I'm sure most of you have heard of the phrase "Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat." I've grown up knowing that the phrase was a policy applied to every game. For example competitors in the Olympics cannot use injuries/briberies/threats to disfigure others, and players on national teams are forbidden to use drugs to enhance their performances. Clearly cheating is frowned upon in the real world. But what about the virtual world we call Whyville? Why isn't this policy applied to Whyville's newest game -- Simon Says?
To play this game, click Simon Says on the Destination bar. The object of the game is to do what Simon (the chiasm) says. If the chiasm's command begins with "Simon Says", then do what he says. If it doesn't, then don't do it. Simple enough, right?
What frustrates me about the game isn't the rules; it's the Whyvillians that play them. Whyvillians are major cheaters. While the game is being played, you need to wait behind a wall/string of lights until a Whyvillian wins the game. But this may take hours because people are always cheating their way into the game.
So, how do you cheat? All I'm going to tell you is that cheating involves throwing projectiles. But cheating is morally and willfully wrong. So if you thought this article was going to tell you how this crime is done, then you can stop reading right now. I've always been taught that cheating is wrong and that cheaters will be punished. However, these rude Whyvillians aren't being punished. In fact, City Workers see this as a petty crime. Since Simon Says has no prize, the City Workers feel no need to punish cheaters.
So how do Whyvillians feel about cheating? Here are their responses:
holiday50: Have you ever cheated in "Simon Says"? If you did, why did you cheat?
Sweeetie2: Yes I cheated in Simon Says because I waited 45 minutes for a game that never ended, because people kept slipping in.
H0TBOI764: I cheat all the time!! I cheat because, well, I lose. They say cheaters never win but I win all the time after I cheat.
koopz1: Yes I have cheated before, but usually it's because I get frustrated because everyone else cheats and I want to play.
ps2man1: I cheated once or twice, but I kick myself out sooner or later. The first time I went in to throw projectiles to keep cheaters out. The second time I was so mad because I'd been waiting an hour to play (because the cheaters made it take so long) and on the first round I hit a stupid KABILLION BOX! I made myself go out soon though because I felt I was being hypocritical.
Travin101: Yeah I cheated, but only because I wanted the other players to quit because there was a huge line of people waiting to pay.
brooke881: I would like to say I have never cheated, but yes I have cheated.
animeluv6: Yes but I regret it.
hannahM44: Yes I've cheated.
01kewl95: Yes I have because I lost and I wanted to play more instead of waiting.
style1bbe: No, I have never cheated because I feel it's wrong and unfair.
awesome1: No I have not cheated in the game.
hco856: I have never cheated in the game because even though I know how, it's not right.
holiday50: Do you feel cheating in "Simon Says" is wrong? Why?
Sweeetie2: I feel cheating in general is wrong. However, in this case because the game kept allowing people in and out, it was the only way to ever get to play.
H0TBOI764: Everyone cheats! Why would it be wrong? It's Whyville, it's virtual.
koopz1: Yes. But if people don't know cheats, they have to wait at least 20 minutes just to play one game!
ps2man1: Cheating is wrong because cheaters complain that games take too long . . . it's because they always make the games keep going by cheating!
Travin101: YES! There's all these people waiting, and they wait for half an hour sometimes.
brooke881: Yes because you're interrupting a game already going on. It could also affect the outcome of the winner.
animeluv6: Yes, I do think cheating is wrong because other people want to play the game too.
hannahM44: I've cheated 2 or 3 times. But I think it's wrong, because when people cheat they don't give others a chance to play.
01kewl95: In a way yes, but at the same time, no. It makes people who don't cheat wait a lot longer, but it's a way to play more.
style1bbe: I feel cheating is wrong . . . people always cheat to make the game last longer, and they try to win. If they didn't cheat, the games would go faster.
awesomew1: Yes because people that don't cheat don't have a fair chance.
hco856: Cheating is never right and should not be allowed. Especially because the people who don't cheat want to cheat because they can't stand the never ending game.
holiday50: What can be done to stop the cheating?
koopz1: They should not allow projectiles in that room.
ps2man1: Making people in the waiting line locked into their seats like the Greek Theatre, and making the wall block everyone from getting in until the seats bring them in automatically.
Travin101: They could fix the room so projectiles couldn't be used there.
brooke881: The room should be a 'no projectile' zone.
style1bbe: City Hall should put a protector so that you couldn't throw projectiles.
x3Nickyx3: We need a new system to keep people from going into the game during the game.
natnat10: The Simon Says game room should be a 'no projectile' zone.
holiday50: Do you think cheaters should be punished?
Sweeetie2: No, because cheaters are just using a loophole in the system so it's not cheating, but a test of our ingenuity.
H0TBOI764: NO. That's such a stupid reason for being punished O_O! Cheating in an online game??? That's doing no harm whatsoever.
koopz1: No.
01kewl95: No, it's nothing like hacking, it's just playing.
daylily1: No because cheating is a solution to the game's problems and we shouldn't be punished for being skillful and using our brains.
ro10manc: No I don't think it's a big enough deal to turn cheaters in.
blueeye32: Yes, they should not be allowed to play the game.
hannahM44: Yes, I do. Cheaters shouldn't be allowed to play the game for a certain amount of days.
Travin101: YES definitely.
brooke881: Yes.
style1bbe: Yes, but not a big punishment. I think that they should take you out of the game.
awesomew1: Yes because cheating is wrong.
hco856: I do think cheaters should be punished.
Wow, there were a lot of contrasted opinions. If this was a game in the real world, I'm sure the interviewees wouldn't cheat. But on Whyville they feel compelled to cheat and see cheating as a solution. How do you feel about this issue? Post your thoughts in the BBS and hopefully a City Worker will read them. I leave you with one last thought. It's a lesson that Whyvillians learned in kindergarten but seem to forget as frustration takes over their mind. Remember this lesson: cheaters never win, and winners never cheat.
holiday50
