The Current State of Cheating

Eye of Judgment has been well received by a number of groups. Gaming media outlets have given mostly favorable reviews of the game with a MetaCritic score of 77. Consumers of the game that have tried it are taking the game to new heights with a community that is organizing tournaments and playing online.

Even with game facing some supply shortages with the bundle pack as well as boosters, it is not even a question that a dedicated fan base has already sprung up in support of EoJ. What’s not to like? Filthy cheaters.

The Eye of Judgment is currently facing a unique cheating problem. It’s not the use of GameSharks or online modding, its the use of a scanner and printer. While the bar codes were thought to be specially printed on the official cards, it didn’t stop people from trying to make duplicates of cards. When it was discovered to work, news reports on gaming websites claimed that EoJ has been compromised. More daring people tried their hand at copying and so far, PSPs, iPhones and felt tip markers can make an image believable to “trick” the Eye into reading the card in the game.

Forum posters have been sounding off on the issue and seem not happy at the situation. The arguments range from “nobody will buy cards” to “EoJ is ruined.” However, how bad is the cheating? It is impossible to tell at this point. Even so, the effects on the enjoyment of the game is minimal.

That’s right, minimal. People will always cheat, it has been that way since the dawn of time but the gameplay mechanics in place almost make the card printing moot. Look at it this way, most of the amazing cards are allowed 1 per hand and they have steep mana costs. Add that to the fact that the low cost, starting round cards can be effective if used correctly. Really, the only parts cheating hurts are the card makers (who deserve the profits for their hard work on a cool game) and the legitimacy of users with amazing deck building skills and luck. It will not hurt the gameplay even if you print cards because you still have to play by the rules.

It’s not to say we should tolerate the cheating, to the contrary, it should absolutely be discouraged. If someone is found cheating, there should be some sort of reporting system to give them a chance to atone for their sins. Unfortunately, there is no solid way of proving cheaters are cheating and if there was a way, there still isn’t a report system to check up on it.

SonicKaos and I were talking and we think that it’s hilarious to read news stories by gaming outlets that have yet to really dive into the game. They would see that all their doom-saying is unjustified if they took time to learn the rules. The fad of trying to “trick” the Eye will die down and leave room for the serious players to take charge. Don’t worry too much, a game like EoJ really attracts the hardcore folks that have a natural addiction to collecting cards. For the time being, don’t tolerate cheating and do your best to win with honor. This will blow over soon.

-Groovester

3D CyberCode, EoJ’s Younger Brother

The year was 1996 and The English Patient was winning awards left and right at the Oscars and computers like the one to the left were considered high-power gaming rigs (don’t hurt your hand on the sharp edges on the mouse). However, seeds of the Eye of Judgment were already in the works.

The scanner worked like this – have a flat image of squares that make up a code, this code is read by a camera and both of the information is transfered to a computer. The computer combines the information to make a 3D image appear off the paper looking through the monitor. At the time, the technology must have seemed like something off Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Funny how technology can rest dormant for 11 years before coming to the mass market. They show off a few simple structures but nothing as complex as a giant Biolith. In fact, it’s almost humorous to see the Budwiser can with such a low polygon count. There is a name of this type of 3D modeling, it’s called Augmented Reality, for those at home keeping score. For your enjoyment, the footage of the demo can be seen right here-

New Players Guide

New to Eye of Judgment and are overwhelmed by the gameplay? Our very own SonicKaos has typed up the best guide for newbies getting their feet wet with the starter deck.

It will give you the low-down on what the stats mean, what cards have what stats, how to effectively use cards, and how rare a card is. You cannot afford to miss out on this guide as it includes some awesome information.

EoJ Pros might even find a nugget or two and get a peek at how you can use cards in ways you might not even have thought of.

• Click here to head to read the new players guide