Hi all.

I've been using a little (24k) program called cutomCrosshair to provide me with a static crosshair in COD. The program performs the software equivalent of using a marker to draw a dot in the center of your monitor screen; it takes a given bitmap and draws it on top of any other application you have running. As it's a stand-alone program that does not interect with whatever game you may be running, it is invisible to PB or any other hack detectors.

It's obviously a cobbled together utility; there's a bug that causes the windows pointer to flicker on top of the game window from time to time. Instead of tracking the bug down and fixing it, the programmer added a hotkey to toggle the visibility of the windows pointer.

The biggest drawback is that the crosshair doesn't disappear when you aim down the sight, so it can obscure your view. I get around this by using an "inverted v" crosshair, so when aiming down the sight it only covers the gun model, not the target.

My question: Is this cheating? Should I stop? Or make the program available to all? The website I got it from has since vanished.

What say you all?

eh, I know people that actually use a dry eraser on their monitor.... so it's not a big deal to me.

dry eraser??? WTF U SMOKING?

Hmmm... if it gives you an unfair advantage (which it obviously does or you wouldn't use it)... or if you have to ask...

Did you *really* want to ask this question?

HACK!

I've put a small dot in the center of my screen long ago. Old Man Mike uses a small piece of tape. Although it somehow seems dishonest when using a program to do it, for some reason physically putting a mark or tape on your screen just seems smart.

how does that work out though puttng a peice of tape because ur guys gun does move, so how can the tape move with the gun???????

LOL, I've never done it... just know people that did.

The gun model moves, but the aim point doesn't. Notice that the in-game crosshair doesn't move?

Scrapyard: There are any number of things one could do to gain an advantage in gameplay. A gaming mouse, a larger monitor, or a faster computer. Are they unfair? How about the piece of tape on the monitor? What makes this program different a different matter?

Not arguing, just trying to promote discussion.

it isn't cheating, but it is for pussies

To be honest I think that it doesn't help in cod2 as much as it did in UO. I have no program based evidence, but it seems that firing from the hip (which is where a set point would help) seems to fire off target more in cod 2 than in UO. If you want to hit anything at a fair distance than you need to aim down the site. As stated earlier aiming down the site with a set point can hinder your view.
On the other hand, if you are at a good distance and not moving your site will lite up red in cod2, even if you can't actually see the opponent, so this is a great help as well.
At close distance it doesn't really matter because (at least I do) you just point in the general direction and fire quickly (I mean face to face nearly bashing distance).
That's my 2 cents. But honestly, it just seemed obvious to me when I started playing UO and they had the expanding sites.
At the same time, I think playing on servers with fixed crosshairs is lame. It's not that I want my "quick fix" advantage, it's just that I don't think it helps so much that you should mod the game.

Any downloaded program that goes into your cod folder that helps you play better has got to be considered a hack.Custom crosshairs are not allowed in ladder matches.As far as public servers I think

I personally think its lame that anyone would mark their screen or run a program to do better. I dont really care but now I will feel better to know that when I kill all of you that I did it with a disadvantage. I play STOCK, no tape, marks, programs blah blah blah...

fucking bunch of window lickers! LMAO!
personally Im not into programs and BE careful that PB dont all of a sudden ban you for it. would suck if you had to buy a new game

Silver, I told all you guys early on about it. Remember I said I had put a mark with my sharpie in the middle of my screen? Ah well.

Still doesn`t help you...whenever were on at the same time all you can hear is "damn ,God WTF!...no-way did I miss ,God damn im dead again"...................J/K (but had to do it you left yourself open for that one BAR)

BTW, if putting a mark on your monitor is lame, then overclocking your video card must be a definate cheat. Your video card is not supposed to run that fast. So, modifying it to do better so that you can do better in the game is clearly unfair.
Also, you can't get much more of a disadvantage than me. I'm below every minimum requirement to play the game except one, so I think a little dot on my screen is deserved. LOL!
Finally, when I was getting pointers from some guys in a certain clan that is considered to be one of the best cod2 teams around, putting a mark on the screen was one of the tips I was given. Of course, I'd figured that out long before they told me, but my point is that this is clearly something done by many people playing cod.

DAMN!! Does this mean I have to get rid of my aimbot ... er .... "custom crosshair" ... ??????

nothing personal, its up to you! I just like to play real I have just as bad of a mac as u do a pc soooo.... I get 10 -20 FPS on every map. I just like to play the way the game is, I like MODs and such as the game is built for it but running a seperate program is kinda gay, marking ur screen is ok but its not gonna make u a better player just a player with a crutch. Bar that wasnt an attack at u

Putting a dot/mark on the screen is ingenious (wouldn`t call that a hack as its not a comp programme) it`s just someone using thier common sense. I`m like Silver ,in the way that, I perfer to play the game with no added aiming tricks.

Can`t see the point in using aimbots or any kind of hacks as this just shows how crap the player really is,and their only fooling themselves,sure the KDRs are goner be VERYYYY GOOODDDDD ,but if you have to cheat to look good then your just a loser.

Sorry if this has offended anyone ,it`s just my point of view on the matter.

How does one make the distinction between a "fair" advantage and an "unfair" advantage? Someone with a new system who gets 100 FPS has an advantage over someone who only gets 25 FPS. Likewise someone with an optical gaming mouse has an advangage over someone with an old ball mouse. There IS no even playing field when it comes to online gaming, and never has been. Why is it that buying new hardware, which not everybody can do, is OK, while a dot on your monitor, which ANYONE can do, is unfair?

Bullet, by your criteria (helpful download in game folder = hack) the crosshair program is fine. I have it on my desktop, not my UO folder.

I'm rather surprised at this response to my query. I expected far more outcry about my home-made footpedals than about this utility. I know the footpedals make a MUCH bigger difference to my game.

Personally, I don't understand the obsession some people have about cheaters. Any time I've run across cheaters, it's been quite obvious and disruptive to the point of stopping the game. I've NEVER seen a cheater on a PB server, and doubt they exist. Runs of luck and BS shots happen. We chuckle when they happen to us. They are not evidence of foul play when they happen to others.

Personally, I consider that anything that helps one be a better player to be fair game. Examples: new hardware, dot on the screen, etc. Anything that improves your score/performance wether you're any good or not should be considered cheating. Wall hacks, aimbots, etc. Similar to the way a high performance running shoe is a legal advantage for a sprinter, while steroids are not (body hack!).

Another clan I was in had some members that were unhappy with people using the "dot on the screen" trick, but as a group, we decided that making a totally unenforcable rule against it was counterproductive.

Me, I like my crosshair utility. I find it makes the game more enjoyable, and that's why I play. It might help me get the odd close up kill, but I don't think it improves my score much. As many of you know, I like to get my kills from down the dights from a distance . However, if I know it's considered cheating, using it would make the game less enjoyable for me, so I'd stop. And if it's decided the utility is a no-no, but a dot on the sceen is fine (seems like a silly distinction to me, but whatever), then out comes the sharpie!

There's a big difference between tuning the game to run better on your hardware and adding things that help you aim.

If the developers had wanted you to have a dot in the middle of the screen, then they would have put one there and everyone would have it. Instead, they designed the crosshairs to be less accurate when jumping or running or moving. Personally, as much as it's an unenforcable rule, I think it's a lamer's crutch to put dots or marks on the screen (electronically or physically).

If you want the dot in the middle of the screen, petition the server admins to add a server-side mod that adds it to everyone's screen.

stick the thing I see is everyone has a computer thats what makes the game so unique. just like people, some are stronger and some run faster, some are more inclined to being sneaky and shooting. just to me its like a very small crutch I dont care if you use the program or not, or mark ur screen that ur style of play. I just know in the end that my kill was without special tactics etc. I dont see a problem with it just kinda like a trainer that people have to use... kinda like glasses of a prostetic leg. W/E floats ur boat

Bargod... I recall the conversation, its all good just think that in the long run it will hinder ur skill

The difference between a mod and a dot I put on the screen is that a mod would have a precise point. My mark on the screen is a guestimate and depending on the angle I am sitting could be even farther off (since it's on the glass and the glass is a certain depth from the actual image behind it). I couldn't use it to hit anyone at a distance. It gives you a general spot for your center screen.
Here's how I look at it. In football a reciever can wear "sticky" gloves, which help him catch the ball. It's not cheating but is an artificial advantage over somebody not wearing gloves. There is no rule stating that you have to wear gloves either. On a pc you can do things like this as well. You can overclock a video card or buy a gaming mouse that you can change your sensitivity with a button push while playing (this helps me more than anything. Being able to switch between fast moving and slow moving aims RULES!). This gives you an artificial advantage over people not using these things. Putting something on your computer screen may seem lame to you, but in know way can it be considered "unfair". It's a tool, but is not a difference maker.
Heck, I got the idea when I saw a "gaming screen overlay" (or something like that) at a store next to the computer gaming stuff. It reminded me of the Odyssey console waaay back when I was a kid that came with tv overlays. Anyway, one of the features of the overlay was a set cross hair. The product was clearly pretty silly, but the idea of a set mark on your screen seemed pretty smart.
So, I'll keep my dot (it's in sharpie, it isn't coming off, d'oh)!

mark on screen= pussy
dot program= bigger pussy
Stock= Silver & Slimshady= Elite

If you want to be truly elite than you must use a gefore2gts and a Pentium3. Also, you must get 20 FPS when playing.
If being a better player means having expensive equiptment, so be it (I know Silver got a crap mac like my crap pc), but if I can't upgrade my pc, and the #1 team on the CAL ladders puts a small dot on their screen, well there is one small way that I can slightly improve my game. Just like the MX518 that allows me to switch my mouse sensitivity while playing. Just like leaning in to the screen so my face is mere inches from it so I can see guys in the distance on my tiny monitor. Just like if I bought an expensive pair of headphones and could hear guys creeping up on me, but they can't hear me with their crappy headphone (actually, I've got crappy headphones with loose wires LOL). Just like adjusting the brightness on your monitor. I've also got a bunch of fingerprints on my screen from my kids. Is that a problem? If so, windex is going to make a fortune off me !

oh man...i havent laughed so hard at a post in a forum for some time....i gotta hand it to ya Silver, ya got a way with words...."fucking bunch of window lickers! LMAO!".

ok,
to put this to bed, i am running a comodore vc20, tape drive, .127 fps. i can't even really see what is going on at all, i just push the buttons randomly. i have also put a dot on my eye. right on the cornea. for no reason. i will stop cheating now....i will need som sandpaperr to get that dot off though....

LOL!

Like a gaming mouse? That helps you aim a LOT more than the dot on the screen.

My point wasn't that people tune the game to their hardware. It was that the better hardware you can afford, the better you will be able to play. The playing field is uneven, and that's just the way things are. What is it that makes a dot on the screen a crutch while a nifty new piece of hardware isnt?

Why protest a dot on the screen, an option available to all of us, and not a gaming mouse, which is an advantage NOT available to all of us. If anything, shouldn't it be the other way around?

What about vent? It's a stand alone piece of software, and it sure improves my score when others are feeding me info during game play. Is it a crutch?

OMG i cant believe how defensive you are getting over a DOT! WTF! BAR I love ya man! keep the DOT! shit Ill send ya a cse of sharpies and a headset if it makes you feel better! I just dont see why it would do anything but make you gamming hindered. like I try and use only a rifle, so I aim alot better. Its ll good man, you all can Use whatever you want when you want.... it wont stop me from killing you, regardless of what you use, stock or not...

this should help ya with the paranoia.... HACKER!

how can a mouse make you any better? I dont think mice makes you better you have to use your hand? W/E...

STOCK ROX!

right,

what does a gaming mouse do?

Yeah, that is what I wondered until I got a gaming mouse. With the mouse I have, a fairly common MX518 (which I just got recently) I now have thumb buttons to use for what ever I want, plus buttons that adjust you mouse sensitivity at the click of a button. You can make your mouse move across the screen with barely a movement and with the touch of a button make it go pixel by pixel. That means that if in COD2 I'm using a bolt action rifle, I can have it at a low setting (pixel by pixel) to bring my aim on people easily. Then if I'm in close contact, or even if I just jump on the static MG, I can press a button and my mouse flies across the screen. Think about it. When you get on one of the static mg's, you try to pan across the map and it moves really slow. But with a gaming mouse you can click a button and it flies across the screen as if you were on a rifle. The big deal is in close combat. If a guy jumps to your left, well your mouse is moving faster than the graphics so you can be shooting at where he lands. This is why so many of us were wondering how some of the high scoring clans could move their sight so fast while playing. Some of us thought they must be cheating some how to look from left to right so fast. Well, it's not a cheat, it's their mouse. With the slightest move of your hand you can spin a 360. If you use the highest setting 75% of the time, then you can get used to it and appear as if you are cheating as you move your mouse to known hiding spots. It almost appears as if you have an aimbot because your mouse moved so fast. However it's not an aimbot when you spec the guys, becuase most of the time there is nobody in those spots.
That is how a gaming mouse helps you.

thanks dude,

never knew that... now i must have one.... I want to look like i am cheating...

lol

happy st pats, i will not be on barb tonight. i will be on a keg.

I don't know if any one remembers Heat Of Battle , aka HOB, mod. It was in the early COD days. I used to play it alot because of the team concept of capturing objectives. Then alot of the servers got rid of the crosshairs, even for granades, try shooting and hitting something without crosshairs its tough, so I put a small piece of masking tape on the center of my monitor to get my bearings when shooting or when lobbing a nade , of course they still had aim down sights, but thats no good for close combat.

Welcome to the forums mule! Bout time you put in your 2 cents here.

I got the same mouse and Iwouldn`t go back to a "normal" one now ,its great just like Bargod says..the slightish move and you nail them

LOL, figures Mules very 1st post would be in a heated discussion. My kind of feller.

Lets see....oh yes, I have never been a fan of dots, tape or any software that may "help" me have an unfair advantage...I mean play. If some people see them as nessesary to gain an edge because their game lacks in some way so be it. I personally dog out my son and wife for going online for cheats and tips for thier consol games just because I believe you should do the best you can without help.

For the record, I have nice head phones and a fair computer. My mouse is a microsoft optical "6 bucks anywhere in town. I do use this mouse because it is cheap to replace as I go through about 4 a year lol.

In the end, I am with silver on this issue. I play and win with no help and I am ok with that. NOW WILL YOU PLEASE LEAVE MY BASE DEFENDING ALONE????? Ahem I mean bring it silver lol.

I finally bought an optical mouse about 2 months ago. Definitely makes the game easier.
I cant believe I used to play this game with an old school 'ball-mouse.'

I forgot to reply to Stickmans original post. I believe a software program is cheating and hardware as in a mouse or masking tape on my monitor is not. Just my 2 cents.

Cheating? No.
Sad? Yes.

You're too focused on your K/D ratio or something. It's supposed to be about having fun. Loose the dot and play on a European server with 250+ ping for a week until you remember why you play in the first place

tru dat!

I think stating that a physical dot on your screen counts as a "hardware accessory" is accurate. Money can't buy talent, but it can make a huge difference in your ability to play the game. Everyone can and I frankly think should make some kind of small mark in the center of their screen. It is something everyone can do. As Spc. One has told me before, he's afraid to see what I could do if I had a decent system. Well I don't. But putting a small mark on my monitor is free. And it's something that can be done by everyone. It isn't a huge difference maker, as I have stated several times before. It's a general gauge. But it's a simple and helpful tool. A tool used by many. A tool available to all. To me it's just obvious. Just try it. Put a small black dot in the center of your screen. It will help a bit. But in no way will you feel like you've cheated in some way. It just doesn't help in that way.

I believe Neo... I took the red pill -not a cheat, but I can now multitask while playing,,,, without needing to look at the monitor to kill, I watch tv , read a books....

For me dots on a monitor spoils the challenge and doesn't lend to feeling like you're in a 3d battlefield vaccuum in MP mode.
Anyone remember the game Operation Flashpoint [OFP] years ago, some OFP MP servers used to turn off crosshairs! Those were fun days; providing no-one in the game put dots on their screen

AS I STATED IN MY FIRST POST, THE ONLY REASON I PUT THE DOT ON MY MONITOR WAS BECAUSE THERE WERE NO CROSSHAIRS, HELL EVEN THE STOCK GAME COMES WITH CROSSHAIRS. THE SERVERS ELIMINATED THEM TO BE MORE REALISTIC, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT WAY TO ME. I NO LONGER USE A DOT BECAUSE WE HAVE CROSSHAIRS. i PLAY THE GAME FOR FUN NOT STATS AND ITS TAKEN ME A LONG TIME TO GET TO THE LEVEL I'M AT NOW, WHICH IS AVERAGE.

seriously,

a dot on your screen is not an issue. it is like purchasing a monitor with better resolution or bigger size... it helps. Just like my extra good looks, you cannot buy talent or skill. if putting a dot on the screen gives you an edge in your mind than fantastic. The fact that PB is not picking up the prgram might turn a few heads, if you are getting that to run, what else could be running. If this were a true simulation =(which could never really happen) the first thing to do is to remove the crosshairs all together. I have played on a few servers like that and it really bumps up the adrenaline. you feel handicapped. I have given up on the plight of the non hacker. I am having a GREAT time on barbarossa, and have learned that if anyone is hacking, good teamwork and skill at that map will deal them the blows they deserve. i think a dot on the screen is clever, or even old mans piece of tape. I would probably find them annoying.

flatten the line....

easy Mule....no reason to yell lol. If you want the Dot and it helps ya....so be it. I am going to put a dot on the wife so I may get lucky later!

Oh, and I never really pointed this out, but the dot on my screen is about the size of a pixel. It just covers up the dot on an i or a period. Not that I think that will change peoples minds, just wanted to clarify. Oh, and it's a 16" monitor, so it's not like a pixel is the size of a thumbnail, like on h8treds big screen TV he plays on. LOL!

lol....

ok so a pixel is the size of a quarter, so what, exept it's not a marker it a sticker that says........

bunch of haxorz!