Originally posted by:
Marc “SwordHunter” Spezia
Assistant Editor, Show Me Your News
It’s saddening how poorly the multiplayer scenes of mature-rated games are portrayed in other media: foul-mouthed ten-year-olds filling the servers (which isn’t entirely untrue), cheating ‘trolls’ who feel secure while acting out, and all games being ruled by expert players which make it tough for new players to stay. What doesn’t seem to make the front page is the rare instance where AAA-class multiplayer experiences have a positive impact on players. Mature video games are full of dichotomies – if the worst sides of people can be brought out by them, why not the best sides as well? Maybe I’ve been mostly lucky, but I do at least feel privileged to have been a part of such a scenario for several years now.
At the end of my high school career in 2007, I received my personal “computer for college purposes” and the world of unrestricted gaming was thus opened to me. I asked a friend of mine for suggestions on which $20 PC titles I might be interested in; he responded with Battlefield 2 and Halo: Combat Evolved. I tried Battlefield first and did not like the gameplay nuances very much (I later discover my preferences to match those of Call of Duty 4). His second suggestion, almost four-years-old by this point, blew me away. Halo’s engaging campaign, imaginative weapons and vehicles, online multiplayer (a perk the port had over the Xbox original), and variety of gametypes had me hooked into putting in many hours of gameplay. As expected of a PC title, the availability and variety of mods extended the multiplayer option even further for those who wanted a change of pace from the standard settings. Early into my dip in the ocean that is dedicated-server multiplayer, I found a server with a custom gametype dubbed “SuperSniper:” powered snipers for one-shot kills, rotating targets able to be tracked (you only get points for killing your personal target), and teleporter mods to move from the ground to the unexplored cliffs of Blood Gulch. I had found a fast-paced sniper battle befitting my assumed internet tag of ‘Hunter’ that was unlike traditional, stealth-based sniper matches.
As I challenged myself to be more efficient and keep up an average score/minute rating, I began to pay attention to the group of people who hosted the server. The members of the PÕQ Clan (mistakenly assumed to be an acronym, named from the founder’s hometown of Poquoson) were legitimately skilled, fair in having teams be balanced, and perhaps most importantly kept the game clean. I doubt I fully appreciated this last characteristic until I further expanded my online horizons with Xbox LIVE, but PÕQ servers certainly stood out to me from other Halo PC servers because of it. Impressed by their conduct, I applied and was accepted into the approximately 30-member clan later that year, and was eventually promoted to administrator. While regular members could show clan affiliation and warn offenders by citing server rules, administrators and leaders had password-protected access to the built-in Remote Control/Console (RCon) commands – and thus the ability to intervene when things got messy. The war against rule-breakers never ends, but “PÕQ~Hunter” was now among those fighting back.
As expected, things are more complicated behind-the-scenes than they appear to passersby. Those players who are determined to cuss and betray teammates are dealt with easily with a kick-then-ban policy, but suspected cheaters are far more disruptive to normal gameplay. The open and accessible nature of computers make them more susceptible to foul play than console networks (XBL, PSN, etc.), especially with an older game where newer anti-cheating filters such as PunkBuster were not available. There is a disturbing myriad of cheating programs with applications in online shooters: “aimbots” that snap the player’s targeting reticule to a specific part of an opponent’s body (usually the head), wallhacks that can highlight opponents through walls or turn walls into transparent wireframes, and the “Sightjacker” that allows the player to view what an opponent sees to determine their location. Unfortunately the use of these programs is not always obvious, thus requiring on-duty admins to stop playing and investigate. They have to walk a fine line, using Sightjacker themselves not to cheat, but to see the tell-tale snap of an aimbot user or see a cheater track an opponent through a wall. As you may have noticed, this distinction becomes more difficult on the SuperSniper server I described where tracking opponents is part of the game – the trick becomes whether or not the player gained the point or not for that tracked kill.
While moderating game servers while trying to have fun playing may seem to be a hassle, but the point is: it is worth it. Just because someone plays a first-person shooter doesn’t mean they want to be consistently shot with rockets by a teammate, cussed at in all-caps every time you shoot some immature troll, or anything worse I dare not mention. Clean games separate the actual mature players of M-rated games from those who shouldn’t be playing at all. It provides a friendly atmosphere and a service to those looking for a similar experience. PÕQ (a Halo PC-exclusive clan) is a family of gamers now numbering in the triple digits with members of all ages, both men and women from around the world. Sharing games with quality individuals enhances the positive experiences we get out of them, helps build friendships, and forms a sense of belonging with clanship. Though upset, banned, troublemaking players may try to ruin the experience and send more filth their way, PÕQ preserves and continues to fight the good fight. I have been a member for almost three and a half years now, and joining the clan has been one of the best decisions I have made in my time as a gamer.
Marc “SwordHunter” Spezia is the assistant editor for the gaming podcast “Show Me Your News,” originally created by his brother Peter, at showmeyournews.com. Aside from sniping and banning n00bs in Halo PC, he lives out his aspirations of driving a Bugatti Veyron via Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit on Xbox 360. Marc may be reached via email at poqhunter(AT)gmail(DOT)com.
