rec.autos.simulators

That is indeed true.  They did it on TEN.   They (probably) have done it on
their future release after Nascar Racing 2.  Completely logical.

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    I guess my beta testing for several years for Papy and being told by
them
doesn't account for much. I was at their offices when GPL was still on the
drawing boards and had to say nothing for well over a year. I saw a lot
and learned much. I also have the greatest respect for several of the
people I dealt with.
    A friend of mine who was being given a tour one day for a magazine
article asked if my online postings ever upset them. The answer was no
because I said things they couldn't.
    Oh, I do have witnesses. There were 11 people who weren't named for
cheating when they first started monitoring it on Hawaii. I wasn't given the
names but when they went to release them the upper management pulled the
plug. Only 1 was ever named and only because he admitted to it.
    I was told "some of the top racers on Hawaii were involved."
    Some people on here have heard it from me before. At the time some
refused to believe that there was any cheating online. I have been witness
to
and have had several executables(3) in my hands. My info was passed on to
the
powers that be at the time. Thats why I got out of the whole deal because
nothing
was done about it. The Papy people I dealt with were enraged to say the
least.
    Now I suppose Papy people could have lied to me but seeing as I was one
of the ones that was blowing the whistle it would seem unlikely.
    Take it any way you want.

    Pete

I think I have to agree with Achim.......this is total fiction!

The weakness of the argument is not so much that technically it can be
done.....sure it can.  It's also not in the fact that collecting data such
as this is....might or might not be illegal (anywhere).

I feel the weakness is in the notion that a recording of a keystroke....or
sequence of a keystrokes....is per se, a "guarantee" that this invoked a
"cheat routine" program.  No way that can be guaranteed or proven.

Without that guarantee......the information or "list" from the Sierra
servers is useless.

A better way than monitoring keystrokes, might have been to inventory all
programs running on the client computer in the background.  You'd have to
have a substantial archive of known programs to check against....but that
would seem more logical and a less "burden of proof" that cheating was
taking place.  I also tend to think there is a relatively narrow range of
ways you can cheat in online racing.......doubt it is a broad list of
possibilities......but that's just my opinion.  Who knows for sure, I know I
don't.

The only real way to lower the incidence of "cheating" in online racing in
my opinion.....to at least a level near zero.....is to institute a national
sim driver licensing program and data base for all licensed drivers that
league admins can access and check against their "entry list" for their
league....and can post updates to....for each driver in their league (as to
infractions, problems, sportsmanship issues....what ever).  If enough online
racing leagues did this......then it would be tough for anyone to join one
if they had a "dark record" of previous league racing.  This would tend to
get the bad apples out of the barrel.....probably the same kind of people
who would have a propensity to "cheat" in the first place.

It's not a perfect solution....but a good one, I think.

Regards,

Tom

PS:  This licensing program would also offer the possibility of varying
level licenses.....something like the SCCA has for real-world amateur racing
where you start with a "Novice License".....then after so many races you can
obtain a "Regional Competition License".....then a "National Competition
License"....and then "Pro Competition License"....and finally the highest
license of them all, a "Race Instructor's License"......  This would allow
leagues to have "like skill" league racing as well....or "Open league
racing" could allow drivers who hold say National, Pro or Instructor
licenses only.  Etc.  Online simulated racing would finally be organized
much like real-world racing is today.....and that would be huge step forward
for our hobby/sport....IMHO.

Can you imagine someone spending all the time and energy to run enough
events and leagues......over a period of a couple years or maybe more.....to
obtain a Pro or Instructor's license......and then doing something in an
online racing league....that could cause his license to be revoked...or even
suspended?  I can't....it's just not logical human behavior and not likely.

And, with the national archive of driver's license data base....any
reprimand, sanction, suspension or even temporary probation assessment by a
league admin....would be recorded there.  And, if you can't run in a
certified league program without a license......then you have the same
situation as in the real world.....the higher you go in the licensing
program, the greater is the value of having it and the more you are less
inclined to risk losing it.

But someone could just rename the program to something else. It would
still run and perform the same task, but under a different guise.

<snip>
--
Pete Ives
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