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

[TonyTP]

@Piglet:
My intention is not to be an *** or just to argue.. but what you are saying is wrong:
Yes, you are right that there can be serverside changes on a ut2004 server which doesn't require a download. I.e. removing the redeemer. But you are wrong when you say it's possible for serveradmins, on any kind of ut2004 server, to start local programs or do similar things without a mutator being downloaded. If what you are saying would be true this would be the most nasty bug in the UT engine/UT code, ever. There is no way for UT2004 to i.e. start 100 instances of Internet Explorer ("URL bombs"). If you still disagree I ask you to explain me how you think this is possible (techwise).

@Baryonyx
I don't think anything really needs to be done. It would have been nice if these things were performed in 2005 or something. Today, 8 years later, it would just make a small community even smaller. And re warnings on demo servers: They are no security risks, so the only thing players would have to be warned about is that there are way more features if they play full version/buy the game, and that there might be a bit more aimbots on demo servers.

One more comment on piracy is that the piratecopy of ut2004 using demo GUID is only 1 out of many, many different piratecopies floating around. There are several piratecopies which work on all servers, and there are public tools available to change your GUID. So doing the changes you ask would not completely block out pirates.

And yeah, never meant to "shout". Your comments on caps etc is noted.

[Sly.]

You got a point that it can be risky to "isolate" demo players.

Well, to sum things up:
I think the best solution we got so far is probably separating the demo server list from the full version server list and display a message saying that "If you like the demo, you will enjoy the full version with the huge amount of content and custom map and mod support even more."

About the "danger" aspect, we could ask some coders to get a knowledge if it is possible to do such stuff with serverside mutators... somehow. I believe there is always a flaw people can exploit. How else can you explain that a visitor of a (heavily modded) demo server got humiliated like that? I can't really think of a reason why the person would spread lies.

PS: Sorry if I might have sounded rude myself. Didn't have such a great day today.

[Piglet]

@Piglet:
My intention is not to be an *** or just to argue.. but what you are saying is wrong

You're pontificating about things you clearly don't understand in a way that makes you seem like an ***. You may be a really nice person in real life - but your posts so far on this forum don't give a good impression.

One thing we're not going to do is to tell you how these things are done!

[TonyTP]

It's really not that important how I come across. Internet FTW.

Let me break it down for you:
You are saying that someone can connect to a ut2004 server, not having to download any mutator - and yet serveradmins are able to start local programs on the players computer, i.e. Internet explorer. If the local game does not have any mutators..that means there is a GIANT bug in the UT Engine or UT code. In the actual gamefiles, in it's original state, which the serveradmins are exploiting. This would probably be the worst bug in Epic's history..
..and somehow you are pretty much the only one who's heard about it.

I am very skilled on ut administration and fairly skilled on UT code. I'm not telling you "how these things are done", I'm telling you what's technically possibly and what isn't. And if you disagree with me then plz elaborate how you think this is techwise possible, or how it would be performed.

You guys are just stirring up a bunch of people making them scared of playing ut2004 to stay safe. Playing ut2004 is just as safe as it was the day it was released. For code to be executed on the players local computer a mutator must be published on the gameserver, and the mutator has to be downloaded to the players local ut2004 dir. Any ut2004 server, of any kind, can publish such mutators. And the possibility has always been there.

[RLV]

Hi. I'm the owner of the server mentioned in this thread.

As Piglet said, this add-on in not on the server anymore (long time).

There're was no viruses involved actually and it wasn't aimed towards random players, but it was still very stupid of me.

I hereby apologise to the whole UT community and say that this sort of things won't happen again.
I have a small community that is dedicated to this game with 2 servers - http://miasma.org/

It's a friendly community, it's just me who has managed to show it in a bad perspective.

I am very sorry.

@TonyTP: yes it is indeed possible. Not just URL thing, but players can also have their CD keys stolen. There's even more malicious stuff that I've heard of, but most things are only possible on full-version servers (so playing only demo is still safer). I'm just saying this so you know that it's not safe to play on random servers.

[Flak]

This thread has run its course. Closing.