Smart Gaming

Avoid pitfalls and have fun online.

Michael Desmond

Online gaming can be a great pastime, but you need to be careful out there. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Beware cheats. Gamers complain that some online games are so rife with cheating that they become unplayable. Look for servers that use PunkBuster software to detect and foil players who try to hack games in order to imbue themselves with extra powers or other unfair advantages.

Earn trust. Look for online environments that require a verified log-on, which helps hold players accountable for their actions. Also look for an actively managed environment with administrators who can step in and clean up problems.

Go private. Another option is to limit your game to trusted friends. Broadband connections make it easy to host a private gaming server on a home PC.

Do your homework. Shop around for high-quality online environments. Track down popular Web-based forums for the game you are playing and search the posts for threads relating to public game servers and environments.