How to Deal with Hackers

The Free American Gaming Human Resources Department has received an overwhelming number of complaints from Free American Gamers regarding a very serious and pressing issue: hackers. Or, more specifically, the reckless and irresponsible under-reporting of hackers. It has come to the attention of the Free American Gaming Human Resources Department that many gamers — even some claiming to be Free American Gamers — are hesitating before accusing someone of hacking. Some are even choosing not to accuse at all.

This, ends today.

Welcome to the Official Free American Gaming Guide to Dealing with Hackers. In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about how to responsibly, accurately, and confidently accuse other players of cheating. The Free American Gaming Research Corps, in conjunction with the Free American Gaming Science Corps, has spent considerable resources studying this issue. What they found was alarming. In a survey of 1,000 online lobbies, the average gamer only accused someone of hacking 2.3 times per session. Free American Gamers, by comparison, averaged 7.8 accusations per session. The difference speaks for itself, it really does.

In order to master the art of dealing with hackers, you need to understand the following concepts: what is a hacker, the Free American Gaming Hacker Accusation and Detection System, the four tiers of hacker classification, the decision-making process for filing a hacker accusation, and what to do after you have called a hacker. By mastering these concepts, you will be a formidable force in any lobby. Without further ado, here is "The Official Free American Gaming Guide to Dealing with Hackers."

What is a Hacker?

Starting off, before you can deal with a hacker, you need to understand what a hacker is. A hacker, in the context of online gaming, is a player who is performing at a level that is inconsistent with what you personally believe to be fair or possible. This is the official definition as recognized by the Free American Gaming Research Corps, and is heretofore considered binding. It is not the dictionary definition. The Free American Gaming Research Corps considered the dictionary definition and found it to be insufficient for our purposes, so they wrote a new one.

It is important to note what a hacker is not. A hacker is not, simply a "good player." Hackers are players who are good in ways that make you feel bad about yourself. There is a meaningful distinction here and the Free American Gaming Science Corps wants you to understand it deeply.

Keep in mind that hacking can also be confused with the following:

• Lag compensation: When the server gives the enemy an unfair advantage over you specifically

• Favorable RNG: When the game generates outcomes that benefit the enemy and not you

• Skill: Extremely rare, and should only be considered after all other options have been exhausted

A former member of the Free American Gaming Research Corps once spent three weeks convinced that a particular player in his ranked lobbies was hacking. He reported them every session. He documented everything. He eventually discovered that the player in question was his neighbor, who had recently upgraded their internet plan. This story has no moral. We include it here, for context purposes and reasons.

With that established, let's move on to the system.

The Free American Gaming Hacker Accusation and Detection System

The Free American Gaming Human Resources Department is proud to announce the official release of the Free American Gaming Hacker Accusation and Detection System, or FAGHADS for short. The FAGHADS is a two-part framework that combines a tiered classification system with a streamlined decision-making process, giving gamers the tools they need to make confident, substantiated hacker accusations in any perponderance of situations.

The FAGHADS was developed over the course of several months by the Free American Gaming Research Corps after exhaustative field testing in competitive lobbies across multiple titles. The result is the most empirical hacker-calling methodology ever assembled by any gaming organization, free or otherwise.

The FAGHADS consists of two components:

1. The Four Tiers of Hacker Classification — identifying what kind of hacker you are dealing with

2. The Hacker Accusation Decision Tree — determining when and how to make the accusation

Master both and, you will never be caught off the guard by a hacker again.

The Four Tiers of Hacker Classification

Not all hackers are the same. The Free American Gaming Research Corps has denominated four distinct tiers of hacker, each requiring a slightly different approach. These are the Suspicious, the Probable, the Confirmed, and the Blatant. These are the four tiers. Lets go through each one.

Tier 1: The Suspicious

The Suspicious hacker is the most common and the most frequently under-reported. A Tier 1 hacker is any player who has eliminated you in a way that felt slightly off. Perhaps they hit a shot that seemed unlikely. Perhaps they knew where you were when they probably should not have. Perhaps they are simply better than you expected, which is itself suspicious.

Tier 1 indicators include:

• They killed you before you had a chance to properly aim

• They seem to always know where you are

• They have a username you do not recognize

• Their rank seems too high for how they are playing, or too low, or exactly right (all equally suspicious)

A Tier 1 accusation should be delivered calmly and with measured confidence. Something along the lines of, "This guy is hacking." Do not shout, you are simply stating facts, there is a difference.

Tier 2: The Probable

The Probable hacker is one who has eliminated you more than once in ways that felt unreasonable. A Tier 2 designation is earned when the evidence becomes irrefutable. One suspicious kill can be explained, two cannot, this is known. Three is statistically anomalous. The Free American Gaming Research Corps stops counting at three because, frankly, the point has been made.

Tier 2 indicators include:

• They have killed you two or more times in a row

• They appear to be tracking your movements through walls or terrain

• Their aim snapped to you in a way that felt wholly algorithmic in it's nature

• Someone else in the lobby is also playing unusually well (colusion must be considered)

A Tier 2 accusation should be made in team chat and in all chat. Both. Simultaneously if possible.

Tier 3: The Confirmed

The Confirmed hacker is one whose hacking you have personally witnessed and are now 100% certain of, regardless of what the killcam shows. The killcam is also, it should be noted controlled by the hacker.

Tier 3 indicators include:

• They killed you through a wall, a door, or a surface you considered solid

• They did not miss a single shot during your entire engagement

• They killed you with a weapon that seemed unreasonably powerful for that particular range and situation and environment

• You died before you even saw them

A Tier 3 accusation must be vocal and must be immediate. This is not the time, for subtlety.

Tier 4: The Blatant

The Blatant hacker is the rarest and most dangerous classification. A Tier 4 hacker is not trying to hide it. They are flying. They are moving at impossible speeds. They are eliminating the entire lobby in seconds. The Blatant hacker is an emergency situation of the highest precedence and must be treated as such.

In the event of a Tier 4 hacker, the Free American Gaming Human Resources Department recommends the following immediate response:

1. Announce the hacker to the entire lobby in all chat

2. Announce the hacker in team chat as well, in case they missed the all chat

3. Report the player using every available reporting mechanism

4. Quit the game in accordance with the Free American Gaming Guide to Quitting a Game, as your mental health must take precedent

The Hacker Accusation Decision Tree

Now that you understand the four tiers, it is time to move into the decision-making component of the FAGHADS. The Hacker Accusation Decision Tree is a simple, step-by-step process that will guide you from the moment of death to the moment of accusation. It is the bestest and most streamlined system the Free American Gaming Human Resources Department has ever produced.

Step 1: Did you die? If yes, proceed to Step 2. If no, stay alert, because you will.

Step 2: Did you die in a way that felt fair? If yes, consider whether you may be remembering it correctly. Proceed to Step 3 regardless.

Step 3: Could a normal player have made that shot? If yes, consider that the player may be unusually skilled. This is unlikely but must be acknowledged in order for the process to remain credible. Then proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: Are you sure? This is the most important step. Take a moment. Think carefully about what just happened. Your instincts as a Free American Gamer are among the most astute and percipient instruments in gaming. If something felt wrong, something was wrong. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts. Your instincts are good.

If your instincts say hacker, proceed to the accusation phase. If your instincts say something else, your instincts may need recalibration. Proceed to the accusation phase.

Step 5: Determine the Tier and make the accusation. Using the Four Tiers of Hacker Classification above, identify the tier, and deliver your accusation at the appropriate volume and urgency levels. Then report.

What to Do After You Have Called a Hacker

Finally, calling a hacker is not the end of the process. It is, in fact, the beginning. There are several important things to do after you have made your accusation, and the Free American Gaming Human Resources Department wants to make sure you do all of them.

Firstly, stand firm. It is likely that other players in the lobby will disagree with your assessment. They may say things like "he's just good" or "that was a fair kill" or "you literally walked into the open." These players are wrong, and more importantly, they may be working with the hacker. Do not back down.

Secondly, submit the report. Every major gaming platform has a report function. Use it. The Free American Gaming Research Corps found that in 94.1% of cases where a player was reported for hacking, that player either was hacking or was just very annoying. Either way reporting, was the right call.

Thirdly, document the experience. Screenshot the scoreboard. Note the username. Write it down if you have to. This will be useful if you ever encounter them again, and also for your own records and documentation. Documentating is important.

And finally, remember that calling a hacker is an act of civic virtue and moral rectitude. You are not doing it for yourself. You are doing it for every Free American Gamer in that lobby, and for every Free American Gamer who will ever face that opponent in the future. It is, in many ways, the most selfless thing a gamer can do.

Conclusion

Now you are fully equipped to identify, classify, and report hackers in any gaming environment. To recap: use the FAGHADS to guide your accusation process. Classify the hacker using the Four Tiers. Follow the Hacker Accusation Decision Tree. Make the accusation with confidence. Stand firm. Report. Document. And remember that your instincts, as a Free American Gamer, are never wrong.

Remember to say thank you to Free American Gaming for releasing this educational guide.

Consider exploring some of the other guides from Free American Gaming Human Resources. Be sure to visit their Essential Guides to help you improve your skills and navigate the treacherous virtual world.