Machine Learning in Game Development

Rate this content
Bookmark

In this talk, I will share my experiences with using machine learning to identify cheaters in multiplayer games. We will also discuss the potential of machine learning in game development.

This talk has been presented at JS GameDev Summit 2023, check out the latest edition of this JavaScript Conference.

FAQ

According to Denis, trust is crucial in video gaming as it ensures that players feel they are part of a fair and competitive environment. Cheating undermines this trust, impacting player enjoyment and engagement.

Cheating in online games can ruin the fun for honest players, lead to frustration, and decrease player retention. This ultimately harms the game's community and its financial success, especially in games with in-game purchases or regular play.

Common cheating methods include manipulating game data, using aimbots to automatically target opponents, triggerbots that fire automatically, wall hacks that allow players to see through obstacles, and radar hacks that reveal opponents' locations.

Machine learning can analyze vast amounts of data to identify subtle patterns of behavior, adapting to new cheating methods and differentiating between cheating and skilled play more accurately than traditional rule-based systems.

Denis faced challenges such as the lack of labeled data for training the model, which made it difficult to distinguish between normal and cheating behaviors without initial accurate classifications.

Combining traditional methods with machine learning enhances cheat detection by utilizing the strengths of both approaches. Traditional methods provide a solid foundation with clear rules, while machine learning offers flexibility and adaptability to detect new cheating tactics.

Denis Kondratev
Denis Kondratev
18 min
28 Sep, 2023

Comments

Sign in or register to post your comment.

Video Summary and Transcription

Today's Talk explores cheating in video games and the role of machine learning in detecting and preventing it. Trust and fairness are crucial in gaming, as players invest time and emotion into virtual worlds. Traditional rule-based models assess player actions, while machine learning can detect complex and evolving cheating methods. Training models and organizing data are key challenges in utilizing machine learning for cheating detection. The future lies in collaborative security systems that combine rule-based models with machine learning to protect against cheating.

1. Introduction to Cheating in Video Games

Short description:

Today I'd like to share insights and discuss a prevalent issue in the gaming world – cheating. More importantly, I want to delve into how machine learning can be our ally in preserving the genuine essence of competition and fun in video games. Trust is super important when playing games. Players are not just watching from the side. They are really part of the game. They put a lot of time, work and emotion into these virtual worlds.

Hi there, my name is Denis. I'm a software engineer at My Games. Today I'd like to share insights and discuss a prevalent issue in the gaming world – cheating. More importantly, I want to delve into how machine learning can be our ally in preserving the genuine essence of competition and fun in video games.

Trust is super important when playing games. Players are not just watching from the side. They are really part of the game. They put a lot of time, work and emotion into these virtual worlds. It is more than just playing. They try to understand how the game works. They think of ways to improve. And they also make friends inside the game.

On top of that, they sometimes spend money on things within the game to make their experience more enjoyable. However, when they come across players who cheat, it is more than just a small issue. It can make them feel like the game isn't being fair for everyone. It becomes really difficult for them to enjoy the game when they think that everyone is not following the same rules.

Keeping players interested for a long time is important for online games. In order to stay alive and do well. If players keep coming back, the game community stays alive and games can make more money. This is especially true for games where players buy things inside the game or play regularly to play. If there are cheaters, it can ruin the fun for other players. Instead of being fun or relaxing, games become annoying and players become frustrated.

There are various ways players can cheat in video games. Game developers need to identify whether a game might be vulnerable or have loopholes as well as identifying certain gameplay rules that could potentially be sidestepped. A prevalent hacking method in online games involves manipulating a participant state. Since a significant portion of the gameplay occurs on the player's own computer, hackers tamper with this by altering the game's local data. For instance, they might modify the bullet count in a gun's magazine, enabling the player to fire continuously without reloading, or amplify the available in-game items like grenades or health packs. There are more complex ways of cheating in games. Aimbot, aim assistant, or automatic aim — all these are different names for the same thing. Aimbot helps the user to track other targets by controlling the player's aiming.

2. Cheating Types and Rule-Based Model

Short description:

The cheat operates by extracting game stage information to assist the cheater in aiming, surpassing human capabilities. Another cheat, TRIGGERBOT, auto-fires when the player's crosshair is on an opponent. Overlay cheating includes wall hack and radar hack. Traditional methods like the rule-based model assess player actions for fairness. Reports and analysis of actions help determine if players adhere to standards. A cheating rating system assigns points based on rule violations, which decrease over time with fair gameplay.

The cheat operates by extracting game stage information that other players can't access. With this information, the bot then assists the cheater in aiming. By using an aimbot, a user surpasses human capabilities in shooter games.

Another cheat, called TRIGGERBOT, works the opposite way. While an aimbot automatically directs the crosshair at an opponent, TRIGGERBOT simply auto-fires when the player's crosshair is on an opponent. This means the player still has to aim at the enemy themselves, but as soon as they do, the TRIGGERBOT instantly activates, providing a perfect shot without delays that might arise due to human reflex.

Due to the peer-to-peer approach, each player's client has to contain up-to-date information about all other players. Naturally, the game standard interface hides all this information, showing only what the developers intended. Unfortunately, the mere presence of this information on the client paves the way for a type of cheating called overlay. One of these is wall hack, where a player can see the enemies through obstacles, be it walls, boxes or anything else. This gives the user an unfair advantage as they can prepare in advance for an encounter with an opponent, or even kill them while remaining unnoticed. Another similar example is radar hack. Instead of making walls transparent, this cheat displays the location of all players on the in-game radar or mini-map.

Of course there are other types of cheating as well, but let's move to the next point. Many of the often mentioned types of cheating can be controlled using traditional methods. We refer to this method as the rule-based model. The basis of this model is a set of rules that assess a player's actions for fairness. Let's delve deeper.

Players should send reports after each session. These reports include data about the actions of all participants. For example, we can see how many consumable items each player used by comparing this information with the player's account state on the server. We can check whether they had such resources. Another example is analyzing the number of shots and the time between them. This allows us to determine if the player adhered to the necessary reload time and whether the fight rate is consistent with the standards.

Some rules may directly indicate the use of cheats. Other rules provide only indirect evidence, for instance, temporary internet connection issues can affect data. So, it is a good idea to implement a cheating rating system, where each rule adds a certain number of cheating points. Some rules may contribute more points, while others add fewer, depending on the severity of the offense. If a player behaves fairly, their cheating rating decreases over time. Thus, occasional network issues might give a player a small number of points, which will be offset by fair gameplay.

Check out more articles and videos

We constantly think of articles and videos that might spark Git people interest / skill us up or help building a stellar career

Optimizing HTML5 Games: 10 Years of Learnings
JS GameDev Summit 2022JS GameDev Summit 2022
33 min
Optimizing HTML5 Games: 10 Years of Learnings
Top Content
PlayCanvas is an open-source game engine used by game developers worldwide. Optimization is crucial for HTML5 games, focusing on load times and frame rate. Texture and mesh optimization can significantly reduce download sizes. GLTF and GLB formats offer smaller file sizes and faster parsing times. Compressing game resources and using efficient file formats can improve load times. Framerate optimization and resolution scaling are important for better performance. Managing draw calls and using batching techniques can optimize performance. Browser DevTools, such as Chrome and Firefox, are useful for debugging and profiling. Detecting device performance and optimizing based on specific devices can improve game performance. Apple is making progress with WebGPU implementation. HTML5 games can be shipped to the App Store using Cordova.
Remix Flat Routes – An Evolution in Routing
Remix Conf Europe 2022Remix Conf Europe 2022
16 min
Remix Flat Routes – An Evolution in Routing
Top Content
Remix Flat Routes is a new convention that aims to make it easier to see and organize the routes in your app. It allows for the co-location of support files with routes, decreases refactor and redesign friction, and helps apps migrate to Remix. Flat Folders convention supports co-location and allows importing assets as relative imports. To migrate existing apps to Flat Routes, use the Remix Flat Routes package's migration tool.
Building Fun Experiments with WebXR & Babylon.js
JS GameDev Summit 2022JS GameDev Summit 2022
33 min
Building Fun Experiments with WebXR & Babylon.js
Top Content
This Talk explores the use of Babylon.js and WebXR to create immersive VR and AR experiences on the web. It showcases various demos, including transforming a 2D game into a 3D and VR experience, VR music composition, AR demos, and exploring a virtual museum. The speaker emphasizes the potential of web development in the metaverse and mentions the use of WebXR in Microsoft products. The limitations of WebXR on Safari iOS are discussed, along with the simplicity and features of Babylon.js. Contact information is provided for further inquiries.
Making Awesome Games with LittleJS
JS GameDev Summit 2022JS GameDev Summit 2022
34 min
Making Awesome Games with LittleJS
Top Content
Little.js is a super lightweight and fast JavaScript game engine that has everything included to start making games right away. It has a tiny footprint and no dependencies, making it perfect for size-coding competitions like JS13K. Little.js is built with an object-oriented structure and comes with several classes. It provides a fast rendering system, a comprehensive audio system, and various starter projects for different game types. Little.js is designed to be simple and easy to understand, allowing you to look at and modify the code.
How Not to Build a Video Game
React Summit 2023React Summit 2023
32 min
How Not to Build a Video Game
Watch video: How Not to Build a Video Game
The Talk showcases the development of a video game called Athena Crisis using web technologies like JavaScript, React, and CSS. The game is built from scratch and includes features like multiple game states, AI opponents, and map editing. It demonstrates the benefits of using CSS for game development, such as instant load times and smooth transitions. The Talk also discusses optimizing performance, supporting dark mode, and publishing the game to other platforms.
Boost the Performance of Your WebGL Unity Games!
JS GameDev Summit 2023JS GameDev Summit 2023
7 min
Boost the Performance of Your WebGL Unity Games!
The Talk discusses ways to boost the performance of WebGL Unity games, including issues with bundle size, memory usage, and runtime performance. It suggests using Brotli for compression and non-exception support for better performance. Choosing the appropriate texture compression format and experimenting with separate builds can also help. The Talk also covers optimizing textures, models, audio, and assets by reducing build size, using compression, disabling unnecessary models, and optimizing audio quality. Unity's optimization tools and profilers are recommended for analyzing performance and memory issues.

Workshops on related topic

Make a Game With PlayCanvas in 2 Hours
JSNation 2023JSNation 2023
116 min
Make a Game With PlayCanvas in 2 Hours
Top Content
Featured WorkshopFree
Steven Yau
Steven Yau
In this workshop, we’ll build a game using the PlayCanvas WebGL engine from start to finish. From development to publishing, we’ll cover the most crucial features such as scripting, UI creation and much more.
Table of the content:- Introduction- Intro to PlayCanvas- What we will be building- Adding a character model and animation- Making the character move with scripts- 'Fake' running- Adding obstacles- Detecting collisions- Adding a score counter- Game over and restarting- Wrap up!- Questions
Workshop levelFamiliarity with game engines and game development aspects is recommended, but not required.
Leveraging LLMs to Build Intuitive AI Experiences With JavaScript
JSNation 2024JSNation 2024
108 min
Leveraging LLMs to Build Intuitive AI Experiences With JavaScript
Featured Workshop
Roy Derks
Shivay Lamba
2 authors
Today every developer is using LLMs in different forms and shapes, from ChatGPT to code assistants like GitHub CoPilot. Following this, lots of products have introduced embedded AI capabilities, and in this workshop we will make LLMs understandable for web developers. And we'll get into coding your own AI-driven application. No prior experience in working with LLMs or machine learning is needed. Instead, we'll use web technologies such as JavaScript, React which you already know and love while also learning about some new libraries like OpenAI, Transformers.js
Integrating LangChain with JavaScript for Web Developers
React Summit 2024React Summit 2024
92 min
Integrating LangChain with JavaScript for Web Developers
Featured Workshop
Vivek Nayyar
Vivek Nayyar
Dive into the world of AI with our interactive workshop designed specifically for web developers. "Hands-On AI: Integrating LangChain with JavaScript for Web Developers" offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between AI and web development. Despite the prominence of Python in AI development, the vast potential of JavaScript remains largely untapped. This workshop aims to change that.Throughout this hands-on session, participants will learn how to leverage LangChain—a tool designed to make large language models more accessible and useful—to build dynamic AI agents directly within JavaScript environments. This approach opens up new possibilities for enhancing web applications with intelligent features, from automated customer support to content generation and beyond.We'll start with the basics of LangChain and AI models, ensuring a solid foundation even for those new to AI. From there, we'll dive into practical exercises that demonstrate how to integrate these technologies into real-world JavaScript projects. Participants will work through examples, facing and overcoming the challenges of making AI work seamlessly on the web.This workshop is more than just a learning experience; it's a chance to be at the forefront of an emerging field. By the end, attendees will not only have gained valuable skills but also created AI-enhanced features they can take back to their projects or workplaces.Whether you're a seasoned web developer curious about AI or looking to expand your skillset into new and exciting areas, "Hands-On AI: Integrating LangChain with JavaScript for Web Developers" is your gateway to the future of web development. Join us to unlock the potential of AI in your web projects, making them smarter, more interactive, and more engaging for users.
PlayCanvas End-to-End : the quick version
JS GameDev Summit 2022JS GameDev Summit 2022
121 min
PlayCanvas End-to-End : the quick version
Top Content
WorkshopFree
João Ruschel
João Ruschel
In this workshop, we’ll build a complete game using the PlayCanvas engine while learning the best practices for project management. From development to publishing, we’ll cover the most crucial features such as asset management, scripting, audio, debugging, and much more.
Can LLMs Learn? Let’s Customize an LLM to Chat With Your Own Data
C3 Dev Festival 2024C3 Dev Festival 2024
48 min
Can LLMs Learn? Let’s Customize an LLM to Chat With Your Own Data
WorkshopFree
Andreia Ocanoaia
Andreia Ocanoaia
Feeling the limitations of LLMs? They can be creative, but sometimes lack accuracy or rely on outdated information. In this workshop, we’ll break down the process of building and easily deploying a Retrieval-Augmented Generation system. This approach enables you to leverage the power of LLMs with the added benefit of factual accuracy and up-to-date information.
Let AI Be Your Docs
JSNation 2024JSNation 2024
69 min
Let AI Be Your Docs
Workshop
Jesse Hall
Jesse Hall
Join our dynamic workshop to craft an AI-powered documentation portal. Learn to integrate OpenAI's ChatGPT with Next.js 14, Tailwind CSS, and cutting-edge tech to deliver instant code solutions and summaries. This hands-on session will equip you with the knowledge to revolutionize how users interact with documentation, turning tedious searches into efficient, intelligent discovery.
Key Takeaways:
- Practical experience in creating an AI-driven documentation site.- Understanding the integration of AI into user experiences.- Hands-on skills with the latest web development technologies.- Strategies for deploying and maintaining intelligent documentation resources.
Table of contents:- Introduction to AI in Documentation- Setting Up the Environment- Building the Documentation Structure- Integrating ChatGPT for Interactive Docs