New SMAC cheat program I developed

gaia · June 17, 2000, 11:11

I just wanted to make everyone aware of a cheat program I recently developed for Alpha Centauri. Essentially it removes all traces from your saved game that you ever used the built-in cheat menu. You can, therefore, use the cheat menu but still have your score recorded at the end of the game. It works with both SMAC Classic and Alien Crossfire.

Visit my website at http://home.cfl.rr.com/smac/index.htm for further details and to download. I think apolyton.net will also be posting this file in the near future. The current install only works with Windows 95 & 98, but I am working on a version which will also install on Windows NT and 2000. Enjoy.

Adam_Smith · June 17, 2000, 14:13

why?

Mongoose · June 17, 2000, 15:24

A$$hole!
[This message has been edited by Mongoose (edited June 17, 2000).]

Alinestra Covelia · June 17, 2000, 17:18

What's the point? The game vs AI is pretty easy after a few goes, and you can't really use the cheats anyway in Multiplayer games.

Already the game is perfectly balanced so that if you cheat and get too far ahead, your cities start experiencing problems (eco damage, insufficient habs, etc) which in themselves are dead giveaways for a cheat anyway. The program is designed already to give you the option of cheating, as long as it records your action of doing so and giving you what you deserve.

By making this program, you jeopardize authentic comparisons between fellow players' scores. Fair enough - if the game is not satisfying for you, then Cheat by all means and see what secrets the game's holding... I can understand that curiosity. But this grabbing of points from the game mechanics strikes me as being very petty and subversive.

But maybe I'm just being a purist...

Adam_Smith · June 17, 2000, 17:56

I think Mongoose really hit the nail on the head.

LoD · June 17, 2000, 17:56

I agree with you, AC. BTW, I don't you're a purist. What's the point of using the scenario editor to increase your highscore anyway? Only some deranged person with an inferiority complex would think something like this up.

I say down with gaia

.

LoD
[This message has been edited by LoD (edited June 17, 2000).]

Neptunus · June 17, 2000, 19:49

Hey Gaia... Why don't you switch to that nice little game that comes with Windows, you know it's called "solitaire"...
P.S. Enjoy your scores

Adam_Smith · June 18, 2000, 18:02

LoL,

Really, I'm starting to feel sorry for gaia now. But really she/he is very stupid to think that she/he has done a good thing here. The best we can say for gaia is that she/he is very stupid.

Neptunus · June 18, 2000, 19:05

Quite seriously now, the tragedy with Gaia is that she/he posted without knowledge of the kind of people about to read what he/she said.

I can't even imagine someone playing SMAC/X, CIV, CtP just to break his previous record ONLY. C'mon, why should we lose so many (precious) hours of sleep, every night for 1-2 weeks (average time to transcend), when, not only we KNOW we will finally win, but HOW we will win and just torture ourselves until we find out the new high score we've achived. I think that you would agree (especially the builder-types) that it would have been much more decent if Gaia could come up with some kind of cheat program allowing one-faction-only games. In which case one could win by taking it easy and enjoying the beautiful Chironian landscape between game breaks.

I suggest leaving Gaia work in peace developing new cheat codes...

Adam_Smith · June 19, 2000, 01:55

Neptunus,

Gaia is not the type of person who would even consider putting hours like that into a great game. She/he is of the Homer Simpson philosophy. That is, "If something is too hard it's not worth trying." Just come up with a cheat. Maybe Gaia is actually one step below that because she/he wants to really pass her/hiself off as someone who has dedicated themselves to the game. Of course people who pose as such are always uncovered for the fake they really are eventually, but the sad thing is that she/he has damaged the community if it is true that she/he has developed this cheat program.

Neptunus · June 19, 2000, 05:20

After a lot of thought I concluded that :
1. Such cases especially when they decide to register and become fellow Apolytoners (I don't even think of the possibility of registering only to promote the cheat program) should be given a chance to follow the hard-and-difficult-path of honest playing, through group therapy by-post. (We could do something to help them)
2. I would strongly recommend to MarkG/DanQ adding some kind of banner (especially in the MP forums) showing a scull and crossbones and saying something like : "The addicted SMACers warn you : Cheating is dangerous to your gameplay and may have serious repercussions to your attitude in life"...

Kinjiru · June 19, 2000, 09:41

Wow, ease up people. While I am certainly not in favor of cheating, Gaia has made an honest effort to do something useful for people. Games like SMAC have a VERY high learning curve, and it is too much for some new players. If someone picks up the game and finds it too hard to be enjoyable, then not only will they not play it, but they will be far less likely to buy a similar game in the future. If a program like the one Gaia wrote helps broaden our audience then I have no problem with it. And who knows maybe some of the ccheaters will eventually play the game the real way.

Furthermore, developing a workable program is not easy. I commend Gaia for the effort. Now if only we could get him/her writing something socially useful... (you know, like fixing the bugs in SMAC....)!

Googlie · June 19, 2000, 10:30

No, Kinjy, I'm afraid that that does not seem to be gaia's intent (to help the weaker player). The patch removes the evidence that you have cheated.

Visit his/her website, and you'll see that the sole intent is to decieve fellow players, and not just to let you record in your personal HoF a high (cheat) score.

I quote from it (my italics):

SMAC - How to cheat... is a program I recently developed to assist players of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri in cheating.
There is a cheat menu built-in to Alpha Centauri which is accessable by pressing CTRL + K within the game. Unfortunately, use of this menu is permanently recorded in your save game file and your score for that game is not permanently recorded at the end of the game.

SMAC - How to cheat... removes all traces from your save game file that you have cheated. You can play a game normally using the cheat menu, then, just when you are about to win, save your game and exit Alpha Centauri. Start SMAC - How to cheat..., open your save game file, and click "fix it." You may now reopen SMAC, load your 'fixed' file, and win the game normally. No one will have any clue that you cheated

Shame on you, gaia

Googlie

------------------
Putting a spin on it

[This message has been edited by Googlie (edited June 19, 2000).]

Kinjiru · June 19, 2000, 13:37

Ah, I see. Well in that case...

let's burn him at the stake.

Aredhran · June 19, 2000, 16:24

I wonder if this would fix the infamous Scenario Editor bug that has plagued a few of my PBEM games...

Aredhran

June 19, 2000, 19:17

I have to agree with the general group here. This game already has enough problems with bugs that can be used as cheats without someone going out and purposefully making it possible to cheat.

Thanks a bunch, gaia.

------------------
Yours Truly

gaia · June 19, 2000, 22:08

Wow...I find this response kind of funny. I think the only person who has their head screwed on straight is Kinjiru...C'mon, people, it's not like we're talking about human cloning or the genetic modification of consumer crops. I didn't invent the atom bomb or the next destructive computer virus here. It's just a stupid cheat program for a game. Whether it be Diablo or CivII, most other games have had something similar developed at some point. It was bound to happen sooner or later. If you don't like to cheat, then don't. Some people may enjoy this sort of thing. Personally, I don't really cheat all that much (I think it takes a great deal of the fun out of the game), but I'm rather inquisitive and wanted to see if it could be done. Really all I care about is people having fun playing SMAC. I can tell that most of you don't enjoy cheating, but I'm certain that some people do.
Anyway, I'm going to go back to my Diabolical Laboratory of Evil to continue my work on developing an army of genetically modified flying monkeys. Feel free to stop by anytime and burn me at the stake.

LoD · June 20, 2000, 09:33

gaia: You wanted to check if you can hack into SMAC. Good. You actually succeded in doing it. Great!

But WTF did you have to make it available to the general public? I doubt that you're really that stupid not to know what would happen, what can your program do to the "believability" of new SMAC high scores.

So shut up, stop making irrational excuses and contradicting yourself, and make something of value. Like a bug fix. Then we will be grateful.

LoD
[This message has been edited by LoD (edited June 20, 2000).]

June 20, 2000, 11:50

Gaia, those flying monkeys aren't coming out of your Diabolic Labratory, they're coming out of your ass.

Check out Stefu's thread on Real Men & Munchkins. I'll even save you some time. Click here.

You, my friend, are a Munchkin.

------------------
Yours Truly
[This message has been edited by YT (edited June 20, 2000).]

Ogie Oglethorpe · June 20, 2000, 11:57

What, if not mistaken this thread has turned from SMAC to Wizard of Oz.

Talks of Flying Monkey and Munchkins.

Where's Toto and the Tin Man?

Anyway playing with the cheat is like the Wizard himself. It's a sham.

I don't recommend it and wouldn't do it but hey if it makes you feel good just remember you have to live with it no one else does. I do think most people here feel the same way but that they are more/most upset that it more easily promotes cheating as it becomes broadcast 'round the cyberspace. The real story is cheat by yourself if you want/must. But don't come round here bragging (like a cowardly lion) when you need to rely on the cheats.

BustaMike · June 20, 2000, 13:30

OHHHH... the animosity.

Well I guess you can all give up playing for high scores. I'll just open up the scenario editor and create 400 bases and 500000 population in my2101, fix the file, and be the best.

It's not the end of the world. Smac is at it's best when it's multiplayer anyway.

LoD · June 20, 2000, 16:26

I would not diminish this event. This could be a rock that starts a landlside. Next we will se a trainer that removes the multiple reload message in PBEM games.

LoD

Alinestra Covelia · June 21, 2000, 00:55

Fair enough, you curious itinerant hacker you. Now that you've figured out what you can do, I hereby demand that you stop producing flying rabid monkeys in accordance with UN law 23888-WQR22 or I'll sick my pet Lal on you!

BustaMike · June 21, 2000, 16:55

If I see that I will be pissed!

This will be what's left of the persons house who makes that cheat when we find him/her.

Googlie · June 22, 2000, 00:25

LoD:

Don't give him/her ideas, now...

Googlie

ChrisShaffer · June 22, 2000, 06:27

I think you're all over-reacting a bit. SMAC has cheat holes you can drive a truck through. One more won't matter. High scores in single player are pretty meaningless anyway.

p.s. Note that it's ridiculously easy to remove multiple-load messages in multiplayer games. It seems pointless to me to cheat at a game that takes a year or more to play, but it can certainly be done.

LoD · June 22, 2000, 07:48

Googlie: Oops, you're right

.

Chris: Yes, it's easy, but it takes some time. Know the saying "the occasion makes the thief"?

LoD

ChrisShaffer · June 22, 2000, 20:14

LoD - no, I'm not familiar with that phrase. What is the meaning?

I still hold that you have to look at SMAC PBEM one of two ways - either you trust your fellow players and get on with the game (and hopefully enjoy it), or you don't trust them and might as well quit playing before you start. There are too many ways to cheat for anyone to play with people they don't trust.

LoD · June 23, 2000, 09:59

It means, that, when presented an opportunity, one might act contradictory to their nature/code of honor.

LoD

ChrisShaffer · June 23, 2000, 10:10

Ah, I see. Well, in that case, SMAC provides opportunities a-plenty.

I choose to act as if all my opponents are trustworthy until proven otherwise.

Personally, though, to me, this is all just another argument in favor of server-based asynchronous multiplayer - see the EC New Idea #15 - Simultaneous Turns of Play thread.