In video games, an exploit is the use of a bug or glitch, in a way that gives a substantial unfair advantage to players using it. However, whether particular acts constitute an exploit can be controversial, typically involving the argument that the issues are part of the game, and no changes or external programs are needed to take advantage of them.

Controversy

Exploiting is considered cheating by most in the gaming community and gaming industry, due to the unfair advantage usually gained by the exploiter. Whether an exploit is considered a cheat is a matter of widespread debate that varies between genres, games, and other factors. Most software developers of online games prohibit exploiting in their terms of service and often issue sanctions against players found to be exploiting.

There is some contention by exploiters that exploiting should not be considered cheating as it is merely taking advantage of actions allowed by the software. They view exploiting as a skill because certain exploits take a significant amount of time to find, or dexterity and timing to use. Many other players believe that exploits should be considered cheats that the developers should address and exploiters should be banned.

Those who consider exploits cheating argue that they are contrary to the spirit of the game even if rules and code do not specifically prohibit them, undermining the enjoyable dynamics of it, and that they are destructive of the game's community. A World of Warcraft community manager described the effect of exploits on a game's community as "devastating". So-called exploits, in this view, are not cheats because they do not change the game in any way, and all players who know of them can use them. Another famous incident during the Ultima Online beta test saw a player kill Lord British when that character was supposed to be invincible; the tester was later banned for exploiting because he did not report the bugs he found.

Common types

thumb|left|Wavedashing, an exploit mechanic used competitively in many [[platform fighter games, as demonstrated in a modded instance of Rivals of Aether.]]

Common types of exploits include:

; Duping: Duplicating items or money.

; Lag and disconnection exploits: A game with inadequate lag handling may let players intentionally cause lag for themselves to cause an advantage.

See also

  • Cheating in online games
  • Emergent gameplay

References

  • Online gaming's cheating heart Article about cheating and exploiting.