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

[izelol]

Another thing about playing on demo servers only for certain people who obviously have the full game (tell by skins/characters) is because antitcc retail servers kicks people who are using warez keys coz they downloaded the game. The game pirates don't get kicked on demo servers. I was reminded of this the other day on an antitcc server when somebody got kicked out with the message "xxxxx is using an illegal cd key!" Naturally, those are usually the types of people who run hacks, aimbot, trash talk, spew profanities and generally make a nuisance of themselves. That is the game that they are being allowed to play on the UT2004 demo servers for free.

I believe the demo version had at least 2 fatal mistakes : (1) FAR too much content, and (2) the ability to go online and play that content on public servers. In effect, the demo is a free version of the game competing directly with the retail game like a cancerous growth on a healthy body. If multiplayer had been restricted to retail ONLY right from the beginning, the multiplayer scene would surely be much different for the better now.

People using full game with demo cd-key get kicked only with latest AntiTCC.
But many cracked servers don't even have Antitcc. It's weird, maybe the admins actually support cheating.

And Antitcc isn't part of ut2004, it's a mutator. People owning cracked servers are not gonna install the latest Antitcc, because that would cut the number of players.

Let's be honest, there's no point of demo for a 5-year old game.
Most of the people probably download pirated full game, install online crack (which gives them demo cd-key) and play on demo and cracked servers, probably even thinking those are the only ut2004 servers.

I doubt many people use the actual demo to play ut2004 online nowadays.


And BTW, Epic could just put a message on their ut2003 official website that demo isn't supported anymore.
So if anyone wants to try it or something he won't be able to download it. Or maybe release a demo with single-player only.

[GreatEmerald]

And Antitcc isn't part of ut2004, it's a mutator. People owning cracked servers are not gonna install the latest Antitcc, because that would cut the number of players.

Let's be honest, there's no point of demo for a 5-year old game.
Most of the people probably download pirated full game, install online crack (which gives them demo cd-key) and play on demo and cracked servers, probably even thinking those are the only ut2004 servers.

And BTW, Epic could just put a message on their ut2003 official website that demo isn't supported anymore.
So if anyone wants to try it or something he won't be able to download it. Or maybe release a demo with single-player only.

There was always that problem with mutators... Server admins are usually unaware of fix mutators (or fixed maps). It's simply impossible to make everyone use them.

No, that would be incredibly pointless. Why download a few gigs of data if you can get the demo that fits on a CD? You don't get anything from the full game if all you do is play online...

And no, cutting demo downloads is impossible and wouldn't be of much use anyway. It's mirrored in a lot of places throughout the internet. And even if you did stop people from doing that, cheaters that currently have it would continue to cheat.

[Piglet]

Course it would be easy - all it would need is for the master server to just refuse to serve a server list to demo clients.

People could continue to connect by IP - but it's a right royal pain in the **** to find servers IP & port and probably beyond most casual demoserver players

[izelol]

No, that would be incredibly pointless. Why download a few gigs of data if you can get the demo that fits on a CD? You don't get anything from the full game if all you do is play online...

Actually, in demo you can only play on demo servers, and you have limited gametypes/everything. Only 4 skins also.

But using a full game downloaded form Internet with the demo key gives them access to all gametypes, + they get all the content (skins, maps, etc). THat's quite a reason.

[GreatEmerald]

Are there demo servers on non-demo gametypes then? That would be odd, why would a non-demo server have a demo key... And you can't play custom maps on demo servers, so they're useless.

[izelol]

Are there demo servers on non-demo gametypes then? That would be odd, why would a non-demo server have a demo key... And you can't play custom maps on demo servers, so they're useless.

Nope, there aren't any 'demo' servers for other gametypes. But there are full servers that use demo cd-key (aka cracked servers).
Now, people with bare demo can't play on full cracked servers (they just don't have the needed content, plus demo is only v3334), they need a pirated version of ut2004 which is also cracked (uses demo cd-key).

So basicly people who don't have a cd-key, use the demo key which gives access to demo and cracked servers.

People who use demo cd-key can access full version servers which also use demo cd-key.
Demo key makes masks the full servers as old demo servers.... this way people with illegal game see demo servers and full servers aswell (full servers that are cracked).

There are many cracked servers: most of the vctf servers, Techcom ONS server (most popular ut2004 ons server!), and many more.

You might wonder how do i know about 'cracked servers'? Well, i have a full retail game but i've tried using the demo cd-key hash, just for educational purposes.

Btw here is this evil key:

UT2004-UTDEMO-UTDEMO-UT2004
238c7dd4ec4a065e2314c1c8b4d41ca6 (hash)

[GreatEmerald]

Hmm, like I've thought, this is an overlooked bug. Generally servers with demo key and custom content (especially gametypes) should be kicked out of the Master Server list, and connections to it could be dropped too (because no normal full server would have the demo key!).

[izelol]

Hmm, like I've thought, this is an overlooked bug. Generally servers with demo key and custom content (especially gametypes) should be kicked out of the Master Server list, and connections to it could be dropped too (because no normal full server would have the demo key!).

That's the problem, in order to block cracked servers, the demo servers must be blocked too, they share both the same cd-key.

[GreatEmerald]

No, not necessarily. You can simply add a check if the server has illegal classes spawned in it, and if it does, drop it.

Oh, and also the demo is often used for benchmarking. For example, in the Phoronix thread today, it was used to check if Radeon drivers for Linux work better:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag..._rewrite&num=1

[izelol]

So you think demo should stay?

Because i don't think that's really a reason when most of the demo players are people who use pirated version of ut2004 or people who have a passion for cheating.

[GreatEmerald]

What makes you think that? There isn't much evidence that most players are cheaters. Honest players go to online play, fail miserably and continue playing offline, trying to improve skills to be a match for online opponents.

[izelol]

well, cheating isn't only problem (i like to cheat on demo serves sometimes too). Piracy is much bigger concern.

[GreatEmerald]

Well, like I've said, servers have nothing to do with the demo itself except the key. All you have to do is update the Master Server to drop connections to fake demo servers and create a patch for retail so they couldn't even connect through favourites.

[izelol]

there's definately no patch coming.

So the best option would be to get over those demo servers. Who needs demo anyway?

blocking cracked servers is probably not possible.

[GreatEmerald]

there's definately no patch coming.

There's definitely no Demo server blocking coming. A fixed demo is a lot more realistic.

So the best option would be to get over those demo servers. Who needs demo anyway?

As I've said, Epic needs it. And everyone else who like the demo.

blocking cracked servers is probably not possible.

Everything is possible. Only a few changes in the Master Server code and it should be all set. The only problem is that Master Server is Epic's.