Nearly all highly ranked players cheat... Many overall do.

[No step on snek]

I've been spectating for roughly 2 hours + watched streams, and within these couple of hours it became VERY clear that nearly all the to players cheat.

How do they cheat you ask? Very simple...

"Spectator Mode"
You can spectate the game of others "live" without a delay in place.
There is a reason why other games have delays, and this game is proof of that.

You can clearly see that people are having friends or second accounts spectate their game and provide all the info. I don't think I spectated a single match where it wasn't obvious 1 of the parties (if not both) were doing so.

How do you know this, you ask?
They move units around, use abilities and even cancel abilities at the perfect times to the perfect spots.

Example.
Player 1 spawns 3 overlords on a spot where previously were no units.
Player 2 casts ability exactly on that spot.
Player 1 moves them to the other side before round start (or casts a shield)
Player 2 cancels ability on that spot and uses it elsewhere
Player 1 casts shield on new location as well OR moves units again

Well, you get the gist...

[Emperor Fooble]

Do you have a recording showing this?

Have you followed said 'cheating' player through multiple matches to see if the same spectators are watching each match?

Often players get lucky.
You take a gamble on a placement or predict an action and sometimes it works out and can feel like cheating.

[No step on snek]

No need to record, just hop into spectating and you'll see it all the time.

Did follow some to multiple matches (my friends did too).

Yes, luck is a thing, but not when it happens consistently.
Also, the timings are not luck or skill-based, they are clearly reactive to what the enemy is planning.

[Zorro]

1. When you create a room, you have the option to check 'Spectator Delay'. Are you aware of this ?
2. In many other games that I have played, I heard the same statement "100% of the top ranked players are cheaters". When checking the proofs it turned out that 99,9% were not cheating. So the opposite was true. Please tell me, what global change was made to the worldwide human population that this fact (99,9% are not cheaters) is no longer true and has reverted to its opposite ?
3. I hope you have objective proofs for your strong accusations. Please send them to the devs and let them check them.

[Emperor Fooble]

Originally posted by No step on snek:

No need to record, just hop into spectating and you'll see it all the time.

Did follow some to multiple matches (my friends did too).

Yes, luck is a thing, but not when it happens consistently.
Also, the timings are not luck or skill-based, they are clearly reactive to what the enemy is planning.

I'm not a top player by any stretch, I'm sitting fairly consistently at around top 35-50 atm, and I've never encountered anything that has felt like cheating, even when I do get matched with the top players on occasion.

Thats not to say it isn't happening, but the onus is on the accuser to provide any kind of proof.
Especially when you are making such a wide, sweeping statement.

[No step on snek]

I know you can turn off spectator & such. But there is a reason why they leave regular spectating on... :D

The proof is difficult to make on my current laptop as recording and editing will blow it up, and too time-consuming as well tbh.

I personally don't care that it happens as I disable the spectator as a whole.
The post was not meant as me ranting but more of a heads-up post and that you'll see it run rampart even more in the future unless people start toggling it.

[an entire Roman legion]

you can cancel abilities?

[Lynxerf]

Yeah I noticed this weird game mechanic in my very first online match, and at the time I thought "this has to go because it's going to be a simple trick people will use to cheat". Especially in normal ranked 2v2's, if you finish your move early you can then see everyone's moves in real time and 100% the sweaty ones will be typing in team chat to let their ally know if some big play is being done. It's a weird thing to have in the game and definitely needs to be removed.

[Emperor Fooble]

Originally posted by Albob:

you can cancel abilities?

Indeed. After you have placed the ability, hover your mouse over the top of that ability button and you can click cancel.

[Jeff]

I couldn't find the spectator delay option

Edit: so I found it. So far I have only used automatch. Is a spectator option with no spectator delay created when you automatch?

[Reffn]

This is clearly a leftover from the Development process. for an Internal Test it makes sense to have a full Spectator mode in Realtime. For a competitive Game this is of course unbearable.

For anyone who Doesn't unterstand the Problem: lets say you play the old battleship Game and a friend of your Opponent stays right behind you and tell the other Player the position of your Ships. Sounds fair? its exactly the same here.

and yes , you cant add a delay in Automatch games.

[Cocococo]

+1

Originally posted by No step on snek:

I've been spectating for roughly 2 hours + watched streams, and within these couple of hours it became VERY clear that nearly all the to players cheat.

How do they cheat you ask? Very simple...

"Spectator Mode"
You can spectate the game of others "live" without a delay in place.
There is a reason why other games have delays, and this game is proof of that.

You can clearly see that people are having friends or second accounts spectate their game and provide all the info. I don't think I spectated a single match where it wasn't obvious 1 of the parties (if not both) were doing so.

How do you know this, you ask?
They move units around, use abilities and even cancel abilities at the perfect times to the perfect spots.

Example.
Player 1 spawns 3 overlords on a spot where previously were no units.
Player 2 casts ability exactly on that spot.
Player 1 moves them to the other side before round start (or casts a shield)
Player 2 cancels ability on that spot and uses it elsewhere
Player 1 casts shield on new location as well OR moves units again

Well, you get the gist...

[Medicus]

I wouldnt say all cheat. But it is true that the current system makes watching your enemies position very easy and should be patched.

[No step on snek]

It is a slightly dramatic title to draw attention I suppose... But I watched for example 6 (at the time) top 10 players and all but 1 were obviously using it. Even those who had titles of winning tournaments...

Also saw some top 50 folks do it. (I've been spectating a bit more with a friend :D)

don't get me wrong though, there obviously are gods in there!
Just hope they'll address the issue in question

[The Payeur Company]

I honestly believed you were all beta tester with 1000 hours played when I got above the 500 rank. It went from like 50% win/loss ratio to maybe I will win a game if I play 20 games in a row.

But yeah, now I will simply stop playing, there is no point. I can't even learn the game, I just get steamrolled by people with even more free time than I have.

[Thorqemada]

Oh, now i understand why they allways end their turns after i have my moves done...