Modded server not showing up as modded?

TyrsisTyrsis Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8804Members
edited December 2012 in NS2 General Discussion
So I was playing on a voogru server, and it didn't show up as modded. Joined aliens, ate a marine as alien and strange notification sound played, I ignored it, and went around 14-2. 9 minutes in I had 90+ resources. wtf?

Apparently the server implemented RFK but didn't show up as modded. Everyone on the server said they weren't seeing it, but there is no way I should have 90+ resources at the 9 minute mark with only 4 nodes. Everyone kept saying it was because I stayed alive so long, but it felt wrong, I knew something strange was going on.

So I waited for a new game, and recorded. Every kill netted me +2 on kill (a +2 showed up next to the resource count in the bottom right). So I pretty much confirmed it.

First off, RFK? LOL. Didn't the community talk about this and concluded that RFK was a bad idea like a year ago? Anyway, if anyone wants proof of how bad it is, join that server.

Second off, and the real issue here, why wasn't it shown as modified? I have a screencap of the server listing and a video i'll toss on the youtoobs once I edit it to show the RFK where I do a double kill and it gives me +4 resources.

Here's the video: <a href="http://youtu.be/Hxg9AOLEq3g" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/Hxg9AOLEq3g</a>

Here's the screencap of the server listing: <img src="http://i45.tinypic.com/x51hqv.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

From :05 to :15 you can see after I kill the two marines my resources go from 39 to 45. (6 in 5 seconds), and at :40 you also see it clearly after I kill him that I get a +2. Put in full screen HD to see the resource numbers in the bottom right clearly.

Server admins, do not try to balance your servers without notifying players that you're using a mod, because that just serves to frustrate players who already think the game is imbalanced.

Comments

  • includeinclude aka RpTheHotrod Dallas, TX Join Date: 2003-01-08 Member: 12027Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    I was actually there. The marines didn't seem to be getting any res for kills but the aliens were definitely having a lot of res every map.
  • TyrsisTyrsis Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8804Members
    Yeah I went back to see if marines were getting anything and they were not. What an incredibly bad mod.
  • greenpeegreenpee Join Date: 2012-04-10 Member: 150218Members
    Hahaha, as if aliens need any more help winning pubs as it is.
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    There is an "exploit" (more like a loophole) in the consistency checking that lets servers load server-side mods without getting flagged as modded. While it is possible to abuse it to change the gameplay itself without players realizing, it is also very widely used to load in ns2stats and DAK admin mod, which provided non-gameplay enhancements like mapvotes, motd, afk kicking, reserved slots, chat commands for timeleft, rcon commands, etc.

    UWE has shown little interest in whitelisting mods, so it seems likely that this technique will continue to be used for the foreseeable future. If UWE were to close this loophole, it would cause problems for a great many servers.
  • SwiftspearSwiftspear Custim tital Join Date: 2003-10-29 Member: 22097Members
    <!--quoteo(post=2041197:date=Dec 6 2012, 05:00 PM:name=Guspaz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Guspaz @ Dec 6 2012, 05:00 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2041197"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->There is an "exploit" (more like a loophole) in the consistency checking that lets servers load server-side mods without getting flagged as modded. While it is possible to abuse it to change the gameplay itself without players realizing, it is also very widely used to load in ns2stats and DAK admin mod, which provided non-gameplay enhancements like mapvotes, motd, afk kicking, reserved slots, chat commands for timeleft, rcon commands, etc.

    UWE has shown little interest in whitelisting mods, so it seems likely that this technique will continue to be used for the foreseeable future. If UWE were to close this loophole, it would cause problems for a great many servers.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    The whole "flagging" modded servers thing was a bit of overzealous move to begin with.
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    I understand the concept behind it; make it easy for players to find a server that offers them a "pure" experience. The problem is that UWE has a small dev team, and leaves it up to server modders to implement a great many of the features servers need to operate. In such a situation, UWE should have held off on the flagging approach completely until they had a comprehensive solution available that could address both requirements (enable players to find "pure gameplay" servers, while still allowing server admins to run the admin-related mods they need to operate the server).

    Right now, the loophole renders the entire whitelist moot. It lets you do any server-side mod you want without being flagged, so basically all it does is make it more difficult/annoying to create and operate mods (no auto-updating mods via the workshop).
  • lwflwf Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58311Members, Constellation
    edited December 2012
    There will never be any payoff in trying to force a modded flag on servers since it will always be bypassed should the owner want to. It would be better to concentrate on both better mod support while also improving clients consistency checks, for instance to be able to whitelist client mods rather than files. A server owner will always be able to lie; just like the client asks the server for the server name it asks it for the modded flag and player count, none of which is verified. The best UWE could do is try to detect this and ban dishonest servers from the master list, should it become a real problem. Prevention just wouldn't be effective.

    That being said, the whole thing is currently but an honor system so making gameplay changes to an NS2 server but not enabling the modded flag is very poor form, but also may not even have been intended.
  • nSidianSidia Join Date: 2012-08-15 Member: 155651Members
    The voogru servers blow like nothing ive ever seen. The hit reg is sooooooooo bad im not surprised they have some other weird things going on. I wish there was a way to blacklist them.
  • HeatSurgeHeatSurge Some Guy Join Date: 2012-09-15 Member: 159438Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited December 2012
    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=124988" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...howtopic=124988</a>

    Either make it consistent, or implement a whitelist. RFK on white servers? That just spells fail like nothing else.
  • TyrsisTyrsis Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8804Members
    I'm not sure what "problems" forcing any modification to show up as a modded server. There are many that use the modded flag and are successful.

    The issue here is that RFK is balance breaking, and not the intention of the game. 95% of the people on the server at the time continually repeated that this server was not marked as modded and they did not believe me when I was saying that an RFK mod was being used. Then when the game ended after 15 minutes every, single, game, because the aliens just stomped on the marines, people kept whining how imbalanced the game was, when really it was a mod. This is the issue. Whatever loophole exists needs to be fixed for next patch so that pure balance issues can be addressed, and not the faux balance problems that mods like this create.
  • JediPhreaKJediPhreaK Join Date: 2012-11-05 Member: 167028Members
    edited December 2012
    I think we might need some more servers with the Ping they have, I was getting 35-40 ping to them and only have ever found about 2-3 other servers that are occupied with that ping that aren't labeled as Rookie Servers.

    And by this I mean we need to as a group or something move to a new server that isn't occupied that still has good ping or something so we can get some people on it.
  • LilbitHeartlessLilbitHeartless Join Date: 2012-11-19 Member: 172517Members
    <!--quoteo(post=2041331:date=Dec 6 2012, 08:22 PM:name=Tyrsis)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tyrsis @ Dec 6 2012, 08:22 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2041331"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm not sure what "problems" forcing any modification to show up as a modded server. There are many that use the modded flag and are successful.

    The issue here is that RFK is balance breaking, and not the intention of the game. 95% of the people on the server at the time continually repeated that this server was not marked as modded and they did not believe me when I was saying that an RFK mod was being used.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I was on one of those servers today and that happened. Someone had about 47 res near the beginning of the game when the next person was under 30 and no one believed him. Certainly would be good to know what mods are on a server, but just knowing a server might be modded without it showing up is good to know. I'm sure the marines would have liked to know if they weren't getting res per kill and aliens were.
  • Ness_FrogKingNess_FrogKing Join Date: 2012-10-18 Member: 162628Members
    Well, that explains it. I was wondering how it was that I was able to afford an Onos after being on a server for only a few minutes...
  • AM|Angry_AGAINAM|Angry_AGAIN Join Date: 2012-11-24 Member: 173061Members
    i saw "rookie" server with 1.3x dmg on rifle.
    2k hp clockwalls
    5 turrets per batterie ectpp.
    Marine teams with 3 nodes and 3 dual exos and everyone of those Exo players got 100 pres... and surprise 2 of this guys where admins..

    And now say again there is no cheating....
  • includeinclude aka RpTheHotrod Dallas, TX Join Date: 2003-01-08 Member: 12027Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    edited December 2012
    This really needs to be handled. If you give people an easy route, most of them will take it. They are working hard to "balance" the game but allowing FULL mod-ability is going to do nothing but destroy that balance. They really need to lock down game-balance changing servers to "modded" flags somehow while letting non-gameplay changes pass. Either that, or just bite the bullet and force mod flags across the board. It's allowing way too much admin griefing (such as that server giving Res For kills to aliens).

    The UWE team has the numbers and the research when it comes to game balance. I don't like the idea of joining servers and being at the mercy of a kid with their parents credit card number calling the shots of what they think is balanced or not.
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