Cracked servers OK or NOT ok?

[Leo(T.C.K.)]

Your CD key is the only thing that's worth value. Your GS account isn't linked to it, all it contains is your email, friends list and a few other server stored tid bits.

How did someone try stealing your account? I think that needs some clarification.

Because someone logged in with the same name at same time, it said it found user with the name and it logged me off. When I logged in back everything was ok though. But they could do certain modifications to servers to steal things, I mean they saw I am the only registered user and tried to use my account.

 

[IronMonkey]

Your CD key is the only thing that's worth value. Your GS account isn't linked to it,

If you do a clean install of the retail release UT3 (don't know about later patches) and create a GS account from the in-game menu then the game does transmit your CD key to the GS server.

 

[Akira Kurosawa]

Well... just to point to a couple of your flaws:

1) keygens often contain a fix set of keys which they randomly display, this is specially the case when there's no input to create a key
2) Epic never used SecuROM, it has always been SafeDisc.
3) UT3 doesn't even have SafeDisc or any other copy protection, it just has a key
4) Epic does care for DRM stuff, that's why they always removed the CD checks in a certain patch (often the first patch). It's usually the publisher that wants those failing DRMs installed.
5) Cracked server means that people without legit copies can play on the server (losing your license means you lost your legit copy).
6) Cracked servers don't unite anyone except people with legit and illegitimate copies.

1: Actually the majority of keygens use an algorithm that mirrors the legit one. Normally they will 'botch' them by adding their own insignia into the gen. Like each key might have 'RLD' in it to specify the group that hatched the algorithm.
2: I never specified it used SecureRom I was simply using it as an example of flimsy security. Which will often install drivers, and blacklist virtual drives and virtual drive software. SafeDisc works similarly.
3: I never said it did.
5: I mentioned it as an instance in which it is beneficial to the people who coughed up for it as well.
6:

Cracked servers help unite the gaming community.

Illegit + Legit playing on the same servers = united.

 

[Akira Kurosawa]

If you do a clean install of the retail release UT3 (don't know about later patches) and create a GS account from the in-game menu then the game does transmit your CD key to the GS server.

Wasn't aware of that. Appears I may be wrong. Are you sure it's the entire key and not say a hashed version?

Someone should do some testing with key changes to see if the gamespy only does initial checks.

@Leo(T.C.K.)
While I may be wrong about the account issue. Yours seems more like a latency issue. Seen and have had very similar things happen in various games including RTCW, and BF2.

 

[IronMonkey]

Wasn't aware of that. Appears I may be wrong. Are you sure it's the entire key and not say a hashed version?

The entire key.

I was running tcpdump on my firewall at the time and did a complete network capture of all outgoing network traffic.

 

[Akira Kurosawa]

The entire key.

I was running tcpdump on my firewall at the time and did a complete network capture of all outgoing network traffic.

That's insanely lame.
Do you have the outgoing address?

 

[elmuerte]

how exactly is that lame?

 

[Leo(T.C.K.)]

Wasn't aware of that. Appears I may be wrong. Are you sure it's the entire key and not say a hashed version?

Someone should do some testing with key changes to see if the gamespy only does initial checks.

@Leo(T.C.K.)
While I may be wrong about the account issue. Yours seems more like a latency issue. Seen and have had very similar things happen in various games including RTCW, and BF2.

But...it just logged me off because finding same user and it happened only to me once and that on that cracked server. So that is suspicious.
Who knows if the admin doesn't want to steal other accounts via some tool. I have seen really nasty things created for the earlier games, why should this be exception?

 

[kafros]

Say no to cocained servers. NO?

Guild Wars have deployed the best anti-piracy measure: You buy their game at a fixed price ($40), and even though there are no monthly fees (WoW style), the game is continuously updated. Fixes, rebalancing, new content. All free if you have your key. It can only be played online. So checking that you have a copy is a piece of cake.


You are thinking "it is an MMORPG man". True, but it is closer to an FPS than an RPG. You login, get a character (you can even make a max lvl char. right away), pick a team, go killing on 8v8, 4v4, 8teamsVS8teams madness).

I do not understand why FPSs must be static throughout their lifetime (I am talking about their online portion).

 

[Akira Kurosawa]

how exactly is that lame?

I mean because a lot of games if they require an online key check it will at least mildly encrypt the key.
Also because I don't think UT3 has a real verification system other than when connecting to server. Or the idea that it's possible to have a cd key tied into an account. Which is a method primarily used in mmorpg accounts.

@Leo(T.C.K.)
It's possible, I'm just skeptic though. From playing and hosting a large sum of cracked servers and never have had an issue.
(in a lot of cases I liked cracked servers more lively having everyone able to play)

 

[Akira Kurosawa]

Bump, @ Leo
Just noticed this.
http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=611217

 

[elmuerte]

that has nothing to do with the cdkeys

 

[Akira Kurosawa]

that has nothing to do with the cdkeys

What doesn't?

 

[elmuerte]

duplicate login errors

 

[Akira Kurosawa]

I know, but leo was thinking it had something to do with someone trying to steal his/her account.

 

[Leo(T.C.K.)]

Dunno. Well I have seen malicious mods with forced command functions and such things for the old games running on certain non trusted servers, so nothing can surprise me.
But that error just happened out of nowhere and while I was in the cracked server, so I thought of the possibility. It never happened to me like that anymore, only in that case.

 

[Ignotium]

as long as i have people to play with, i'll be fine

my conscience is clean cause i got my legit copy of ut3, yes i'd prefer if everyone would own one, but w/e