Video game exploit: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Use of video game bugs to gain unintended advantage}}

{{about|exploited glitches in video games|the video game|Exploit (video game)}}

{{Original research|date=December 2014}}

In [[video game]]s, an '''exploit''' is the use of a [[software bug|bug]] or glitchesglitch, gamein system,a rates,way hitthat boxes, speed or level design etc. bygives a playersubstantial to theirunfair advantage into aplayers mannerusing not intended by the [[game designer|game's designers]];it.<ref name="DOG 03, 474">{{cite book | title=Developing online games | url=https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull | url-access=registration |author=Mulligan, Jessica |author2=Bridgette Patrovsky |chapter=Appendix F |page=[https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull/page/474 474] |publisher=New Riders |year=2003 |isbn=9781592730001}}</ref> howeverHowever, thewhether preciseparticular determinationacts of what is or is not consideredconstitute an exploit can be controversial. This debate stems from a number of factors but, typically involvesinvolving the argument that the issues are part of the game, and require no changes or external programs are needed to take advantage of them.<ref name="Consalvo 07, 113">{{cite book | title=Cheating: gaining advantage in videogames | url=https://archive.org/details/cheatinggaininga00cons | url-access=limited |author=Consalvo, Mia |publisher=MIT Press |year=2007 |chapter=Chapter 5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cheatinggaininga00cons/page/n126 114]–115 |isbn=9780262033657}}</ref>

==Controversy==

Exploiting may beis considered [[cheating in online games|cheating]] by partmost ofin the gaming community and gaming industry, due to the unfair advantage usually gained by the exploiter.<ref name="Macaulay 17">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbianalytics.com/exploits-arent-cheating-neutralizing-attitudes-gaming-industry/ |title=Exploits Aren't Cheating, Are They? - Neutralizing Attitudes in the Gaming Industry |author= Macaulay, Ashton |work=National Business Innovations LLC |publisher=NBI Analytics |date=30 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806064329/https://www.nbianalytics.com/exploits-arent-cheating-neutralizing-attitudes-gaming-industry/ |archive-date=6 August 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Whether an exploit is considered a cheat is a matter of widespread debate that varies between genres, games, and other factors. Most software developers of online games prohibit exploiting in their terms of service and often issue sanctions against players found to be exploiting.

There is some contention by exploiters that exploiting should not be considered cheating as it is merely taking advantage of actions allowed by the software. They view exploiting as a skill because certain exploits take a significant amount of time to find, or dexterity and timing to use. PlayersMany that do notother exploitplayers believe that exploits should be considered cheats that the developers should address and the exploiters should be [[ban (law)|banned]].

ArgumentsThose inwho favorconsider of theexploits cheating viewargue involvethat they are contrary to the spirit of the game even if rules and thecode potentiallydo damagingnot effectsspecifically ofprohibit them, undermining the exploitenjoyable ondynamics of it, and that they are destructive of the game's community.<ref name="Tavinor 09">{{cite book | title= The Art of Videogames: New Directions in Aesthetics | url= https://archive.org/details/artvideogamesnew00tavi | url-access= limited | publisher=John Wiley and Sons | author=Tavinor, Grant |year=2009 |isbn= 9781405187886 |chapter=Games Through Fiction |pages=[https://archive.org/details/artvideogamesnew00tavi/page/n117 107]–108}}</ref><ref name="Lopez 05">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/635/635262p1.html |title=WoW Duping: Fact or Fiction? |author=Lopez, Miguel |work=GameSpy |publisher=IGN Entertainment |date=20 July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050723005303/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/635/635262p1.html |archive-date=23 July 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref> While the rules or game code may not explicitly disallow a specific exploit, it may be seen that using that exploit goes against theA ''[[letter and spiritWorld of the law|spirit of the gameWarcraft]].<ref'' name="Tavinorcommunity 09"manager />described The potentialthe damageeffect of an exploitexploits on a game has been described by a ''[[World of Warcraft]]''s community manager as "devastating".<ref name="Lopez 05" />

In defenseDefenders of theseexploits behaviors are argumentsargue that the rules of the game allow itthem, and that players using exploits might not know they are behaving against the designer's intention.<ref name="Macaulay 17" /><ref name="DOG 03, 286">{{cite book | title=Developing online games | url=https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull | url-access=registration |author=Mulligan, Jessica |author2=Bridgette Patrovsky |chapter=Chapter 13 |page=[https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull/page/286 286] |publisher=New Riders |year=2003 |isbn=9781592730001}}</ref><ref name="Jakobsson 08, 280">{{cite book |title=Crimeware: understanding new attacks and defenses |author=Jakobsson, Markus |author2=Zulfikar Ramzan |publisher=Addison-Wesley |year=2008 |isbn=9780321501950 |chapter=Chapter 9: Virtual Worlds and Fraud |page=280}}</ref> So-called exploits, in this view, are not cheats because they do not change the game in any way, and therefore could be accessible to all players if theywho know howof tothem docan ituse them.<ref name="Consalvo 07, 113" /> The players who use such techniques may consider them fair for use in the game in cases whenif they are not explicitly disallowed in the [[Terms of Service]] or other such rules governing participation.<ref name="DOG 03, 286" /> Exploiters also argue that the fastest way to get developers to update games to eliminate exploits is to use them as much as possible, as that greatly increases the quantity of complaints about them.

==Griefing==

{{see also|Griefing}}

While players moremost frequentlyoften exploituse issuesvideo game exploits to gain a gameplay relevant advantage for themselves, sometimes they mayinstead use them instead to irritate other players, also known as [[griefer|griefing]].<ref name="Tavinor 09" /> One team of gamers in ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' produced popular online videos demonstrating their griefing and alsowith several exploits present in the game, most of them being of little useintended forgameplay personal gainuse.<ref name="Gillen 08">{{cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_147/4856-Team-Roomba |title=Team Roomba |author=Gillen, Kieron |work=The Escapist |date=29 April 2008 |access-date=11 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501083121/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_147/4856-Team-Roomba |archive-date=1 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Another famous incident during the ''[[Ultima Online]]'' [[beta test]] saw a player kill [[Lord British]] when that character was supposed to be invincible; the tester was later banned for exploiting because he did not report the bugs he found.<ref name="Lee 97">{{cite web |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/1997-09-23/news/ultimate-ultima/ |title=Ultimate Ultima |date=23 September 1997 |author=Lee, Edmund |work=The Village Voice |access-date=11 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914060506/http://www.villagevoice.com/1997-09-23/news/ultimate-ultima/ |archive-date=14 September 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Common types==

[[File:Dan Backslide Wavesash.gif|thumb|left|Wavedashing, an exploit mechanic used competitively in many [[platform fighter]] games, as demonstrated in a modded instance of ''[[Rivals of Aether]]''.]]

Common types of exploits include:

; [[Duping (gaming)|Duping]]: Duplicating items or money.

; [[Lag (video games)|Lag]] and disconnection exploits: A game with inadequate lag handling may let players intentionally cause lag for themselves to cause an advantage.<ref name="Consalvo 07, 113" /> Similarly, a game that lets a player disconnect immediately with no consequences may let players exit a game without suffering a loss. (''[[Shogun 2: Total War]]'')

;Geometry: Taking advantage of how the game world is built. Typically the goal of these exploits is to reach normally inaccessible areas or take unintended shortcuts in the game world. These are commonly achieved by going through walls, crossing invisible barriers made by the programmers, or scaling ledges not intended to be climbable.

; [[Twinking]]: Twinking usually refers to taking advantage of design flaws in the game's gearing system in order to equip a new or low-level character with much higher level gear. Other actions commonly referred to as "twinking" include: giving a new character a large amount of gold, and intentionally keeping a character at a low level while gaining much better equipment.

; [[Twinking]]: Twinking usually refers to taking advantage of design flaws in the game's gearing system in order to equip a new or low-level character with much higher level gear. Other actions commonly referred to as "twinking" include: giving a new character a large amount of gold and intentionally keeping a character at a low level while gaining much better equipment.

; Movement speed bugs: These usually allow the player to move faster than intended, such as [[bunny hopping]]. Many of these have been embraced by certain games, such as skiing in the [[Tribes (video game series)|''Tribes'']] series.

; Safe zones: Places where a player can attack with no risk of being attacked back. This is often a form of an exploit in the geometry (terrain) of a game—however, a game may have areas that make players within them safe (especially in PvP games/zones wherein which the opposing faction(s) may not enter) from attack while not disallowing the safe players to attack.

; Game mechanics: Taking advantage of the systems that make up the gameplay. A game mechanics exploit is not a bug—itbug: it is workinga ascase designed,in butwhich ata thesystem sameis timeworking isas notdesigned, workingbut not as intended. An example is the "wavedash" in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', wherein which the momentum gained from using a directional aerial dodge could be retained on landing; with proper timing this allows characters to use a stationary attack while sliding across the ground or reposition themselves in a snappy, precise way.

; Cheesing: Performing repeated, usually considered cheap, attack moves in such a way that doesn't allow the enemy to respond or fight back. An example would be ''[[Street Fighter II]]'' in which one can perform repeated moves that keep the enemy being attacked and against the side of the screen, with no way for them to perform a counterattack.

Each game has the potential for exploits unique to that game's rules. For example, in ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', wall-walking allowed a player to climb steep mountains that are supposed to be impassable to get into unfinished areas or make one's character not attackable by mobs or other players. ''[[EverQuest]]'' had an exploit in player versus player analogous to [[weight cutting]] in sports whereby a player would intentionally lose [[experience point|levels]] by dying in order to compete against lower-level players while wielding higher-level items and skills (game mechanics exploit). In the game ''[[City of Heroes]]'' peopleplayers were usingused teleport powers to place others inside the PvP zones' watchtowers which, because they were originally designed as props for atmosphere, had no waymeans in or out if he or she could not teleport (the towers haveof sinceegress gainedother athan doorway)teleportation.

==Response==

Developers may find it difficult to identify and respond to an exploit because a playerplayers who discovers adiscover vulnerabilityvulnerabilities in a game may be reluctant to inform the game's developers, in order to continue exploiting.<ref name="Consalvo 07, 113" /> However, once developers dolearn findof exploits, the response may include banning players who took advantage of the exploit, changing the game's rules to combateliminate it or make it less useful, or even embracing the exploit. The positivePositive opinions of the exploit can lead to the designers embracing it as [[emergent gameplay]], such as when skiing in the [[Tribes (video game series)|''Tribes'']] series of games gained developer support. The now-standard practice of [[rocket jumping]] originated in a similar way, by exploiting game mechanics in a way not foreseen by the developers. Otherwise, the developers may try to fix the underlying problem, or discourage use of the exploit if the issue cannot be clearly addressed by technical means. In severe cases, players may be banned. Further, the game state of the world may need to be reset to restore [[game balance]]. For example, following a serious currency [[duping (gaming)|dupe exploit]] in ''[[EverQuest II]]'', the developers removed large amounts of duped money from the game to address the rampant [[inflation]] it caused in the game's [[virtual economy]].<ref name="zdnet-eq2">{{cite web | title=Cheaters slam 'Everquest II' economy | author=Terdiman, Daniel | date=11 August 2005 | url=http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-144176.html | work=ZDNet News | access-date=21 February 2007 | author-link=Daniel Terdiman }}{{Deaddead link|date=July 2018 2024|bot=InternetArchiveBot medic}}{{cbignore|fix-attemptedbot=yes medic}}</ref>

==See also==

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* [http://news.cnet.com/2100-1040-933822.html Online gaming's cheating heart] Article about cheating and exploiting.

[[Category:Competitive video gameEsports terminology]]

[[Category:Cheating in video games|Exploit]]

[[Category:Video game terminology|Exploit]]

[[Category:Video game culture]]

[[Category:Cheating in video games]]

[[Category:Video game terminology]]