# When good games go wrong: to cheat or not?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-good-games-go-wrong-to-cheat-or-not/536086>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [April 14, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-good-games-go-wrong-to-cheat-or-not/536086 "2010-04-14T17:31:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-good-games-go-wrong-to-cheat-or-not/536086/21 "2010-04-15T17:19:08Z")

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> [@cckerberos](#):
>
> IIRC, the most recent cheating I did was in Fallout 3, where I used the console to alter the running speed. It just seemed like it took forever to get anywhere in the wastes.

I’m reminded of another example: in the Baldur’s Gate games and Neverwinter Nights, I always give my characters Boot of Speed, because the regular movement speed is way too slow.

> [@RickJay](#):
>
> Modding the game isn’t the same as cheating at all. It’s just changing the rules of the game. If there’s no spies, you can’t use them either.
> 
> That said, I don’t think “cheat” is a term that really works at all if you’re playing against a machine. “Cheating” implies a violation of fairness. My PC is just a tool; I can’t be fair or unfair to it any more than it’s unfair to my television to make it easier to watch by plugging in a DVR.
> 
> Enhancing the gaming experience by changing the game just means you’re getting more value out of the game.

Well, I did put “cheat” in quotes when talking about Civ 4. I don’t really consider modding the game cheating, but… well, I guess I’ve spent too much time reading the Civfanatics forums, where a lot of people have a huge chip on their shoulder about what they consider cheating (e.g., a lot of them consider simply reloading the game a cheat). I should have known better than to expect that here. 😃

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-good-games-go-wrong-to-cheat-or-not/536086/22 "2010-04-15T19:13:04Z")

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> [@control-z](#):
>
> My policy is if I’m enjoying the game and good at it, but reach a point where the game design doesn’t make sense or unreasonable, or there is a bug, it’s ok to cheat a little to continue the game.

Right.

Carmageddon 3: towing the bomb with the ridiculously short timer. I used a cheat to pause the timer.

Silent Storm: the warehouse that blows up and ends the game if you take too long. Again used a cheat to pause the timer.

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**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-good-games-go-wrong-to-cheat-or-not/536086/23 "2010-04-15T20:39:15Z")

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Hell yes, I cheat. I play lots of games on Xbox so I can’t mod or cheat them, but most things on PC I cheat happily. Baldur’s Gate, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale. Who am I cheating, exactly? I am having fun, so I do it.

Kotor and KOTOR II, also. My reasoning is, I am playing for the story and the interactions, not for the “challenge”.

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