runescape?, most online flash games. hacks can be stoped : )
I agree. Anti-cheating possible; but AC clients well never work because they are fundamentally flawed.
If a majority of the AC is written in user-mode; hackers go ring 0. Want to even the playing field? Turn the AC into a system driver; risk portability and loose a large majority of customers. Still not good enough? Layering is your friend; just go lower into the OS; modify system objects directly etc etc.
Gameguard is the perfect example of a catastrophic failure- if the server has a poorly designed cheat detection strategy a rootkit won't save anyone. Just like the idiots who thought rootkit was the answer to DRM; it simply does not work.
As a game programmer- I know it is possible to prevent most forms of cheating server-side- using the game engine itself. Mathematics is key here. Let the client send off whatever packet it wants; and have the server do all the internal validity checking. Shoot through walls, teleport, superjump, speedhack, noclip style hacks can all be detected this way. Wallhacking, ESP can be preventing by aggressive serverside occlusion culling code (w.g. don't let the clients know where the other players are unless they really are visible). Aimbot detection is harder- what set of rules will determine a talented player from a subtle aimbot? Removing the obvious aimbots is important- they disrupt the game; but what's the harm in letting those subtler aimbots (that display the skill of a talented player) from working? Everyone can benefit from a more challenging game.
Red dots can't really be prevented; so even the playing field- let everyone use crosshairs if they desire. What about chams? Well, if you can't see the player behind the wall anyway; they're not going to turn a regular cheater in a superstar.
These rules are obvious- but game companies outsource the anti-cheat system to 3rd party companies (and pay big money too). It's a shame. A near perfect system is possible and it will earn companies big $.