Please.... block all UT2004 demo servers from the Master Server...

[Sly.]

Does it run Assassin and vehicle Assassin? It's a shame there is no server that does, such an awesome gametype!

[chrishunterkiller]

ok, it seems that the debate still has being still opened. Well Is that possible to do something to close those ****? With what happen to me, i believed that u could be better to host a cracked server and play with my full version. Indeed a lot of player, i was building a litle community and Yesterday, mt server was full (10 player on a invasion rpg) But now ive paid the price and i prefer thinking about me than thinking to the others.
I would like to know something about the game. I have seen on the net that it was possible to host a demo server, but everybody knows that now we can play online on the demo server with a warez key, the question is: The server hosted by a warez is a demo server or a full ip-banned server? My thread is closed and i have questions remaining, the hacker seems to have my hash (that is what i believed), we see that he controlled my server, he can launch an exploit that shutdown, (i have the ****ing result on the log), is possible with exploit and/or with the hash of my id to get my key or to use the hash of my key to spam others server?

[partydevil]

i obviusly didn't read the topic except from the 1st post. it's just to much to read all.

i think demo servers should stay online but not showing in the server list. or always @ bottom after ALL retail servers (also the empty)
let those cheaters and hackers be busy on the demo servers.
if you remove them those cheaters and hackers will come to the retail game.
it's not realy for the price of the game that you have to tryout the game in the demo anyway. 5 euro or dollar or whatever and you have the entire ut serie until ut2k4.

[Piglet]

Solution is really easy:

On master server, if server has demo key and map &/or mutators not = demo content then don't authenticate.

Wouldn't take more than a few lines of code.

While they are at it they could implement the changes to the master server for version 3373, and release the 3373 server/client patch for whoever wants to run it with. That's been sitting unreleased for several years.... we've been running it server-side all that time and it's great. Only one bug found - playing back serverside demos is a little borked.

[foibos]

Let me ask you something. Do you think that the "bad" servers are popular mainly because of accepting few guys with downloaded copy of the game? Do you think that the "legit" abandoned servers with ancient content will get filled again after the "bad" servers disappear from the list? Or do you think that these guys will buy a legit version after they won't be able to play on their favorite servers after they transform themselves into the "good" ones? Do you know that some of the "bad" servers spend a lot of effort making their content attractive for players even after 7 years the game has been released? Will you be surprised if you know that a "bad" server initiated the update of the most common anticheat after many years and paid for it? Do you think there is a need to push the players out of this dying game? Just few things to think about.

[jefe]

As we all know, the ends justify the means, right?

[chrishunterkiller]

Let me ask you something. Do you think that the "bad" servers are popular mainly because of accepting few guys with downloaded copy of the game? Do you think that the "legit" abandoned servers with ancient content will get filled again after the "bad" servers disappear from the list? Or do you think that these guys will buy a legit version after they won't be able to play on their favorite servers after they transform themselves into the "good" ones? Do you know that some of the "bad" servers spend a lot of effort making their content attractive for players even after 7 years the game has been released? Will you be surprised if you know that a "bad" server initiated the update of the most common anticheat after many years and paid for it? Do you think there is a need to push the players out of this dying game? Just few things to think about.

The problem IMO is more complicated than it. U say some right and wrong thing.
The first one is the the answer of the first question.
Of course the answer is YES. If a kind of vicious circle.
U propose a new server cracked with mutator, it will attracted copy version so few player, lets say 2 or 3, then the admin play often as well so +1.
On a game server that the game is 7 Years old, 4 player on a new server is amazing, because iam in the case, if i see a server with 4-5 player, interresting, i will join and so on. And thx to the copy version, the server is full with 50%of copy, 50%of real version. I know what iam speaking because i was admin of a cracked server, and because i offer a good content, lot of copy player came and finally because the server was alive, new "real" players joined as well and finally in only 1 week after the server opened, my server was full. and after, some ppl here knows the story....

The problem is that the game is old, to atract the full version player, the server must have 2 thing that they are linked together:
famous server (i mean if there is nobody u will even join because u know in few min, some player will join because u know its a famous server)
Lot of players (if the server is always empty, u will go on another server will lot of ppl, but if there is a lot of ppl, that means nice content => famous server => more player.....)

Before the probleme didnt exist but know its hard to atract some real casual players, i remember to succeded because first i attracted demo version.

[Baryonyx]

[...] I know what iam speaking because i was admin of a cracked server [...]

Do you think it is a good idea to tell us this fact so openly?

[chrishunterkiller]

idc honestly because i have the full version of the game [that ive bought], read my full story if u want more detail.
Anyways the problem is not that...

I just heard that a botter logged on a vctf server with antittc has made something bad, i mean, logging with another key=> probleme is: the full version of server are vulnerable as well??

[NovakaZ]

So...when the demo servers are blocked, I'll start playing again.

[GreatEmerald]

So...when the demo servers are blocked, I'll start playing again.

You might as well find yourself another game, then...

[chrishunterkiller]

more over, as i said, it seems that original server as well are vulnerable....

[ArtofManta]

The problem IMO is more complicated than it. U say some right and wrong thing.
The first one is the the answer of the first question.
Of course the answer is YES. If a kind of vicious circle.
U propose a new server cracked with mutator, it will attracted copy version so few player, lets say 2 or 3, then the admin play often as well so +1.
On a game server that the game is 7 Years old, 4 player on a new server is amazing, because iam in the case, if i see a server with 4-5 player, interresting, i will join and so on. And thx to the copy version, the server is full with 50%of copy, 50%of real version. I know what iam speaking because i was admin of a cracked server, and because i offer a good content, lot of copy player came and finally because the server was alive, new "real" players joined as well and finally in only 1 week after the server opened, my server was full. and after, some ppl here knows the story....

Agrees 100%.
I've also been on that road and I can quarantee that: a full server with demo key (cracked server) will always receive some traffic, in a legit fullversion server you can sit alone whole day long sometimes before somebody joins.

Speaking of experience - when it comes to actual, legit demo servers, even they get about 90% of the traffic from fullversion clients (mostly cracked clients, others legit), not from demo clients. So saying this game needs a demo is ridiculous. If someone really needs to play demo of a nearly 10 years old game, they can try singleplayer (Instant Action), not play online with those who have bought this game.

It's unfair, because most new server admins barely know how to do basic configuration of server and have no idea of making it visible to pirators. This won't keep them attracted to the game for long.

I'm thinking of starting a new server too, but will probably open a demo one, as they're easier to get players in. Unless Epic does something sometime soon.

So...when the demo servers are blocked, I'll start playing again.

Can't wait for this to happen
It would be like a whole new experience. Every server would be equal in terms of getting traffic.
No more advantages of having a haxed server where all the pirators can join.

Traffic from only legit UT2004 owners.

Do you know that some of the "bad" servers spend a lot of effort making their content attractive for players even after 7 years the game has been released?

That's pretty ignorant of you. Most people put a lot of effort in their servers.

Do you think there is a need to push the players out of this dying game?

Yeah. They shouldn't even be in this game in first place. Imagine how big sales could Epic have if pirators wouldn't be able to join servers just by downloading an illegal copy of UT2004. Most of the multiplayer games can't be "tricked" so easily. Multiplayer is the reason a lot of people do not pirate games.
It's kind of like a DRM where clients need to be validated by master server, but Epic is just not making use of it.

[GreatEmerald]

Yeah. They shouldn't even be in this game in first place. Imagine how big sales could Epic have if pirators wouldn't be able to join servers just by downloading an illegal copy of UT2004.

Absolutely the same as they are now. What people somehow don't realise is that pirates are not customers! They would not pirate the game if they ever had any plans to buy it, unless the game doesn't have a demo. So if they were blocked, they would go play another pirated game and would definitely not pay anything to play this one.

[ArtofManta]

You have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.