different from normal players.
So why that? Well, I am not an expert in the area but from what I read there are infinite possibilities, a huge number of possibilities that an A.I.s can generate from its algorithm to identify a photo. Taking this in mind and believing in Blizzard’s ethics to do a great game without frauds in tournaments I thought you could add something to next patches and future games.

There is a lot of data transferred between participants computers in a RTS game. I play SC since the first version when I was young, and I am tired to see people cheating. So, one thing I thought that might help are triggers to any action sending parameters of that action to an arbiter server, so it can calculate and check if that action was real or not based on conditions and rules of the game, presented to all real players. Monitored by its own clock.

Maybe create an own file in players computer and send it in time after time in tournaments and ranked matches.
Maybe a minute or some seconds to send the file to the arbiter server check and analyze.
Maybe play a certain number of unranked to play a certain number of ranked in a week inside the season and enable/disable the button to play them.
Maybe the arbiter server stop the match and give the winner.
Maybe a cheap monthly fee for it.

This way you will remove A.I.s that has a bad programming and possibilities. Not just count of wins to select the good or bad ones. The ones that do things different from a real player must be identified and investigated. Ban the player or A.I.s for some time or forever.

The game is made for players not for A.I.s and its programmers to compete between themselves.
It is nice to see great programmers doing amazing things but keep in mind, first create players then A.I.s. Ok a little confuse, or we would never play campaign.

What I am saying is that fool a player in any circumstance is unethical from a player perspective. Games were always to compete, to improve, to challenge, never to fool. And when you can get it is even more frustrating. For example, if my damage/armor is 0 0 or 3 3 it needs to respect the correct numeral for that action when damaging another player or been damage. It also needs to respect the calculus of what was collected less what was spent with structures and units to build more units, respect the correct time for units and structures, same as the player. Is it too much to ask? To Ask and A.I. to be honest with the player, to remove cheaters. I don’t think so.
OK but it is hard. I know. These damn hackers change even the clock of my PC. They change the connection making it slow/late or original state. They use people around to get to the game project and so on…
But we can make it more difficult, audit, check and recheck. I played many times SC with a 56kbps modem. Now I have a 300Mb connection. I think in the future it will become even better.

So, to finish my thoughts, to have an arbiter server in a RTS game will not hurt too much. And with the correct fee it can process all matches in tournaments and ranked game, give you some profit and energy to continue with eSports proposal.

Any idea to add or discuss? It will be a pleasure to think about them with arguments.

2

I’ve been grinding 3 vs. A.I. Going for the 250 Elite achievement and the race ones.

3

you want to turn an RTS game into WoW monthly subs? Blizzard would probably do that. You should talk to their execs.

5

I was thinking another journalist way to audit the game.
To record the streaming video with an independent camera, without PC connection.

Many times with my own eyes it is possible to realize some differences. In slow motion it must be possible to check all the damages. And with a testing player click everywhere, units buildings upgrades, other player units and check its upgrades. None of the damages must be different one to one kind of units. When two troops encounter each other.

Using own timing with the camera will help it too. Many times when attacking with your troops A.I.s / cheater players make their units in a different time and kill all your units no matter what you do.

Same attacks use screen change event to throw something weird even if you checked that part of the map some game seconds before and respecting it they couldn’t be there.

Well, so concluding, another way to audit the game is to use a video with a independent camera and analyze it in slow motion. I think and from now just think it happened in the latest pro tournaments.

In a while it is another way.

6

The time and game flow looks better, but there are two more bugs that are not fixed that botters a lot, maybe some kind of hack. Some units just disapear when you change screen location and the damage/armor sometimes is wrong. A 22 upgrade just does not matter, you see all your units killed like a big damage area, when you click the oponent units 99% of times it is 0 0.

Players are also getting out when they start losing the game, the screen gives a small freeze and then you are playing with a different player, probably an AI to get a better Rank. What ashame!

7

Have you heard of “Forced surrender hack” ? I didn’t even know such thing exists. You play the game and all of a sudden you see “Defeat screen” as if you surrendered.

I’ve heard that the main reason why hacks are out there is because it’s profitable. Hacks are not free. You have to pay to use them and even then the use is limited to like 3 months or so, and then you have to pay again. Basically it’s like a subscription. As long as there are money on the line nobody will fix it.

8

Hello. I’ve heard since SC1 about the DROP HACK, the one that disconnects the player leaving the other to his fake victory. And Blizzard give hem points and a better rank.

About the paid hack, it is an absurd to me. If you also like this game you must report it to Blizzard and Police. There is a clause at Blizzard contracts that do not allow any cheat to create any advantage in the game. Please if you know who report him and make him pay for this crime, NOT YOU.

9

I disagree.

10

And what are your arguments to disagree?
Let’s change my affirmation, maybe it wasn’t clear, the Rank.
"The Rank inside StarCraft 2 must be used just for players not for A.I.s.
“There must be just players, humans in the Ranked Versus section.”
"The maps inside this section must not allow advantages and disadvantages. That means no more Mods. Tha means no more maps different from original ones that are usually launch at the beginning of the season.

That means no cheats, like blizzard contract says. mainly in rank section, what makes it represents an eSport.

Disagree again? Elaborate on that.

11

A better idea instead of an Arbiter is a GAME AUDIT COUPLING