VAC 2 is on it's way!

[Lewiji]

Friday, March 25 2005

Next week we'll begin beta testing the new Valve Anti-Cheat system. For people playing multiplayer games, there will not be any visible difference while we're conducting the beta, but we will be logging cheating violations into our database to make sure it's ready for general release. This will be the last public notice before the system is released and active for everyone.

If you have any cheats for multiplayer games installed on your computer, now would be a good time to uninstall and stop using them. When a cheat infraction is detected, the offender will be permanently banned from playing on secure servers.

w00t! Rumour has it that Valve have already been logging "unusual activity". Let's just hope it lasts for a while, and that it's coded well enough to detect new hacks by itself.

Just a little note: Has anyone else noticed that the "retrieving server info" takes a little longer than usual? :D

[Twatybollocks]

I hope it was logging this guy who was wall hacking like mad last night and refused to stop doing it.

[Lewiji]

Apparently over the next week or so every one of them will be logged, valve are still deciding whether to "surprise" ban them to set an example or warn them not to do it again...but still...ownage!

Apparently it tracks server variables unlike VAC1 like coords, crosshair coors, injection into the program (hash/crc checks), as well as scanning local processes and console commands. Woo!

[Timmeh]

Wow, that's really good :)

In some ways, I hope it doesn't ban the people who've hacked already... I know it's wrong and spoils the game etc, but I don't think Valve can get away with it. You can hack all you want on non-VAC servers, the rules of VAC say so... and as of yet... there are no VAC servers!

[Schmental]

i dont thin kit would be fair to ban those who have hacked b4 vac, i know ALOT of people who wanted to see what hackers do, i started a server on my own PC and me and a mate counter-hacked each other, after useing that its far easyer to detect who hacks and who doesent. i uninstalled the hacks right after i closed down my server. i will probally get flamed now, but i dont care. (dont PM me i will not tell you where i got the hacks from)

[Lewiji]

I think people who have previously hacked will be warned, or not even looked at...but still, Valve have the right to ban people who abuse the game!

[Schmental]

yeah i know, but i think a permo ban is too harsh

should be a 1 month ban as a warning, then life. (imo VAC is just about makeing money, cos when u cheat u can easily get back on the game by buying a new version of the game. if they really wanted to stop cheaters they'd do what punkbuster does and ban hardware)

[Lewiji]

I wouldn't worry about it unless you have something to worry about.

If you were cheating at a game, it suggests you suck at it anyway, so I can't see people buying the game again.

I believe Valve are leaning towards issueing a warning on an account, and all activity on that account is then logged and inspected after 2 weeks or so. After that, data is periodically logged but not at such an intense rate. If it happens again, it's a perma-ban. I think it's fair.

[Timmeh]

I think VAC gives out year bans generally. I really do hate cheaters, why bother playing a game of skill if you aren't willing to practice until you are skilled?!

Well, if someone really pisses you off, there's always #steambans :)

[pebble_rebel]

I have some unused cheats for HalfLife 2 from PCGamer on my PC, i am ok arent i?

[Timmeh]

Er... no, fraid not. VAC2 scans your PC, I'd delete them now if I were you...

or zip them up for a bit of fun on insecure servers

[da-geezer]

I read somewhere (I swear it was on a brief visit to the steampowered forums) that the beta was giving the developers a hell of a lot of "false positive" results. It'll be nice to see how they get around this.

If the fail to, they'll have around ten thousand people shouting and cursing valve for unfairly banning them, forcing a revocation of VAC; though if they err on the side of caution, then hacks are guranteed to take advantage of such leniency, rendering the whole VAC project a waste of time.

Who knows, eh?

[Lewiji]

If you got banned on a game you paid for and you hacked, you'd claim it was false wouldn't you?

And pebble, single player hacks are fine, it only checks CS:S, HL2DM and DoD:S when it comes out.

[pebble_rebel]

phew i tried finding in them and there lost in pile of crap i have on this thing....

[Lagmeister]

I think that they have a section in the EULA about cheating and hacking in online play, basically it says they have the right to revoke your licence if you do it, since they agreed to the EULA then valve can do whatever the feck they want if your caught. I think that its a great thing, but they should step it up to punkbusters hardware ID bans.

[Lewiji]

Yeah HD/Processor Serial bans work well, there's only so much money a hacker will be willing to pay to "ruin the fun" in a game.

[Schmental]

with the old VAC it had the odd few false positives. there will always be errors. a system that removes the cheat compleately so they cannot be used. now that would be better.

[Timmeh]

Why are they spending to much time on this new anti cheat, when they could've just been working to make these games unhackable in the first place...

[Lewiji]

Because it's not really possible without the game being sluggish and inefficient :p If you think about it the only way is to have code check on other parts of code, but hackers would just disable that bit of code, so you'd need more code to check on that code, and some more to check on that code...etc. It'd just be a neverending series of validity checks.

Where there's a will there's a way I'm afraid, and a server side anti cheat system is the hardest to beat without coding your own cheats and keeping them to yourself, which I think it is safe to say doesn't happen very often since the majority of cheat users are 12 year old leechers (From experience, I joined a forum to discuss some strategies on an MMORPG, people are very mature in that section...However there is a counter strike section with, I'll admit although I've never used, hacks, and noone in there can spell. Literally, not one word in that forum is spelt correctly.)

[Schmental]

i dont see the fun in useing cheats. when i tested to see what they can do on my own server. i put bots on hard (on elite there un-human) and it was so boreing after 5-10 minutes. it was funny at first speed ahcking at 8x speed knifeing everyone but it got boreing.

[da-geezer]

You notice it on public servers too, people cheat for around five minutes then fuck off. They tend to be the guys who hack "for a laugh".

Then you get the real sad acts where CounterStrike is their life, they're alter ego is a furry, and they cheat all day every day. They probably look a lot like this guy (http://www.ohnoez.com/august04/).

[Twatybollocks]

You notice it on public servers too, people cheat for around five minutes then fuck off. They tend to be the guys who hack "for a laugh".

Then you get the real sad acts where CounterStrike is their life, they're alter ego is a furry, and they cheat all day every day. They probably look a lot like this guy (http://www.ohnoez.com/august04/).

How did you find that picture of me?

[Dildobaggins]

You notice it on public servers too, people cheat for around five minutes then fuck off. They tend to be the guys who hack "for a laugh".

Then you get the real sad acts where CounterStrike is their life, they're alter ego is a furry, and they cheat all day every day. They probably look a lot like this guy (http://www.ohnoez.com/august04/).

I was crying with laughter at that link.

CRYING.

[Yoyo]

I can understand the need for anti-cheating systems due to the growth of computers, the internet and the avalibility of online hacks, but what i don't understand is why Valve want spend all this money on a anti-cheat system.
Really think about the costs of : staff to search through all the hackers they've picked up and to determin if their a real threat, then theres all the hardware costs to store all this information thats going to be getting pulled from there servers realisticly every day.
Also 'if theres a will theres a way', I mean even if they do develop this system they must know themselves there will always be a way round it developed by some hacker somewhere or other.
I am also concerened by this system scanning buisness, to see if you have any hacks, excuse me if i'm wrong, but does that not breach data protection and privicy acts ? Because I sure don't remember agreeing to anything inviting them to browse my processes or files. Is there a way they have got around this ?

[Lagmeister]

Actually you did, if you are using anything that is any way derived from decompiling or modifying their code, for example hacks, then it is very much their business and you gave them the right to look at it by agreeing to the EULA, but no one reads them so no one actually knows.

[Lewiji]

They DON'T SCAN YOUR COMPUTER

They scan running processes. It is perfectly legal even if you don't sign anything to scan running processes, since they don't generally hold important data (and what do you think they'll do? Browse your homemade pr0n collection and send it to the police?)

Also, you're COMPLAINING about Valve being concerned about the gamer?

OK, there is a business oppurtunity here that if it works well then CS:S etc will get a good reputation as being "clean". But Valve are one of the few remaining companies who actually CARE about their customers, and this is almost a way of saying "thanks".

[Yoyo]

(But but but ...my homemade pr0n collection*sobs*)

Whats this? Game companies caring for the gamers. Thats new.
Hail Valve :notworthy

[Twatybollocks]

I love Valve. I've donated my first born son to them.