Play games with friends instead of strangers, then cheaters aren't a problem. Cheating can be policed through normal social processes when you aren't using anonymous matchmaking. Game companies made this problem in the first place by taking away the ability of gamers to run their own private servers.

I did mention this...

it need to be said louder; friends-only used to be the default

matchmaking is fine, but let me keep playing with the people i find back on private servers

I've been playing Battlebit recently, but i don't have 128 friends.

>I'm genuinely mixed... Playing games when so many will cheat isn't fun

simple question : have you encountered an anti-cheat mechanism that works to stop cheaters?

I haven't.

The damage that DRM causes is almost entirely one-sided towards the consumer, aside from the pocketbooks of executives that want to boast about their games licensed anti-cheat mechanisms.

Those that want to cheat may be thrown through another loop, but it doesn't meaningfully stop them -- these people are often technical and interested , anyway. A new challenge for credit on underground forums -- great!

>simple question : have you encountered an anti-cheat mechanism that works to stop cheaters?

>I haven't.

I have. Quite a number in fact, despite me wishing it didn't. Elden Ring used EAC to huge effect here.

Except, from software is famous for erroneously banning the wrong people. See: dark souls 2 and 3, dropping hacked items into other peoples games to get them perma banned. This was HUGE. People just streamed all day on twitch getting people banned back then

> simple question : have you encountered an anti-cheat mechanism that works to stop cheaters?

Anti-cheat works to reduce the number and frequency of cheaters, not to eliminate cheating completely. It means the difference between meeting cheaters every single game vs meeting cheaters once every 20 games. One means your game is mostly playable and the other means the game is completely unplayable.

This is reasoning of yours is like: "Why use vaccines at all?" "Why use anti-virus programs at all?" "Why use seat belts at all?"

None of these completely eliminate infection, being hacked, and fatalities in motor accidents. But they vastly reduce the number of them occurring.

> simple question : have you encountered an anti-cheat mechanism that works to stop cheaters?

I find them to be rare, but I consider the existence of both cheating and anti-cheat software to be a symptom of a bigger problem: shitty games and shitty game mechanics.

If cheats maximize enjoyment for the cheater playing your game, your game sucks and you should focus on retooling the game to deliver that experience without third party tools.

That seems entirely reductive, even weird: I don't think Counter-Strike "sucks" and "should focus on retooling the game" just because cheaters exist.

>That seems entirely reductive, even weird

I won't argue your assessment, but I've played and cheated in enough games to have an experienced opinion. Games can embrace designs that obviate the use of cheats, but this takes a lot of work. It's far easier to create a zero-sum multiplayer experience instead.

DRM is not anti cheat, where do you get that from?

Anti cheat replies on the same mechanisms as drm.