Is there a stop to Internet Backgammon cheaters?

Here's an important question for understanding the situation.

Is MSN backgammon played peer to peer or does the server act as an intermediary? In other words do the local boards roll the dice or is it the server that rolls the dice? If a local board rolls the dice is the result communicated directly to the other board or does it go through the server first?

With peer to peer play and game results reported to the server for rating purposes, I see why cheating would be hard to stop and what you (Jetpackboy) said would make sense. But then the question is why can’t Microsoft insert a server as an intermediary/moderator by doing the rolling. This could hardly overload the servers. Contrast MSN backgammon to the ICC (internet chess club). ICC has popular games played at faster rates than backgammon (just a few seconds per move) yet their servers have no problem keeping track of the moves despite having hundreds of players online at any given time. It is not possible to cheat the ICC system. The ICC uses clocks and stall cheats are not possible. Since backgammon is a board game like chess there is no reason why Microsoft can't easily stop the cheating if it wanted.

Having the server roll the dice is an easy fix.  The honest player whose only direct communication is with the server could not be cheated since his board is playing only with the rolls generated by the server. If the hacker somehow managed to cheat on his local board he is creating inconsistencies that affect him alone and would most likely crash his board and cause him to forfeit. Apparently  Microsoft servers/code are going out of their way to let the cheaters image of the board/dice determine what was rolled -- sorry but this is easy to fix if true.

So unless Microsoft servers can themselves be easily hacked the dice fix seems obvious.

Again I can't wrap my head around their being no easy fix for the stall cheat. Microsoft code simply isn't keeping a consistent image of whose move it is. The cheater can't fool the system into thinking it’s the opponent’s time to roll while simultaneously freezing out the opponent (because the cheater hasn't actually finished his moves) unless there is very poorly written code. Sounds eerily reminiscent of classic beginner's mistakes in multithreading.

P.S.   Confirmation that it is possible for cheaters to hack MSN backgammon should ease some players’ minds. I'm not being sarcastic. The problem is that players end up pulling their hair out and stare in utter disbelief at the dice and simply waste a lot of brain power wondering if they are being cheated or not. Talking about being cheated is perfectly natural and those who clearly are cheated have a hard time convincing those who aren't being cheated that cheating really takes place. Players have to take the "it’s just your imagination" nonsense. And frankly players have to take the "We can't do anything about it" attitude from Microsoft.  Jetpackboy, the last comment is not directed at you personally. I respect your wading into the fire and giving us at least some information.

I am curious to know what version of windows that those who suspect cheating are using. I have no doubt that if it is possible to cheat that people will, even where not strictly possible many players will stall e.g. I am playing with Win7 Pro and although the dice seem streaky I have not seen many of the things described here. I win a majority of games I think and the most common thing is people quitting when they are behind . . . that happens more often than not.

I was on XP and was consistently (long term) out rolled in doubles by a factor of  around  2.5. In the typical game I would be out rolled by a factor of 3-1 to 5-1 but higher ratios were not uncommon. There would be a few games where I had close to equity in doubles (factor between 0.5 and 2) so the long term average was reduced to somewhere around 2.5. The same thing happened on Windows 7. I swear I'm not making this up. In reference to my previous post, I was very careful in recording the doubles. I have no idea why you haven't seen long term streaks of skewed statistics. Why did it happen to me but not you? I have no idea and I'm not required to come up with an explanation. It looks like the only way to prove long term cheating is for one to record all their games do the statistical analysis and post it online. People are naturally skeptical so this would be a perfectly reasonable requirement. In the meantime, there isn't anything more for me to say. The "I see cheating" -- "no you don't" -- "yes I really do" -- "no you really don't" discussions don't go anywhere.  

Even the quitting problem is mostly a Microsoft contrivance. Quitting should simply be regarded as a resignation whereby the game/match is awarded to the quitter's opponent.  Instead Microsoft makes the remaining player play the remainder of the match with the computer, which is a big annoyance. Microsoft would do well to get the input of a backgammon club from a large city concerning protocols. The amount of time allowed to study a roll is excessive. I've played national experts who despite giving full consideration to all the possibilities don't need that much time to make a move. Maybe they take a long time in tournaments or when money is involved but that's not a factor here.

I see this post is almost two years old but when I tried to get back into backgammon today (2/18/2012) after at least two years of being away because of the cheaters my "microsoft backgammon" Google search led me to this old post.So it appears the same old cheats can and do prove that they can still run their cheat programs. 

I do love the game and one of the aspects of it is that one must accept the occasional extraordinarily lucky roll(s).

BUT, if one does accept this possibility and then blatant cheating occurs, which I will not go to the trouble to describe other than to say it is obvious, acknowledged by the perpetrators and  curiously ignored by the owners of the format, then the possibility to expand the audience of the game in an environment that could promote one of the oldest games, and since it is still played today, one of the most popular it seems an intentional if not malicious oversight.

I am certain the programmers at Microsoft Games could easily control the cheating but choose not to. I don't really care but it seems such a waste of a great opportunity, you know - backgammon, the internet, Microsoft.

I am truly - Disappointed.