The currently ongoing beta testing for “Tom Clancy’s The Division” has been relatively successful, with many players joining in to see what all the hype was about. So far, those participating seem to have lots of good things to say about the game as a whole, and even though there were also various points of criticism brought up, that’s to be expected when it comes to a beta test. That’s actually the main purpose of this testing, after all, so it’s good to see that it’s working out the way it should and players are finding weak points in the formula that can be addressed.
It seems like Ubisoft have been happy with the results from the beta as well, as they have decided to extend it until February 2, giving players a little extra time to experiment with the various mechanics that “The Division” offers. Even though some players were reportedly disappointed by the variety of content offered in the beta, many have apparently found it more than enough to keep them occupied.
However, as great as the core gameplay is, there are some worrying reports on the horizon which have cast a shadow of doubt on the game’s potential as a competitive title. Knowing that Ubisoft want to promote it as one, this could be a major problem for the studio.
Players have uncovered interesting details about the game’s networking code, indicating that there is a huge possibility of cheating if the system is left in its current condition for the final release. More specifically, it appears that the game relies heavily on client-side checks for its security, something which immediately struck many gamers as odd.
Generally, online games can be split in two categories – those based on a server-client system, and those working on a peer-to-peer (P2P) principle. In the first case, a central server has to verify all actions taken by players, and since the server has absolute authority, players usually cannot do unintended things, such as modifying their game client to make themselves invincible. On the other hand, in a P2P system, players connect to each other and they rely on other clients to verify game events for validity.
According to reports, in the case of “The Division”, the game actually performs many of those important checks locally on the client, without even verifying them in any reliable way. Because of this, players claim that the game allows for very easy cheating, and this has made many people skeptical of its potential as a competitive title.
Some are hopeful that this is just a misunderstanding and Ubisoft are just testing the waters, following the activities of their players so they will know how to more efficiently curb cheating in the final version. However, those who’ve been fans of the studio for a while clearly remember that Ubisoft have always had problems with cheating in their online games, and for the most part the studio simply does not put enough effort into resolving these issues.
Because of this, many are convinced that the current state of the multiplayer of “The Division” is entirely representative of the final game, and players should be wary before jumping on the hype train. There is a lot of excitement about “The Division” right now, but if these issues stick with the game until its final release, that hype could die down very quickly. The game has true potential to set new trends and this would be a depressing conclusion to its development, so hopefully we will not see that.