Save Classic Sparring

Thallen · #1 09-04-2005, 05:33 AM

This is a desperate plea put out there to anyone who can help this game at it's roots, the classic servers, the sword servers, where a longlived aspect of the game is being bludgeoned carelessly...

What do you do after you complete all of the quests on a server? Sure, you can collect NPCs, make friends here and there, and explore, but everyone who has played Graal and is even faintly recognized is probably known for sparring or PKing. Sparring is being killed on Graal by speedhackers.
Before there was really minor speed, people were using godmode - with the fall of that, it has opened my eyes to exactly how many people do take the time and effort to cheat to win spars. So many people do it, and so little people actually recognize it. I'll admit it - I check out hacks every now and then to see what they do, and nowadays, for the most part, they don't even work for Windows 98. There is one hack in particular going around that allows players to increase their speed by such a small interval as .02 units - I don't think this refers to TPS, or tiles per second. So many people use this hack now that it's ridiculous. .50 is the default set speed. Many use .52, but that is very hard to recognize. What's killing me is seeing players get away with winning spar tournaments using this hack on .54 or .56. It is an obvious speed increase, and is clearly visible to the naked eye. So many staff members fall for the "I have a dual core processor, 5000GB RAM, and a ALPHAx v8800 video card with spinning rims," excuse, or even the popualar, "I just lag."
Out of the small percentage that I do manage to shed light upon and teach this masterful arts of catching speedhackers, an even smaller percentage will punish them, as they say they have no proof. Can anyone on Graal come up with a solution to this? Any way to single out even the most minor speedhackers, any script, anything at all? I am growing so tired of wasting hours on spar tournaments each week to lose by someone using speed, and I know a handful of others are as well.

Please do not respond to this thread if you're not willing to talk about the subject itself. Don't point out anyone who uses any of these hacks, I probably have structured a list much bigger than yours, regardless...

MKxTortoise · #2 09-04-2005, 06:09 AM

Isn't there something in RC that makes the NPC server go nuts if someone is speedhacking?

Darlene159 · #3 09-04-2005, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKxTortoise

Isn't there something in RC that makes the NPC server go nuts if someone is speedhacking?

There is something you can add, yes
It detects if someone is going over a certain speed, and says something on RC I believe

Lance · #4 09-04-2005, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darlene159

There is something you can add, yes
It detects if someone is going over a certain speed, and says something on RC I believe

That would be Stefan's speedhack detection system, configured via the speedhacktolerance= serveroption.

However, I have not seen it set off (or in the logs) for quite some time, despite being on RC on several servers.

MKxTortoise · #5 09-04-2005, 06:21 AM

so if that option is there, why doesn't everyone have speedhacktolerance=.5?

I was told once there was an issue that caused laggy sparrers to trip it, but still.

Lance · #6 09-04-2005, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKxTortoise

so if that option is there, why doesn't everyone have speedhacktolerance=.5?

I was told once there was an issue that caused laggy sparrers to trip it, but still.

The recommended value is 90. Stefan has said, however, that tripping it once is not sufficient for a ban (even though lag should not set it off at this level), but just to warn them. If it happens repeatedly, however, a ban is justified.

MKxTortoise · #7 09-04-2005, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

The recommended value is 90. Stefan has said, however, that tripping it once is not sufficient for a ban, but just a warning. If it happens repeatedly, however, a ban is justified.

If that's the case wouldn't it imply a flaw in the command?

Lance · #8 09-04-2005, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKxTortoise

If that's the case wouldn't it imply a flaw in the command?

No, it implies that we as Good Administrators are covering that fraction of a percent that lag could set it off.

MKxTortoise · #9 09-04-2005, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

No, it implies that we as Good Administrators are covering that fraction of a percent that lag could set it off.

So there is a flaw, then. If the chance is greater than zero, it's flawed.

Lance · #10 09-04-2005, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKxTortoise

So there is a flaw, then.

Nope. The system works exactly as it is designed to (if it's enabled).

Lord Sephiroth · #11 09-04-2005, 07:58 AM

Isn't there a speeding log you can set up so it logs whenever someone goes over a certain speed? Babylon had one for a while, I'll check later to see if it still does, but it logged people going too fast with the account name, speed, and time it was done.

[Edit]
No Babylon doesn't have it any more, but it was around when Babylon was classic / just gone to UC, so it was about a 7 or 8 months ago.

konidias · #12 09-04-2005, 08:07 AM

I'm not sure but I think Stefan's thing checks the speed that the game is running, not the player.... Not really positive on that though.

A solution would be to use scripted movement, with pixel perfect speed. Then you can do serverside checks of the speed to see if it's over a certain value. That usually solves the people who are editing their walk speed with other programs. But a lot of people use those program speed increasers which just increases your entire program's speed. (it makes everything like it's in hyper mode)

If Stefan's script is detecting that, then you're pretty much preventing people from speed hacking, with the combined two safety measures.

napo_p2p · #13 09-04-2005, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

Nope. The system works exactly as it is designed to (if it's enabled).

It worked pretty well at one point. But I think it doesn't work anymore

.

Smutastic · #14 09-04-2005, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thallen

Sure, you can collect NPCs, make friends here and there, and explore

Or you could scam, hack and act like a prick!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thallen

I'll admit it - I check out hacks every now and then to see what they do

Wait, you want speedhackers/godmoders gone but you still try out those programms... because? You could gain some funny advantage like warping/more speed/something else? Logic+1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thallen

So many staff members fall for the "I have a dual core processor, 5000GB RAM, and a ALPHAx v8800 video card with spinning rims," excuse, or even the popualar, "I just lag."

Looks like these staff members aren't pretty smart, read the posts above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thallen

I am growing so tired of wasting hours

Aw, I feel sorry for you.

Polo · #15 09-04-2005, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

That would be Stefan's speedhack detection system, configured via the speedhacktolerance= serveroption.

However, I have not seen it set off (or in the logs) for quite some time, despite being on RC on several servers.

We had our go off yesterday. I personally see it weekly. For reference, we have ours set to 90 as recommended.

Scripted movement (such as Classic etc...) tends to stop a good proportion of traditional speed trainers, as only the ones that increase the entire Graal work rate get past it.

You cant ever really script a system that checks the distance a player moves and works out if thier speed is boosted. If its clientside it could get disable, and if its serverside you have badwidth/lag implications. You'd also need some way of it not triggering during alternat mevement or cutscenes where the players speed may legitimately be increased.