We have a problem on Workshop..
Volker
Join Date: 2013-03-29 Member: 184525Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2013-03-29 Member: 184525Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Hello NS2 Community, I'm new to this Forum but I registered to bring this issue to the attention of the Developers. First of all I'd like to say if I made any grammar mistakes, I am VERY sorry.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=135101759
^ This is the problem, it's clearly a hack and it just doesn't sit right with me. I play Marines almost 90% of the time and it still angers me to see something like this on the steam workshop, not to mention the fact that something like this can get on the workshop. I hope something will be done about this, and I am simply just bringing this to the attention of the Developers and everyone else in the community.
--Volker.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=135101759
^ This is the problem, it's clearly a hack and it just doesn't sit right with me. I play Marines almost 90% of the time and it still angers me to see something like this on the steam workshop, not to mention the fact that something like this can get on the workshop. I hope something will be done about this, and I am simply just bringing this to the attention of the Developers and everyone else in the community.
--Volker.
Comments
There are actually a total of 3 mods that I have come across that give users a rather unfair advantage by modifying their models or material files.
By default, NS2 doesn't actually run any consistency checking against material or dds files (the latter being totally non-existent on the server). The only way these files would be checked for consistency would be if the server operator explicitly added .material or other files to their ConsistencyConfig.json. This means that a high percentage of the public servers out there are more than likely running a stock consistency config and therefore allowing people to use these mods.
These 3 mods can easily be blocked by simply using the following files:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/41876022/ConsistencyConfig.json
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/41876022/ns2.zip (just extract to the root directory of your server)
There is some collateral damage by making this change - Namely that there are a couple of mods which can be considered "legit" that these changes would block. I ran some tests and most of the major mod packs will still work but any mod that runs a modified .material file will not pass consistency checks.
Now this is just a very basic version of ConsistencyConfig.json and the file can get a lot more advanced to pinpoint only certain mods, however it would take a decent amount of time to test each mod against these changes so it's not really feasible at this moment to take all that extra effort.
This is a good starting point and I do suggest that server ops make this change on their server(s).
The owner of that mod hosted that on the Workshop to try and get something to happen in regards to blocking/preventing it's use. Making it public was a way to say 'hey look at what people can do, what can we do about it?'
OR it's a clever excuse to get away with hosting it. Either way, the "new" one is actually just his files with a couple things removed, re-posted by a different author and no credit given.
Anyway, I think the particular files that most need to be restricted are the illumination shaders (*_illum.dds). Without the shader making everything bright even in dark parts of the map, the pink skins aren't nearly as ridiculously advantageous.
Edit: DERP!
You know what I meant to say, but this is funnier.
No matter what we do at this point, people will abuse the crap out of it in case it wasn't obvious now. And I only see a couple solutions to this:
- One being that the Workshop is constantly monitored to keep these things off of it. But this option takes precious time away from those who have to watch ever single upload to the Workshop. It's tedious and just seem ridiculous.
- Or we completely remove the Workshop all together for NS. Which takes away from the community creativity.
All of those don't sound very pleasant. As I said before, some cool things can spawn from the Workshop. But sadly, some people just love to ruin things for others...
I wonder if there is a way for the Devs - or whoever is in charge of that Workshop - to restrict what can and can not be added to the Workshop? Because I really have no ideas on a proper solution to this that doesn't involve removing the Workshop. Sure, servers can turn off these things, but not all servers know how to do it - or are even aware of them.
I really hate it when people ruin games with this crap. Why would you want to do it anyway? Why buy a game if you are going to cheat and make it easy on yourself and ruin it for others? Guess we will never know.
All I can do is sit on the fence and wait to see what comes next. Afterall, it's Unknown Worlds' move now. Hopefully they say something to us. Because this is a very serious problem.
72 current subscribers for this mod.
The original mod (Down With This Sort of Thing) has 762 subscribers.
Hardly an overshadowing epidemic in even the most liberal case.
They'll care when people stop playing their game. Especially when word gets around that UWE doesn't care enough to get rid of this crap. (I will put some faith in them however, and say they do care.)
But if that isn't the case. Why try to play a game when the problem is so obvious yet nothing is done about it?
@ Squishpoke
I ment overshadow as in the bad may just outweigh the good when it comes to keeping the Workshop. We can have awesome mods, but if people keep abusing the Workshop, there might not be one in the long run. The bad, if that were to be the case, would overshadow/outweigh the good.
What exactly do you want UWE to do? Consistency checking is already available for server admins to tweak and utilize.
Meanwhile, "real" cheats will be done outside of Steam Workshop, and those will be difficult to circumvent for any developer. Even those with more than 200 people working for them.
The real problem I'm trying to get down to is: The simple fact that a hack such as that exists on the workshop, OBVIOUSLY no one with authority has seen such mods on the workshop.. Therefor it's up to us the Community to point our finger at UWE and Steam and say, "Do something about it, we want this crap off the workshop for every loser out there to see and use!"
I also understand that you simply can't get rid of hackers.. They're in every multiplayer game out there, but at the moment it's so easy to find hacks on the WORKSHOP. It's just irritating that such a thing was able to stay on there for a few days.
What I'm asking is: Get steam to remove all of these hacks on the workshop, it's what the reporting was made for, which was to remove mods such as this from appearing on the workshop.
It's not a hack. Play on a server with Extended Consistency Checks.
And I would if I knew which one did and didn't through the browser, and even then it wouldn't affect me much because I play Marine 90% of the time, like I said in the OP. I just dislike hacks in general, any amount of unfair play <AKA Cheating> I instantaneously get irked and angry.
And that's not the point: The point is that there's mods on the workshop that allow for cheating, like what someone in this thread had said, "There have also been found mods in the Workshop where all the walls are just transparent." If that kind of stuff is on the workshop, it needs to be removed ASAP.
You can play with mods without mod id's by just downloading the mod and running it with the -mods command
Don't spread stuff like that around...
You haven't been given enough credit for providing these files, so thank you.
I've downloaded them and will implement them on my servers tonight.
Just play on servers that block that kind of stuff and that's all (yes, UWE should find something to speed up consistency checking and apply it by default to all the servers). If the admins don't even take care about the configuration of their servers, they probably never administrate it correctly and the experience will be probably just as bad, just don't go on those shitty servers, that's all.
1.7 for lcd
then you benQ equalize that bitch
and makes whoever is using that a much better player ....... wish I had it. lol
What is the file in this zip good for? (Serious question)