[MUD-Dev] DGN/TECH: exploiting/hacking in MMOGs - sources of info?

[Douglas Goodall]

elina.m.koivisto at nokia.com wrote:

> I'm doing research on exploits & hacking in MMOGs. I wonder if
> someone over here would know good sources of information (other
> than MUD-DEV archives :) for this? I'm mainly looking at technical
> issues: what kinds of exploits/hacks are common, why and how those
> are possible. I tried to search for articles and literature, but
> with very little luck - would be nice to know if there is already
> some research done on this

I don't know of a website dedicated to this (though I'm sure they
exist). Since most MMOs don't trust the client with any
calculations, cheats tend to fall into two categories:

  1) Macros -- automating/repeating a boring process, usually in
  order to get money, a high skill, or XP. Technically, these are
  possible on any PC game because of how games and the OS work (if
  you can move the mouse, there's no reason a third-party program
  can't generated the same messages to move the mouse).

  2) Information -- these cheats rely on letting you see more of the
  information that's passed to the client. For instance, being able
  to see other players or mobs "through a wall" or when they are
  "invisible." Or being able to see which epic mobs are currently
  spawned, etc. These give minor advantages to the cheater and,
  especially in a PvP game, are more widely condemned by players
  than macro-ing. Technically, these cheats are possible because the
  server is sending too much info to the client.
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