The maker seems a bit too angry against people who didn't spend that much money just like him
The maker actually got (temp) banned on steam for breaking steam ToS because of that if I remember correctly.
He also does crap like this now.
[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/Dkkiv2X.png[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Endzeit7;52211222]The maker seems a bit too angry against people who didn't spend that much money just like him[/QUOTE]
The mod creator doesn't have to be nice to pirates. If they want to be just generally awful and take what isn't theirs, he doesn't have to be cordial and support their stupid choices.
The game is excellent, and undeserving of piracy. If they choose to not support the minds behind it, why should a mod support them?
"people aren't happy"
pcgamer, fucking [b]where[/b]? why do i have to go out and find the drama that apparently is so overwhelming that you needed to write a fucking article about this when it should've been in the article?
links in the article show individual posts by the modder which show off his frustration without much context.
[quote]Some users expressed support, others called names, and Kaldaien himself was eventually hit with a temporary ban from posting on the Steam forums because of his unapologetic—some might say combative—attitude toward his detractors. [/quote]
so the article asks you to believe there's drama and then just makes kaldaien look like a jerkoff and the whole thing seem like a non issue.
It's one thing to have an anti-piracy check in your mod to encourage people to buy the game - I think this would make developers smile, and only pirates would bitch.
It's another thing to come in on your high horse like it's a camel and its hump is stuffed up your ass. Now you're creating negative press for the game and pissing off everyone who has a problem with pompous pricks, which is a lot more than just software pirates.
"hmm, these people defeated a corporation that specializes in DRM, surely I can take on the pirates all by myself"
[QUOTE=hexpunK;52211237]The mod creator doesn't have to be nice to pirates. If they want to be just generally awful and take what isn't theirs, he doesn't have to be cordial and support their stupid choices.
The game is excellent, and undeserving of piracy. If they choose to not support the minds behind it, why should a mod support them?[/QUOTE]
Does it affect you in any way if people pirate your precious game?
Does affect the mod creator?
No, he is just throwing all of his irrational hate against people who didn't buy a videogame
And all of this for nothing, because the mod will get cracked too
[QUOTE=Endzeit7;52211259]Does it affect you in any way if people pirate your precious game?
Does affect the mod creator?
No, he is just throwing all of his irrational hate against people who didn't buy a videogame[/QUOTE]
Does it affect pirates even slightly? Definitely. Does it impact me as a legitimate purchaser? No.
More power to him tbh. If only more mods would break on pirated copies of games. If you're going to take a game without paying for it, you shouldn't see any of the benefits of third party mods or fixes.
[I]Buy the godforsaken games you play, there's literally no excuse for most major releases[/I]
[QUOTE=meppers;52211252]"hmm, these people defeated a corporation that specializes in DRM, surely I can take on the pirates all by myself"[/QUOTE]
if you had read the article, although he's a bit snarky towards pirates his main reason for doing it is to avoid legal troubles for himself
[QUOTE]I don't condone the practice, I don't generally think highly of people who do it, but this is not done to punish them. It is to protect me against asset injection of copyrighted material, which began to happen in my mods between Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Berseria[/QUOTE]
i'm sure as a software developer he knows the basic license check (which could likely be easily removed in [url=https://github.com/Kaldaien/FAR]the open source code for the mod he posted on github[/url]) isn't uncrackable :v:
[QUOTE=hexpunK;52211269][I]Buy the godforsaken games you play, there's literally no excuse for most major releases[/I][/QUOTE]
but why is that this guy's responsibility?
it's fine that it's a feature of his mod. still gets a scoff from me. but then when he goes above and beyond to get into fights with people on steam forums of all places, you kind of wonder if he's got white knight brain problems.
The entire mod is open source and you can very easily remove the (very trivial) check if you so wish (it's right [URL="https://github.com/Kaldaien/SpecialK/blob/84f75f8bb68f29974a2208f86f24c25d7f654415/src/steam_api.cpp#L4374"]here[/URL]).
I don't see why people are so up in the arms about this. At most it's a simple gesture pointed towards the pirates rather than a serious attempt at blocking the pirates from using the mod.
That said, the mod creator seems to have a penchant for getting into arguments. Didn't he make a post a few months back announcing he would cease making mods anymore due to the ensuing forum arguments?
[QUOTE=hexpunK;52211269]Does it affect pirates even slightly? Definitely. Does it impact me as a legitimate purchaser? No.
More power to him tbh. If only more mods would break on pirated copies of games. If you're going to take a game without paying for it, you shouldn't see any of the benefits of third party mods or fixes.
[I]Buy the godforsaken games you play, there's literally no excuse for most major releases[/I][/QUOTE]
How about video games are overpriced, and some people don't have unlimited money? Do we need to go down this road again?
I get that the game deserves the money. But it's not that easy for everyone.
Thing is, this isn't just about him putting in an anti-piracy check. He also implements a blacklist so that people he doesn't like can't use his mods and shit. He admitted this himself. Supposedly there's only 2 people on the list or something, but he talked about how he can add anyone who pisses him off to that list, essentially.
[QUOTE=Loadingue;52211295]How about video games are overpriced, and some people don't have unlimited money? Do we need to go down this road again?
I get that the game deserves the money. But it's not that easy for everyone.[/QUOTE]
Video games are still at one of their cheapest points in their history when you adjust previous prices for inflation. Considering a single SNES cart could easily hit over $100 back in the day.
If you can't afford it then and there, save up and buy it later? "I don't have the money" isn't a good excuse to pirate the game, when money can be gathered and kept aside. "I don't have the money and only have a week to live" might get a pass though.
[editline]10th May 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=SuperHoboMan;52211303]Thing is, this isn't just about him putting in an anti-piracy check. He also implements a blacklist so that people he doesn't like can't use his mods and shit. He admitted this himself. Supposedly there's only 2 people on the list or something, but he talked about how he can add anyone who pisses him off to that list, essentially.[/QUOTE]
Blacklists are fucking weird, but considering it's open source it's not really a problem (as with the anti-piracy measure itself). Shit, even GMod has a blacklist for both players and servers that have managed to piss Facepunch off in the past (usually for being malicious mind, but they're still blacklisted from a game they own, at least this is just an enhancement mod).
It just seems like an absolutely ridiculous amount of work to put in (unless this is easy to do?) to put in for seemingly little benefit.
This is kinda weird, a player who [b]wants[/b] DRM :v:
I think whether or not people pirated the game is none of his business and he comes across like a toxic fanboy but it's his mod so whatever.
[QUOTE=hexpunK;52211309]Blacklists are fucking weird, but considering it's open source it's [B]not really a problem[/B] (as with the anti-piracy measure itself). Shit, even GMod has a blacklist for both players and servers that have managed to piss Facepunch off in the past (usually for being malicious mind, but they're still blacklisted from a game they own, at least this is just an enhancement mod).[/QUOTE]
I don't know about it not being a problem. From what I've read, people on the blacklist that try to use the mod can't play the game at all. It crashes it or gives an error. This was a mod that was pinned on the [I]steam forums[/I], and it has malicious code like that in it? Doesn't matter if it's only 2 or 3 people that it effects, it's still fucked up.
[QUOTE=SuperHoboMan;52211347]I don't know about it not being a problem. From what I've read, people on the blacklist that try to use the mod can't play the game at all. It crashes it or gives an error. This was a mod that was pinned on the [I]steam forums[/I], and it has malicious code like that in it? Doesn't matter if it's only 2 or 3 people that it effects, it's still fucked up.[/QUOTE]
[quote] it's open source it's not really a problem[/quote]
As in; if you really, really wanted to use this mod you can just rip that part of the code out and recompile it yourself (or get someone else to do it for you, or check our your local script kiddie forum for a pre-built solution).
[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;52211322]It just seems like an absolutely ridiculous amount of work to put in (unless this is easy to do?) to put in for seemingly little benefit.[/QUOTE]
To a developer who's experienced with the Steam API, this should take less than five minutes with testing. It's extremely trivial, as the article and some other posters here noted.
[QUOTE=Tamschi;52211365]To a developer who's experienced with the Steam API, this should take less than five minutes with testing. It's extremely trivial, as the article and some other posters here noted.[/QUOTE]
Ohhhh I didn't know he'd be able to link into the Steam API through a mod. That's extremely clever then.
[QUOTE=hexpunK;52211357]As in; if you really, really wanted to use this mod you can just rip that part of the code out and recompile it yourself (or get someone else to do it for you, or check our your local script kiddie forum for a pre-built solution).[/QUOTE]
I don't know man, I feel like that's a dangerous way of thinking. Even if it's open source, you're basically saying it's totally fine for people to slip potentially malicious code into things with the excuse of "But it's open source and you can remove it!"
[QUOTE=Tamschi;52211365]To a developer who's experienced with the Steam API, this should take less than five minutes with testing. It's extremely trivial, as the article and some other posters here noted.[/QUOTE]
And again, almost nobody seems to have read the article. The creator's supposed reasoning for adding it is to cover himself legally, not augment the game's DRM to fuck with pirates. Although he makes it clear he doesn't like pirating he makes it pretty much as easy as possible to remove the checks.
As for the claims of him specifically targeting users with this check, there is a steamid check for this profile in the mod [url]http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/292733975847239680[/url] from what I can tell, but I have no idea why.
[QUOTE=SuperHoboMan;52211347]I don't know about it not being a problem. From what I've read, people on the blacklist that try to use the mod can't play the game at all. It crashes it or gives an error. This was a mod that was pinned on the [I]steam forums[/I], and it has malicious code like that in it? Doesn't matter if it's only 2 or 3 people that it effects, it's still fucked up.[/QUOTE]
It's not really 'malicious code' as much as 'weird licensing'.
Developers can choose whom they let use their software, and I think it's their right to be not super forthcoming about that.
Consider that publishing anything at all for free is already a nicer thing to do than the default for this, since usually a good chunk of work goes into the creation of such a mod and he'd probably be able to sell it instead.
Regarding the errors: Judging by the stuff in the article, it's mostly a version incompatibility with an outdated build used by pirates. I'd only consider it malicious if it actively hurt any data on the computer, which most likely isn't the case. 'Verify local files' in Steam should make the game run again with this type of executable modification (though I haven't checked that closely).
[editline]10th May 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=Elspin;52211391][...]
As for the claims of him specifically targeting users with this check, there is a steamid check for this profile in the mod [url]http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/292733975847239680[/url] from what I can tell, but I have no idea why.[/QUOTE]
Considering how inactive that seems, I'll go with 'test account' for now (though that's still a bit weird).
The idea that pirates should have rights is weird.
The idea that something is overpriced just because it's more than you can afford or are willing to pay for is weird too.
Like there are a bunch of metrics you can use to judge worth, but if a $70 game gives you 10 hours of engagement, that's $7 an hour - cheaper than a film, cheaper than mini-golf, cheaper than a lot of things.
This guy's clearly got developer aspirations - you don't become a modder if you don't. Maybe he's just opposed to piracy on principle, given it'll effect him down the line. [I]And that's okay.[/I]
[QUOTE=Elspin;52211391]And again, almost nobody seems to have read the article. The creator's supposed reasoning for adding it is to cover himself legally, not augment the game's DRM to fuck with pirates. Although he makes it clear he doesn't like pirating he makes it pretty much as easy as possible to remove the checks.
As for the claims of him specifically targeting users with this check, there is a steamid check for this profile in the mod [url]http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/292733975847239680[/url] from what I can tell, but I have no idea why.[/QUOTE]
Because they haven't cracked the new Denuvo version and the "crack" just runs a steam emulator set to that account.
[QUOTE=Elspin;52211391]And again, almost nobody seems to have read the article. The creator's supposed reasoning for adding it is to cover himself legally, not augment the game's DRM to fuck with pirates. Although he makes it clear he doesn't like pirating he makes it pretty much as easy as possible to remove the checks.
As for the claims of him specifically targeting users with this check, there is a steamid check for this profile in the mod [url]http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/292733975847239680[/url] from what I can tell, but I have no idea why.[/QUOTE]
The mod checks for the existence of a file named "CPY.ini", named after a crack group of the same name, and it removes the said file if it finds it. The method you linked has a comment related to the same crack group. I guess the user in question belongs to a member of that group, as far as the mod developer thinks? [B]EDIT: As the poster above me stated, it's the ID of the emulated Steam user.[/B]
[ignorethis]Interestingly, the method seems to allow the mod to run nonetheless if that exact Steam user is detected by the mod, regardless if the copy of the game is cracked or not. Or then again, if the CPY.ini file is deleted prior to this check, it wouldn't matter as the cracked copy wouldn't run anyway. I don't have a copy of the game and the mod to check, and I'm pretty tired already.[/ignorethis]
[B]EDIT:
Ignore what I said prior, the check only succeeds if the returned value is 0x00, which fails if any of the checks in the method fails, including that of the emulated Steam user. Guess this is what I get for trying to read source code late at night.[/B]
As for the blacklist, it can be found [URL="https://github.com/Kaldaien/SpecialK/blob/84f75f8bb68f29974a2208f86f24c25d7f654415/src/steam_api.cpp#L893"]here[/URL].
[QUOTE=helifreak;52211420]Because they haven't cracked the new Denuvo version and the "crack" just runs a steam emulator set to that account.[/QUOTE]
How is that not globally banned yet :v:
Steam and/or Denuvo should be easily able to detect that kind of stuff.
[editline]10th May 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=Maloof?;52211417]The idea that pirates should have rights is weird.
The idea that something is overpriced just because it's more than you can afford or are willing to pay for is weird too.
Like there are a bunch of metrics you can use to judge worth, but if a $70 game gives you 10 hours of engagement, that's $7 an hour - cheaper than a film, cheaper than mini-golf, cheaper than a lot of things.
This guy's clearly got developer aspirations - you don't become a modder if you don't. Maybe he's just opposed to piracy on principle, given it'll effect him down the line. [I]And that's okay.[/I][/QUOTE]
I don't think it's all that reasonable to measure it only in terms of time spent, but this game easily has one to two orders of magnitude more (really high quality) content than what would fit into a film. That's just my experience with it though.
[editline]10th May 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;52211377]Ohhhh I didn't know he'd be able to link into the Steam API through a mod. That's extremely clever then.[/QUOTE]
It really depends on the kind of mod. This one's an executable (which is usually necessary to mod a game that doesn't have an official modding API, beyond (script) asset swaps), which means it has at least the same permissions as the game running on the local computer.
The Steamworks Documentation is located [URL="https://partner.steamgames.com/documentation/api"]here[/URL] (more or less. To see more you have to be authorised, but the information is out there and [I]relatively[/I] easily obtainable through reverse-engineering local files also). Normally you need a game ID to sensibly use it of course, but that doesn't prevent you from checking if an existing title is attached to the account.
I would argue that the guy dont actually care about piracy and just want to feel morally superior
[QUOTE=Tamschi;52211427]
I don't think it's all that reasonable to measure it only in terms of time spent, but this game easily has one to two orders of magnitude more (really high quality) content than what would fit into a film. That's just my experience with it though.
[/quote]
It's the only measure that really works though. Quality can be a pretty subjective measurement, influenced by what the user values in gameplay, aesthetics, narrative, etc. We don't live in a barter economy - nobody goes to the movies to pay afterwards based on how good they thought the film was.
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