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What is WGT doing to take measures against cheaters

• AgentBrown123 907 Posts

  Sun, Sep 7 2014 8:53 PM

  After seeing a video of someone whom I've played with here and there for around 4 years using a slow meter cheat. I think it's really time for wgt to start thinking outside the box to stop these cheaters approaching this more proactively.

  A possibly good idea would be implementing a way for all players on wgt to not only see what other players ding percentage is but the actual percentage of a whole ding only in MPC, and big stroke play tournaments. These are the only competitions where they are very unlikely to tank the game to make it look normal.

  When a player is getting around 99.5 percent dings (which someone who uses a slow meter cheat will attain around). Players will know to avoid playing these individual. Any kind of human will not get close to that 100 percent ding percentage. Wgt will know to take action so they don't win the big events.... EDIT (This was poorly worded, I was not referring to any of the top players that have been winning the big events)

  This is what I think wgt needs to do. Take a group of golfers (the elite ones), have them stream their match via phone for those who are willing to do so, because streaming from a computer program severely hampers meter performance... So wgt can see what the overall percentage of dings these players are getting over a span of about a week.

  These percentages won't touch 99.5 percent or whatever it is. They probably won't even touch 90 percent of the ding!! Even with the best on here, ESPECIALLY in a pressure situation.

  This will make it very obvious who is cheating. Although one could turn it off and blow a round or two. This is why this should only be implemented in High credit RG's and monthly virtual tour events and such. And it might make more sense to not make this stat public, perhaps keep it private for wgt employees to look over in the big events.

  I realize this idea has it's flaws. But wgt really does need to starting thinking about ways to stop the cheating which in my opinion is going rampant.

  AB

• Covenant 1,498 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 11:29 AM

  WGT golf is a running program, any cheat programs are interfering with that normal wgt program, so it seems to me the programmers on wgt should be able to see when something is not right with a game.

  As long as finding out who cheats is a matter of observation nothing will be done and nothing will be proven really

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 11:47 AM

  Is this an announcement or is it news?

• Jimbog1964 8,378 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 11:55 AM

  Non computer person speaking here, and no top player so be gentle.

  First I applaud any exploration that may help to combat the problem, and this is with that in mind:

  Ding is king, but only when it is needed and you set up for a ding IMO.  Now if that monitoring came in the smart player (???) could just set up to miss the ding.  Often many do that anyway in winds, but even on low wind you could set your aim up that way I would think.  Don't know if the recently referred SW can be set up like that, but other referred to SW suggests it would be hardly difficult.

  Fully agree with this being discussed in a grown up way, as you intend, if something can come of it that helps, but I can't see this would help for reasons stated.  Shooting the breeze can't be bad though.  

  I strongly feel that a player like me could become very prolific very easily in at least several weekly type comps with some of the stuff that has been referred to in these forums.  Not every round, but a ding or two miss approach or putt has is so V V often the difference for me IMO, and so on an overall basis that's why I think (if it works as advertised) some of that recently referred to SW is so sinister..  Anything that gets the field level has to be a good thing.  Maybe will make crap difference in my placings of course, but anything that takes the cloud away is the real point I think.

  AgentBrown123:

  I realize this idea has it's flaws. But wgt really does need to starting thinking about ways to stop the cheating which in my opinion is going rampant.

  Mine 2.

   

• keidan 311 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 12:05 PM

  AgentBrown123:

  My idea would be implementing a way for all players on wgt to not only see what other players ding percentage is but the actual percentage of a whole ding only in MPC, alternate shot, and big stroke play tournaments. These are the only competitions where they are very unlikely to tank it the game it make it look normal.

  When a player is getting around 99.5 percent dings. Which someone who uses a slow meter cheat will attain. Players will know to avoid playing these individual. Any kind of human will not get close to that 100 percent ding percentage. And wgt will know to take action so they don't win the big events....

   

  It's puzzling that after so many years a simple text record of round details in tourneys/matches is not available as a link next to a players score... particularly since a scorecard is already posted at the end of a players round and a bunch of stats are acccumulated for each and every player (sorry, I'm building up to idea of your post).

  The product suggestions forum is full of requests for access to a simple scorecard of past rounds.  It seems to me that this is a fundamental right of every competitor to defend or challenge a posted (claimed) score and a strict requirement in real tourneys I am sure.

  The amount of storage data is minimal.  I am not a programmer (so please someone pipe in if you are) but a simple string of numbers extracted from replay data (which is always immediately available after each and every shot) and stored on a server should be a fast/simple task and should not affect the performance of the game or require a huge amount of space.

  Asking people to save a screenshot of their scorecard for various situations is a bit silly at this point of maturity in the game:

  1) Depending on individual skills it's just klunky to capture a screen, paste or save image, resize, create links etc. etc.

  2) No one (well, maybe someone) is goig to do 1) for each and every round they play and make available to anyone who asks.  So most past score cards are just not available.

  3) Easily corruptible using photo shop or lots of the free programs like paint.net.

  And finally to support your idea, if the scorecard link is implemented (BTW more difficult to corrupt), it is inevitable that over time additional useful info can be extracted (reasonably quickly and easily)  from above-mentioned already available replay to include deviations from perfect dings, or maybe real elapsed time for a swing start to end etc. to weed out cheaters when these stats start to accumulate into patterns over time.

  I am also with you that this approach will not stop all the problems, but a permanent scorecard with a value like # or % dings  and a couple of other interesting numbers (not necessarily related to cheating) like shot lengths, wind strength/direction per hole in the round will be a good 1st step to reduce foul play and make the game more interesting, competitive and enjoyable.

  -Keith

• SPINO1 5,394 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 12:08 PM

  AgentBrown123:

  Take a group of golfers (the elite ones), have them stream their match via phone for those who are willing to do so, because streaming from a computer program severely hampers meter performance... See what the overall percentage of dings these players are getting over a span of about a week.

  These percentages won't touch 99.5 percent or whatever it is. They probably won't even touch 90 percent of the ding!! Even with the best on here, ESPECIALLY in a pressure situation.

  This will make it very obvious who is cheating.

  So only the elite players have the ability to hit the ding a high % of time. ????

   

   

• mbcarp99 1,078 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 12:33 PM

  AgentBrown123:

  Take a group of golfers (the elite ones), have them stream their match via phone for those who are willing to do so,

  A problem i could see with this is the ones who aren't willing to do it will be assumed to be cheating, even though they may not be, but i do agree that something needs to be done, not sure it ever will be though.

• WillyBigg 2,135 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 1:01 PM

  "What is WGT doing to take measures against cheaters?"

  Wgt is increasing the vem so much that average players like myself don't have a prayer of playing decent. Green speeds, wind strength, meter speeds & all equipment attributes are constantly jacked with. None of these things have any affect on cheaters but it does ruin the game for an honest player. Anyone cheating while playing this game does not concern me nearly as much as the honest players being cheated by wgt themselves.

  Example, I used to do fairly decent in RG's, at least breaking even. Now I don't even look at them, I would loose money every single try. Then along comes the brackets & they were fun & not too hard to make a few credits. Now the brackets are the same as RG's, not a chance for decent scores.

  I have had a very lucky day if I ding .5 % of the time. This is being caused by the speed up just before the ding line. It is always a different spot where the meter increases it's speed & how much of a speed up is varied.

  Wgt will need to look into other online gambling sites that successfully combat cheats. If other games can put a stop to the cheats so can wgt. BUT then they would have to spend some money & that ain't going to happen.

• CerinoDevoti 3,232 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 1:17 PM

  AgentBrown123:

  After seeing a video of someone whom I've played with here and there for around 4 years using a slow meter cheat. I think it's really time for wgt to start thinking outside the box to stop these cheaters and approach this more proactively.

  AB

  Unless you have already sent all information( name of player and the video evidence) regarding this matter to WGT, you're not doing anything about cheating either. Threads to death about cheating with rhetorical questions and feigned outrage don't do a damn thing.

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Mon, Sep 8 2014 1:39 PM

  AgentBrown123:

  My idea would be implementing a way for all players on wgt to not only see what other players ding percentage is but the actual percentage of a whole ding only in MPC, alternate shot, and big stroke play tournaments. These are the only competitions where they are very unlikely to tank it the game it make it look normal.

  I am not a programmer but I cant see why this is not possible and if it is I would love to see these stats.

  It would not be proof that someone is cheating, but it should be enough to warrant further investigation (how I have no idea lol).

  For an average player like me, I would estimate between 30-40% tops at hitting the ding and sadly considerably less when I change from the Max ball. Putting is usually a higher percentage if I increase the scale.

  Yes it does have flaws, but could make an interesting stat and would be a starting point.