GRAW Anti-Cheat available for PGL matching

[TacTiXs]

The goal of Pro-GamingLeagues is to give the gamers a place where they will find competition, fun and recognition but above all, the assurance that they finally play in an environment where cheaters will NOT ruin the game and competition for them.

To make this possible, we created the essential Match Sneaker anti-cheat tool and an effective ban system who are both integrated and directly interact with the PGL site and competition scripts.

Globally, the PGL Match Sneaker used during official matches takes screenshots from the user's screen at random time intervals and also detects the use of cheats that we instructed the AC to look for on the user's pc.

All the data is send to our AC server and the screenshots are available for whoever wants to download them.

If the Match Sneaker has detected a cheat running during a match, it will automatically lock the account from the member in question on the site and alert the PGL administration, notifying them that 'this member' used 'this cheat' during 'that match'.

Each new cheat that we instruct the PGL Match Sneaker also means a check on match data recorded prior to the date of instruction of the AC and any member caught with that last cheat can say bye bye!

Since we ban our members based on a guid composed of hardware id's from the user's pc and that is created upon registration and after using the PGL Match Sneaker for the first time, it is unlikely that this same person will return with a new account and a different name with that same pc. Unless the banned member has other pc's capable of running games, his game on PGL is finished.

We are in a constant effort to improve this effective anti-cheat solution to maintain a fair playground for all true gamers.

Edited October 2, 2006 by Dannik

[Stupididiotwithagun]

Nice, too bad im not pro

[FI_FlimFlam]

So nothing for public server then?

[-|-aMMo-|-]

^ arent too concerned with helping the community?

I also question how secure their AC is concidering what it can do.

[FI_FlimFlam]

I'm sure it works fine for match purposes. The problem with their promotion is that it does absolutely nothing for the community as a whole. Now if they were to open it up and make is so the app could be configured for the community to run on their servers I would be signing it's praises.

[ToW-Angel]

I'm with FlimFlam on this one... If it isn't made open to the public, then what good is it to talk about it?

[-|-aMMo-|-]

what I mean by "secure" is, how trustworthy in their program. Can they get my CD-keys, banking info, ect.?

Or could someone hack it to do so?

It can send info back to them, like SS HW GUID they create, and info on cheats they tell it to detect.

Well if it can do that, it can do other things that could be harmfull.

What do we know about the people who created and manage it?

[TacTiXs]

So nothing for public server then?

^ arent too concerned with helping the community?

I also question how secure their AC is concidering what it can do.

I'm sure it works fine for match purposes. The problem with their promotion is that it does absolutely nothing for the community as a whole. Now if they were to open it up and make is so the app could be configured for the community to run on their servers I would be signing it's praises.

I'm with FlimFlam on this one... If it isn't made open to the public, then what good is it to talk about it?

The PGL has been created for the GR/GRAW community in the first place, [GR] who was lost to cheats was actually the reason why PGL got to see the day.

The system we created is focused on favorizing a competition environment where the cheating factor will be as minor as can be. This competition organization is free for anyone that wishes to join it.

To be effective, the system as a whole has to be able to identify an individual based on some information (in this case an account created on our site matches a certain hardware profile registered all together) in order to effectively manage gamers within the competition and controlling their permission to compete or not depending on their current status (locked for cheating, slandering, misbehavior...).

The AC tools and system renders a lot of files that needs to be sent, hosted, handled and served from reliable and performing servers for download and at the same time, compare data with database records to make sure no cheats have been used nor any not eligible player took part in an official match which would compromise the competition. We are talking about a complex system which requires a lot of attention in regards to security aswell.

Considering the hardware needs and mass traffic generation this system require, we could impossibly take the weight of the cost that this would generate if this system was made available to the millions of gamers that bought their copy of GRAW or GR if that last title was still played on ladders.

We hope to grow bit by bit with a solid competition community and gain trust from gamers and sponsors and such so we can enlarge our views and offer more to a wider community and supporting other titles in a near future.

If this is not for the sake of the GR/GRAW community and gamers allround, then i don't know where the hell we'r at.

what I mean by "secure" is, how trustworthy in their program. Can they get my CD-keys, banking info, ect.?

Or could someone hack it to do so?

It can send info back to them, like SS HW GUID they create, and info on cheats they tell it to detect.

Well if it can do that, it can do other things that could be harmfull.

What do we know about the people who created and manage it?

This AC has been developed by proffessionals, people that program for a living, with security in mind and respect of your privacy at the highest level. There is no such personal information gathered as you mentioned. The PGL organization has no intrest of any kind nor any gain in acquiring information related to your personal life.

Our software is developed solely in the purpose of interacting with your official match sessions on the PGL laddering systems and the goal of delivering an enjoyable competition environment.

Never will we develop programs that could be of any harm to you or your system. We strongly advice you not to download our tools anywhere else but from our official website and download section. If you decide to trust any other organization or individual to get your copy of any of our software from, this will be at your own risk.

Any organization, company, firm that makes use of computer and internet technologies, is exposed to risks and are a possible target for hackers, just as PunkBuster, PGL is no exeption. All efforts are made to protect our systems and community.

You have trusted punkbuster, we will try our best to earn your trust aswell.

Sincerely,

TacTiXs.

[FI_FlimFlam]

Rocky or zjj, can we get this moved to the matching forum? Since it's really just a promotion for their league. It's the more appropriate place for it.

[ToW-Angel]

TacTiXs,

While I do understand where you are coming from in regards to this... However, and more to the point (such as what FlimFlam has just pointed out), since this has absolutely nothing to do with a public anti-cheat system, it is nothing more than an attempt to get people involved with the PGL. No offense is meant here, but a good strong solid point that FlimFlam has made.

I'll also point out what I said in my last post... If it isn't made for a public anti-cheat system, there is absolutely no point in bringing it up at all. Again, no offense here, just pointing out the fact that it has no use to the public if the public isn't interested in joining PGL.

To point something else out... Punksbusted (www.punksbusted.com) was able to do something like this for the public. So, it is entirely 'possible' for you to do so also. Now, it seems to me, and I'm sure others who visit these forums, that PGL is not wanting to do something like this. It's a fact that if others can do it, you can too, and something that should be thought about. Otherwise it will be pointless to continue this discussion.

Have you brought us something that we can use? Yes, and most definitely no. The reason I say yes, is if you join PGL, which not all of us want to do and take part in the league to benefit from the usage of this program. No in the fact that we shouldn't have to join the league to get benefit out of it... The whole community should benefit, not just the select few who join PGL. Now, I am not saying any of this is wrong for PGL to do so, but again I point out that it's aboslutely meaningless to talk about something that obviously is not going to be made public due to the fact that PGL is not wanting to do so and only restricting its use to the league/ladders that are offered.

Now, if you are willing to go back to PGL and discuss the usage of this program for the entire public, that's another story altogether. However, until such discussions are made openly, it's not only fruitless, it is pointless to point out a program that will not be made for public use by the GR:AW community and by those who do not wish to join a league/ladder system for GR:AW.

[ruggbutt]

Screenshots lag the player/server. Then there's the fact that it's client/server software so the client needs to run it as well as keep it patched. Sounds to me like it's a copy of Punkbuster.

[ToW-Angel]

Only if you are a dialup connection... Rug, you using a 1200baud modem?

[ruggbutt]

Only if you are a dialup connection... Rug, you using a 1200baud modem?

That's the second post you've made with that ignorant question. And yet once again I'll answer because it's obvious that you aren't open to discussion and you have your mind made up. 1mb up and 8 down. And I ran our squad's dedicated server for over 5 years. I was also one of the guys instrumental in making an IP tracker that gleaned info from people joining the dedicated server.

How many years have you run a dedicated server off of fiber optic? Over 5 years here. And if you talk to some of the old schoolers, we were one of the only squads that could run a full GR server with zero lag. I always had state of the art equipment and more bandwith than God. Screenshots take bandwith and CPU cycles on both ends. But you should already know that because you're some kind of systems engineer. If you need an in depth explanation of how and why screenies lag the server PM me. I'll explain it for ya.

As for dialup, I know plenty of players that played [GR] on dialup, our full server and had no lag and didn't lag for other clients. Part of the reason for that was the insane bandwith on our server. So your "are you running a modem" question doesn't hold any water there either.

Edited September 21, 2006 by ruggbutt

[TacTiXs]

Our AC tool doesn't create any lag or increase latency as it doesnt upload ss's during your game session but only when your session is done. The only lag you may have during games is screenlag for a split second. Although, this has only been reported by just a couple of persons who have used the AC but they also said it was barely noticable.

[Bonehead]

Good luck with the program, seems like a decent one too. But like others, I dont want to have to join PGL to use it.

Hope you guys consider releasing it to the community at large.

[ToW-Angel]

And, it looks like TacTiXs totally avoided my post... Since that is the case, it only proves FlimFlams side of him only promoting PGL, and this thread should be moved to another forum area.

[Bonehead]

Well I was hoping that another prompt might help him remember to post a reply )

[ruggbutt]

Our AC tool doesn't create any lag or increase latency as it doesnt upload ss's during your game session but only when your session is done.

How exactly does that work when you're requesting data from the client in the form of a screenshot? Does it hold the screenie in memory or write the data to the h/d? And if that's the case then you're still talking CPU cycles, and with GRAW CPU cycles are almost as critical as VPU RAM.

it only proves FlimFlams side of him only promoting PGL, and this thread should be moved to another forum area.

It doesn't prove anything. Maybe he was answering me and had to go. Maybe back to work or RL stuff. As for ignoring you, from where I sit that gives the guy credibility.

Edited September 21, 2006 by ruggbutt

[ToW-Angel]

Bow's to the Mighty Holy Rug as he is the one and only God of the Internet!

[ruggbutt]

Would you like a tissue? Stop crying cuz he didn't respond to you. It's clear that you aren't worth spending the time typing a response.

[ToW-Angel]

[snip]

And, I'm done with you and people like you... It's people like you who think they win by chasing off the good people of this forum... You get a big brownie button... Congrats... You've got you ###### wish... I'm gone from here... I feel bad for Rocky having to deal with your kind of crap on a daily basis, and the other admins/staff on this site.

Hope you are proud of yourself...

Moderator edit for rule [3.2] Theats/Personal attacks.

Edited September 21, 2006 by WhiteKnight77

[Rocky]

This goes to everyone posting or reading this thread, learn how to post without being insulting or getting personal, or watch your warn level rise.

@TacTiXs, sorry your thread got derailed, if you would like to start a new one in the Games Room, I'll keep it clean and on topic.

[RAbbi_74]

Back O/T: I'm too lazy to go research it for myself, so I'll just come out and ask TacTiXs straight out. Is there any fee required to register as an individual or team @PGL, or for a registered team to d/l the A/C you've created (which I've read praise for elsewhere before)?

Echoing another poster's question, where are the screenshots help specifically until after the session? HDD (which would be my assumption)?

And, last but certainly not least, is there a way on the user/client side (completely independent of PGL, not to offend) to block that program from collecting or transmitting data from any source outside (using default example here) c:\programfiles\ubisoft\ghostreconadvancedwarfighter so taht we may give ourselves a little better assurance of privacy?

Not that I would assert your AC program to be capable of privacy violations, as shipped anyhow, but you know how those few REAL haxxorz can be crafty. Exploitation of your program by a third party to gather information about a user or to open a route of attack into a user's computer is at least theoretically possible. I'll leave it at that...

Thanks for being open with us about this issue. Surely you know how important a working anticheat is to so many people in this forum...

[ruggbutt]

Rabbi, a good anti cheat will check for other processes running. Some of the cheats use other common programs to inject the cheat into the game. I'm sorry if I'm being cryptic but I don't want to give out info that would help someone google how to do this stuff.

That being said, a true working anticheat would be more invasive than to only check out your GRAW directory. Back in the [GR] days some of my associates in the ACC had a working anticheat that didn't require a clientside program. The only problem was that it was extremely invasive and read more than just your GR directory. It worked ######' great though, as it was only tested on a closed server with all clients participating knowing full well what it was capable of. For legal reasons it was never released nor used except for several test runs.

Besides, we caught 99% of the cheaters that entered our servers using my Server Admin software and replays.

[RAbbi_74]

Nice. I think I know what you're talking about, too, with the 'other programs' stuff. Can't have my AntiCheat shutting down processes that are requisite to run the game or even the system, but don't happen to fall under the same folder.

So the problem in my estimation is how one would apply an AntiCheat that covers the bases without getting deep enough into the rest of my system to let some hack find his way into my WindowsLive Passport through it or something, right?

And has any of this been addressed with the supposedly forthcoming DX10?