File modification detection and anti-hacking measures incoming soon.

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Sites, May 19, 2016.

  1. Sites Executive Producer, Planetside 2

    In our ongoing effort to prevent cheating and other forms of illicit behavior from impacting your game play experience, we’ve been working on some additional measures to identify and expedite the removal of those playing PlanetSide 2.

    First as a clarification, it is important to note that a modification of your client files outside of what we permit (more on that in the next paragraph) is a violation of our Terms of Service. We have ramped up detection of this and any such modifications can result in actions taken against your account.

    Traditionally there are a few ways you’ve been able to modify the game which have been allowed. The modification of files that are not verified by the PlanetSide 2 Launcher will still be permitted and cover most scenarios. An obvious example of this is the User Options INI file.
    Use of overlays such as Recursion Stat Tracker, Playclaw, and Overwolf, aren't impacted by this change, as they do not modify game files.

    I'm making this announcement because these changes are not the types of things we usually highlight during an update. Please take this time to adjust your play style if necessary to avoid any unpleasantry once this system is enabled.

    On a related note, as you might have seen, we're also in the process of incorporating BattlEye and expect it to go live within the next few weeks. Everything I referenced above is using our proprietary anti-hacking system and unrelated to BattlEye. Once BattlEye is ready, we will post a separate announcement.
    • Up x 29
  2. Neo3602

    Thanks for the info.
  3. Campagne

    Excellent! :D

    Thanks for telling us!
  4. Niamar

    While it sounds great, I wish you would have done this without saying a word.
    • Up x 2
  5. stradic

    Und warum wird das extra angekündigt?!

    Macht doch endlich mal kurzen Prozess mit den ganzen Cheatern und gebt ihnen nicht immer extra Zeit und Infos zu reagieren.
    Die sollen endlich das Spiel so wie alle spielen und sich nicht immer einen Vorteil suchen.
    Deshalb auch AHK, Overlays und sämtliche Tweaks die nicht auch Ingame vorhanden sind verbieten. Also keine anderen Farben für Aimpoints, keine FOV-Änderungen oder Decloak-Einstellungen usw.
  6. Kristan

    [IMG]
    • Up x 2
  7. o.Solei.o

    This is probably in consideration of players who, after having had multiple play sessions ruined by hackers, acquired hacks themselves for the sole purpose of using them to harass and drive off hackers, and who keep them turn off (but still loaded into memory) at all other times. I've known a few people who do this and have been very thankful for the hacking sprees they've cut short as a result. (Ain't no QQ like a hacker QQ, 'cause a hacker QQ can't STAHP!) Fortunately for me though, those have all been in other games. I can count the number of actual hackers I've seen in PS2 in the last few years on one hand.
    • Up x 1
  8. Psykmoe

    I modify InputProfile_Default.ini every time after opening the launcher but before starting the game to move the start command function into a more convenient position for myself (as by default it takes up a key I need for something else and you have chosen to exclude this function from the ingame key binding menu).

    I'm playing with OKL: instead of WASD and it's obnoxious to open the text line by accident while going for some neighboring key.

    <Action name="StartCommandText" displayName="UI.OpenCommand" unbindable="true" events="Press">
    <Trigger>Slash</Trigger>
    </Action>

    Since this is a change that is undone whenever I open the launcher and game files are verified, will moving the StartCommandText function to another button now be banable by your automated system?

    After all, I am changing a file that is verified by the PS2 launcher, which you imply will be forbidden.
  9. PzGr


    Is this BattleEye thing another one of those Punkbuster/Gameguard software kit?

    These third party anti hacking kits are rarely truly effective and invariably degrade client performance and play experience of legit players.

    I am concerned as this game already uses some what ridiculous amount of CPU computation cycles, not many people have extra cpu cycle to spare.
  10. Cyropaedia

    This is my concern as well.

    EA's Battlefield 2 population dropped at least 25-50% when Punkbuster was first introduced. The game went into a decline.

    Battleye's website bills itself as originating from Battlefield series in 2004 and I don't personally remember performance issues from the older Battlefield games. Hope we won't notice a thing.
  11. Gundem


    Just playing devils advocate here, what if really 25% of players were cheating?
    • Up x 1
  12. JobiWan

    I appreciate the input from Andy and welcome any kind of dev input on the official forum. More please.
  13. dahazeyninja

    Can't you just put it into InputProfile_User.xml, which doesn't get verified by the launcher, and is there specifically for your own custom keybinds?
  14. Cyropaedia

    Could have been. Perhaps it was a one-two punch. A perception in pop decline and performance issues led to players going elsewhere.

    Hope performance is not affected.
  15. PzGr

    Most serious cheater found bypass for these softwares. In games like Blade and Soul, Gameguard did absolutely nothing to stop blatant cheater and botters from operating.

    On the other hand, performance degradation, random kicks for no apparent reason, login/connection troubles, are well documented side effects that affects legit players.

    The particular sticking point is that PS2 often bottlenecks on CPU during normal operations, unlike many other games which bottlenecks on GFX card. so PS2 might not afford this kind of added burden.

    besides. these software are basically rootkits, often times remaining on your computer even if you uninstall the game.
  16. Psykmoe

    InputProfile_User is tied directly to the in-game keybind menu and doesn't have an entry regarding StartCommandText.

    Additionally, _Default entries are always active - you could go into your game and bind some random function to Slash right now, like reload, and hitting Slash would then reload your gun AND open the / text line unless you made the temporary change to _Default.

    Until there's some way to permanently change the entry in _Default, it won't matter what I do in _User or the keybind menu in game.
  17. kriegshauser


    The InputProfile files are ignored. You should be ok with your change to InputProfile_Default.ini
  18. Pelojian

    a list of whitelisted files would be very useful to post when you implement battle eye so people can be sure something is allowed or not.
  19. Diggsano

    As long as this game is free to play the hackers will just make new accounts.


    At least they do something agains it now!
  20. Demigan



    Eh, this sentence confuses me, the way it's phrased it looks like the INI files aren't verified by the PS2 launcher?