The term PVP originated in MUDs, such as 1988 GemStone IV or 1989 Avalon: The Legend Lives. This was Pre-Internet as we know it today, but not for long.
Avalon joined the Internet in 1994, along with another game that would rock the gaming world with it’s fast paced player vs player arena style combat.
1994 Doom 2
A first person shooter game with built in multi-player support over the Internet. Prior to this point multiplayer games were playable only on the same machine, local networks or peer-to-peer.
Online pvp means playing against other players within a game on separate devices that’s connected through the Internet. This is a distinction that’s relevant to what we experience as PVP today.
PVP for me growing up was very different. Prior to 1994 when modern pvp games began to emerge, There were two forms of gaming that offered player vs player experience.
The first was the arcade, where teenagers could go challenge anyone and everyone alike on the latest Mortal Kombat, or Street Fighter games. Killer instinct would arrive in 1994 on the cusp of the end of an era.
There's nothing quite like stepping up to an arcade machine glancing over to your opponent and inserting a quarter to challenge them.
The second was couch battles, slapping in the newest fighting game on your Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis.
These in my opinion, are the greatest forms of pvp. The odds are far more in your favor to be free of cheating or advantages.
Between 1994 and 2004 there was an online boom in the gaming industry. Several games were released in two of the most popular gaming category’s, First person shooters, and Massively multiplayer online role playing games.
FPS and MMORPG games would dominate the online space and revolutionize how we play games today.
(1994) Doom 2.
(1996) Quake, Meridian 59.
(1997) Ultima Online.
(1998) Lineage, Half-Life.
(1999) Asheron's Call, Everquest, Team Fortress Classic.
(2000) Counter strike.
(2001) Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
(2002) Battlefield 1942.
(2003) Star Wars Galaxies.
(2003) Call of Duty.
(2004) Counter strike Source.
(2004) Battlefield Vietnam.
(2004) World of warcraft.
During the rise of the online gaming community’s, came another community that would lurk in the shadows behind every new game release.
Starting with the front runner Doom 2.
Doom 2 released May 5 1994 followed by one of, if not the worlds first Aimbot, The auto aim cheat for Doom 2 in Mid 1995.
Quake released in 1996 and was followed by its own cheat known as the Stoogebot, created by students at the Stanford University
Some of the oldest communities are still around today. Unknowncheats started off as early as 2000 at Geocities. Here’s a glimpse of them back then.
Still around today Unknowncheats , GuildedHacking and other communities thrive spreading cheats throughout the internet.
For 6 years between 1994 and 2000 the cheaters went completely unchecked. The still ongoing cat and mouse game between Cheats and Anti- Cheats, would begin with the release of PunkBuster Anti-Cheat in 2000 by Tony Ray.
He founded Even Balance due to his frustration with cheaters in Team Fortress Classic.
So what is the point of PVP? In the real world it breaks down to skill vs skill. One player or team of players Vs another. A way of challenging ourselves through competition, and establishing that we are in fact “The Alpha”.
Human nature though, is finical. We may desire to prove to the world that our skills supersede all others. However, We are also prone to taking every advantage available to us to avoid failure or humiliation.
Even in the greatest sport known to man, Baseball. Players developed ways of gaining an advantage. Doctoring the ball with pine tar, spit, or spider Tack to alter the movement of the ball.
Doctoring Bats, aka corked bat. Shaving and rolling to alter the performance of the bat. Sign stealing to gather intel about the other team, and the use of performance enhancing substances for greater ability.
So if players are willing to find ways to “cheat” in a real world game with hundreds or thousands of people watching, with equipment inspections, and even drug testing.
What chance do you have that little Timmy sitting in his moms dorm room isn’t loading up on the latest round of cheats for his favorite game.
According to the Uberstrategist a recent global study by “YouGov” Shows 57% of gamers have used Cheats in either single-player or multiplayer Games. This of course is the players who are willing to admit it.
it’s really no wonder so many players are cheating with how easy they are to find. A quick google search will turn up several sites providing cheats for your favorite game for a small fee. Cheats for; Call of duty, Rainbow six, Doom 2016, Counter strike 2 with no end insight.
So how much skill vs skill is there in online gaming? Virtually none.
There’s practically a zero percent chance that you're going to launch your favorite online PVP game, and get a true skill vs skill experience.
For the following reasons;
- The availability of Aimbots and other Cheats. it’s just to easy with disposable accounts.
- The advantage or disadvantage between current Monitors.
Your monitor will literally affect what your seeing on screen. A lower refresh rate will often show your opponents position incorrectly leaving you firing at ghosts.
For example a 60Hz monitor will have a refresh rate 16.67 ms of lag between what’s shown on your screen, while a 240Hz gaming monitor has 4.16 ms of lag between the updated screen.
3. Macros/Scripting. Even as far back as 1985 there was Borland SuperKey available to run a series of commands for us. Now we have AutoHotKey along with many Gaming mice and keyboards coming with built-in macro support. Then we have completely hands free commands with VoiceAttack. A great option for handicapped gamers in single player games, but a third arm in multiplayer.
4. Internet Lag. 100ms or less is considered acceptable. 20–40ms is optimal.
5. Now onto The human element, the one skill based element (measurable at least).
Human reaction time.
lets look at an example scenario, This assumes players are not using any cheats.
1 second equals 1000ms.
240hz monitor
Internet lag of 20ms(optimal)
Monitor lag of 4.17ms
Human reaction ranges 175–250ms
Total reaction ranges 199.17–274.17
60hz monitor
Internet lag of 100ms(acceptable)
Monitor lag of 16.67ms
Human reaction ranges 175–250ms
Total reaction ranges 291.67 -366.67
291.67ms-366.67ms variance. A difference of 167ms or about 1/10th of a second.
Doesn’t seem like a lot but when you take into consideration the difference between the top human reaction times (175ms) for pro’s and (250ms) for the Average player is a range of 75ms.
The different in response time between having good Internet and computer hardware is easily double that at 167ms for a comparable average.
Some gamers manage to have 5ms internet lag, and with 500hz monitors on the rise, the gaps between average setups and pro setups are vastly increasing. A gamers setup being independent of their skill, as in not related.
Lets takes for example a pro player vs Average Joe this scenario. Both players see each other at the exact same time with perfect aim.
Computer A has;
240hz monitor
Internet lag of 20ms
Monitor lag of 4.17ms
Computer B has;
60hz monitor with acceptable Internet.
Internet lag of 100ms
Monitor lag of 16.67ms
Average Joe player on computer A
Total Reaction time 274.17 Before firing
Pro player on computer B
Total Reaction time 291.67 Before firing
This shows there’s as much if not more of a difference between player skill as there is between hardware advantages. A difference that could turn the tide in favor of the average joe with pro gaming setup vs the pro with average setup.
Then there’s the likely chance your opponent or opponents are using cheats. That chance isn’t limited to just the little Timmy’s of the world. Many Pro’s have been caught, here’s a couple example screenshots.
Many Pro's have been caught, here's a couple example screenshots;
- Performance enhancing drugs, I know it seems weird right? performance enhancing drugs for video games? but its true, or at least the players believe in it.
Adderall, reportedly is able to enhance focus and get you into the zone. Not sure how any anti cheat is going to catch that.
So the next time your playing your favorite pvp game and take a bullet to the back, inside in an enclosed bunker spawn point, while your alone. Just remember.
It’s all skill! Baby!
