VAC banned by a Valve employee! - Games

NEVERMIND DO NOT LOCK THIS THREAD. NEW STUFF HAS CAME UP AND IT NO LONGER NEEDS LOCKED. I was using the speedhacking exploit with sourcemod on a random TF2 server. This guy [url]http://steamcommunity.com/id/professorfarnsworth/[/url] was there, and someone said "Al, don't you work for valve? can't you ban this guy?" and he said "yeah, hold on" and I figured they were just trying to scare me into leaving, and he went in spectate. Then about 5 mins later he came back and said "There, I got him banned, just wait a few mins" and I said "Vac bans take weeks." and someone else said "I thought they take months?" and then I suddenly was kicked from the server with the VAC popup thing saying that this is a secure server and i've been previously banned for acheating infraction. [img_thumb]http://i39.tinypic.com/ejy0xg.png[/img_thumb] [img_thumb]http://i44.tinypic.com/2nrzs3l.png[/img_thumb] He was in this server: [url="connect://66.150.164.55:27015"]TheMaCHinE.org - Advanced Teamplay [HLStatsX][/url] Does anyone know if they're allowed to do this? Will a VAC ban like this not get changed just like other VAC bans? Before you say that I should have gotten banned, this goes against what VAC is designed to do. VAC checks for a program altering the EXE or core DLL files of the game, and then has a delayed ban. There are not supposed to be manual vac bans, I used to believe. I used a plugin - sourcemod, to make the client think that it is the server and allow certain cvars to be changed, which allowed me to use speedhacks USING CONSOLE COMMANDS and not a third-party program or DLL. This VAC ban was unfair and should not have happened. UPDATE: [quote]Hello Jagger Estep, Thank you for contacting Steam Support. As you have explained, you were using a "speedhacking exploit". Cheating is not tolerated in online games, regardless of how the cheat is classified. The ban will not be removed. [/quote] [editline][/editline] New information confirming my story (That's correct, this really DID happen.) [QUOTE=Benlecyborg;21894542]Heh. This thread was featured in an article about how Steam is 'flawed'. [url]http://steamunpowered.eu/vac-banned-by-a-valve-employee/[/url] Also, the guy in question's chat log (the Valve employee): [url]http://mch.hlstatsx.nfoservers.com/hlstats.php?mode=chathistory&player=912[/url] Jag's chat log: [url]http://mch.hlstatsx.nfoservers.com/hlstats.php?mode=chathistory&player=3521&page=1[/url] So this story is indeed true.[/QUOTE] Also, if the author of that site sees this, please remove that article, because I have nothing against STEAM and I don't want to be on an anti-Steam site. (Or edit the post and at least say I have nothing against Steam. I like steam. I like Valve, best developer IMO. I just don't like this guy for using his powers this way, and I don't like the fact that VAC bans can be manually added.)

[QUOTE=Jag;21830189]I was using the[B] speedhacking exploit[/B] [/QUOTE] That's why you got banned, No it won't be reversed

[QUOTE=fullmetalninja;21830225]That's why you got banned, No it won't be reversed[/QUOTE] But it was just an exploit using sourcemod, lots of people use it, why don't they get banned? It's undetectable by VAC, but they can just ban people on sight? I thought that there are no manual vac bans?

Because they don't get caught?

Well, if you were actually using something to cheat then it was a worthy ban, but if it was just some exploit with console commands or some shit than this ban isn't viable at all. Were you using any external programs or anything to modify your gameplay?

I was using no external programs to modify my gameplay. I started a listen server using sourcemod and metamod, and used sm_cvar sv_cheats 1 to make my game think that cheats was on, then sm_cvar host_timescale # to change my speed. AKA, Console commands ONLY (with a plugin)

I'll put this in a way stupid exploiting dunces like you can understand. YOU... ARE... FUCKED...

I don't think exploits should get you banned. Email Valve?

[QUOTE=Jag;21830255]I was using no external programs to modify my gameplay. I started a listen server using sourcemod and metamod, and used sm_cvar sv_cheats 1 to make my game think that cheats was on, then sm_cvar host_timescale # to change my speed. AKA, Console commands ONLY [B](with a plugin)[/B][/QUOTE] Yeah uhh. If this is anything, anything AT ALL that is external, a plugin, a modified .dll, anything. Then it's a VAC bannable offense.

He's right, it's Sourcemod's fault, since its a plugin exploit, it doesn't count as a hack. That's like saying building multiple sentries during the time Valve forgot to patch it is considered hacking, when it certainly isn't. All I can suggest is submitting a well typed out Steam ticket, explaining everything that happened and if the viewer is feeling nice, he'll probably look into it and find out you were not actually hacking, and that your account was manually banned.

I created a STEAM ticket using the same post as this thread, with extra information such as "this was using the sourcemod server plugin and not a third-party application"

If it's a plugin modifying gameplay, and if you get caught it's bannable. My point is; You're using something to modify gameplay and cheat. You're fucked.

It was a plugin that almost all servers use, it's not a bannable plugin, it's sourcemod.

Oh you mean it was on the actual server? Why didn't you say so earlier that changes everything! :rolleye: [editline]12:37AM[/editline] If you were just using an exploit then shit, this ban is not viable at all.

It was sourcemod on my client. It works like this: You install sourcemod. You start a listen server which loads sourcemod. You join another server. You use "sm_cvar" to change convars client-side (The plugin still thinks that you are the server, and allows you to change it for yourself) That's it. No third party programs, just an exploit that's been in sourcemod forever.

it's not a problem to exploit sourcemod since that's not supported by valve you can only be banned for modifying certain files or using external apps so if you did any of that it's about as dumb as vac banning someone who used achievement_idle edit: o well then he just thought you were normally speedhacking so rip you

"Speedhack exploit" :downs:

[QUOTE=Moupi;21830373]it's not a problem to exploit sourcemod since that's not supported by valve you can only be banned for modifying certain files or using external apps so if you did any of that it's about as dumb as vac banning someone who used achievement_idle[/QUOTE] I know it's not a problem to exploit sourcemod. Sourcemod doesn't change any of the dlls for the game. This was a manual VAC ban, which goes against everything I thought I knew about VAC, and VAC can never detect this, because it's not an actual hack.

[url=http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=903824]I don't know if it will help, but here I guess.[/url] [editline]12:45AM[/editline] Also, agree with OP. This is total shit and you should try contacting the employee or steam in a calm manner and addressing the issue correctly. I hope you get unbanned. (Oh god that will be magic.)

Well, that didn't help, it simply confirmed what I already thought, vac checks for programs altering the game's EXE or core DLL files, but not plugin exploits. Thanks anyway.

[QUOTE=Jag;21830369]It was sourcemod on my client. It works like this: You install sourcemod. You start a listen server which loads sourcemod. You join another server. You use "sm_cvar" to change convars client-side (The plugin still thinks that you are the server, and allows you to change it for yourself) That's it. No third party programs, just an exploit that's been in sourcemod forever.[/QUOTE] If you joined "another server" and weren't just screwing around with your friends or whatever then I don't really care if you were exploiting or not, enjoy your ban.

I was exploiting, which is not supposed to be VAC bannable. Hacks are bannable, exploits are not. You didn't hear of anyone getting vac banned for building a bunch of sentries and dispensers on tf2.

[QUOTE=Jag;21830478]I was exploiting, which is not supposed to be VAC bannable. Hacks are bannable, exploits are not. You didn't hear of anyone getting vac banned for building a bunch of sentries and dispensers on tf2.[/QUOTE] You were using an exploit to CHEAT on a public server, obviously they were not impressed by you thinking you were clever. A valve employee saw you do it first hand. Valve has a zero-tolerance policy for cheating and will not lift VAC bans under any circumstances. It sucks guy but I doubt you will get unbanned.

So you're saying if a valve employee had joined a server where I was using the engineer exploit, they had the right to ban me, because of THEIR engine? [editline]08:11AM[/editline] night, Will update thread tomorrow if I have an answer from steam support.

[QUOTE=Magman77;21830393][URL="http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=903824"]I don't know if it will help, but here I guess.[/URL] [editline]12:45AM[/editline] Also, agree with OP. This is total shit and you should try contacting the employee or steam in a calm manner and addressing the issue correctly. I hope you get unbanned. (Oh god that will be magic.)[/QUOTE] :ninja: Phishing scams

What did we learn?

I'm sorry but... Serves you right for cheating.

Give us a link to your steam profile op.

You didn't play fair. You got banned.

maybe a VAC ban was little harsh, but you shouldn't have cheated.