This is true, online games have always been full of aimbotters and cheaters.
If they seemed less plentiful it’s because of the Admin:Player ratios. Back in the day, the game company didn’t host the servers they just provided you with a server executable and instructions. So any servers that you played on were paid for by a person or group and that person or group usually moderated them pretty actively.
It wouldn’t be unusual to play on a server where 2/3rds of the players had the ability to kickban cheaters. Now, you’re lucky if a human admin ever sees a single match that you’ve played.
It’s deeply ironic that replacing private server lobbies with “competitive matchmaking” is the direct cause of rampant cheating.
Back in the day, you’d find a server with a ping, map rotation, and culture you liked and add it to your favourites list. Then, you’d choose the server you wanted to play on.
I was a huge fan of the 24/7 Hunted server in Team Fortress Classic and a pair of Warcraft Mod Counter Strike 2 servers back in the day. Playing a night elf with life leech and the root special (prevent enemy movement for a few seconds) or an orc with up to 8× grenade damage? So much fun.
This is true, online games have always been full of aimbotters and cheaters.
If they seemed less plentiful it’s because of the Admin:Player ratios. Back in the day, the game company didn’t host the servers they just provided you with a server executable and instructions. So any servers that you played on were paid for by a person or group and that person or group usually moderated them pretty actively.
It wouldn’t be unusual to play on a server where 2/3rds of the players had the ability to kickban cheaters. Now, you’re lucky if a human admin ever sees a single match that you’ve played.
Exactly this.
It’s deeply ironic that replacing private server lobbies with “competitive matchmaking” is the direct cause of rampant cheating.
Back in the day, you’d find a server with a ping, map rotation, and culture you liked and add it to your favourites list. Then, you’d choose the server you wanted to play on.
I was a huge fan of the 24/7 Hunted server in Team Fortress Classic and a pair of Warcraft Mod Counter Strike 2 servers back in the day. Playing a night elf with life leech and the root special (prevent enemy movement for a few seconds) or an orc with up to 8× grenade damage? So much fun.