Addressing cheating in distributed MMOGs

Abstract

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) are a risky business: while they offer potential profits beyond those of conventional computer games, they also require costly investment in the necessary hardware infrastructure. In nearly every MMOG today, these costs come from the use of a Client/Server architecture where the load of possibly hundred thousands of players must be handled at the provider's backend. By using distributed Peer-to-Peer techniques, the load could be shifted completely or partially to the players' machines. But with the load, the control over the game may also fall into the hands of clients. While using a P2P architecture, this paper presents a spectrum of options which reduce running costs and simultaneously attempt to retain the provider's control over the game, in particular to control cheating.