What are video game trainers and how do they work and where do you find them? Trainers are programs written by very bright programmers (not the developers) that can give your character/side/units more resources, more money, and more numbers. The favorite trainer is definitely invincibility, with infinite money being the second favorite.

How do they work? The easiest way to write them (although they aren't easy by any means) is to run the game with another program that looks into memory as the game is executing. By studying this, the programmers can figure out what gets written when a new unit is created, when characters earn money, and when they die. Then, the programmers put another value into memory that changes this value. So instead of getting 50 gold, you get 50 million.

Can anyone do this, or do you need to be a programming guru? These things are usually written in assembly, which is the toughest programming language of all time. The reason is that assembly is the closest thing to how a computer actually thinks, which means it's the furthest thing from how people think. Computers think by moving numbers in and out of memory. That's how you have to think when you write assembly code.

Are trainers safe to use, or can you get a virus from using them? You can definitely get a virus from using them if the trainer was a virus or carries a virus. Remember, these trainers are written by very bright programmers, but not the developers. So they aren't completely safe unless you know the programmers.

There's no problem using them offline, but online it's a different story. There's also the question of gaming ethics. Today, many games have online components and using trainers is considered cheating, which will get you banned from the online community.

Then why aren't trainers called cheaters if that's what they really do? Ask Barry Bonds, he knows the answer. Nobody wants to be called a cheater, so it's called a trainer, but there's no training involved.

So are they illegal? No. If you paid for the game, you can modify it just like any other item you pay for as long as you do not distribute the modified item. Of course, you void the warranty. On a videogame, warranties are pretty useless since they only apply to the actual DVD or CD disc.

Trainers can be fun. In RTS games, you can have thousands of units and never harvest a resources. Concentrate on the fighting, which is where most players want to be doing anyways.

In games like Oblivion, you can physically knock a monster 100 feet into the air with your sword or a spell. How about infinite ammo in a FPS? It's great to blow everything away with a rocket launcher that has infinite ammo.

You can find the trainer you want by using Google and searching for the game that you want and "video game trainer. There aren't many trainer archives, so you'll have to search for trainers individually. Also becareful of viruses from some sites that look like they have way too much advertising or spam. You run them by first starting the trainer, then running the main game and pressing the F-whatever key assoicated with the trainer.

We do not use and do not recommend the use of trainers or trained characters online. You will get banned. But trainers add to the gameplay if you've already finished the game and are looking for something new to do with the game. Unlike mods, trainers let you wreck havoc in the game without having to level up for a month.